East Lansing — The players reported Wednesday and by Thursday morning, Michigan State will be on the practice field for the first time, preparing for the 2018 season-opener at the end of the month.
The optimism is high for the Spartans after completing a seven-game turnaround from 2016 to 2017, winning 10 games, coming in second in the Big Ten East and beating Washington State in the Holiday Bowl.
Nearly the entire starting lineup returns as Michigan State looks to validate the quick rebound from the misery of 2016 by pushing to win the East and get back to the conference championship game for the first time since 2015.