Alleviated Concerns
Coming into this game, there were 4 big concerns for MSU: replacing Connor Cook, reloading on the O-line, reloading at wide receiver, and reloading at defensive end.
I would say that the first concern is no longer a concern. Tyler O'Connor looks legit, to me. I think he can play at least as good as sophomore-year Kirk Cousins. And that would be good enough to make MSU a strong challenger for the B1G title. But I actually expect more than that from O'Connor. I think he can be as good as junior-year Kirk Cousins (2,825 yards, 20 TDs, 10 INTs). He's plenty smart, has excellent mobility, has pretty good arm strength, has a very good touch and nice accuracy. He should be a B1G star. Damion Terry needs to keep improving, but he should be a solid backup -- especially if he can play more loose (he seemed a little tight at times).
I think the O-line has a chance to be the best in the Dantonio era. You heard that right. Last year's O-line was very talented, but it also under-performed. They lost key players, yes, but this year's group is mature and very deep. The only question that remains with this group is, how long will it take for them to gel? If they take a couple of months, MSU will lose to Notre Dame. Otherwise, this group will be dominant by the end of the season.
I think the receivers group is in a similar situation as the O-line. This unit lacks experience, but it's very talented and deep. So it may get off to a slow start, but I could see this group finishing strong. I think several of the older guys are poised to make valuable contributions (guys like Shelton, Madaris, Macksood, and Barksdale). The young guys also look talented enough to make some contributions. Corley and Chambers should make some contributions, but Felton Davis looks to me like the guy with the highest ceiling. He does need to be more consistent in catching the ball, and hopefully, his hands will improve when the cast comes off. The only concern I have with this group is that it may get exposed by a good secondary, like Michigan's (yes, Michigan will have a good secondary this year...).
Lingering Concerns
As for the defensive ends, Jamal Lyles looks like he could make some serious contributions. He looked like Lawrence Thomas the few times he lined up as a DE (dare I say, he looked more explosive than LT?). But apart from Lyles, I didn't see many explosive plays from the DEs. It seemed like the linebackers were contributing the most to the pass rush. We'll have to keep an eye on this group.
The power running backs are doing their thing, but the Spartans need some speed backs. That became clear to me during the Alabama game, when the MSU running game struggled to get to the outside. In the Spring game, you could see Nick Tompkins running effectively to the outside -- that's what I was talking about! That's what the Spartans missed last year! Can Tompkins become that speed back MSU needs? Can he do it for a whole season? Will the coaches give him a chance?
Upshot
This team has the talent to be favored in most of its games this season, and it has the talent to be in a tossup situation against other top teams (Notre Dame, Michigan, and Ohio State). I don't know that this team will gel fast enough to beat Notre Dame, but it could gel fast enough to beat Michigan, Ohio State, and a B1G championship opponent. I guess only time will tell...
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