The holiday season must be here. People will be wearing green and red. The food will be in abundance. Bands will be playing. People will be singing. A good time will be had by some.

Sounds like a typical office holiday party, right? Sure… but not if the people wearing green or red are at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday for the Big Ten Championship Football Game.

Unlike last year, the Michigan State Spartans and the Wisconsin Badgers won’t be sharing the Big Ten Title. This year, there will be a clear winner and a definite loser. No more of this wolverine crap (not bull crap) of having “co-champions.”

With the Spartans coming off an easy win on the road against Northwestern and the Badgers giving the Joe Pa-less Penn State team a proverbial beat-down, both teams make their way to Indianapolis with tremendous momentum.

Naturally, the Badgers have a score to settle with Michigan State because of the wild finish to their previous matchup at Spartan Stadium back on October 22nd. Wisconsin WR Jared Abbrederis thought he’d be able to swat Kirk Cousins’ pass away from Sparty’s own BJ Cunningham, but Keith Nichol grabs the ricochet and powers the ball across the goal line for the win!!!!! Sparty On! Sparty On!

That was then. Saturday is a whole new ball game.

Here are a few things the Spartans need to do to keep the score in their favor:

Break Down Wisconsin’s O-Line: Over the years, Wisconsin has had a solid offensive line. They’re the reason why RB Montee Ball and QB Russell Wilson have been able to put up the numbers they have. Ball averages 6.5 yards per rush and has 29 rushing TD’s this season. Wilson has been known to engineer comebacks (the October 22nd game at Spartan Stadium is evidence).

Keep Pressing on Offense: There’s no reason why Kirk Cousins and BJ Cunningham can’t hook up often. Wisconsin’s d-backs have given up big plays at what seem to be “inopportune times” for them. If Cousins can spread the love around to all his receivers, good. They need to keep the Badgers guessing.

Special Teams: I’m talking about kick coverage. Get to Abbrederis and put him on the turf before he can get his wheels going.

Enough of my blather…. I’m sure you have your opinion on what the Spartans need to do to be the undisputed Big Ten Champion. I’d better log off before my wife catches me writing this….

…..she’s a Badger fan. The couch isn’t a comfortable place to sleep. So, shhhhhh! Go Green!

As far as she’s concerned……I hope it’s a great holiday party in Indy with the splashes of green and red adorning the stands.

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I was born to be a Spartan. At my high school graduation party my mom proudly displayed a picture of me, barely able to walk, in a MSU t-shirt. Four months later, I was spending my first of what would be seven years in East Lansing. I received my B.A. in Economics from the Eli Broad College of Business, and was one of the first classes to graduate under the newly renamed “Michigan State University College of Law”. I look back at that photo, and realize even at that age I knew where I’d end up.

My mom used to take me to games, and would sit me on her lap as she’d scream and yell so loud that I’m sure George Perles really did hear her. You see, I’m afraid that if I had chosen to go to any other school I’d probably be orphaned. My mother was, and still is to this day, the biggest MSU fan I have ever met. She knew not only the players stats, but their majors and how they acted off the field. She took great pride in the fact she graduated from MSU, more so than any other fan I’ve ever met.

For me, I feel truly lucky to be a Spartan. I think back to my freshman year at Bailey Hall, eating at peanut barrel, or the time I spent at “Ricks” american cafe (do they still have VIP cards?). I remember the aud, gumby’s, the idiots who dived into the red cedar when the temperature dropped below 0, and hoping they would cancel classes every time we’d get a snowstorm. I remember the riots, the burning couches, the banning of drinking games at tailgating. I remember Johnny Spartan. I even remember when shaw hall wasn’t a “spa”.

Even here in Arizona I will still see the occassional green and white shirt. When I do, I always yell “Go green”. Sometimes, I’ll get a confused look from the person, which makes me think wearing our school colors is now passe. However, for those who bleed green like I do I will hear that beautiful music to my ears…..”Go White”.

If Bret Bielma and his Wisconsin Vadgers team stubs anymore toes, they’re not going to have any left.

It was a miraculous win over Mark Dantonio’s Spartan team against their first Top 10 ranked opponent. I would have to say that this is the second best game that I have watched after the “Little Giants” fake field goal play against Notre Dame in 2010. Just due to the fact that the fake field goal was more of a surprise and gutsy call.

The opening possession by the Badgers had me thinking that perhaps the Badgers are a lot better than we gave them credit for. Especially by how much they ran up scores against powder puff teams. Then came our first possession and the Badgers D was able to force a fumble. A sinking feeling my gut soon occurred when Wisconsin was able to capitalize on our turnovers.

But all was not lost. In the second quarter, our Spartans seemed to have settle down. Our defense was able to force a safety, a blocked field goal, and a blocked punt shifted the momentum over to our favor when heading into half time. The start of the second half, it seemed no one could really accomplish anything. It kind of felt like the first quarter all over. Each team feeling each other to see what adjustments the opposing team made.

The fourth quarter started slow but gradually became of heart pounding excitement. With Michigan State up by 14 points at one time, Wisconsin was able to storm back and score 14 straight to tie up the game. With some questionable play clock management by bumbling Bret Bielma, we had enough time to attempt to toss up a prayer. With a miraculous bounce and catch by Nichol, it was originally ruled not a touchdown. Obviously the ruling had to be reviewed.

In the end, the replay booth reviewed the call and called it a touchdown. For the majority, a lot of the Badgers fan agreed with the overruled call. With a few minority, saying that the call should have stayed since the video and freeze frames were “not conclusive”. Some even clamoring that the “ball” is actually the defenders hand.

There are some minority Wisconsin fans who believe that the original non-TD call was correct just because the camera angle isn’t a perfect perpendicular line as shown above or how the referee standing at the goal line was in perfect position to make the correct call. With live action events that are extremely quick, it’s hard for the human eye to keep up. In the end, I think I believe the right call was made. Majority of the Wisconsin fans believe it as well. And amazingly enough, quite a few Michigan fans too.

So what exactly did we learn this weekend against the Badgers?

1. Our patchwork has steadily improved since the Ohio State game. The bye week before the Michigan Wolverines certainly helped.

2. Due to our steady progress of our patchwork offensive line, we are now able to establish a little better run game which was lacking against better teams. This is preventing Kirk Cousins getting pressured into throwing off his back foot and allowing him to make for the most part sound decisions.

3. Narduzzi is slowly but surely, finally getting the players he needs to play his style of defense. You can see the steady improvements throughout this season. I think as a Michigan State fans, majority of us were calling for his head the first few seasons he was here.

4. Wisconsin believes that they were still the better but choked the game away and gave no credit to our defense who forced those errors on their offense. But that’s usually the case with any fan base. Be it Michigan State or any other schools.

5. I think it’s pretty safe to say that we are no longer the “Same ole Spartans” underneath Dantonio. He has instilled a mentality of never giving up and to fight to the last minute. The players have bought into this mentality and it shows with us winning three out of the  four games in one toughest stretch in Big 10 football that I have seen. We now need to beat Nebraska at Lincoln and win out the games we are suppose to win.

6. As much as I badmouth Nichol, he was a hero for this game and is a great team player and Spartan.

7. The last is penalties by Michigan State against the Badgers for this game. We are called a “dirty” defense team but with 0/0 penalties against Wisconsin? Dirty program? More like Michigan couldn’t match our intensity last week and had to cry to mommy about how rough we were playing.

Here’s hoping for a win in Lincoln next week and continue our improving play!

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Molon Labe.

The Paul Bunyan trophy gets to stay in East Lansing for another year! With a 28-14 win, we can claim a 4-0 win streak against the boys in Piss and Blue.

It was a great win by our boys in Green and er… bronze on a cold and windy day. A dominant performance on both sides of the ball against Hoke led We Are Michigan team. It seems that the bye week helped make our offensive line a more cohesive unit and allowed our players to nurse their injuries.

I’m thinking that Michigan established a defensive plan that was geared more towards trying to stop our passing game due to our lack of ability to run the ball. I think we surprised Mattison and defense as to how committed to the run we were. Where a running game that we lacked against better teams appeared suddenly out of nowhere. A magnificent 213 yards of rushing was achieved against the Wolverines so called top 5 defense. Edwin “Rock” Baker provided 167 yards on 26 attempts. Kirk Cousins did enough to manage the game where winds were gusting up to 30 mph.

So how good was the patchwork offensive line? Mike Martin, a Wolverine DE NFL prospect, was no where to be found. Jordan Kovacs? The same. The offensive line was dominant enough enough make them both non-factors in the game.

On our defensive side of the ball, it was an ugly start. When Michigan marched right down the field and drew first blood, I thought this might be a close game. But the Spartans settle down and for the most part took care of business. Narduzzi continued off using the same blue print we used last year to limit Denard “Shoelace/Mr. September Heisman” Robinson. We contained Denard and forced him to try and beat us with his arm in 30 mph ours wind. It resulted in marvelous 9/24 passing for 123 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT a remarkable 18 carries for 42 yards.

Of course there were some ugly incidents on the field. Especially you Mr Gholston (Was that face mask helmet twist on Denard really necessary? I’m all for playing with intensity and but that was just brutal). We commited 13 personal fouls for 124 yards. Our personal fouls essentially WAS the Michigan offense. It allowed Michigan come into our territory and gave them better field position and a better chance to score. If this was a better Michigan team instead of an over hyped one, they would have taken advantage of those fouls and would perhaps won the game. We even gave them two fumbles in our territory to help their cause.

At the same time. I was pleased as to how aggressive our defense played. It showed we would not be intimidated and that this is not the same Michigan State the past yonder years. We will not fold underneath our mistakes and penalties. We are going to be a force to be reckoned with. Of course Michigan doesn’t consider Michigan State to be a rival. They only consider a school to be a rival when they get their asses handed down to them numerous times by schools, ie Ohio State University.

In the end, this is a game of football. It’s a physical sport. We are not playing patty cakes or hopscotch. The aggressor makes the rules. We punched Michigan right in their mouth and they cowered.

4 more years and more to come.

P.S.

After having a few months to think about the Pro Combat Jersey, I’ve decided I too like them. Remember, these were designed for the players and future Spartan football players who thought they were badass. Not for the fans.

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So Michigan faces Michigan State in Spartan Stadium in East Lansing this coming Saturday. This game will be a testament as to which State of Michigan team is going to better.

As a Spartan fan, it’s always a gut wrenchingwhen playing against team Denard Robinson. As much as I dislike the University of Michigan skunkbears, I do respect the humble, play making ability of Denard Robinson. It’s just too bad Denard doesn’t know how to tie his shoes and that the vast Michigan fans are incapable of learning to be humble like Denard.

Coming off a bye week after beating Ohio State, I’m hoping to see a more solidified offensive line. They did a fairly decent job of protecting Kirk Cousins, but to win this game, we’re definitely going to need the offensive line to open up running lanes. The team with the most rushing yards has won 38 of the last 41 games. With the predicted weather forecast of having 30 mph winds, the run game becomes extremely important. Although with all the luck Michigan is having this season, the 30 mph winds will most likely be an advantage to the Walverines. Due to how Denard throws the ball under ideal conditions, I expect the 30 mph winds to lead him to throw tight spirals. It’s either that or the balls will float into the stands.

Defensively, I’m hoping we can contain Denard like last year and force him to pass and make more decisions. After all, we did set the blue print for Big Ten play. Watching him play, his passing game seemed to have regressed. With that being said, I expect Worthy and company to continue their defensive dominance which was shown against Ohio State and knock Denard around and rattle him quite a bit. This will hopefully force Denard to throw his wildly inaccurate passes to become even more wildly inaccurate which will than be easily picked off by our secondary for six points. I believe our front four will be able to take control of Michigan’s offensive line, but it would then be a game of preventing Denard from making a play with his feet from a busted play. We all know that when Denard is pressured and forced to throw, he tends to throw off his back foot and the ball floats like a lame duck.

I imagine that this game will be more of a defensive battle with both offense struggling. It’s going to be a game of who has the capability to make big plays, less mistakes, and which team has the better defense. I will admit that Michigan’s defense has improved since the last few years. They still sometimes show signs of being a crappy defense, but overall they have unfortunately improved. Of course when you were ranked dead last in defensive statistics a year ago, you really have no where to go but up. In the end, I think the we have the defensive edge. We may have lost some good players (Greg Jones and Eric Gordon), but a lot of newcomers have stepped up.

I also think in order for Michigan State to win, we’re going to put a lot of points on them quickly and maintain pressure on the Denard. Michigan has a done a pretty decent job adjusting in the second half on the defense and managed comeback wins. Most likely by luck. But a win is a win.

I’m thinking that this will be a close game. I’m thinking a 31-24 win for the Spartans giving the Waaah-lverines their first lost of the season and we keep the Paul Bunyan trophy for another year in East Lansing.

Sparty beating Michigan 3 years in a row is great. Sparty pounding the crap out of the Wolverines for the 4th year in a row will put East Lansing in a state of euphoria as the Spartans keep the Paul Bunyan trophy for another year.

Saturday’s game will be a career defining game for players on both sides of the ball – especially for the seniors. For Michigan, their seniors can have the dubious distinction of losing to their in-state rivals 4 years in a row. On the flip side, MSU seniors can let out a big “boo-yah!” for providing an explanation as to why Michigan’s uniform pants are yellow….. Maize? Whatever……

However, as people living in the real world, we know Sparty is going to have to work hard for the win against the 6-0 Wolverines.

Coach Mark Dantonio’s squad needs to adopt the philosophy of college guys on spring break: Score early and score often.

Looking at the stats, the Spartans have outscored their opponents 89-27 in the 1st half and 140 to 51 total. Most of the pain Sparty has inflicted has been in the 2nd quarter in which MSU opponents gave up a total of 58 points in the first 5 games versus the 13 points Sparty’s competition has been able to muster in that same quarter.

But what about Michigan? Yeah, what about ‘em?

Sure they’ve outscored their opponents 228-79. So what?

They beat Notre Dame. So what?

They also beat Minnesota 58-0. Who cares? North Dakota State and New Mexico State also beat Minnesota. Minnesota just plain sucks this year. The fact of the matter is UM hasn’t faced a team (with the exception of Notre Dame) that posed a serious threat.

As for MSU, many believed Ohio State would beat the Spartans. Of course, that didn’t happen. Even with a tepid performance on offense, the Spartan’s defense (except for the TD they gave up with :10 left…grrrrrr) played well to secure the win. The two things the Spartan defense need to do is 1) contain Denard Robinson; and 2) stand their ground on 3rd down. Through last week’s game, Michigan has a 56% 3rd down conversion rate. Sparty needs to knock that conversion rate down a few points.

Now, more than ever, is the time for Kirk Cousins, B.J. Cunningham, La’veon Bell and the rest of the Spartan offense to convert on 3rd down (!). A 35% conversion rate on 3rd down is the rough equivalent to the Detroit Lions’ winning percentage from the last few seasons….before this one. If Sparty can’t convert on 3rd down like they should, you might as well change the channel to watch some chick-flick or some documentary on salmon spawning.

You know full well that Spartan Stadium is going to be THE place to be on Saturday. Will the Spartans shove the Wolverines down to their first loss of the season and their 4th consecutive loss of the rivalry? Or are the Wolverines rabid enough to go completely wild so they can remain unbeaten? Or will somebody have to call PETA to report Sparty pounding on the Wolverines?

Go Green!

“No bueno.”

Those were the words a rabid Michigan State fan used when asked about what’s going on with the Spartans today in South Bend.

Si. No bueno.

The first-half stats don’t quite tell the whole story. Even though the score is 21-10 in ND’s favor, Sparty is only 2 of 7 for 3rd down conversions. ND’s run-defense has held the Green and White to 13 yards on 14 attempts. Adding salt to the wounds is MSU’s foiled fake FG at the end of the half. So much for Little Giants 2.0.

Spartans QB Kirk Cousins’ 141 yards through the air account for the bulk of the Spartans 154 yards on offense. It’s time for State to line ‘em up, spread ‘em out, and get the offense going airborne.

Hey, Green and White, keep the lucky little leprechauns from scoring, and  LET”S BE OFFENSIVE!

What do these things in South Bend have in common?

The sky. Notre Dame jerseys. The proverbial cloud over the Michigan State bench.

They’re all BLUE!

Oh, to be a fly buzzing around the MSU sideline…. One has to wonder how blue the air was after ND freshman George Atkinson returned that kickoff 89 yards for 6. In that same vein, I wonder how many WTF’s were posted on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and other social media when those lucky little leprechauns made the score 14-3.

On the bright side, State QB Kirk Cousins and TE Dion Sims hooked up for a TD to make the score 14-10. Thanks to the MSU defense forcing ND to punt, coupled with a fortuitous Sparty bounce after the punt, MSU takes over at their own 45.

C’mon, Spartans!

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The fellas on ESPN’s College Game Day just made their predictions for today’s game against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. And surprise, surprise….(not really) Desmond Howard (UM Alum), Kirk Herbstreit (Ohio State Alum), and Chris Fowler all picked the little leprechauns to beat Sparty today.

Herbstreit even thinks ND has the chance to go 9-3 this year. For real? It’s possible, but the little leprechauns don’t have as strong of a schedule as the Spartans. How many currently ranked teams are on ND’s schedule? How many of those schools are known for their ability to field a BCS caliber team on the gridiron? Huh? Z…E…R…OOOOOOOO! Notre Dame’s toughest match up after this week is USC.

What about the Spartan’s schedule? Tough match ups against Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Nebraska - all nationally ranked teams – make for a much stronger for MSU. For the Spartans to win 2 out of those 3 games would be more golden than Notre Dame’s helmets.

But thank you, Lee Corso! You may be a little eccentric, but you have your head on straight for this one. (Too bad you don’t have the Sparty headgear handy!) Yes, Lee Corso predicted State to win over ND with special teams. “But not so fast, my friend.” Don’t forget about Kirk Cousins hooking up with B.J. Cunningham., along with Edwin Baker and Le’von Bell running the ball for big gains.

Of course, what would make today even better as the Spartans beat ND? You got it! Michigan losing to Eastern Michigan in Ann Arbor.

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