Michigan State is undoubtedly better than last season, as the Spartans have already matched last season’s win total. But their losing track at Michigan last weekend and their results over the past four weeks prove they still have a lot of work to do to get where they want to be.

Fortunately for the Spartans, they still have a chance to have a successful season as they are just two wins away from being invited to the bowl game. Six wins and a bowl appearance would be a significant win for Coach Jonathan Smith in his first season, considering many sports betting sites don’t believe they can win more than four games this season.

While few expected Michigan State to be a major threat in the Big Ten this season, a 3-0 start in the conference saw Michigan State make strides in the offseason. However, a three-game losing streak, including defeats against two of the best teams in the country,

247Sports’ Carter Bahns recently released his rankings of Big Ten schools. He ranked the Spartans as the 13th best football team in the conference; They were one spot ahead of Maryland and one spot behind the Washington Huskies.

Bahns ranked Michigan State seventh in the conference last week but dropped the Spartans to 13th after their loss against Michigan last weekend. Their loss to the Wolverines left Michigan State with just one solid win, which is one of the reasons behind their drop in the rankings.