Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith looks on during the fourth quarter in the game against Rutgers on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What is MSU's Toughest Non-Conference Contest This Fall?

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Tom Cavanaugh | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 4:13 PM ET

The Michigan State Spartans open the regular season with three non-conference opponents, hoping to tune themselves up for a tough Big Ten schedule. All three games will be played at Spartan Stadium, and the Spartans almost have to go 3-0 in that early span.

The season opener features Western Michigan, followed by Boston College, and then, Youngstown State comes to town. Out of the three non-conference contests, which opponent is going to be the Spartans' toughest battle?

As MSU seeks revenge in Week 2 against Boston College, it most certainly will be their toughest battle in the early going. The Spartans lost a hard-fought ballgame in Chestnut Hill last year, 23-19, and need to get right with a win over a vulnerable Eagles team.

It will not be the same BC team that the Spartans saw last year, as star quarterback Tommy Castellanos transferred to Florida State this offseason. MSU's defense will still have its hands full with senior quarterback Grayson James, who played the final six games of the season.

James threw for 1,202 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions, including a start in the Pinstripe Bowl against Nebraska. He is going to have the reins all season for head coach Bill O'Brien's group and will be the best quarterback the Spartans face in the first three games.

Boston College has been ranked as the No. 12 team in the ACC for the preseason rankings by College Football HQ On SI, by James Parks, but the Spartans are in a comparable spot in the Big Ten.

"Bill O’Brien got the Eagles into the postseason after getting good results from quarterback Grayson James," Parks wrote. "But the Eagles need to fill vacancies on the offensive line, returning just two starters, and all over the defense."

Returning just two starters for the Eagles is a big deal and a major advantage for MSU. Both teams dipped into the transfer portal, but the Spartans certainly have the more impactful returners who have a sour taste in their mouths following last year's loss on the road.

Prediction: It will be a much closer game than many Spartan fans would hope, but the 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff time is going to give this team a little extra juice for the win. Spartans win, 27-23, with a late first down to ice the game and keep the ball out of James' hands.

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