MSU: Always A Bridesmad, Never a Bride

The Mrs. had something to say about last night's game and a clever way to say it, so she gets a bit of airspace to do so below. Enjoy and if you like, leave her a comment telling her so.

Who doesn’t love this movie?

(Editor's Note: I can't say I don't, I wouldn't watch it.)

Okay, Jim doesn’t.  But being a bridesmaid is awesome, and I’ll tell you why.  First of all, it’s way cheaper.  Average cost of a wedding in MI: $26,000.  Average cost of a bridesmaid dress in MI:  $190.  Average cost of a round trip flight to CA: $600.  Average cost of a round trip flight to FL: $90.

How much fun is it being a bridesmaid?  The bride’s sister can go out on the dance floor with a swarm of men around her.  No one’s going to fault her for getting trashed and maybe making a bad choice or two.  The bride can’t get wasted!  She’s got a marriage to consummate!

So who could fault MSU for having outstanding seasons (2009 & 2010) and getting stuck in BCS bowls against Georgia and Alabama, opponents we didn’t stand a chance against?  And what can you really say about the B1G championship game?  We played our hearts out.  We fell short of the win.  Yes, the ending made me feel like I had been punched in the gut, but I can’t complain about yet another season where we outplayed all expectations.  Who expected us to go undefeated in October?  We may have missed the altar again, but we’re still on one hell of a good bender.  As the (sometimes) bitter bridesmaid stands stoically behind the bride, we Spartans will remain stoically behind our team.

So where does this analogy end?  While every bridesmaid patiently waits for the right man to come along, we Spartans have found Mr. Right.

Editor's Note: Mr. Right is also a serial killer?

Mark Dantonio has not just sculpted a couple of good teams; he’s building us a good program.  Like our beloved Best Man, Tom Izzo, Mr. Right is committed to this relationship, for better, for worse, in good times and in bad.

The first time MY husband bought me roses was our wedding day (and my 27^th birthday).  We almost got them this weekend, but there was a delivery error.  Still, I have no doubt Coach Mark Dantonio and my beloved Spartan football will be bringing us roses soon enough.  I do.

MSU - Wisconsin: We Don't Need a Rivalry Trophy

It was a very long and quiet ride home last night. My friends and I pulled into town said our goodbyes at 5:00 am and went to bed. I woke up this morning and the weather was dingy and gray which of course did not instantly improve the mood. Caffeine on a mainline was a move in the right direction, but still, slow going. The BCS is a disaster as usual, featuring a game no one wants to see, as usual. It's really hard to feel good, great or even morally victorous about the game I watched last night. Yet, I do feel those things in fits and starts.

When the Bielema presser opened last night, his first comment was: "I was reading a lot about how Michigan State was preparing for the Rose Bowl, we were just preparing for Michigan State." Honestly, I could understand Bielema's confusion since he hadn't actually won the Big Ten outright before, he might not know what happens next. ZING! I was mildly concerned about this after reading Dantonio put roses in the player's lockers on Friday. MSU didn't look past Wisconsin though anymore that Wisconsin looked past them. These two teams are the best two teams in the Big Ten and in my opinion it isn't even close.

Since Mark Dantonio and Bret Bielema started playing each other the average margin of victory has been 5.2 points per game.  Dantonio has shown no qualms about rolling out the old cliche, "Football is a game of inches" basically every ten minutes for the past few years. This rivalry is an excellent example of that cliche and this game was an excellent example of this rivalry. Between both MSU and Wisconsin, there were probably a dozen plays where less than a foot made the difference between who wins the Stagg trophy and who goes to the Outback Bowl.

To get into game theory in this post feels wrong, except for the much maligned punt block call. Several people on Twitter were gnashing their teeth over the stupidity of this call. To me, you couldn't have called that any differently. Mark Dantonio is not in the business of playing not to lose games, he's in the business of winning them. You don't win games by not trusting your best players to make plays. The play didn't work, but it was the right call.

The goals of Michigan State Football should be in this order: 1.) Play in and win the Rose Bowl. 2.) Everything else. After 12 games, 58 minutes and 27 seconds Goal Number 1 finally eluded our grasp. Now it is time to begin preparing for Goal Number 2, beating our bowl opponent and getting the Bowl Win monkey off our back. On January 3rd, we can begin preparing for the 2012 season's Rose Bowl.

This game is a real rivalry and I fully support Bielema's notion to create a trophy. If I were feeling cockier this morning, I'd say you could skip a new trophy though, because the Stagg one works just fine. If 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011 parts one and two are indicative of the next ten years of MSU-Wisconsin football, this rivalry is not going away and you will be treated to some of the best football games a person can watch in the coming years. Luckily our road to next year's Rose Bowl runs through Madison and if MSU gets to deliver a little payback on it's way, I'll be happy to watch.

Quick Meta Note: I gots me lots of catch-up to do in areas of life not related to College Football Blogging. Updates will be pretty sparse until after December 22nd when I'm off for the rest of the year. When we come back, we'll have probably another Wisky film review, a preview with our Bowl Opponent. Until then, it's going to be pretty random what goes on the blog. Follow us on twitter by banging the link to the right for more microbloggy updates.

Prepare for Rose Bowl.

A couple of months ago, I took my family to the dentist. Being a good Spartan, the dentist in question has MSU memorabilia up all over the office, including a matted and framed blimp shot of the 1988 Rose Bowl. Exactly as above, but with “MSU” and “USC” in the end zones.

My five-year-old son looked up at the picture and said, “Dad, is that Spartan Stadium?” “No,” I answered, “that is the Rose Bowl.” I blanketed the words with velvet reverence.

“But, it says ‘MSU’!”

“Yes,” I explained, “they paint the end zones for the schools playing the Rose Bowl game that year. You see, the Rose Bowl is a game played between the champion of the Big Ten and the Pac-10 every year, except . . . well, uh, sort of. Mostly. Yes, mostly.”

He asked, “Is that from this year?” I grinned wryly. “Heh, no, that’s a picture from 1988, the last year Michigan State played in the Rose Bowl. I was seven years old then, same as your big sister is now.”

Oh my God.

OH MY GOD.

Since the Spartans last went to the Rose Bowl, I grew up and went to MSU and got married and had a kid and now that kid is as old as I was when the Spartans last went to the Rose Bowl.

I felt no pain at the dentist that day. Nothing could sting quite like the realization that for all the big wins and star players to come out of Michigan State since I became self aware, they’ve spent almost the entire time failing to get anywhere near Pasadena. USC has gone to the Rose Bowl EIGHT TIMES SINCE THEN. Illinois, Purdue, Northwestern and freaking Wazzou have all been to the Grandaddy of Them All more recently than Michigan State.

You know who started the 1988 Rose Bowl for USC? Rodney Peete. Rodney Peete, who finished second in Heisman voting to Barry Sanders, got drafted by the Lions in the 6th round, was immediately installed as the starter (!), and had a sixteen-year career in the NFL which ended seven years ago.

Rodney Peete! Tecmo Super Bowl!

Last year the Spartans won the Big Ten Championship, or whatever passes for it these days. By traditional rules, that would have ended the interminable Rose Bowl drought, but no. Wisconsin, a team they beat soundly during the regular season, had collected more Starbits or something and so Michigan State had to go the Capital One Bowl and suffer a loss so spectacular that the clothing line bearing the #BEATEMDOWN hashtag it spawned still sells like hotcakes.

The Rose Bowl was first played in 1901, nine months before the inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt. It’s been played 97 times since then, twenty times more than any other bowl. It is the bowl game that is the reason bowl games are called ‘bowl games.’ But these are Modern Times and so in order for the best team from the Big Ten to go to the Rose Bowl as has been done since my Grandfather was like negative thirty, Michigan State must beat a team it already beat this year in a big fake money grab perpetrated by profiteering gasbags who miss no opportunity to ‘brand’ themselves with tradition they stomp all over while selling out to the highest bidder, or really any available bidder.

So be it.

Wisconsin, I’m sorry. You guys have a real cool program and a real good team and I dig that thing you do when you all jump around until your stadium exhibits signs of imminent structural failure. But this is bigger than you. It’s a mission, a duty, a crusade to win back the prestige and heritage of Biggie and Duffy and every All-American who’s worn the only colors. The Spartans have won 21 games in two seasons and we aren’t going to the Capital One, Outback, or heaven-help-us Alamo Bowl again. This game means nothing to you, and it means everything to us.

Spartans, #P4RB.

Game Preview: Wisconsin (Again)

Film Review: Here

Well we're about to play Wisconsin, again. We're not favored to win, again. It's not even expected to be close, again. Beating someone twice in a year is really damn hard. Yet, I feel optimistic about this game. Mark Dantonio can be accused of many things but backing down from a real fight is not one of them.

Respect

We do not garner the respect of the Badger fans, and despite what the Badger team is saying to the media, this is a revenge game. When QB Russell Wilson was asked why he chose Wisconsin over other schools, he replied that he felt this school gave him the best opportunity to win a national title. Then the Badgers roll into East Lansing and get beat by some SPECIAL teams play and a fluky Hail Mary pass. According to them anyway. This is a revenge game and being dishonest about that is in my opinion disrespectful.

Further, in an article from Monday from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel it was reported that in the secondary ticket market (Stubhub specifically) that thirty-seven percent of the tickets were being bought from Michigan while a scant fourteen percent were being bought from Wisconsin. This implies a couple things that may be true. First, Wisconsin fans are not snapping up tickets because they feel their Rose Bowl berth is an eventuality. Second, Wisconsin fans are staying home because they're national title hopes were torpedoed in East Lansing a few months ago. Maybe both? It doesn't really matter. They're not coming and MSU fans are because they respect their own team and Wisconsin's team. I think the role of underdog coupled with good MSU fan turnout will be a plus for MSU.

Home Team

The Home Team of this game has won the last seven meetings. While this is not a typical home game for MSU the above evidence of ticket purchasing in the secondary ticket market leans towards this being an MSU favorable game. This is not the critical piece that will win MSU this game, but it will help.

An Interesting Sidebar

The matchup of this game will undoubtedly be MSU's Defense vs. Wisconsin's Offense. Interestingly, two candidates rumored to be the forerunners to replace the Zooker (no one can truly replace him) are MSU Defensive Coordinator Pat Narduzzi and Wisconsin Offensive Coordinator Paul Chryst. Chryst is currently denying the rumors, but Narduzzi has remained mum on the subject. 

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Wisconsin's Passing Offense vs MSU Passing Defense

The Michigan State defense will face it's toughest aerial test since they played Wisconsin in October. In case you haven't heard Wilson is on pace to break the NCAA passing efficiency record. Moreover, his last interception came in the fourth quarter of the Michigan State game in October. In the Michigan State game in October Wilson threw two interceptions. In the remainder of Wisconsin's season, he threw just one pick in the other eleven games. 

In the match-up round one, MSU sacked Wilson twice and hurried him an additional five times. Wilson threw two picks. You can easily say this was Wilson's worst game of the season despite the fact he was 14/21 for 223, 2 TDs and 2 picks. He also didn't have a pass hit the ground until 8:33 left in the third quarter. 

How will this round be different?

Wisconsin's All-American center Peter Konz is either out or playing hobbled this weekend and backup Ryan Groy has not looked ready in relief. Further, William Gholston will be in the house this weekend. What has made our defense special this year is that Worthy + Gholston is too much for five OL to handle. 

A concern in the other direction is that Dennard did a very nice job limiting Abbrederis' YAC in Round One and Dennard is coming back from injury this week. Lippett has looked decent in relief, but he is not as sure a tackler. Nick Toon was also coming back from an injury in round one and is totally healthy now. 

All in all, I expect a similar performance from Wilson throwing a pick or two on Saturday and because of MSU rushing Wilson into bad throws.

Advantage: MSU(Slight)

Key Matchup: Jerel Worthy vs. Interior Wisconsin line

Wisconsin's Rushing Offense vs MSU Rushing Defense

The Michigan State defense will face it's toughest rushing test since getting annihilated by Nebraska in late October. I suspect after watching MSU play Nebraska that Wisconsin will wheel out some elements that worked particularly for Nebraska. Montee Ball also will probably not get his bell rung midway through the second quarter and have only five carries in the second half. James White seems to be a quality back, he's like .85 LeVeon Bell, who is of course our BEST running back. In order to slow down this rushing attack our best bet honestly is to put the clamps on Wilson and force them to run more. 

MSU has held it's Big Ten opponents 75 yards below their average rushing yardage per game in 2011. That's ridiculous. However, they merely held Wisconsin 26 yards below their average in round one. Again, the return of Gholston could be critical here in couple with the loss of Konz. Ball has improved throughout the year and Wilson hardly ran at all in round one. In my opinion this will continue to be an advantage for the Badgers, the Badgers always run the ball well. Always.

How will this round be different?

It probably won't. Ball carried only five times after getting his bell rung in round one, but averaged 9.4 ypc on those runs. White 3.8 per carry which was a yard or so below his season average. Wisconsin will gash MSU's defense on the ground. MSU will need to keep the bleeding reasonable and hold Wisconsin to their season average or below.

If Worthy and Pickelman can crash the interior line, this could get ugly quick.

Advantage: Badgers

Key Matchup: Montee Ball vs MSU Linebackers

MSU's Passing Attack vs Wisconsin's Passing Defense

Kirk Cousins career numbers against Wisconsin are: 62.7 percent passing for 760 yards with 8 TDs and 3 picks and he's always had a positive turnover margin. If you take out the 2009 game when he wasn't even the full-time starter yet, those numbers improve to 70 percent passing for 559, 6 TDs and 2 picks. Kirk Cousins shows up ready to play against Wisconsin. Honestly, I think he knows how to get those Badgers. 

From the receivers perspective, Keshawn Martin is healthier than he was during round one and I believe we only lost Dion Sims from the receiver corps. All in all, I like MSU to be better in the passing game than in October.

Advantage: MSU

Key Matchup: Kirk Cousins vs the Badger secondary.

MSU's Rushing Attack vs Wisconsin's Rushing Defense

MSU's run game has really started to gel in the past few weeks. It still will not be a strength for MSU, but it's not the weakness it was even back when MSU played Wisconsin in October. Bell will do a good job poking holes in the defense for Baker to later run through when they're a little more tired. I expect MSU to do a workmanlike job running the ball, but Roushar will be ready to put the ball in Cousins very capable hands at the first sign of distress.

Advantage: Badgers

Key Matchup: LeVeon Bell vs Chris Borland

Special Teams

I promise you the following, we will not block a punt for a touchdown and block a field goal to keep three points off the board. That's straight up a ten point swing that MSU will have to generate through better offense and defense. If I'm wrong, excellent, but that second quarter was pretty much the best quarter of Special Team play I have ever seen in round one. 

Statistically speaking, their punter gets better yards per punt 41-39. Although I'd suspect Sadler's net average is lower. Muma gets a touchback 22 percent of the time vs 11 for Welch. Keshawn Martin averages 12 yards a punt return to Abbrederis' 17. (Note: Don't kick to Abbrederis if avoidable). Nick Hill averages 25 yards per kick return to Abbrederis' 23. The Badgers Philip Welch is 4/5 on FG for the year vs Conroy's 14/19. Which like, 5 FGA attempted, maybe the Badgers offense really is good.

Advantage: Push

Key Matchup: Mike Sadler vs Jared Abbrebrreerderrddderis

Coaching

I have been on a one-man Bielema is a crappy coach rant all year long. That doesn't change here. If he is winning though, he won't be afraid to rub our noses in it. That would suck.

Advantage: Mark Dantonio

Overall

I think these teams are pretty much even despite what the national media would say. This entire game is strength on strength. Whoever wins the point of attack between the Offensive and Defensive lines, wins. I think it is absolutely that simple and cliche. I believe the intangibles favor Michigan State, but obviously they're impossible to measure. Oustide of the special teams play, I think the blueprint for a very similar game between both teams is likely. 

MSU in my opinion has the superior coach.  Earlier this year, I wrote a piece asking the question if Ferentz had Mark Dantonio figured out? With a victory this weekend I might pose the same question of Dantonio and Bielema. 

Prediction: See you in Pasadena

MSU-Wisconsin Film Review: Round One, Quarter Four

This is part two of the original MSU-Wisconsin Game, Film Review. You can check out part one over here, part two over here and part three over here The score is 23-17 MSU and the ten minute drive has begun. Despite the relatively small lead, MSU feels in control here.

Playing the drums upside down. Ballin'

Cousins to Cunningham

This is how B.J. Cunningham catches a 2 pt. conversion. Throws don't get more disgustingly good than that.

Okay, Why All The Theatrics? Why Not Just Run The Clock Down?

Well, we tried and failed. In this example, Bell lines up in the backfield and the play is a stretch run to the strongside. The Wide Receiver at the bottom of the screen is Keshawn Martin, not our best blocking WR.

 The play starts and the Weakside DE stays home to prevent the cutback. The rest of the Badgers Defensive Line and both linebackers roll towards the bottom of the screen to push the play out of bounds.

 In the early goings of the play, four offensive linemen plus Linthicum are engaged by three Badgers DL. This leaves their linebackers free to run right to where Bell is going.

 Finally, Linthicum gets loose and goes to engage the Strongside Linebacker.

The Strongside Linebacker engages Linthicum while the Badgers keep rolling towards the bottom of the screen.

Bell runs to his already closed gap and this play is basically over before it starts. He's tackled for a gain of one.

The Amazing Wisconsin Runs in the Fourth Quarter to Tie Up The Game


Ball for 22

How does someone stop Bullough from getting Ball in that gap? Holding.

Russell Wilson, You Magnificent Bastard

The pocket is warm and cozy, but everyone is covered.

So Wilson takes off to his right.

The blur on the right hand side is Isaiah Lewis. Wilson has just pump faked and Lewis jumps to block the pass.  Lewis is the only guy between Wilson and the end zone. So Wilson runs it in for 22 yards. I do not hope to see more of this.

Other Thoughts of a Narrative Sort

- The touchdown throw to put MSU up 31-17 was a 3 yard hitch on 3rd and 11 to Keshawn Martin. The fans and such rip on Roushar and Cousins incessantly for this play, but this time it worked. Commence firing away after this play doesn't work the second time Saturday, but this time it did. Conversely, when MSU gets the ball back with 8 minutes left, Roushar dials up playaction on 1st and 10. Kirk Herbstreit says, "Interesting playcall." That's also what he says when I'm throwing in the fourth quarter dumbly in NCAA.  Then Roushar calls the shovel pass on 3rd and 8 and looks like a genius again.

- In the fourth quarter with 9:14 to go Cousins was 16/19 for 202 and 2 TDs. It is SO Vitally Important to keep him in a manageable down and distance. I cannot stress this enough, when he doesn't have to sweat completing passes, he's damn near unstoppable. When you put him behind, which is what happens immediately following, he misses his next four passes.

- For all the Harumph-ing about how Wisconsin whipped our asses at the end of the fourth quarter I will say this. The drive to make it 31-24 started at the MSU 43. You should score with Russell Wilson and Montee Ball on that short of a field. On the drive to tie it at 31, Wilson finds Ewing for 11 on a broken play and then on the next play Toon for 42. In both cases, he had no less than five seconds to throw. I'm not saying they didn't earn their two touchdowns, but you are talking about a short field and a 42 yard play to make it close.

Because I Can't Resist