Four games down, eight to go. Michigan State football is in the same exact position as it was a year ago, starting 3-1 and looking like a team that could either go on a run or completely crumble.
A season ago, the Spartans chose the latter.
After that 3-1 start, Michigan State stumbled against some of the conference's top teams before finally securing a win over Iowa to get back over .500. They then lost 4-of-5 games to end the season, finishing 5-7, and missing a third straight bowl game.
This year, Jonathan Smith is hoping for better luck, but his team needs to come out of a Week 5 bye with a ton of improvements made.