Preston's Picks

It's okay MSU fans. There is still plenty to play for this season for the Spartans, even if they are knocked out of contention for the inaugural College Football Playoff.

Sitting at No. 12 means if MSU wins out they will likely be in the top 10 and find themselves playing in a New Year's Day bowl game.

That being said, I saw a lot from MSU's defense last week to give me pause about MSU's chances in the game. C.J. Brown has the kind of mobility that J.T. Barrett does without the arm strength. Mobile quarterbacks have given the Spartan defense a lot of problems this season (remember Marcus Mariota?), which makes me nervous.

I still think MSU goes into what could be a hostile environment and scores enough to win, I see this game going the same way the Oregon game did, with the roles reversed. These aren't your grandpa's Spartans, they are going to win by outscoring opponents and lifting the defense with the strength of their offense. MSU-42 Maryland-28

Bondy’s Bets

Which MSU will come out this Saturday? One that is motivated to move on from last week’s disappointing loss or one that is still feeling hungover?

I’m going to say a mixture of both, but in the end the Spartans will have too much in the tank for Maryland to pull off the upset.

Playing in front of a sell-out crowd in its annual “Blackout Game,=” expect the Terrapins to come out swinging and pop Sparty in the mouth early on. Despite junior quarterback Connor Cook stating earlier this week that players have moved on and have a positive attitude, the loss to Ohio State still will affect MSU early on, enough to let Maryland take a lead into halftime.

However in the end Maryland will be hurting from the loss of its best playmaker — junior wide receiver Stefon Diggs — and will not have enough offensive power to keep it up.

There will be a flip of the script with junior defensive end Shilique Calhoun blowing up the Terrapin backfield in the second half. Combine an improved second half defensive effort with 150 rushing yards out of senior running back Jeremy Langford and MSU pulls away late to secure a crucial rebound win. MSU-34 Maryland-24