Mark Dantonio might be a wizard and even if the country hasn't noticed, at least one writer has.
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Brian Hamilton of Sports Illustrated's Campus Rush wrote about the Michigan State Spartans under the guise of "building a playoff contender" and he left a glowing image about Dantonio's club. Within the piece, Hamilton suggests that the "material is there" for MSU to be a title contender.
If the Spartans aren't quite yet convincing as a potential Big Ten champion and College Football Playoff participant, both of which they were just months ago, the material is there to suggest it is a possibility, given time.
That was clearly on display as Michigan State rolled into South Bend to upend Notre Dame a week ago, as the Spartans were leading by four touchdowns before letting up in a 36-28 win. In fact, the Spartans should be favored in every game until the end of October, when in-state rival and much-hyped Michigan looms.
The Spartans can go from rough edges to finished product quicker because of the natural ability walking through the building each day, but there's inarguably spot work to be done in between. In that way the season sets up auspiciously: They should be favored in every game, starting Saturday against Wisconsin, all the way to a colossal Oct. 29 showdown with Michigan. (Though that Oct. 22 trip to Maryland just screams look-ahead game and could get tricky.) Michigan State probably does not have to be performing at a championship-level clip to win all the way to that rivalry clash.
Because Michigan State lost so much from last year's playoff team (including quarterback Connor Cook), it made sense that many overlooked the team heading into 2016. However, Dantonio is up to his old tricks in outperforming the program's overall talent level, and with the way Michigan State has utterly owned Michigan in the recent past, the Ohio State Buckeyes might be the only thing standing between Sparty and a return trip to the playoff.
This week's game against Wisconsin is a very difficult spot, but the path can be seen for Michigan State to post an 11-1 mark in the regular season and that could very well be enough to gain entry. From there, anything can happen.
