The reigning NFC South champs will get their first taste of No. 1 overall draft pick Jameis Winston in Week 4 when the Carolina Panthers visit Raymond James Stadium to take on the division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This figures to be the first of many times the Panthers’ D squares off against Winston and the Bucs, and in this first encounter, Carolina will try to remain undefeated, entering the weekend as one of the few unbeaten teams left in pro football.
Fans of both sides couldn’t ask for better value, as the average ticket price, according to TiqIQ.com, is just $85.82 on the secondary market, making it one of the least expensive games this week. Furthermore, the get-in price is just $29 for this critical divisional clash. Last season, the NFC South winner, Carolina, won the division with a lackluster 7-8-1 record, so these games against division opponents within this particular group all have significant meaning. The same will apply to this Week 4 tilt.
With this game representing an opportunity to remain at the top of the entire National Football League, while coming against a very beatable opponent, Panthers fans might be tempted to get to the game, even from a distance away. Luckily, Hipmunk.com makes all of it possible, as they sport affordable Tampa airfare from most major airline carriers. Furthermore, they have cheap Tampa hotel listings for out-of-town fans seeking to stay a few days, with rooms starting from $63 per night.
Only a few games into the new campaign, the Panthers have done a great job silencing all of their critics, as they’ve exhibited fantastic balance on both sides of the ball, en route to their perfect start. Dual-threat quarterback Cam Newton has put the team on his shoulders and has been largely fantastic despite really only having tight end Greg Olsen to work with in the passing game, although veteran Ted Ginn Jr. is starting to step up as well. Newton has been extra busy on the ground as well, as he’s had to pick up some slack with running back Jonathan Stewart slumping a bit in the beginning of 2015.
In the past two seasons, which both resulted in division titles for the Panthers, Carolina hasn’t lost to Tampa Bay, having swept the season series in each year. However, one could easily argue that this is a much different Buccaneers team compared to recent years, now having their quarterback of the future, to go along with other useful pieces that makes this offense tick. Even so, with how good the Panthers have looked in the early-going, it looks this is their game for the taking, as Winston and Newton do battle for the very first time.
Month: September 2015
Paxton Lynch and Greg Ward Jr.: Two QBs To Watch
Why are Paxton Lynch and Greg Ward Jr. playing so well? Is it because they play in the American Athletic Conference or because they play for Houston and Memphis? Either way, Lynch and Ward have gotten off to hot starts to begin the season and both have barely been noticed. So, what gives? Each of these players has a shot to be dark horse choices for the Heisman this season so you should know who they are.
Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
While Memphis took home a share of the American Athletic Conference title last season, they will be looking to claim the title for themselves this season, with Lynch leading the way. Memphis isn’t known for being a traditional football power, but Lynch has done a good job of changing the way people think about the Tigers.
Last season was a bit of a coming out party for the signal caller, who ranked in the top-5 in nearly every passing category in the American. However, 2015 could be the year where he catches the eye of more than just his conference peers.
Lynch, who stands at 6’7″ and weighs 240 pounds, looks the part of a future NFL QB. The best part is he plays like it too; his arm alone is enough to make him a Heisman candidate. In three of his last four games this season, he has thrown for over 350 yards and has a total of 1,230 yards (11th in FBS).
But what stands out is the touch and accuracy he displays in his passing game. Lynch ranks second in passing among quarterbacks with at least 100 passing attempts, completing 73.5% of his attempts, and his 188.24 passer efficiency rating currently has him fifth in the nation. Yet, what is most impressive is his TD/INT ratio, which currently is eight to zero. He has really improved upon this stat since his freshman season when he threw only nine touchdowns, but 10 interceptions.
The lanky junior can run the ball too. He’s not going to burn the defense, but he does have enough speed to get around the edge and pick up big yards when he must. Last season, he found the end zone 13 times on the ground (2nd in AAC). What his running ability also gives him is more time to make plays when blocking breaks down; his maneuverability around the pocket and ability to make throws outside the pocket give him an added advantage.
While Lynch already finds himself all over the Memphis school record book, this season could be the one where he gets more national recognition. His ability to command and excel in this Memphis offense had ESPN’s Joe Tessitore calling him a Heisman candidate last week against Cincinnati. It may be early to say that, but Tessitore had good reason as Lynch threw for a career high 412 yards against a team that was projected to be the cream of the crop in the conference.
Greg Ward Jr., QB, Houston
One of the most dynamic QBs this season, Greg Ward Jr., has certainly gotten off to a hot start. This is the first season in which Ward has played exclusively at QB after starting off last season as a wide receiver before making the switch in the team’s fifth game against UCF.
Last season, Ward showed a lot of potential as a dual-threat QB, but left a lot to be desired. Now that he has former Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman as his head coach, Ward has excelled right out of the gates.
Herman has mentored both Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett, both of whom were Heisman candidates, and looked brilliant running his offense. You can tell that Herman’s tutelage has paid off for Ward so far this season. During Houston’s 59-14 win over Texas State this season, the junior led the offense to gain 82.5% of its available yards in non-garbage time. To put that into perspective, the highest percentage of available yards gained by Houston’s offense last season was 69.8 against Tulsa.
Ward is more of a traditional dual-threat QB, where his legs are a big part of the game and not just used as an escape mechanism. Through three games this season, the speedster has already gained 290 yards on the ground, which is already more than half of the 573 yards he totaled last season. The fact that he averages 6.44 yards per carry is more impressive, as it is the top mark in the conference for runners that have had 25 or more carries.
But Ward isn’t all about the run, he can sling the pigskin around pretty well too. So far this season he has completed 75.3% of his passes, topping Lynch for the top mark in the conference and also ranking him third nationally. He’s tallied 785 passing yards in the first three games, averaging 261.7 yards per game. Herman seems to have instilled a better sense of taking care of the ball and not making bad decisions, as Ward has only thrown one interception thus far. He can give you the playmaking ability of Johnny Manziel, but doesn’t send the ball up with a hope and a prayer.
With the way that Ward can run Herman’s offense, he is going to put up some nice numbers this season. He is a flat out play maker, and if the Cougars can keep winning, don’t be surprised to see his name come up for postseason awards.
Has Notre Dame Emerged As A Playoff Threat?
Rising in the AP Poll and getting a shot at a national championship requires a combination of luck and winning. This year’s Notre Dame team is no different.
The Irish have been able to start the season with a perfect 3-0 record, but have suffered major injuries along the way. Starting running back Tarean Folston was injured Week 1 against Texas, and star quarterback Malik Zaire broke his ankle late in the Week 2 game at Virginia.
Those injuries have allowed senior C.J. Prosise to take over running back duties and sophomore Deshone Kizer to step in at quarterback. Prosise has turned into one of the better running back in the country, finding himself in the top 5 in rushing yards. And Kizer made a name for himself with one of the greatest plays we’ll see all season.
In order to rise quickly, Notre Dame also needed teams ranked above them to lose, and they got just that. Four teams ranked above the Irish in the preseason have dropped due to early losses: Auburn, Alabama, Oregon, and Southern Cal.
Notre Dame started off the year ranked 11th with the 33rd hardest schedule in the country, which could hurt them in the long run. So far though, its allowed the Irish to move up the polls. Texas was the first team on the slate, and Notre Dame dominated. Zaire looked like an elite college QB and the Irish defense held the Longhorns to just 163 total yards of offense in a 38-3 home victory. The win looked good to pundits, as they ranked Notre Dame at No. 9, jumping Georgia and Florida State who both beat lesser opponents.
Things looked bleak after Zaire went down with a broken ankle in the third quarter in a close game at Virginia. Notre Dame was up 19-14 when Zaire went down, which left the Irish relying on an inexperienced sophomore in Kizer to run the offense. He held his own and finished 8-for-12 with two touchdowns, one being the game-winning throw with 12 seconds left to receiver Will Fuller. Beating a mediocre Virginia squad isn’t going to look good in the long run, but thanks to Auburn’s narrow victory over FCS Jacksonville State and Oregon losing to Michigan State, Notre Dame rose one spot to No. 8 in Week 3.
Georgia Tech went into South Bend ranked 14th in the AP Poll and was suppose to pose as a huge test for Notre Dame. Tech’s triple-option offense was projected to run havoc on the Irish defense. Coming into the game, the Yellow Jackets averaged 457.5 yards per game on the ground. However, those gaudy numbers came against Alcorn State and Tulane. Notre Dame held Georgia Tech to only 216 yards rushing, 337 total. Prosise lead the way with 198 rushing yards and three touchdowns in a solid 30-22 victory.
Beating a ranked team would have been enough to rise in the polls on its own, but Coach Brian Kelly’s team caught a break with the two higher-ranked teams also losing; Alabama to Ole Miss and USC to Stanford. Ole Miss with their big road win jumped over Notre Dame, but the Irish rose two spots to No. 6.
UMass was no contest for the Irish, as they beat the Minutemen 62-27 in Week 4. Pollsters had no reason to lift the Irish higher and they stayed at No. 6 for another week.
Prosise/Fuller continue to amaze & Freshman step up when their number is called. Watch now: http://t.co/ryEJrvnjjN pic.twitter.com/Cb0YVb2Nch
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 28, 2015
Notre Dame could essentially have played anyone and moved up in the polls. Simply winning would propel them at least three spots. The Irish jumped over Georgia and Florida State however, thanks to having one ranked opponent on their schedule, while the others played easier teams thus far.
—
While the past is promising, what does the future have in store for Notre Dame? It looks like an uphill battle in order to make the playoffs. The Irish have three game against ranked opponents remaining on their schedule. They’ll head to No. 12 Clemson on October 3rd, host No. 17 USC two weeks later, and finish the regular season at No. 18 Stanford. Notre Dame needs these teams to stay ranked prior to their meeting, and obviously need to win as well, to have a better shot at breaking into the top-four.
Winning might not be enough though. Georgia Tech dropped out of the Top 25 this week and that hurts Notre Dame in the long run. Other teams also have their toughest schedules ahead of them. No. 8 Georgia has two ranked opponents left, while No. 13 Alabama, No. 9 LSU, and No. 7 UCLA have four ranked opponents left on the season. This could lead to any one of these teams jumping the Irish in the polls and preventing them from becoming contenders for the postseason.
Last season, Notre Dame started off 6-0 and looked to be headed to the inaugural college playoffs. They were ranked 5th before heading into FSU, and suffering their first loss. Notre Dame lost five of their last seven games, and finished unranked with an 8-5 record.
If Notre Dame can run the table and remain undefeated this season, they have a great shot at getting into the College Football Playoffs. They’ll need help, but anything is possible with the Luck of the Irish.
Does Northwestern Have a Realistic Shot to Win the Big Ten West?
The Northwestern Wildcats are one of the pleasant surprises so far this season, not only for the Big Ten but for college football as a whole. They opened the season with a bang, beating a very well-coached Stanford team that beat a talented USC squad on the road in Week 3. From there, the Wildcats have quietly taken care of business, picking up a quality road victory against Duke along the way.
Entering the season, the Big Ten was expected to have two top tier teams (Ohio State and Michigan State) and a few middle tier teams (Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and Nebraska) with Northwestern somewhere in the middle-to-low tier with the likes of Maryland and Iowa.
Four weeks into the season and things have shifted around a little bit. The #16 Wildcats are the third-highest ranked Big Ten team behind #1 Ohio State and #2 Michigan State. This surprising question now arises: Can Fitzgerald’s bunch can win the Big Ten West.
The answer is yes, but it won’t be easy by any stretch of the imagination.
The Wildcats have been consistent on offense with QB Clayton Thorson throwing for 543 yards and 4 touchdowns, while RB Justin Jackson has totaled 516 rushing yards. Defensively, Northwestern has been great as well, ranking 11th in the country in total defense and tied for 5th in red zone defense. To see whether the Wildcats can win the Big Ten West, though, you must look at the Wildcats’ remaining schedule. Northwestern is fortunate that Michigan State and Ohio State do not make an appearance on their slate, but there are still some tricky games that could trip them up.
Minnesota– October 3rd
This game could really inform the country that Northwestern is a team that shouldn’t be taken lightly, or on the other hand, they are a team that had a fluky start to the season and are finally coming down to earth. The Golden Gophers gave TCU a scare in the first game of the season but they have looked very shaky as of late, winning each of their last three games by only 3 points. Prediction: Minnesota continues to struggle and Northwestern takes advantage of turnovers.
Prediction: Northwestern wins 28-17. (1-0 Big Ten record)
At Michigan– October 10th
Pat Fitzgerald vs. Jim Harbaugh is quite the intriguing matchup. The Wolverines dominated BYU 31-0 in Week 4 and looked solid in every aspect, especially on defense, holding the Cougars to 105 total yards. This win would solidify the Wildcats as a top-15 team, but the moment might be a little too big for freshman QB Clayton Thorson.
Prediction: Michigan wins 24-14. (1-1 Big Ten record)
Iowa– October 17th
This will be a low-scoring affair, but the Wildcats will find a way to win at home.
Prediction: Northwestern wins 14-10. (2-1 Big Ten record)
At Nebraska– October 24th
Two weeks after playing in the Big House, Northwestern travels to Lincoln to face the Cornhuskers in what could be a season-defining game. A loss wouldn’t completely take them out of the Big Ten West picture but it could seriously hurt their chances.
Prediction: Northwestern plays mistake-free football and escapes Lincoln with a 31-24 victory. (3-1 Big Ten record)
Penn State– November 7th
The Nittany Lions have struggled at times this season, but most of their problems are fixable. Christian Hackenberg and Penn State get revenge from last year and win by a field goal.
Prediction: Penn State wins 31-28. (3-2 Big Ten record)
Purdue– November 14th
The score in this one won’t even be close.
Prediction: Wildcats win 42-14. (4-2 Big Ten record)
At Wisconsin– November 21st
You never know what to expect with college football, but most likely, the Badgers will be undefeated or have one loss in Big Ten play when Northwestern comes to town. Last season, the Wildcats upset Wisconsin but the Badgers still ended up in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship game. This season, Pat Fitzgerald and company want to take Wisconsin’s spot.
Prediction: Northwestern wins 24-21. (5-2 Big Ten record)
Illinois– November 28th
After a huge victory against Wisconsin, the Wildcats will have a slight hangover against the Illini, but still hold on for the victory.
Prediction: Northwestern wins 28-24. (6-2 Big Ten record)
—
With my predictions, Northwestern finishes the season at 6-2 in the Big Ten, winning the West division. Wisconsin also finishes 6-2, but the Wildcats would win the head-to-head tiebreaker.
What I just laid out is probably the best case scenario for the Wildcats, because I don’t see them going undefeated in Big Ten play. Could Northwestern lose three conference games and still win the West? Sure, but it would be very difficult. I think all eyes will be on their matchup with Wisconsin on November 21st, where the winner will most likely win the West division.
In conclusion, nobody truly knows what will happen weeks from now, but based on what Northwestern has done so far this season, a trip to the Big Ten Championship game is definitely in the cards.
Breaking Down Cal's Jared Goff
Over the last few weeks, college football and NFL Draft fans have seen California quarterback Jared Goff’s name more than Donald Trumps. Following the Texas game 10 days ago, Goff was being heralded by the amateur scouting world as the second coming. They were saying he was a lock top five selection and possibly the first pick in the draft!
It wasn’t that many years ago that ESPN’s Todd McShay lauded Mississippi’s Jevon Snead as a top five pick in the draft. Snead left school early believing the hype and he never got drafted. He was signed as an undrafted free agent and spent a minimal amount of time in a training camp before he was cut.
The draftniks are not real NFL scouts. They never have and never will work for an NFL club and they have absolutely no accountability when it comes to hyping a player. They change their mind on a player sometimes on a weekly basis. NFL scouts can’t do that because they are held accountable on every report they write.
I’ll also add that I am against true junior quarterbacks entering the draft. Far more fail to live up to expectations than succeed once they get to the NFL level. Why? Mainly because they aren’t as good as people thought and they aren’t physically and emotionally ready to compete against men at the NFL level.
I strongly feel a quarterback needs to be in college a minimum of four years before he even thinks about the NFL.
Jared Goff is a talented football player but from what I have seen he is not ready to be an NFL player. He is a true junior and can’t even legally buy a beer.
When you look at his frame he is tall and long but very lean. Cal lists him as being 215, but I think that is a stretch. I would be surprised if he was over 210. He has fairly good but not great overall athleticism. He has quick feet and shows the ability to move around in the pocket. While I have seen him run some, he is not a true threat to make a lot of plays with his feet. Can he extend a play? Yes at the college level, it would be questionable of he can extend at the NFL level.
Goff has good but not great arm strength. He doesn’t drive the ball the way the top quarterbacks do. While he shows he can throw a tight ball, he also has too many throws that lack quality spin.
When you look at Goff’s stats, they are impressive. He has completed 69% of his throws this year. His completion percentage is a very misleading stat. In one game I charted, he threw 37 passes. Of those 37 throws, only 8 went further than 10 yards downfield. Most of his throws are within five yards of the line of scrimmage. When you look closely at those throws, his ball placement on them is average. He often throws behind a wide open receiver who is no further than 10 yards away from him. He can get away with that because of the offense Cal runs, but he won’t get away with it in the NFL. The main reason is he won’t be making those types of throws in the NFL. Remember, the window to complete a pass in the NFL is much smaller than it is in college. Successful NFL quarterbacks must have pinpoint accuracy. Goff isn’t there yet.
Cal plays in a dink and dunk spread offense. They have a strong run game and that helps the pass game. The run game and the short pass game help set up the occasional deeper throws. This style offense is not in any way similar to an NFL style offense. While they are some plays that require a full field read, the majority of the passes are half field quick passes.
From a mechanical viewpoint, there is a lot to like. Goff carries the ball high and has a quick and tight delivery. When he makes the decision to throw, the ball comes out of his hand very quickly. There are times when he doesn’t set his feet properly and is not in balance but again he can get away with that because of their style of offense.
To evaluate a quarterback properly a scout needs to see every play of at least 8 games and that is at a minimum. My look here is after seeing three of his first four games. In those games, Goff has yet to face a strong defense. Next month Cal has to face Utah, UCLA and USC in consecutive weeks. We will be able to get a much better and truer evaluation after watching those games.
For now, I would be against Goff even considering entering the draft. He is in no way ready to play at that level. Right now he is a good college quarterback in a gimmick offense and it ends there. He needs to not only finish this year but come back and play in 2016. He isn’t close to having the talent of an Andrew Luck or even a Derek Carr.
Follow Greg on Twitter @greggabe
Browns part ways with offensive line coach Andy Moeller
The Cleveland Browns have parted ways with troubled offensive line coach Andy Moeller.
Moeller, 51, was suspended indefinitely by the Browns after he was investigated for allegedly assaulting a girlfriend, who accused him of trying to strangle her.
Moeller never was charged with a crime, but he wasn’t reinstated.
“The Browns and Offensive Line Coach Andy Moeller have mutually agreed to part ways, effective immediately.,” the Browns said in a statement. “While no charges were filed in connection with the recent accusations asserted against him, and which Andy vehemently denies, he has advised the Browns that he desires to devote his full attention and focus on his family. Andy states that this was a difficult decision but the right one for him, his family, and the Club at this point in time.”
Moeller was in his second season with Cleveland following six with the Ravens. In 2011, Moeller was suspended two games by the NFL and fined $47,000 following a drunken-driving conviction while coaching for the Ravens. Alcohol was deemed to have played a role in Moeller’s September incident as well.
Follow me on Twitter: @AaronWilson_NFL
Aaron Wilson covers the Texans for The Houston Chronicle.
Source: Giants try out Wes Welker, Hakeem Nicks, Chris Cooley
The New York Giants tried out veteran wide receivers Wes Welker and Hakeem Nicks.
Welker was last with the Denver Broncos.
Nick was last with the Indianapolis Colts.
The Giants also worked out former Washington Redskins tight end Chris Cooley along with quarterback Philip Sims, long snapper Luke Ingram, Tyler Ott and Tavarres King.
Follow me on Twitter: @twitter.com/AaronWilson_NFL
Aaron Wilson covers the Texans for The Houston Chronicle.
NFL 2015 Picks Week 4: Expert Analysis and Betting Strategies
To view this week’s free pick analysis in the Minnesota Vikings @ Denver Broncos game for 10/4/2015, please sign up.
Picks for every NFL game, including our Play Value Key and Calculator recommendations for optimal bankroll management, access to the Play Analyzer and Halftime pick analysis can be purchased for the week or season in the Shop or by individual game here.
For Week 4 in the NFL, every game on the schedule is playable against-the-spread. Thus far this season, all playable against-the-spread NFL picks are 22-13 (63% ATS).
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9/28/2015 Highlight: Using the ResultsFinder for the week of September 21st-27th, one could find that all “normal” or better (greater than 57% to cover) NFL picks in Week 3 went 3-2 (60% ATS and O/U). All normal against-the-spread picks for the season have started 5-2 (71% ATS and O/U). Meanwhile, all against-the-spread picks in the NFL are 29-17 (63% ATS) and all over/under picks are 28-19 (60% O/U) to start the year.
College Football was profitable once again, four straight weeks to start the year above .500. In Week 4, all playable picks combined to go 39-29 (57% ATS and O/U). For the season, all playable College Football picks are 146-111 (57% ATS and O/U).
The MLB postseason is just around the corner. Last year, normal or better money-line, over/under and run-line picks went 7-2 (78% ML, O/U and RL). All-time, normal or better MLB Playoff picks are 32-11 (74% ML, O/U and RL).
Check out the Shop or Individual Picks pages now to learn more.
Arian Foster on charity event raising $125,000: 'Great night for philanthropy'
Texans Pro Bowl running back Arian Foster, his teammates and more than 150 Houstonians attended a charity event at Morton’s the Steakhouse at the Galleria that raised $125,000 for his charitable foundation.
The Arian Foster Family Foundation supports families and youth in underprivileged neighborhoods, devoted to improving access to healthy food and increasing financial education and opportunities for personal development.
Foster and his teammates, including linebackers Brian Cushing and Jadeveon Clowney, offensive linemen Duane Brown, Ben Jones and Derek Newton, punter Shane Lechler, wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins, Nate Washington and Cecil Shorts III, cornerbacks Johnathan Joseph, Kareem Jackson and Kevin Johnson and running backs Alfred Blue and Jonathan Grimes donned aprons and worked as celebrity servers.
The event included a VIP cocktail hour with photographs and autographs with the players, followed by a four-course dinner and a silent and live auction emceed by 610 Sports Radio host Sean Pendergast.
“Great night for philanthropy, great night to be alive,” Foster said. “How many people’s lives are better because how you live is the true measure of one’s success. It’s in that relentless pursuit of helping others that we each get closer to the person we were truly born to be!”
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Aaron Wilson covers the Texans for The Houston Chronicle.
Wisconsin's Big 10 opener most expensive Big 10 ticket on secondary market this weekend
While many will make headlines of the SEC dominance of the Top 25, the Big Ten is not far behind. The conference enters the week with five schools ranked, including both of the top two spots. As many schools are starting to get into conference play, there will be some interesting Big Ten matchups upcoming on the schedule. A few Big Ten teams will host some meaningful games this weekend and below are the three most expensive games in the conference on the secondary market, according to TiqIQ.
Iowa Hawkeyes at Wisconsin Badgers | Avg. Price: $172.29 | Get-in Price: $84
Wisconsin enters this game ranked No. 19, but that doesn’t mean they’ll have an easy test against unranked Iowa. The Hawkeyes have yet to play an opponent of the Badgers’ caliber, but they are 4-0 and averaging 37.8 points per game while only giving up 17.8. This will be Wisconsin’s most expensive home game of the season, as their home schedule does not feature many top teams in the Big Ten. However, Wisconsin will follow this game up with a trip to Nebraska to face the Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium next week. Wisconsin supporters can get to Camp Randall Stadium with Hipmunk.com by finding the cheapest Madison airfare and stay for the most expensive home game of the entire season with Madison hotels starting from $63.
Army Black Knights at Penn State Nittany Lions | Avg. Price: $109.29 | Get-in Price: $48
It was a rough start to the season for Penn State, but the Nittany Lions have bounced back after the season opening loss to Temple in Philadelphia. The 3-1 Nittany Lions are set to host Army this weekend for Penn State’s final out of conference game of the season. This game will feature the least expensive Penn State tickets on the secondary market for the rest of the season, just edging out a Halloween game against Illinois.
Purdue Boilermakers at Michigan State Spartans | Avg. Price: $92.94 | Get-in Price: $57
The Spartans enter their second week as the No. 2 ranked team in the country, but that hasn’t helped boost ticket prices against poor opponents. The home game against Purdue will be the second least expensive game for Michigan State at Spartan Stadium, above only a game against Maryland on November 11. Michigan State’s most expensive game will be the next home game on October 24 against Indiana with an average price of $131. While Michigan State does not sport much of a home schedule this season. its toughest games come on the road this season, against Michigan on October 17 and against Ohio State on November 21.