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Michigan State has won 12 consecutive Big Ten games dating back to Nov. 17, 2012, when it lost to Northwestern 23-20 in East Lansing.

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EAST LANSING -- Michigan State has to like where it's sitting at the halfway point of the season, especially after oddsmakers at Sportsbook.ag listed the Spartans as the favorites to win the national championship.

Michigan State opened the season with 30-to-1 odds of winning the college football championship game but is now at 13-to-2, according to the betting website.

The No. 8-ranked Spartans (5-1) play at Indiana (3-3) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in Bloomington.

Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio, in his eighth year as the program's head coach, has gradually built the Spartans into a national power since being hired.

"When we first came here, it was about trying to get the team in order, then it was about trying to establish a program by going to bowl games every year,'' said Dantonio, who's 69-30 at MSU and has led Michigan State to a school-record seven straight bowl games.

"Then we won a co-championship in the Big Ten, and we finally won an outright championship and won the Rose Bowl. The key is to how well we're able to handle success, I don't think there's any question about that.''

Defending national champion and No. 2-ranked Florida State opened the season at 5-to-2 and is now 7-to-1 to repeat.

Also at 7-to-1 is No. 1-ranked Mississippi State, which opened the year with 100-to-1 odds of winning the national championship, according to the website.

On Sunday, CBSsports.com expert Jerry Palm projected Michigan State in the College Football Playoff.

Michigan State is currently favored to win the remainder of its regular season games, which after this week's trip to Indiana are:

-- Oct. 25 vs. Michigan in East Lansing

-- Nov. 8 vs. Ohio State in East Lansing

-- Nov. 15 at Maryland

-- Nov. 22 vs. Rutgers in East Lansing

-- Nov. 29 at Penn State

Michigan State leads the nation in time of possession, ranks No. 17 in the nation in total offense (502.3 yards per game), and the Spartans are No. 12 in total defense allowing 304.2 yards per game.

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