The 3-2-1 Preview: 3 things we want to see, 2 key stats, 1 best bet for MSU football vs. The Bye Week

What?

You thought some silly bye week would keep us from having a 3-2-1 Preview?

Nonsense.

It should be a stress-free week for all of us at home and a great weekend of weather if you live in Michigan. It should be a mighty fine weekend...besides the snoozefest of a college football slate.

3 THINGS WE WANT TO SEE

Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin to all win

Yeah, yeah, yeah alright I’m a man of boring rooting interest this week. Hear me out – I want to maximize the watchability of the rest of the Big Ten games we have left. I want Ohio State-Wisconsin to be a battle of unbeatens. I want Penn State to roll into East Lansing unbeaten. I want the Penn State-Ohio State game at the end of the year to mean something. The Big Ten is really kind of boring this year and MSU is out of the running, so let’s just line up some heavyweights fights in the near future.

Just something silly from around the country

This week’s college football slate is abysmal. I mean just awful. Michigan-Penn State and Oregon-Washington are the only games of note. So if Louisville could scare Clemson or if Mississippi State can do the impossible and keep its game against LSU within 80 points, that would be great. Just some semblance of chaos would be great so we don’t get a day full of double-digit beatings by the favorite.

Just some semblance of good news

I don’t know, maybe an injured player making great progress on returning this year? Perhaps a recruit committing? Beer sales at Spartan Stadium for the rest of the year? Penn State announcing they’re sending their intramural flag football championship team instead of their real team? Tom Izzo extending an invitation to tailgate in his office next Saturday? Who knows.

2 KEY STATS

Zero

That’s the amount of concern I have with the transfer “exodus” happening for MSU, primarily on the offensive side of the ball. Connor Heyward, La’Darius Jefferson, Weston Bridges and Cam Chambers all put their names in the transfer portal and there’s been some borderline outrage and panic. But…why? Two of those guys are running backs that saw two younger players pass them in the pecking order. The other two are receivers that barely stepped inside the white lines this year. All four want to go somewhere they can maybe play.

And there’s no nice way to say this next part, but it’s just the cold-hard truth of college football. If this offense can’t get you on the field, then something is up. Either the coaching staff doesn’t trust you, you’re not able to make a difference on this team or both. We’re seven games in and the players transferring really haven’t been factors, and they want to go somewhere where they can be. Yeah, I’m sorry for not losing my cool over all this “transfer exodus, MSU is falling apart!!!1” hubbub.

17-13

That’s the combined record of the teams left on MSU’s schedule. Penn State and Michigan will be tough. Illinois, who knows anymore. Maryland, more likely than not it’ll be…fine. Rutgers? Rutgers. I’m feeling 7-5 and I’m not even confident in that. What are you guys feeling?

1 BEST BET

So...uhh...MSU did not cover like I thought they would last week. Hopefully you got them at +38.5.

Alright, as already stated, this weekend’s slate is absolutely abysmal for it being the middle of the season. There’s one ranked game, so I will begrudgingly be picking the Penn State-Whose Got It Better Than Us Despite No Conference Titles In 15 Years game.

Both these teams have respectable defenses. Both these teams struggled to throw up points against Iowa, who has another respectable defense. While I think nine points is too many to give away, even to teams that have never been to Indy, I like the under in this game even more.

Pick: Under 47 for Penn State vs. $8 million head coach, zero conference title game appearances

Record: 4-3