Michigan State continues business as usual with Tyler O’Connor

10:27 AM ET

Early in the second half of Michigan State’s spring game this past weekend, offensive guard David Beedle lined up in the backfield, took a handoff and then pitched it back to his quarterback for a flea-flicker. Two players later, senior safety Demetrious Cox took a snap out of shotgun and charged forward for 4 yards.

The reaction in the press box and from many of the 51,000 reported spectators was less a sense of shock and more of a bemused, “Was wondering when they were going to get to that stuff.” Mark Dantonio’s staff has a history of having a little fun on days like Saturday. Heading into his 10th year in East Lansing, even the tricks are predictable.

Predictable is generally a dirty word in football. You want to keep your opponents guessing. But when you’ve won two Big Ten championships and 36 games in the last three years by sticking to the same basic principles, the status quo isn’t such a bad thing. Over the last five seasons, Michigan State has been as steady as they come at the college level. The challenge now is staying there.

If any offseason is going to rock the boat for Dantonio it will likely be this one. The Spartans have to replace six of their nine starters at the line of scrimmage — a staple of their success on both sides of the ball — as well as a three-year starter and record-setter at quarterback. Meanwhile, the roster is undergoing a shift from the overlooked, something-to-prove types that helped build a particular culture to the type of heralded talent that starts to show up when you win a bunch of games. Amid so much change, will Dantonio’s model of …

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