Outside of Florida State, it’s probably safe to say that of all the teams ranked in the preseason Associated Press poll, Michigan State just might be the most disappointing so far. The Spartans barely survived their home opener against Utah State and then blew a 10-point fourth quarter lead in a loss at Arizona State.

This wasn’t expected from a team many considered to be a legitimate threat to win the Big Ten East. So far, it’s been a little ugly. But after a rare early bye week, the Spartans are ready to get back at it and get their season back on track. They travel to Bloomington to take on Indiana Saturday night (7:30 p.m. ET; TV: Big Ten Network).

Here are five things I want to see from Michigan State this weekend at Indiana:

1. Show some energy after the bye week

Because of the slow start and the subsequent week off, there’s absolutely no reason why the Spartans shouldn’t come out with their hair on fire for this game. It’s rare when the third game of the season is make-or-break time, but that’s certainly the case here. A loss to Indiana to start the Big Ten season would be devastating.

There’s been enough blame to go around for everyone during those first two games, but now it’s time for everyone to come together and play a good, solid game. The Spartans are 4.5-point favorites, but they need to play like they should win by a couple of touchdowns. It’s time to step up in a big way and get a winning streak started.

2. Stop an Indiana running game that’s been hot

Michigan State’s run defense is very good. There’s talent there, and they have statistics to back it up so far, allowing just 69 yards on 54 carries, a paltry 1.28-yard average that ranks No. 1 in the country. Indiana comes into the game much more focused on running the ball than it has in the past, so this is strength vs. strength.

Freshman Stevie Scott has been named Big Ten Freshman of the Week two weeks in a row after gashing Virginia for 204 yards and Ball State last week for 114 more. His 388 rushing yards has him ranked eighth in the nation. Michigan State needs to shut him down and make Indiana one-dimensional. If not, there could be problems, especially if Indiana can get comfortable with their play-action passing game.

3. Get their issues fixed in the secondary

It’s easy to joke that Michigan State is No. 1 in rush defense because opponents haven’t cared. They’ve been too busy salivating over throwing the ball against these Spartans. MSU is allowing 349.5 passing yards per game thus far, which ranks 125th out of 129 FBS schools and is the worst among Power 5 teams, just barely ahead of Ole Miss. That’s a major problem.

This group has clearly missed cornerback Josiah Scott, who’s missed the first two games. But that doesn’t explain it all. There’s enough talent back there to not be labeled the worst pass defense in college football. Indiana might prefer to run, but quarterback Peyton Ramsey can throw the ball. He’s not a deep threat really, but he is accurate. He’s completed at least 72 percent of his passes in all three games.

4. Better play from the offensive line

If there’s a position group on the offense that needs to step it up, it’s the guys up front. They’ve been a surprising disappointment so far as well, struggling to make holes for LJ Scott and the other Spartans running backs, and failing at the worst possible times to provide pass protection for quarterback Brian Lewerke.

Indiana’s defense hasn’t been good through the years, but second-year coach Tom Allen is a defensive guy and the Hoosiers are much better on that side of the ball. This line needs to step up and help the offense get to 30 points or more.

5. Don’t be that forgotten team anymore

The Big Ten East discussion is now focusing on Ohio State and Penn State, with others presuming Michigan is going to be there in the end, too. There’s literally zero discussion about the Spartans contending now after the two bad performances.

Saturday is the right opportunity for that to change. The slow start is not uncommon in East Lansing, and long hot streaks haven’t been uncommon either. It’s time for a big win and the start of a roll.