MSU pegged as 2013 Legends division favorites

Submitted by lonewolf371 on

CBS has a summary article here:

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/eye-on-college-football/22217998/sec-big-ten-big-12-acc-conferencedivision-odds-released

The original site with the odds is here:

http://www.thegreek.com/sports/home.asp

Part of this is scheduling, as MSU gets Michigan at home and doesn't have to play Ohio State, Wisconsin, or Penn State from the Leaders division. Michigan obviously travels to Penn State and has to play Ohio State at home, so presumably the only good team in the conference Michigan will miss next year will be Wisconsin. Add that to the fact that tough road games seem like a guaranteed loss for Michigan over Hoke's first two years and you could see the Wolverines racking up enough losses to send Sparty back to the championship game.

I'm a little bit surprised they have Northwestern so low. They get MSU and Michigan at home, although I guess when you combine that with road games against Nebraska and Wisconsin and a home game against tOSU they don't get off so easy.

In any case, this is another exhibit in the horribleness of the current division configuration where MSU's cross-division rival is Indiana while Michigan's is Ohio State. It will be nice when no such arrangements exist any more.

DISCUSS Man

May 9th, 2013 at 7:58 AM ^

LOL!

Michigan, nebraska and NW will finish higher than them. Sorry, when you lose 3 key players in the draft and their replacement candidate for bell is a midget named nick hill, I'm not seeing it. But at least they can try to defend their prestigious BWW Bowl title!

canzior

May 9th, 2013 at 8:05 AM ^

LOL....its closer to LOLWUT?  I guess it would help with an explanation...as in is everyone else just going to be worse? Or do they actually think MSU will be that good?  Better than Nebraska?  Michigan? 

Awkward_Amalgamation

May 9th, 2013 at 12:51 PM ^

Sounds like their replacement (provided their incoming freshmen RBs don't make an immediate impact) will be converted LB Riley Bullough. The whole reason they even switched him over to the offense is because players like Nick Hill, Jeremy Langford, and Tompkins weren't impressing enough or showing signs of separation. 

Needless to say, your point about losing those key players holds true and if you have to resort to converting a player to the other side of the ball to find improvement then it could be a long season for them.

UMgradMSUdad

May 9th, 2013 at 8:01 AM ^

The Bo Division does seem to be pretty wide open this year.  UM, MSU, and both NUs all have a legitimate shot at the title, but yeah, strength of schedule does seem to favor the Sparties.  On the Woody side, it seems like OSU is the team to beat.

massblue

May 9th, 2013 at 8:05 AM ^

Everyone is in love with OSU and now they are getting on MSU's bandwagon. Team 134 has to go out and prove it on the field. The cross division schedule should not affect our ability to win the division.

Magnus

May 9th, 2013 at 8:11 AM ^

It's really nice that they don't have to play three of the best teams in the conference (assuming PSU can maintain its decent play from 2012).

gwkrlghl

May 9th, 2013 at 9:00 AM ^

They've had great success in avoiding the bigger teams in conference while enjoying a protected rivalry with Indiana. They also got to play both Michigan and Ohio State during some of their worst seasons in decades. MSU's days as a 'contender' are numbered

ohio

May 9th, 2013 at 8:13 AM ^

Everyone loved Purdue going into last year so this means nothing to us that know team 134 or 135 have national championship potential with the talent cupboards so loaded.

WolverineHistorian

May 9th, 2013 at 8:16 AM ^

Interesting. You lose all your key players from the #100 ranked offense in the country and now you're a favorite to win your division.

I guss at MSU, when you're coming off a 6-6 season, you don't rebuild. You reload.

NFG

May 9th, 2013 at 8:21 AM ^

So does this make us " laying in the weeds" then?



I think it's easier for teams to enter the season ranked in the 20's or not at all due to pressure being alleviated. Let everyone pick MSU's dynamic offense (/s) and Ohio's great offensive line and defensive front seven (/s) to be the deciding point.



I truly am looking forward to this season. It can be something special as long as we stay healthy and not call a draw on 3rd and 11. Looking at you Al.

Simps

May 9th, 2013 at 8:33 AM ^

IIRC they were the "favorites" to win it last year. They will have a solid defense but I can't see them winning more than 7 games. They didn't win a single big ten home game last year. 

Mr. Yost

May 9th, 2013 at 8:41 AM ^

...8-4/7-5 on a consistent basis with 9-3 and 6-6 sprinkled in every now and again.

The run is over. I've said it for a year now.

EGD

May 9th, 2013 at 8:42 AM ^

2013 will probably be Dantonio's last chance at a division title before the realignment and recruiting disparities bury him. But I do think State has a legitimate shot at it. They will need to find replacements for Bell and their two outstanding corners and their WRs will have to stop dropping so many throws. But they should have a good front 7 on defense and they have at least one offensive playmaker in Burbridge.

WolvinLA2

May 9th, 2013 at 6:36 PM ^

Why do we think their front 7 will be that good?  They lost probably their top 2 DL and they have very little depth behind the starters.  The LBs will be good, but not so much on the DL.  

Jeff09

May 9th, 2013 at 8:42 AM ^

I actually prefer starting off lower ranked to start the season. Anecdotally it seems like we do much better than when we start off ranked highly. See 2011 vs last year, 2006 vs 2005/7, etc. Small sample size obviously applies but it feels like Michigan has a tendency to read its press clippings and a) play like they are entitled when ranked highly and b) play with a chip on their shoulders when not.

Hello_Heisman

May 9th, 2013 at 9:38 AM ^

As I can think of two other great Michigan teams - the 1985 and 1997 squads - that started the season ranked outside of the Top 10.  But I can also think of a number of Michigan teams that started the season ranked pretty high up and ended up having good years.  Off the top of my head that list would include 1986, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1999, 2003 and 2004.  I'm sure there were plenty of others as well.

I think MSU will be better than last year, but there is no way in hell they're winning the Legends division this year.  I think they'll go 8-4 overall and may beat us in EL (that game seems like a 50/50 toss up), but they'll fall short in a couple of games elsewhere along the way. 

 

 

Victory Collins

May 9th, 2013 at 8:52 AM ^

Northwestern looks like a good bet.  They probably should have beaten us last year, have most of their top players back, and get their two toughest games at home.

Also, anyone notice those odds for the Big 10's newest member to win the ACC?  It looks like they may really be more putrid than anyone thought.

Bodogblog

May 9th, 2013 at 1:21 PM ^

 

 

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