The college football offseason is almost over as we are halfway through July. The season will get going in about a month and a half, and college football fans everywhere are eager for the new beginning. College football fever is rampant across the country as we get closer to the season, but also because of the new EA Sports NCAA 25 video game that just came out in mid July. All in all, it’s an exciting time to be a college football fan, and one fan base that is excited for the season is Michigan State football fans. The Spartans have a big season ahead of them.
This college football season is going to be a big one for a number of reasons. The sport is going through big changes, and some of those changes are going to be seen for the first time this season. Let’s take a look at what some of them are.
First off, there are going to be some new rules seen this year in college football, and some fans aren’t really in favor of them. Perhaps the biggest change is the addition of the two-minute warning. Fans have already started getting sick at all of the commercials that are happening in today’s era of college football, and the two-minute warning is another way for tv networks to get more commercial times in.
The bigger changes, however, come with conference realignment and the expanded College Football Playoff. College football is going to look completely different next year because of those two things. California schools playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference? Yeah, things are changing.
Conference realignment has shaken things up big time in college football. The power five is no longer a thing as the Pac-12 is essentially dead. Every team left for a new conference except for Oregon State and Washington State. Those two teams have scheduling alliances with the Mountain West.
Every other Pac-12 school found a new home. Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State are now in the Big 12. Oregon, Oregon State, USC and UCLA joined the Big Ten. Lastly, Cal and Stanford joined the ACC (makes a ton of sense, right?).
The other big change with conferences comes in the SEC. Oklahoma and Texas are both leaving the Big 12 and they will join the SEC. The Big Ten and the SEC are loaded with good teams and seem on the verge of forming two super conferences.
This season, we will also see 12 teams make the College Football Playoff. For about a month, the College Football Playoff will be happening. Some people aren’t in favor of the big expansion, but there will be more marquee college football games, and it’s hard to be too upset about that.
All in all, this is going to be one of the biggest college football seasons of all time. The game is changing, and this is the start of a new era.
A new era for Michigan State football
Every year in college football, some of the most intriguing teams to pay attention to are the ones that are breaking in a new head coach. Michigan State football will be one of those teams in 2024. The Spartans are entering year one of the Jonathan Smith era. Smith is coming over from Oregon State, and he did a great job turning things around for the Beavers. Now, he is tasked with the same project in East Lansing.
The Mel Tucker honeymoon phase didn't last very long for Michigan State. In 2021, Tucker led the Spartans to an 11-2 season that included a win over rival and Big Ten champion Michigan, and a win in the Peach Bowl. It looked like the Spartans hit the jackpot with Tucker, but everything went downhill from there.
Michigan State football had high expectations for the 2022 season after a superb 2021 campaign, but it was a major disappointment. The Spartans ended up going 5-7 and they missed a bowl game. It seemed like they had hit rock bottom, but then things got worse in 2023.
Shortly after the start of the 2023 season, Mel Tucker was suspended and eventually fired for sexual harassment allegations. The team wasn't good to start the year, and throwing all of that into the mix didn't do them any good. They ended up going 4-8.
Now, Jonathan Smith is here, and there is hope in East Lansing. They have a coach that has found success at a program that doesn't have as good of a football reputation, and they also have some intriguing transfers. There is a lot of work to be done, but the future does seem bright for Michigan State. Here are three predictions for their 2024 season:
Michigan State will go 7-5
Michigan State football is going to be better than most people think. Yes, they are not in a good spot right now, but Jonathan Smith is a good coach who is going to get the most out of his players. The Spartans have some talent, especially at the quarterback position with Oregon State transfer Aidan Chiles. He is very good, and familiar with his head coach. The Spartans will lose to Maryland, Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan and Rutgers, but they will beat FAU, Prairie View, Boston College, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois and Purdue. Their win total is set at 4.5, so seven wins would be huge.
Aidan Chiles will be one of the best QBs in the Big Ten
Getting Aidan Chiles to come to Michigan State was huge for Jonathan Smith. Chiles is going to be one of the best QBs in the Big Ten. Last season, some of the top QBs in the Big Ten were Taulia Tagovailoa, JJ McCarthy, Kyle McCord, Drew Allar, etc. All of those guys are gone this year except Allar, and Chiles could very well end up being better than him. Obviously, other teams have transfers too, and there are four new teams in the conference, but Chiles has the potential to be very good.
Jonathan Smith will win Big Ten Coach of the Year
If Michigan State football really does end up going 7-5 with one of the top QBs in the Big Ten, it would be an incredible first year for head coach Jonathan Smith, and he would be in the running to win Big Ten Coach of the Year. There are some other first-year coaches to watch and if Oregon wins the Big Ten in year one, it would likely go to Dan Lanning. However, if they can get over the six win mark, Smith should be in the conversation. He is taking over a rough situation, and that would be an impressive start.
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