SI’s anonymous analysis: “Don’t sleep on the Spartans. They finished strong with a 42–17 win over Washington State in the Holiday Bowl and had big wins over Michigan and Penn State. … After a 3–9 season [in 2016], they went back to their bread and butter: defense and ball control. Their turnaround last year wasn’t a fluke—they’re one of the better teams in their division, and this season it will be all about the defense, which was top 10 last year and has a chance to be better.
Source: Spartan Tailgate