The Spartans face Notre Dame this Saturday, and that makes me nervous. Don't get me wrong, MSU is the better team this year, but Notre Dame will be dangerous and could easily beat the Spartans if they play a sloppy game.
Why Notre Dame's offense could be trouble
Notre Dame's most dangerous weapon is tight end Tyler Eifert. This guy will be a first round pick in the NFL draft and he is extremely difficult to stop. He did suffer a concussion against Purdue, but it looks like Notre Dame is planning to play him against MSU.
Notre Dame also has some solid running backs. Theo Riddick is quick and has good hands.
Tommy Rees looked good in the few minutes he played against Purdue. Everett Golson is supposed to start, but I expect Rees to replace him early. Rees seems to have progressed quite a bit since last year, though that may just reflect the fact that he didn't play a whole game. Still, he could be dangerous.
Why Notre Dame's defense could be trouble
Manti Teo is an elite linebacker who will be a first round draft pick in next year's NFL draft. He did suffer an injury to his sternum against Purdue, but he is expected to play and he will likely still be a force.
Notre Dame's defensive line is nearly elite. They need more experience, but the talent they have is remarkable. Last year, Notre Dame's DL dominated MSU's offensive line. This year's Notre Dame d-line is better, so if MSU's o-line doesn't put things together this week, MSU will not score many points. So far, MSU's o-line has not inspired much confidence.
MSU's advantages
Notre Dame did suffer a lot of injuries against Purdue. Eifert and Teo are the key players to watch. I don't expect their injuries to slow them down much, but they could come into play. For example, how often will Teo want to ram his injured sternum against LeVeon Bell. We'll see if this comes into play in the fourth quarter.
Aaron Lynch is gone! The talented defensive end absolutely dominated MSU's offensive line last year as a freshman. He became homesick, however, and transferred to U of Miami in the off-season.
Michael Floyd is gone! The Spartans had trouble with Floyd last year and Notre Dame does not have any receivers of that caliber this year. They do have Eifert. But the Spartan's elite cornerbacks should allow them to cover Notre Dame's other receivers one-on-one, while Eifert gets double coverage.
MSU is great against the run. Notre Dame has talented running backs, but they will struggle to get yardage against MSU's front 7.
MSU almost has 4 legitimate offensive weapons, now. LeVeon Bell and Dion Sims are already there, Andrew Maxwell and Bennie Folwer are almost there. If the offensive line can be decent, these guys have enough talent to put up 21 points on Notre Dame, and with MSU's defense, that's all they will need.
The game is in East Lansing. MSU has won 15 home games in a row. Add to that the fact that this is one of MSU's best teams in a long long time and you can see why MSU is the favorite in this one.
Upshot
MSU should win this one, as long as they don't play like they did against Boise. MSU is more talented, overall, and has better coaching. But turnovers, penalties, and poor special teams play could still hand the game to Notre Dame. MSU will be a focused team -- no problem there -- but I'm worried about nerves -- particularly the nerves of Maxwell and the receivers, and even the offensive line (which will be challenged).
Prediction: MSU 24 Notre Dame 16
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