Michigan State Football: Five most important games in 2015

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Nov 8, 2014; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans mascot Sparty during the second quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan State football aims to improve upon a 2014 season in which they were not able to make the Big Ten Championship Game. 

The Michigan State Spartans enter 2015 ranked fifth in the country, and are aiming to achieve the goal they began with a season ago. Last season the Spartans had high hopes of competing for the Big Ten title and even making it into the top four nationally ranked programs, and gain a berth in the first-ever College Football Playoff.

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The first loss the Spartans suffered last season was a 46-27 defeat against the Oregon Ducks in Eugene, Oregon. The Spartans put up a fight in that game, but it wasn’t enough to defeat the Ducks.

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That loss was not enough to knock them from national title contention, and considering their schedule the rest of the way, were projected to make it to the Big Ten title game if they could only beat the Ohio State Buckeyes at home.

Unfortunately for Spartan fans, they could not. Their dreams were stymied when hated rival Ohio State Buckeyes beat them late in the season by a score of 49-37 at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, running roughshod over their vaunted defense and eliminating them from contention for both championships.

This season, Michigan State has the chance to avenge the losses of a year ago. They will play host to Oregon on September 12th, and they will travel to Columbus, Ohio, on November 21st to battle the Buckeyes.

There are a number of games this season that the Spartans must win to achieve their goals of winning the Big Ten Championship, and competing for the College Football Playoff championship, and we’re going to take a look at the biggest five games on Michigan State’s 2015 schedule.

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