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The 2021 Michigan State football schedule was finalized in 2017.
Now over 40 months later there are major changes.
The Big Ten released the revised 2021 football schedule for all teams at the conference on Friday. The opponents remain the same, but there are date and location changes due to a 2020 season altered by a pandemic.
The state of Michigan already knew that the location of games against Michigan and Indiana would change because those were among the six games the conference moved venues for in 2020. The conference in August announced that the locations of future matches would be moved and this will prevent the Spartans from playing three consecutive matches. in Ann Arbor and hosting the Hoosiers for three consecutive years.
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In addition to changing locations for these six games, the Big Ten made other changes to avoid unusual trends. If only the venues had been changed, moving the trip from Michigan state to Indiana would have resulted in four consecutive road games for the Spartans.
Michigan State’s first five games remain as scheduled, including non-conference games against Youngstown State and Western Kentucky and Miami. After that, only one game – at Purdue on November 6 – remains unchanged. In total, the Spartans have seven date changes against opponents.
Here are the takeaways from Michigan’s revised 2021 state schedule:
Brutal October stretch replaced with a tough finish
Michigan State has already faced a three-game streak in October against Michigan, Penn State and Ohio State. Both Wolverines and Nittany Lions have finished with losing records this season, but it’s far from an ideal streak, especially with the ending against the Buckeyes, whose only loss this season was against Alabama in the national championship match.
The Spartans are now scheduled to host Michigan on October 30. In exchange for a less than appealing finish with games against Rutgers and Maryland to close the schedule – as it did in 2017 and 2019 – Michigan State will play Ohio State and host Penn State to close. The last time the Spartans faced the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions to close the schedule was in 2016 and they lost both to finish 3-9.
Divide the state of Michigan and Ohio
When the Big Ten realigned the Legends and Leaders divisions east and west in 2014, the state of Michigan drew the state of Ohio and Michigan to their home in even years and to the road odd years. Playing the two marquee opponents on the road every two years is less than ideal, including selling tickets. These two series are now separate and the Spartans host one each year.
It’s still too early to know if COVID-19 will keep fans out of stadiums for a second straight season, but separating the Wolverines and Buckeyes is a plus for the Spartans. Winning these games is another issue. Although Michigan State claimed a 27-24 victory at Ann Arbor this season for its ninth victory in the last 13 years of the rivalry, the Spartans have lost five in a row to Ohio State.
Goodbye at a good time
Michigan’s state holiday week was previously scheduled for October 9. That was after the non-conference schedule closed against Western Kentucky and before facing Michigan to start a tough three-game streak.
The Spartans’ bye now falls on October 23, after a game in Indiana and before hosting the Wolverines. It’s hard to predict when a bye can come at the right time and potentially help a team heal, but seven games with five to go seems like a solid point. It’s certainly better than 2018, when the Michigan state break was only two weeks into the season. The teams had two byes the following season, and Michigan State’s came in three weeks – not ideal either.
The Land Grant trophy returns to finish
The Land Grant Trophy has been presented to the winner of the Michigan State-Penn State series since 1993. The trophy is one of the most, well, unique in any sport.
From 1994 to 2010, the Spartans faced off against the Nittany Lions to close their Big Ten schedule every year, but that changed when the conference adopted the divisions in 2011. When the conference moved to the East and West Divisions, the game went back to the last week of 2014-16 but then it was moved from that date. Michigan State’s last game of the 2020 season was against Penn State, but not by design.
The Spartans lost 39-24 at Beaver Stadium on December 12 and were scheduled to play at Maryland the following week to close the schedule. However, the Terrapins had to cancel for the second time this year due to the COVID-19 results and the Michigan state season was over. Penn State, which has won back-to-back wins in the rivalry, must now transport the 76-pound Land Grant Trophy to East Lansing in November.
Michigan State Football’s New 2021 Calendar
September 4: at Northwestern
September 11: YOUNGSTOWN STATE
September 18: in Miami
September 25: NEBRASKA
October 2: WESTERN KENTUCKY (Homecoming)
October 9: at Rutgers
October 16: in Indiana
October 23: goodbye
October 30: MICHIGAN
November 6: in Purdue
November 13: MARYLAND
November 20: in the state of Ohio
November 27: PENN STATE
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