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Michigan State football tips vs. Oregon

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Michigan State football tips vs. Oregon

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Michigan State football heads west to face one of the Big Ten's newcomers, Oregon, in a game Friday night (9 p.m., Fox). It's also a throwback to the days when the Spartans annually challenged the might of the Pac-12 to national glory.

It's also a step back for MSU head coach Jonathan Smith in his first year in East Lansing after leading his alma mater – and Oregon rival – Oregon State for six seasons.

Smith and the Beavers went 2-4 against the Ducks during his time as head coach; Will he be able to repeat this success on Friday evening? Five Free Press sports writers have some thoughts:

SCOUTING THE MATCH: Ducks ready to fly together against the Spartans

Rainer Sabin

Last week against Ohio State, the Spartans showed over a long stretch that they could compete with a top-ten team by consistently putting the ball in the red zone. But they also showed they were struggling to finish by missing three golden opportunities to score points.

The Spartans were often their own worst enemy in the first month of the season, turning the ball over 13 times – which was the third-highest total in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Now they have to play at Autzen Stadium, one of the loudest places in college football. That doesn't bode well for Aidan Chiles and MSU's offense, which hasn't played crisp enough to suggest they'll be able to block out the noise and play at the optimal level they need to Upsetting the No. 6 Ducks. The choice: Oregon 38, MSU 13.

Jeff Seidel

One day Aidan will play Chile's flawless football. He will make great plays and play clean football. The game will slow down and he will lead this team to some amazing wins. But not on this day. Not against a team like Oregon State. Not yet. The choice: Oregon 34, MSU 14.

Chris Solari

Smith gets the Spartans going early with the Chiles scoring early points and the defense keeping the Ducks from making big plays down the field. But in the second half, Gabriel and Co. make adjustments that get the ball moving, and Oregon's defense – with a big play from Harmon – wears down MSU's depleted offensive line, handing the Spartans a third straight loss. The choice: Oregon 31, MSU 17.

Shawn Windsor

Once again the Spartans will compete against each other. They will show flashes, maybe even more than flashes, especially Aidan Chiles. These games are still a little out of reach until proven otherwise. An early exit would be surprising, even if the final result is deceptive, as it was against Ohio State. Let's see if MSU learned something from this performance and finds a way to not get injured as often. The choice: Oregon 30, MSU 23.

Carlos Monarrez

The Spartans are massive underdogs, and their only hope is that the No. 6 Ducks get caught heading into next week's game against Ohio State and that Aidan Chiles plays the game of his life. Oregon has struggled on the offensive line, but that didn't stop quarterback Dillon Gabriel, a sixth-year transfer to Oklahoma, and the Ducks from scoring a combined 83 points on the road in their last two games against Oregon State and UCLA. The choice: Oregon 39, MSU 16

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