Michigan State football 2022 season prediction, preview, awards, 2022 bowl game

Mel Tucker has Michigan State football in a great spot, but how seriously can the Spartans contend in the Big Ten in the 2022 season?

It was a rapid turnaround for Mel Tucker at the helm of Michigan State football over his two years helming the program. After a 2-5 season in 2020, the Spartans found their mojo last year to hit double-digit wins and a Top 10 finish in the AP Top 25.

So what’s next in East Lansing? There are some big departures for Tucker to contend with now, but he’s hit the transfer portal hard and is looking for Sparty to become a consistent force under his well-compensated watch.

Coming at in No. 18 on FanSided’s Preseason Top 50 Rankings, the Michigan State Spartans!

Michigan State football 2021 season in review

While the early part of the Michigan State schedule in 2021 wasn’t particularly taxing, the Spartans made a habit of picking up impressive wins behind the extremely capable legs of running back Kenneth Walker III, including a convincing early victory over Miami and knocking off eventual CFP participant and rival Michigan in East Lansing.

That saw the Spartans climb to No. 3 in the AP Top 25 and have a legitimate shot at a College Football Playoff berth. Unfortunately, the Spoilermakers from Purdue did the thing they always due, clipping MSU in West Lafayette before the Spartans also lost in Columbus to Ohio State two weeks later.

It ended on a positive note for Tucker and his team, though, as they finished the regular season by beating Penn State to earn a berth in the Peach Bowl, a game in which they took down mighty Pitt to end the year at an impressive 11-2, a nine-win turnaround from Tucker’s first season (even if they only played seen games in 2020).

Previewing Michigan State Spartans offense for 2022 season

Returning starters (5): QB Payton Thorne, WR Jayden Reed, WR Tre Mosley, LT Jarrett Horst, LG J.D. Duplain
Newcomers: RB Jarek Broussard (Colorado), OG Brian Greene (Washington State), TE Daniel Barker (Illinois), RB Jalen Berger (Wisconsin), 4-star WR Germie Bernard, 4-star WR
Antonio Gates Jr.,
Impact player: Jarek Broussard

While Payton Thorne returns at quarterback with hopes of taking a step forward after an up-and-down 2021 campaign, he won’t have his two biggest weapons from a year ago with both all-world running back Kenneth Walker III and wide receiver Jalen Nailor now gone for the NFL.

Much like Tucker did to get Walker into the program, though, he’s hit the transfer portal and found not one but two big-time options to help be the answer in the backfield. Jarek Broussard popped big time at Colorado but was inconsistent, due in part to the lack of talent around him on the Buffs offense. In this system, he could potentially thrive. And Jalen Berger spelling him makes for a powerful 1-2 punch.

Though Nailor is gone, Jayden Reed was a nice performer last season who appears primed to take over the WR1 role seamlessly. Moreover, Tre Mosley has produced decently to this point as well and there is depth, including 4-star wideouts Germie Bernard and Antonio Gates Jr. And if that wasn’t enough, Illinois transfer Daniel Barker is a sleeper to be a breakout player in this offense.

The offensive line only returns two starters, which is a bit concerning, but there are bodies in the building that the team appears confident in to keep a stable front in the trenches.

Previewing Michigan State Spartans defense for 2022 season

Returning starters (6): DT Jacob Slade, DT Simeon Barrow, LB Cal Halladay, NB Darius Snow, S Xavier Henderson, S Angelo Grose
Newcomers: DE Khris Bogle (Florida), CB Ameer Speed (Georgia), LB Jacoby Windmon (UNLV), LB Aaron Brule (Mississippi State), 4-star CB Jaden Mangham, 4-star CB Dillon Tatum, 4-star DL Alex VanSumeren
Impact player: Ameer Speed

There’s zero question about the fact that Xavier Henderson is the best player on the Sparty defense but, as they rebuild the cornerback room this season, Michigan State is going to rely heavily on Georgia grad transfer Ameer Speed to come in and be a huge factor. Extremely athletic and with SEC pedigree, he’s going to be huge for figuring out the cornerback room.

Aside from that, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see Tucker so heavily utilizing the transfer portal throughout the defense to fill holes given the success he had there and the fact that he did the same on offense. The big ones to note here aside from Speed are Jacoby Windmon and Aaron Brule, both of whom come to East Lansing with a breadth of experience and step in alongside Cal Halladay to try and maintain a good spot with that group.

Looking at the defensive line, that group has to replace both ends but should be in a good spot both in terms of the new starters, Khris Bogle and Jeff Pietrowski, and quality depth behind them.

Michigan State football players awards watch for 2022 season

There are a few Spartans players that made it onto awards watchlists in the preseason but these three candidates stood out from the pack in their respective categories.

Xavier Henderson, Nagurski/Jim Thorpe/Bednarik

As mentioned, Henderson is arguably the heartbeat of the defense, so it’s no surprise that he’s up being looked at for multiple awards that, in essence, reflect that. If Michigan State remains stout on that side of the ball, Henderson will be given much of the credit and earn serious consideration for any of these trophies.

Jarek Broussard, Doak Walker

There’s a chance I’m higher on the potential of Broussard than some people and, moreover, that I’m subconsciously comparing him to Kenneth Walker III too quickly. But I loved the raw talent in the Pac-12 and think moving to a better offense with better overall coaching will lead to him having a huge year. The Doak Walker Award will be hotly contested, but Broussard could be a dark horse.

Jayden Reed, Biletnikoff/Paul Hornung/Maxwell

Reed is stepping into the role as the team’s top pass-catching target but he’ll be used all over the field, which actually works in his favor. This offense is going to want to just get the ball in the playmaker’s hands, so Reed is going to make waves for the Spartans this season.

Michigan State football biggest game on 2022 schedule

It’s going to be tough for the Spartans to replicate an 11-win season with the schedule they have. A trip to play Washington in Seattle to end the non-conference slate could be tricky and then a Big Ten opener against Minnesota and at Maryland won’t be a cake-walk. That leads to a matchup at home against Ohio State. Yet, it’s the game after facing the Buckeyes that could be most critical.

Even if Michigan State finds their groove early, I don’t foresee them getting one over on OSU. Bu the following week on Oct. 15 is the homecoming game against Wisconsin before their open week and then their trip to Ann Arbor.

Wisconsin is going to be a huge threat in the Big Ten this season as they re-establish their identity, an identity that could cause this Spartans defense some problems given MSU’s personnel. Moreover, sandwiched between the Ohio State and Michigan games is a tricky spot for this game. To avoid being in danger of losing three straight in the conference, this game is going to be a true gut-check moment for Tucker and his team.

Michigan State football best-case scenario

The best-case scenario for the Spartans very much hinges on how they fare from Sept. 17 until Oct. 29. Michigan State opens the season against Western Michigan and Akron before finishing with Illinois, Rutgers, Indiana and Penn State. The Nittany Lions could be frisky in the season finale, but that otherwise feels like five sure wins and another one they should win.

But in that midseason stretch, they are at Washington, vs. Minnesota, at Maryland, vs. Ohio State, vs. Wisconsin, and at Michigan. That’s an absolutely brutal run through the Big Ten with a Pac-12 topper.

If we’re talking the ideal scenario for Sparty with Broussard picking up where Walker III left off and the defense finding its footing early, this team should handle business against the Huskies, Golden Gophers and Terps. Again, I don’t think they can get past Ohio State, but they could go toe-to-toe with Wisconsin in a grinding affair and take that one and have owned the Wolverines in recent years.

Subsequently, it’s not too crazy to think that Michigan State with the right breaks for their roster is able to finish the regular season at 11-1 but still outside the Big Ten Championship Game at 8-1 in the conference (thanks a lot, Ryan Day).

Michigan State football worst-case scenario

Here’s the part that Michigan State fans don’t want to hear: There is very much a world in which things go sideways for the Spartans in that midseason slate.

Washington isn’t as talented as MSU but, if the Spartans offense is slow to find its mojo with the new personnel, that’s a game that Kalen DeBoer could get one over on Tucker in. And if that offense is struggling at that point, that brings about concern against an experienced Minnesota team and an explosive Maryland offense. I don’t think Tucker lets his team lose both of those games, but losing one is plausible if Sparty is stuck on the runway.

That would put Michigan State at 3-2 heading into that brutal three-game stretch and would make it hard to believe they come out of that run with even a single win, dropping them to 3-5. The silver lining is they’ll bounce back to get to 6-5 before facing Penn State. That should be enough of a confidence boost to lift the Spartans past the Nittany Lions, but a 7-5 season is still quite short of what fans are hoping for.

Michigan State football 2022 season prediction

Considering that they’re ranked No. 18 in the FanSided Top 50, I’m obviously high on the Spartans and how they reloaded in the portal and, as such, don’t believe we’re looking at anything in that seven-win season range.

My gut tells me that this team early in the season will drop a game against either Washington, Minnesota or Maryland before losing to Ohio State. And I’m not convinced that they have the defense to stifle what should be a lethal Wisconsin rushing attack. But I do believe they can get the win over Michigan again to spark a winning streak that lasts until the end of the regular season.

That would put Michigan State football at 9-3 overall in the regular season and either 7-2 or 6-3 in the Big Ten. It’s not competing for the conference title, but it does give Tucker a chance to put together back-to-back double-digit-win seasons in East Lansing if they can pick up another bowl win.

Michigan State football 2022 bowl game prediction

Flirting with a big-time bowl game, College Football News has the Spartans projected to play the Kentucky Wildcats on Jan. 2 in the Tampa Bay Bowl.

Up Next: No. 17: Tennessee Volunteers

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