Updated Michigan State football schedule 2020: Game-by-game predictions

Michigan State football is up against it with its new Big Ten schedule.

Mel Tucker will face some major challenges in his first year leading Michigan State football.

With the Big Ten resuming its college football season in about a month, all 14 member institutions will play a nine-game schedule. Each team will play its six division rivals, two teams from the opposite division and a ninth competitive balance game yet to be determined as the final game of the 2020 Big Ten football season. Here is what Michigan State has to navigate this season.

Here is Michigan State football’s updated 2020 college season schedule.

Updated Michigan State football 2020 season schedule

• Week 1 (Oct. 24): vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (East Lansing, MI)
• Week 2 (Oct. 31): at Michigan Wolverines (Ann Arbor, MI)
• Week 3 (Nov. 7): at Iowa Hawkeyes (Iowa City, IA)
• Week 4 (Nov. 14): vs. Indiana Hoosiers (East Lansing, MI)
• Week 5 (Nov. 21): at Maryland Terrapins (College Park, MD)
• Week 6 (Nov. 28): vs. Northwestern Wildcats (East Lansing, MI)
• Week 7 (Dec. 5): vs. Ohio State Buckeyes (East Lansing, MI)
• Week 8 (Dec. 12): at Penn State Nittany Lions (University Park, PA)

Bold indicates a Michigan State football victory.

If things go as well as possible, Michigan State might be able to do as well as 5-3, maybe even 6-2 if they pull off a stunning upset at Michigan in Week 2. However, winning on the road at Iowa will be challenging and there might be a continuity/coaching mismatch between Pat Fitzgerald and Tucker when Northwestern comes to town. At least the Spartans beat three division rivals.

There is a considerable drop-off from No. 3 to No. 4 in the Big Ten East this year. In recent years, it has been a battle between Michigan State and the Indiana Hoosiers for that fourth-place finish with the Maryland Terrapins and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights not holding their own in the divisional basement. Not being able to capitalize on either winnable Big Ten West game hurts them in 2020.

Week 9 projected competitive balance game

• 4: Michigan State Spartans (3-5) at Iowa Hawkeyes (3-5) (Iowa City, IA)

So what if the Big Ten doesn’t want rematches in its competitive balance games? That’s exactly what we’re getting in the fourth-place game between Michigan State and Iowa. Once again, it will be in Iowa City, meaning the Hawkeyes will have a major advantage over a Michigan State team that will be riding a three-game losing streak heading into this competitive balance game.

Michigan State comprises the Big Ten East’s middle, so it has to hold its own vs. the Big Ten West.

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