Analyst says this Big Ten football program ‘could creep up’ on opponents come fall

With their rookie seasons under their belts, Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith and quarterback Aidan Chiles are ready to take on year two.

ESPN college football analysts released their 2025 Big Ten Football Preview Thursday morning, listing the Spartans at No. 14 in conference power rankings. Michigan State finished 14th in the Big Ten last season with a 5-7 (3-6) overall record and were projected to finish 13th in the conference this year by Cleveland.com.

“After a tough first year and a relatively quiet offseason, Michigan State could creep up on teams during coach Jonathan Smith's second year,” Trotter Rittenberg wrote. “The Spartans made some key portal additions at offensive line and wide receiver to help second-year starting quarterback Aidan Chiles. Areas to improve include takeaways and better play on the road, where MSU was 1-4 in 2024.”

Those key portal additions are offensive linemen Luka Vincic (Oregon State), Caleb Carter (Western California) and Matt Gulbin (Wake Forest). Vincic is a redshirt junior with two seasons of eligibility left, while Carter and Gulbin are redshirt seniors playing their last year of NCAA football. 

As Rittenberg mentioned, the Spartans need to improve on the road. Michigan State’s one road game victory last season was over Maryland, 27-24 in Week 2, followed by losses to Boston College, Oregon, Michigan and Illinois. 

This year, Smith’s team will travel for six games, all against Big Ten opponents. The Spartans are set to face USC (Sept. 20), Nebraska (Oct. 4), Indiana (Oct. 18), Minnesota (Nov. 1) and Iowa (Nov. 22). It’s an additional week of travel compared to last season, but the competitions may be a bit easier.

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Plus, Michigan State avoids games with top conference contenders Ohio State and Illinois this season. The Spartans will face Penn State, but luckily for them, the game is scheduled to be in East Lansing.