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ESPN’s FPI predicts Wisconsin’s road trip to Michigan State
By Paul Harvey
Published:
ESPN’s FPI is predicting the full Week 7 slate, and Wisconsin and Michigan State are set to square off in East Lansing. Both teams are looking to get some momentum though the Spartans are particularly struggling this season.
Entering the weekend, Michigan State is on a 4-game losing streak, the longest losing streak of Mel Tucker’s tenure in East Lansing. The Spartans are also teetering on the edge of being able to make a bowl game in 2022.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin is entering its second game with Jim Leonhard as head coach of the program. The Badgers are 1-0 with Leonhard leading the team, but the win did come against Northwestern, a team that is 1-5 this season.
Saturday’s matchup will also bring more “firsts” to the series. It will be Tucker’s first time facing the Badgers since taking over and Leonhard’s first game against the Spartans as a head coach. Paul Chryst and Mark Dantonio were the head coaches for the two previous matchups in the series.
According to the Football Power Index, this should be a competitive game. The Badgers are given an edge, but that edge is just over 50% at 52.5%.
Michigan State leads the all-time series 30-24, but Wisconsin has won the last 2 meetings, including a 38-0 shutout in 2019. However, with so many new faces on both sides of the game, history is likely out the window in Week 7.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.