If there is any form of kryptonite to Urban Meyer's ridiculous success at Ohio State through his initial four seasons, it is rolled into one steely-eyed, #disrespekt-loving and Jim Tressel product named Mark Dantonio.
Michigan State's head coach is responsible for two of Meyer's four losses at Ohio State. Interestingly enough, the home team in this budding rivalry hasn't won in the matchup since 2007 (the two teams did not play in 2009 or 2010).
Dantonio served Meyer his first loss at Ohio State too, a 34-24 triumph in the 2013 Big Ten Championship Game. Had the Buckeyes won that game, a date with Florida State for the BCS National Championship awaited. And you know what happened a year ago: Dantonio's bunch left Columbus with a 17-14 victory on a last second 41-yard field goal, all but dashing Ohio State's hopes at back-to-back Big Ten and national titles.
The Spartans beat Iowa for the Big Ten crown instead, then endured a 38-0 smackdown at the hands of eventual national champion Alabama in the Cotton Bowl as part of the College Football Playoff.
Dantonio's team lost a ton of experience (12 starters are gone) from last season but represent a beacon of consistency in recent years. The Spartans finished in the top-6 each of the last three seasons, won two of the last three Big Ten titles and beat Michigan in seven of their last eight matchups.
Here is a little more on what Dantonio has back in the fold for 2016.
Offense
Say what you want about Connor Cook, his perceived lack of leadership skills and all the hubbub about him not being a team captain a year ago, but the guy will not be easy to replace at quarterback. He finished his senior campaign with 3,131 yards and 24 touchdowns, which put him atop program's career passing yards list with 9,194.
Of course, the Spartans topped Ohio State in Columbus in 2015 without him, instead depending on a battery of Tyler O'Connor and Damion Terry.
Now a senior, O'Connor is the likely starter, waiting his turn behind Cook and performing well when given the opportunity. Michigan State's simplistic approach to offense — pound the rock on early downs, count on Cook to bail them out on 3rd-and-long if need be — won't put too much pressure on O'Connor early, provided the Spartans can replace a couple of All-American Jacks up front.
| Head Coach | Mark Dantonio (10th season, 87-33 career record) |
| 2015 Record | 12-2, 7-1 (Beat Iowa 16-13 in Big Ten title game) |
| 2015 Postseason | Lost 38-0 to Alabama in College Football Playoff Semifinal at Cotton Bowl |
| Biggest Losses | QB Connor Cook, top two WRs, Jack Allen, Jack Conklin, Shilique Calhoun |
| Biggest Returnees | RB L.J. Scott, WR R.J. Shelton, NT Malik McDowell, LB Riley Bullough |
| Summary | Michigan State has a host of new faces as it tries to defend its B1G title. |
| Matchup | Nov. 19, 2016: Ohio State at Michigan State, kickoff TBA. |
Tackle Jack Conklin (eighth overall to the Tennessee Titans) and center Jack Allen (undrafted but signed with the New Orleans Saints) join right guard Donavon Clark (seventh round pick to San Diego) in the NFL. Clark is the only guy who played all 14 games last season, with Conklin and Allen missing two apiece. That left Dantonio and Jim Bollman to shuffle things a bit, which should help some this fall. Still, losing a combined 118 starts from your offensive line hurts.
Capable bodies remain to pave the way for L.J. Scott, an Ohio native that grew into the starter by season's end as a true freshman last year. His 699 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2015 led the team. Gerald Holmes and Madre London are also back — each ran for at least 500 yards in 2015.
Big Ten Wide Receiver of the Year Aaron Burbridge and Macgarrett Kings Jr. — 125 catches, 1,700+ yards and 12 touchdowns combined — are gone, but R.J. Shelton is back for his senior year and will be O'Connor's No. 1 target. He teams up with Josiah Price, a solid player at tight end and yet another senior.
The Spartans haven't had many 'wow' plays in recent years from their offense, and without Cook, it's smart to believe they could take a step back. But if Shelton and some other receivers (maybe true freshman and former Ohio State target Donnie Corley?) can make plays down the field, it should help Scott and the offensive line immensely.
The Spartans finished sixth in the Big Ten in both scoring and total offense last season at 29.8 points and 385.5 yards per game. Whether or not those numbers improve or sag below the middle of the conference depends on how well the line meshes and if receivers outside of Shelton perform.
Defense
Though longtime defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi took the head coaching job at Pittsburgh ahead of the 2015 season, Michigan State's defense actually rose 10 spots in S&P's final rankings to 12th.
This much is clear: Michigan State wins games with a stellar front seven and superior corners, which allow the unit to get after the quarterback because they can defend well down the field. That didn't happen much in 2015, though: the Spartans allowed 52 passes of 20 or more yards and relied heavily on a talented defensive line led by Shilique Calhoun.
Calhoun (10.5 sacks) now plays for the Oakland Raiders, while end Lawrence Thomas and tackle Joel Heath (another 10.5 sacks between them) are also gone. Stud nose tackle Malik McDowell is an All-American candidate, but desperately needs help.
Demetrius Cooper will start in place of Calhoun at an end spot, but Josh King, Raequan Williams could be the answer to provide depth on the interior. Enoch Smith Jr. and Robert Bowers are also in the fold, in addition to Nebraska graduate transfer Kevin Williams and fellow senior Evan Jones. That is a bunch of non-household names, and whether or not they can carry on the tradition of dynamite defensive linemen at Michigan State remains to be seen.
At linebacker, senior Riley Rullough leads the way and welcomes back Ed Davis from a knee injury he suffered in fall camp a year ago. There are a ton of other options to play too and all have some form of experience. How Dantonio and defensive coordinators Harlon Barnett and Mike Tressel utilize them will be something to watch.
Montae Nicholson, Demetrious Cox and Grayson Miller all return at safety, but corner is another issue entirely. Darian Hicks looks to be a starter as a senior, but sophomores Vayante Copeland and Tyson Smith plus a host of freshmen are left to figure things out on the other side.
Dantonio fielded a top-50 defense in each of his first nine seasons at Michigan State. In order for that to continue in 2016, the youth on that side of the ball must show why he recruited it to East Lansing.
The Ohio State-Michigan State matchup is bound to play a key factor in the race for the Big Ten East Division title. It has the past two seasons and as long as Urban Meyer and Mark Dantonio hold their current jobs to lock horns with Michigan and Jim Harbaugh, things surely won't be boring.
Spartan Stadium isn't an easy place to play, but J.T. Barrett and Ohio State's offense lit up the scoreboard two seasons ago. The Spartans served as the biggest blockade to a chance at a mini-dynasty for Meyer and the Buckeyes in 2015 and beat them without their starting quarterback. The 2016 matchup is also Ohio State's final road game of the regular season.
Michigan State did the Big Ten no favors with its faceplant against Alabama in the College Football Playoff but earned its way there with exciting victories against Ohio State, Michigan and Iowa. How things shake out against the Buckeyes, Spartans and Wolverines in 2016 are sure to play a hand in who wins the Big Ten this fall.
