College Football

5 reasons Michigan State football could contend for the 2017 Big Ten title

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 6:55 p.m. ET

Fansided, Connor Muldowney/FanSided via Spartan Avenue

Oct 15, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Football quarterback Brian Lewerke (14) runs the ball against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first quarter of a game at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

The 2016 season is officially over and here are five reasons why Michigan State football can realistically contend for the Big Ten title in 2017.

I know I’m going to get knocked for this and called crazy, but there’s a realistic chance Michigan State football can rebound and contend for a Big Ten title in 2017. No, I’m not saying the Spartans will win the conference, I’m not even saying they’ll win the division, but there is a chance that Michigan State could get back to the 8-10 win range.

Contending for conference titles doesn’t mean going undefeated and running away with the league, but pushing other teams until the end of the season. It means not getting essentially eliminated after just two Big Ten games.

Let’s face it, the 2016 season was a nightmare. There wasn’t one positive to take away from the 3-9 record other than the fact it would be awfully difficult, albeit not impossible, to fare worse in 2017.

Michigan State is returning some solid talent and they could contend once again next season. Let’s take a look at why the Spartans could be Big Ten contenders once again in 2017.

5. Improved offensive line

If there’s one area that could afford major improvements, it’s the offensive line. However, the trenches will also be returning some youth and a mix of veteran talent.

Brian Allen will be a preseason All-Big Ten lineman and he’s going to be surrounded by a young line with a ton of potential. David Beedle and Miguel Machado underachieved in 2016 and they will be replaced by guys with more upside.

Thiyo Lukusa played well as a true freshman and is only going to get better as a potential starting tackle. Tyler Higby was injured near the end of the year, but showed just why he cracked the starting rotation in the middle of the season. Cole Chewins, a converted tight end, is becoming the team’s replacement for Jack Conklin, and doing an effective job.

Look out for Dennis Finley, AJ Arcuri, Matt Allen and maybe a couple of incoming freshmen to contend for playing time as well. This until will be much more effective in 2017.

Oct 29, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines defensive end Taco Charlton (33) rushes the passer against the Michigan State Spartans during the second half at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

4. Major contributors departing from Big Ten rivals

There’s no doubt about it, Michigan is a program on the rise and Ohio State is already at the top. Penn State is another program that burst onto the scene after a multi-year absence from the Big Ten’s “elite” group. The Big Ten East is absolutely loaded, but each team is losing some major pieces from their 2016 squads.

Penn State might be returning the most such as Trace McSorley and Saquon Barkley, but the Spartans will get them at home this season, which should help matters.

Michigan is losing 40-plus players due to early entry (assuming Jabrill Peppers is gone) and graduation. The Wolverines will likely be a top contender nationally yet again, but that makes them a little more beatable and losing so much experience does hurt (see, Michigan State 2016).

Ohio State, like the past few years, will be one of the best teams in college football and are my pick to make it to the College Football Playoff in 2017, but there are still departures to keep in mind. JT Barrett returns, but he was shaky late in the year and the Spartans narrowly lost, by one, at home against the No. 2 Buckeyes. These two teams always seem to play each other close of late.

Iowa will be starting a new quarterback, Minnesota has an entirely new coaching staff, Indiana also has new coaches and both Maryland and Rutgers will have first-year quarterbacks. The departures could help MSU.

Sep 17, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans wide receiver Donnie Corley (9) celebrates after MSU defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 36-28 at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

3. Young freshmen matured quickly in 2016

One positive — I know I said there were none — to finishing 3-9 is that the young players got some early playing time. Michigan State took advantage of a lost season by playing guys such as Justin Layne, Trishton Jackson, Mike Panasiuk, Josh King, Auston Robertson, Joe Bachie and Thiyo Lukusa.

Everyone knew that Donnie Corley was going to play immediately, so his role with the team wasn’t as much of a surprise as everyone else’s. Corley will likely mold into the role of No. 1 receiver next season with a year of experience under his belt and R.J. Shelton gone.

Layne came in as a four-star receiver and a top-150 recruit, but found a home on the defensive side of the ball, starting at cornerback. He played well and even recorded a pick-six in his first game and he could start at corner to begin 2017. He could also be a two-way player.

Another solid receiver who matured quickly was Trishton Jackson. He scored a touchdown against Rutgers and showed just why the coaching staff was high on his as an electric player in the offseason.

Lukusa will be a solid piece to the offensive line in 2017, as mentioned earlier, and he could even be blocking for Messiah deWeaver, a fellow 2016 class member.

Panasiuk, King, Robertson and Bachie all played well on the defensive side of the ball and the first two even became starters later in the season. We could see pieces of the future defense taking shape.

These young freshmen all matured faster than expected and that’s going to pay dividends in 2017.

Oct 22, 2016; College Park, MD, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Brian Lewerke (14) led the offense against the Maryland Terrapins at Byrd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

2. Quarterback situation can only improve

If you’re Mark Dantonio, you have to feel good about the quarterback situation. Tyler O’Connor was handed the reigns prior to the 2016 campaign because he proved himself against Ohio State the year before and was a vocal senior captain. It’s difficult to bench a quarterback who has been in the program for five years and was voted captain by his peers.

However, the two young studs will be taking over in 2017. Sure, Damion Terry is still on the roster, but anyone who watched him play this year knows that he’s probably better suited to be a receiver.

Brian Lewerke is going to be the starter in 2017 barring some serious push from redshirt freshman Messiah deWeaver. Lewerke played well in small doses last year and earned the right to head into next season as the team’s presumed starter.

There’s a reason Dantonio compared Lewerke to Kirk Cousins a couple of years ago. He’s a leader, he commands respect from his teammates and defenses and he has the arm. As a redshirt freshman in 2016, he played just a couple of games before going down with a broken leg against Michigan.

During that game, he showed flashes of his potential, passing for 100 yards in less than a quarter against one of the best defenses in college football before leaving with the injury.

Lewerke and deWeaver present more optimism for 2017 success than O’Connor did for 2016.

Nov 19, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back LJ Scott (3) runs the ball during the second half of a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

1. LJ Scott among Big Ten’s best players

I was going to make the No. 1 reason why Michigan State will contend for a Big Ten title something related to Mark Dantonio being one of the best in the business, but that goes without saying. People knock him for his recruiting “struggles” but the fact of the matter is that he has missed a bowl just once and has three Big Ten titles, five 11-win seasons and a Rose Bowl victory in the last seven years.

Must Read: MSU Football: End of season report card for 2016

Instead, LJ Scott is my top reason. The soon-to-be junior running back has emerged as the team’s premier talent and really burst onto the scene in 2016. Everyone was expected a solid season from him after posting 699 yards and 11 touchdowns as a freshman and he lived up to the hype.

Scott was just a few yards short of 1,000 on the season and he would have been the Spartans’ first to reach that mark since Jeremy Langford who is now with the Chicago Bears. Not many thought that would have been possible after a four-game span in which he had just 131 total yards and was barely getting any carries.

The staff realized he was the best back on the team and started giving him the ball more and the offense moved down the field on more occasions because of it.

LJ is one of the top-two or three running backs in the conference and he could do his best Le’Veon Bell impression in 2017 and lead the Spartans to a big season on his back.