Michigan State football picks vs Maryland: Finally, a Big Ten win?

This is not the way Michigan State football might have hoped Hall of Fame coach Duffy Daugherty and current skipper Jonathan Smith would be paired off.

Smith and his Spartans, of course, are one game away from matching an ignoble mark set just once since MSU joined the Big Ten in the 1950s: Going winless in Big Ten play.

SCOUTING THE GAME: Michigan State vs Maryland football game pick, score prediction

Daugherty’s crew went 0-5-1 in 1958, with a couple of facts to soften the pain: Those Spartans, at least, were coming off a season in which they’d finished third in the nation, and their tie came against hated Michigan, 12-12, in early October. And indeed, those Spartans would rebound the next season with a 4-2 record in Big Ten play as Daugherty built MSU into a perennial conference contender.

Smith’s squad, though? They’re coming off a season in which — according to the NCAA, though not our eyes — they went winless. They haven’t even managed a tie this season (though they finished regulation Nov. 1 tied with Minnesota, if you’d like to count that).

MSU can avoid tying the knot of history too tightly on Saturday, Nov. 29, with a win over Maryland (which has just one Big Ten win itself, over lowly Wisconsin back in September — the Terps are not a high bar to clear) at Ford Field in Detroit. And if these Spartans can’t manage that, will Smith return for a third campaign?

That’s for another day; for now, four Free Press sports writers have some thoughts on whether the Spartans can avoid the dreaded 0-fer:

Carlos Monarrez

It all comes down to this. The Spartans get a final chance at redemption and their first conference win this year against a terrible opponent that hasn’t scored more than 20 points since early October. If the Spartans can avoid a repeat of last week’s meltdown, this should be a victory – and a nice going-away present for Jonathan Smith. The pick: MSU 28, Maryland 24.

Jeff Seidel

Say what you will about the Spartans, they haven’t given up under Jonathan Smith. They played Iowa tough and lost to Minnesota in overtime. I expect them to come out and give Maryland all it can handle, picking up their first Big Ten victory. That, of course, will set up the real drama: What happens to Smith on Sunday? The pick: MSU 24, Maryland 20.

Chris Solari

The fight the Spartans showed throughout the misery finally pays off, with Alessio Milivojevic getting enough protection to make things happen in the passing game — and getting Nick Marsh involved with another big game against the Terrapins. The defense takes care of the rest, giving MSU some good feelings heading into an uncertain offseason. The pick: MSU 23, Maryland 17.

Shawn Windsor

Jonathan Smith deserves a little mirth. It's the holiday season, after all. The Terrapins have an elusive and talented freshman quarterback, but the Spartans are due for a break ... or five. A turnover is coming their way. And some luck in the fourth quarter on offense. This time, they hold the late lead and MSU finally gets a Big Ten win. The pick: MSU 19, Maryland 17.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State football picks, predictions vs Maryland in NCAA Week 14