As we continue our 2024 preseason opponent previews for Boston College Football, Week Four presents a matchup against a Michigan State team experiencing as much change this offseason as the Eagles. The 9/21 matchup will also be the Eagles’ Red Bandanna Game in honor of Welles Crowther ‘99, hopefully meaning BC will draw a major crowd against one the larger brands on its 2024 schedule.
Last Season (4-8)
Flashback to 2021. Under new coach Mel Tucker Jr., Michigan State went 10-2 in the regular season (including a massive win over archrivals Michigan) and then defeated Pitt in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl to finish No. 10 in the final College Football Playoff rankings. The Spartans appeared rejuvenated and ascendant, with Tucker promising to maintain that level of success by competing with SEC schools in recruiting.
Since then, Michigan State has gone 9-15. In 2023, MSU started off 2-0 with wins over meager Central Michigan and Richmond before quickly flaming out with six losses in a row. In four matchups against ranked teams (no. 8 Washington, no. 2 Michigan, no. 1 Ohio St., and no. 11 Penn State) the Spartans scored a total of 10 points while conceding 170. Meanwhile, Tucker was fired in September 2023 in the midst of an off-field scandal. MSU thus entered this season in need of a revitalizing hire to restore the prestige of the program off the field and turn around the on-field results in the new-look Big 10.
This Season:
Enter Jonathan Smith. Smith, 45, comes to East Lansing after a successful six-year stint at his alma mater, Oregon State. Though he only posted a 34-35 record overall, he finished with three consecutive winning seasons and ended his tenure with the Beavers with 18 wins over two seasons. He brings with him an exciting QB prospect in Aidan Chiles, a consensus high-4 star prospect who will now get a chance to lead a program at MSU after redshirting his freshman year at OSU. Smith didn’t just leave it at that, either; he brought in 23 other transfers – including several 4-star prospects – to plug holes all over the roster. All this to say, no one really knows what to expect from Michigan State this year. For all the new faces at MSU, 38 players also entered the portal. With a completely new-look roster, a new head coach in a much bigger spotlight for the first time, and an untested quarterback, things could go in any direction for the Spartans this year. Leading rusher Nathan Carter (798 yards, 4 TDs) and receiver (Montorie Foster Jr. (576 yards, 3 TDs) return, but posted mediocre numbers in an offense that averaged less than 16 points per game. Defensively, MSU must quickly find an identity if it wants to compete in the Big 10 – an aim that is still likely at least a season away.
It is to BC’s benefit that this game comes in the first half of the season. MSU has talent on its roster, and Smith is a proven program builder. Yet given where this game falls on the schedule, the Spartans will likely still be finding themselves as a team – a reality that aids BC. In a (hopefully) packed Alumni Stadium, I see this game as a toss-up for the Eagles.