JN: At what point does this snowball stop rolling and accumulating loss after loss? This week? I vote yes. I was pleased to find Tuesday that MSU head coach Mark Dantonio swallowed his pride and shied away from his typical tight-lipped demeanor when it comes to his depth chart. Bumping Chris L. Rucker and bringing Kendell Davis-Clark and Chris Norman into the mix will surely help. Now let’s just hope the ball stays in Kirk Cousins’ hands.

MSU 34, Wisconsin 17

MB: This is going to be an interesting one. If MSU hasn’t lost its confidence, a win is within the realm of possibilities here. Wisconsin struggled at home against Northern Illinois and Fresno State. MSU should be able to give the Badgers a run for their money. I fully expect the offense to dominate again, but the defense continues to be the question. Against a more traditional offense attack, I expect MSU to do better — unless Wisconsin decides to spread it out.

MSU 31, Wisconsin 21

CV: Seeing a team that runs the ball must be a dream come true for the Spartans’ defense. When a team pounds the rock, like Wisconsin does, linebackers are key. Greg Jones — well, we all know what he brings. I also expect freshman linebacker Chris Norman to have a good game. Despite his costly interception, Kirk Cousins is proving to be one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the nation. With Mark Dell back, I expect Cousins to light up the Badgers thanks to protection from his offensive line.

MSU 35, Wisconsin 27

MF: There’s no doubt the last two losses have been gut-wrenching for MSU, but the beginning of the Big Ten season Saturday offers the Spartans a new hope. Look for Captain Kirk and the team to start the road to redemption in Madison, Wisc., as Sparty comes to party at wild Camp Randall Stadium in a big way.

MSU 34, Wisconsin 17

Notre Dame vs. Purdue

8 p.m., ESPN

JN: I don’t feel sorry for Purdue. I feel sorry for head coach Danny Hope trying to fill the shoes of former head coach Joe Tiller. But as far as the game goes, it doesn’t really seem as though the Boilermakers will have a shot. They’re going to need a lot of intangibles — night game, rival coming to town, chip on their shoulder after losing to Northern Illinois — to pull this off. I don’t see it happening.

Notre Dame 52, Purdue 16

MB: I feel sorry for Purdue here. After losing to Northern Illinois, they get a talented Notre Dame team. It will not be pretty. Even if Jimmy Clausen hobbles through this one, it won’t matter (sure didn’t against MSU). Notre Dame should crush the Boilermakers. Clausen is a talented quarterback and easily will pass for 300 yards. And Notre Dame’s defense should be in better shape after allowing MSU to have its way on occasion last week.

Notre Dame 45, Purdue 17

CV: After seeing Purdue play pretty well in their first two games, I thought the Boilermakers might be this year’s surprise team. But after last week’s loss to Northern Illinois, I think this Purdue team is who everybody thought they were (so don’t let them off the hook). Jimmy Clausen might be the best passing quarterback in the country and while he may be slowed by a turf toe injury, I still expect him to light up the Boilermakers.

Notre Dame 35, Purdue 17

MF: This one depends on one of Jimmy’s toes. Yes, Notre Dame’s quarterback has the dreaded turf toe, a plaguing injury which could hamper Clausen throughout Saturday’s game. However, after sustaining the injury last week, he did stay in and continued to perform well. They’re called the Fighting Irish for a reason, gimpy toe or not.

Notre Dame 37, Purdue 24

Miami (Fla.) vs. Virginia Tech

3:30 p.m., ABC

JN: The ‘U’ is off to quite the sizzling start, but if anybody can put out that fire, it’s the Hokies. Though the Hurricanes were once the toast of the ACC, they took a hiatus for a few years while Tech continued its consistent success. If Frank Beamer can’t get his troops fired up for this one, we might need to start talking about the Hurricanes as a BCS Buster — if that’s possible for a team that won a national title in this decade.

Virginia Tech 34, Miami 31

MB: I don’t think anybody expected Miami to be where it is right now. The team arguably has the toughest opening four games of anybody in the nation, facing Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma. This is going to be tough because Virginia Tech will have the home-field advantage, but I think the Hurricanes have a lot of confidence right now (as they should) and might pick up another big win here.

Miami 21, Virginia Tech 14

CV: Before the season started, it wasn’t a stretch to think Miami could start the season 0-4. Now it’s not a stretch to think they could go 4-0. Miami quarterback Jacory Harris looks like a budding superstar. Virginia Tech was a popular sleeper pick to make the national championship game, but they snuck by Nebraska at home to avoid a 1-2 start. Even though this game is in Blacksburg, Va., I expect the Hurricanes to win easily.

Miami 28, Virginia Tech 14

MF: This game brings in two traditional ACC powerhouses with two great defenses. The separation comes at quarterback. Jacory Harris is a stud as a sophomore. He’s simply better than his Hokie counterpart, Tyrod Taylor. Look for Virginia Tech to lose a heartbreaker at home as the ‘U’ pursues perfection.

Miami 27, Virginia Tech 23