It’s officially summer time and that means we are one step closer to the fall and 2023 college football season.
This is also the time of the year when we start to see game-by-game predictions begin to filter out from different media outlets — including CBS Sports. Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports put out his game-by-game predictions for every Big Ten team this week, and he has the Spartans reaching bowl eligibility in 2023. But how many games does Fornelli see the Spartans winning and who will they beat?
Below is a game-by-game breakdown of how Fornelli predicts the Spartans’ 2023 season will play out, with my own predictions and thoughts on each matchup:
Central Michigan (Sept. 1)
Fornelli’s Pick: Spartans win
My Pick: Spartans win
Michigan State has opened as a two-touchdown favorite in this season-opening matchup with the Chippewas. So no surprise that both Fornelli and myself like Michigan State to win this one.
Richmond (Sept. 9)
Fornelli’s Pick: Spartans win
My Pick: Spartans win
I would be shocked if we see anyone pick Richmond to beat the Spartans this fall. Anything is possible, but not many will go out on a limb and have an FCS foe beating a Big Ten team.
Washington (Sept. 16)
Fornelli’s Pick: Spartans lose
My Pick: Spartans win
Fornelli and I differ on this matchup — but I’m sure most would lean toward the Huskies like Fornelli did. There’s a strong chance Washington will enter this matchup ranked in the top 10, and it would be a pretty big upset for Michigan State to come out on top in this one.
Maryland (Sept. 23)
Fornelli’s Pick: Spartans win
My Pick: Spartans win
Fornelli considers this a toss-up game and I would have to agree with him. I would much rather have Michigan State face the Terps late in the year when there’s a relatively decent chance Maryland star quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa is banged up or hurt — but I still have Michigan State winning this matchup regardless of placement on the schedule.
at Iowa (Sept. 30)
Fornelli’s Pick: Spartans lose
My Pick: Spartans lose
I have this as the Spartans’ first loss of the season, while Fornelli has this being their second and falling to 3-2 on the year. Both Fornelli and I like the Hawkeyes to contend for a Big Ten West Division championship this fall, so this surely will be a tough game for Michigan State to win on the road.
at Rutgers (Oct. 14)
Fornelli’s Pick: Spartans win
My Pick: Spartans win
Fornelli and I agree again — this time having Michigan State pick up their first road win of the year against Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights are expected to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten this fall, so this better end up being a Spartans’ victory if they’re going to reach a bowl game.
Michigan (Oct. 21)
Fornelli’s Pick: Spartans lose
My Pick: Spartans lose
I’m curious to hear if Fornelli would give the Spartans any chance in this rivalry game against Michigan. He is high on the Wolverines again this year so it’s no surprise he’s taking them in this matchup, but I wonder if there’s a path to a Spartans upset that he envisions.
at Minnesota (Oct. 28)
Fornelli’s Pick: Spartans lose
My Pick: Spartans lose
This feels like a toss-up game but with it being on the road it makes sense to take the Golden Gophers. Both teams have some big question marks entering the 2023 season so we should have a better indication of how this game will actually play out by the time we reach this point in the season.
Nebraska (Nov. 4)
Fornelli’s Pick: Spartans win
My Pick: Spartans win
If you’re keeping track at home, this is the game I have Michigan State winning to clinch bowl eligibility. Fornelli has Michigan State at 5-4 following this game, and this ultimately will make or break the Spartans’ chances at reaching the postseason in the eyes of Fornelli.
at Ohio State (Nov. 11)
Fornelli’s Pick: Spartans lose
My Pick: Spartans lose
There’s not much to say about this one… I give Michigan State about a one percent chance of winning this game and I’m sure Fornelli feels the same way.
at Indiana (Nov. 18)
Fornelli’s Pick: Spartans win
My Pick: Spartans win
Like last year, it may come down to the Indiana game for Michigan State to reach bowl eligibility. That’s how Fornelli sees it at least, but this time he predicts the Spartans to come out winners and reach the postseason minimum of six wins.
Penn State (Nov. 24)
Fornelli’s Pick: Spartans lose
My Pick: Spartans lose
This feels like a potential upset spot for the Spartans but I’ve already taken my swing at one big upset this year so I’ll go with the favored Nittany Lions. Fornelli also has Penn State winning this rivalry matchup and finishing the year at 11-1.
Overall Thoughts
Fornelli has Michigan State finishing at 6-6 on the year with a 4-5 mark in conference play. Fornelli really doesn’t have any notable wins on the Spartans’ resume, with the best victory coming against Maryland or Nebraska.
I’m a bit higher on Michigan State with one more win than Fornelli — I have the Spartans going 7-5 with a 4-5 record in Big Ten play. We agree on all of our picks besides the Washington game — which I have Michigan State pulling the upset.
Complete story from CBS Sports
Click on the tweet below to read the complete breakdown on Michigan State from Fornelli and see the rest of his Big Ten game-by-game picks for the 2023 season:
I went through the entire Big Ten schedule to figure out which side of preseason win totals are the ones you should bet. It turns out everybody is going 12-0. Crazy.https://t.co/eVnKYLmK2B
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) June 21, 2023
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