Western Michigan takes on Michigan State in a game that can only be described as a test for both teams. Michigan State is expected to be Western Michigan, and Wetern Michigan is expected to be very competitive with Michigan State. The two teams will either walk away disappointed or thrilled depending on the outcome, and the outcome could determine the course of their seasons.
Michigan State should be good
The Michigan State football program should be very good this season, and they should be able to beat Western Michigan. There is no question that they have more talent and a long standing coaching staff, but they could have problems with a hungry Western Michigan team that is not afraid to play teams like USC.
Michigan State, for its part, has been up and down over the past couple years. On the one hand, they will beat Ohio State, but on the other hand they will lose games they are supposed to win. It is difficult to figure out who they are because they project no clear identity. They are rugged, but they are not easy to pin down.
The matchup is close
This is an in-state rivalry that has never truly existed. Michigan State is the big school that takes up a lot of space in East Lansing, and Western Michigan is a directional school that no one took seriously. They hired PJ Fleck, and he turned Western Michigan into a powerhouse to be reckoned with. He left for Minnesota, and the school hired a Western Michigan alum to run the program.
A new coach will keep the ship sailing in the same direction, and that could spell trouble for the Spartans.
What if WMU loses?
WMU would be 0-2, and they will go into their conference schedule with two losses. However, their conference is not nearly as hard to play as the Big Ten or the PAC 12. These two conferences represent the best in America, and the conference games for WMU will look easy by comparison.
They could easily win their conference, and they will have a chance at playing in a bowl game. They are not going to go undefeated but they can make a statement by playing well against the best teams in the country. They gave USC a hard time, and it would say a lot about Western Michigan if they were to give Michigan State a hard time.
This is a good start
WMU should keep playing the best teams in the country until they break through and win a game. They will make a name for themselves by playing the hardest games possible, and they will continue to perform well because of the experience they get.
