Editor’s Note: This is the first of our series of articles looking at the Power Conferences in College Football. Each day one of our college football writers will pick a conference winner, and make a case as to why that team has what it takes to win the new College Football Playoff and become 2014 National Champions.
As much as it pains me to say so, Michigan State is the definitive favorite out of the Big Ten to compete for the national title. For what it’s worth, the Spartans have been the crème of the B1G over the last four years, winning 42 games, two conference championships, three consecutive bowl victories, and most recently a Rose Bowl victory over Stanford. In college football, it’s tough to top a 13-1 season in the next year, but Michigan State has the ability to do just that.
For Michigan State, it starts with Coaching and Defense
The success of the Spartans starts with the coaching, and that is the number one reason they have a shot at the 2015 College Football Playoff. While the team has lost a number of stars on defense, including Darqueze Dennard, Denicos Allen, Max Bullough, and Isiah Lewis, the Spartans will replace them admirably. None of the aforementioned players were five-star recruits, and Dennard, a first-round NFL selection, was only a two-star recruit coming out of high school. Mark Dantonio is one of the best in the business when it comes to identifying low-rated future college stars, and DC Pat Narduzzi is the best at coaching them up, so expect attrition not to be a concern in 2014. While Dennard and company may have moved on, MSU does not lack defensive playmakers. DE Shilique Calhoun, OLB Taiwan Jones, CB Trae Waynes, and S Kurtis Drummond are all future NFL players and will have a huge role to play for the Spartans.
Spartans Have Offense Too
While defense was the team’s calling card in 2013, look for the offense to take a big step forward. After beating out Andrew Maxwell for the starting quarterback spot early in the season, Connor Cook brought solidity and playmaking ability to position, which the team lacked in 2012. As a junior, his best football is still ahead of him, and he has the weapons around him to win football games. Running back Jeremy Langford lead the Big Ten in TDs last season, while also compiling 1,400 yards despite only getting nine offensive touches in prior seasons. Look for him to anchor the running game for a Spartan national title run. The Spartans receiving core, which was dreadful in 2012, took a big step forward last season and should continue to improve with the likes of Tony Lippett, Macgarrett Kings, and Keith Mumphrey catching passes from Cook. My only concern with the team is the offensive line, which lost four seniors from last season. If the line can rebuild and gel on the fly, Michigan State should be able to roll through the Big Ten season once again.
What makes State a dangerous team in the playoffs is their balance. They can run the ball with Langford, they can air it out with Cook, and they can stop the ball with Calhoun, Jones, Waynes, and Drummond. While there has been some attrition on the defensive side of the ball, the major players on offense are returning. Provided the offensive line, which yielded only 17 sacks in 14 games last season, can recover from the loss of a few starters, the Spartans chances of heading to Arlington in January are extremely high.
For more on sports injuries, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @LWOS_Sibo. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter –@LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Football fans…check out our two partnered NFL podcasts – Thursday Night Tailgate Radio and Overtime Ireland. Both shows bring you interesting commentary, critical analysis and fantastic guests including former and current NFL players, coaches and personalities.
Main Photo:
