MSU Red Cedar Message Board

Return 18/22 of our defensive 2-deeps (which is pretty scary). We just have to find a DT to replace Worthy and a FS to replace Robinson. Defense will be damn good.

Return 8 OL with significant starting experience. Lots of veterans and there'll some interesting position battles. Lose Baker at RB, but he was kind of a head case last season. Bell will be able to carry most of the load and has a solid change of pace with Caper and Hill. TE is probably the biggest concern. Sims is an elite athlete, but hasn't really managed to stay healthy and put together a solid season. We might need a JUCO transfer to contribute immediately. WR is another major question, and a true freshman (or 2) will have to contribute serious reps. But there's plenty of talent to go around, somebody just has to step up. QB will be Andrew Maxwell, who is more athletic than Cousins but with almost no playing experience. The coaches are very high on him, so we all think QB will be fine as long as he stays healthy.

The winner of the Big Ten will be whoever wins the MSU-UM game..... so obviously MSU.

Expectations remain the same and this time we will win the B1G.

Defense will be scary nasty. Nationally, everyone talks about the loss of Worthy, who is indeed a serious loss, but there's more than enough talent back there to pick up the slack. On the DLine, Will Gholston is a first rounder and may be drafted in the top 15 if he keeps improving like he has been. Trenton Robinson was the other departure, but the defensive backfield is scary deep. In other words - there isn't one person who actually knows the team who thinks the defense will take a step back. It's going to be nasty.

The offense is a GIANT question mark. Everyone here has confidence in the new QB, 4th year junior Andrew Maxwell - he's been groomed for this day ever since he stepped on campus. Plenty of talent to get the job done. Receivers are all COMPLETELY new. We've got a transfer who started as a freshman for Tennessee last season and did well. But that's pretty much all you can say. We've got plenty of guys with size, strength, and talent, but close to zero experience. So it'll be interesting in the passing game.

We couldnt' run the ball well last year because injuries to the OL left us a bit disjointed. OL is healed, deep, and our RB (Bell) is a beast. Plenty of depth there too with Larry Caper and Nick Hill.

Plenty of confidence in this team. They're shooting for Rose Bowl.

Fucking awesome.

to answer the OP's question

better than Iowa

Other angle I'll add is the schedule: Tough but manageable. We open at home against Boise State. They're always tough, but lost a lot to graduation. The only other tough non-conference game is home against Notre Dame, but I think we'll handle them this season.

In the Big 10, our toughest games will be at Wisconsin and at Michigan. Our home games include Nebraska and Ohio State along with challenges from Northwestern and Iowa.

So, it's a challenging one, but given our team, we should do fine. I mean, it's not like we open up against Alabama, now that would suck!

We will beat every team on our schedule.....EXCEPT @CMU. Kelly Shorts stadium scares the SHIT out of me (insert sarcasm here)

Schedule alternates tough/easy for the first 7 games:

Boise
@CMU
ND
EMU
tOSU
@IU
Iowa

After Iowa, it's just brutal

@UM
@WI
Nebraska

Get through that 3-game stretch at 2-1 and I think MSU is in the CCG for the 2nd straight year. Last 3 games . . .

BYE
Northwestern
@Minny