EAST LANSING >> The record suggests there are similarities, but the personnel says otherwise.

Michigan State is getting ready to play Iowa in what certainly is a pivotal crossroads for the season. At the halfway point, the Spartans are .500, coming off three straight losses, which followed three straight wins to open the season. Last season, MSU also was .500, at 2-2, when it visited Iowa and lost a close game, which was the third straight loss during a skid that eventually reached six, and the Spartans finished the season 4-8.

This is a new Michigan State team, though, with a new head coach, a new staff, a whole lot of new players, and, most important, stability. Last year’s train wreck came after then-head coach Mel Tucker was suspended, and eventually fired, as many players quit, either officially, by entering the portal, or unofficially.

“I leave last year as last year,” said sixth-year defensive lineman Khris Bogle, who’s seen a lot of football and a whole lot of turnover in his college career, the last three years at Michigan State after three years at Florida. “We got a whole new team, a whole new coaching staff. So we just look ahead.

“Everybody’s excited and just motivated to, like, just keep going and keep winning. I mean, we’re 3-3 right now, so Iowa’s gonna come here and give us a challenge.

“At the end of the day, they put on their pads and we put on our pads.”

Michigan State (3-3, 1-2) started the season 3-0, including an eye-catching road win at Maryland to open Big Ten play. Since then, it’s dropped games at Boston College, at home against Ohio State, and at Oregon. It had every chance to beat Boston College, but were outclassed by the Buckeyes and Ducks, two of the nation’s top teams.

The Spartans are coming off their bye week, while Iowa (4-2, 2-1), is coming off a dominating home victory against Washington. The Hawkeyes two losses are to two current top-10 teams, a nailbiter against rival Iowa State and a blowout by Ohio State.

Iowa scored 40 against Washington, after scoring 30 just once, and not in any conference game, in 2023. It hadn’t score 40 in a Big Ten game since 2021. The Hawkeyes have a new offensive coordinator in Tim Lester, the former Western Michigan quarterback and head coach, who came over from the Green Bay Packers. He took over for Brian Ferentz, the head coach’s son, who was fired at the end of last season. Last year during the 26-16 win against Michigan State, Iowa fans began chanting, “Fire Brian!”

Iowa’s defense is what it always is, good. Meanwhile, Iowa’s offense appears to be what it hasn’t been for some time, at least decent. The Hawkeyes are quarterbacked by Cade McNamara, the former Michigan QB who has had knee surgeries each of the last two years, cutting each of those years short ? in 2023, he went down in the MSU game. He’s not exactly airing it out, but he’s a veteran presence under center, which is an attribute that head coach Kirk Ferentz and Lester may just value more than his pure raw talent. Iowa’s ground game is strong, led by junior Kaleb Johnson, who’s already rushed for 12 touchdowns. And, of course, Iowa is still Tight End U, and still plays bully ball on the line.

“You said it, man. They’re a physical outfit,” said Michigan State defensive-line coach Legi Suiaunoa, who came over with head coach Jonathan Smith from Oregon State. “This is my first time facing them as a football coach, but I always had some appreciation for how they play the game. I mean, they make it physical at the line of scrimmage. They’re going to test your technique at the line of scrimmage, and they’re going to run the ball.

“They don’t hide what they do.”

They didn’t hide it last year, either.

But Michigan State couldn’t stop it that Saturday night in Iowa City in late September 2024, or the bleeding the rest of the season. That was then, this is now, and while the story might seem familiar, the Spartans say they’re working on a different script. That’s big if true, given the daunting schedule that looms, against Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Purdue and Rutgers. The Spartans will have to win three of the final six to get to their first bowl game since 2021.