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Deconstructing the Referendum on Michigan State Football
by Spartan-Football on Jan 4, 2011 9:45 PM EST
on The Only Colors
[Bump. --LVS.]
Before the Capital One Bowl, I felt like I understood what MSU had accomplished. I understood the significance of winning the first eight games of the season as a precursor to potentially a very special season. I understood eleven wins as unprecedented in the MSU program. I understood how all of this was the physical manifestation of Mark Dantonio's grand design to resurrect the Michigan State football program from a perennial disappointment to an annual contender. I understood what it meant to finally, for once, shed the "Same Old Spartans" label that has haunted this football program.
And then, in the course of just sixty minutes, I was left wondering if I really understood anything about this program at all.
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REPORT: Rich Rodriguez Out as Football Coach at Michigan
The obvious manifestation of what we all knew was coming - Rich Rodriguez is out as head football coach at Michigan.
Now all that's left is that teeny tiny question of who will be the next coach for the Wolverines.
2011 Capital One Bowl: Michigan State Just Might Beat 'Bama
[Bump. Good stuff from OTE. --LVS.]
"MSU is not a one trick pony or a team that tripped and fell onto 11 wins."
One trick pony? No. Tripped and fell into 11 wins? I'm not sure I'd call it "tripped and fell," but MSU was three plays away from going 8-4.
Still, that's doesn't change the argument made by OTE, that MSU has the talented pieces in place to make this a competitive game, and Alabama hasn't exactly come together as a group. Personally, I think if MSU plays a flawless first half and successfully establishes the run, then this could be a very competitive game. But it's going to take MSU's best 60-minute effort of the season.
Dr. Saturday - The most overachieving teams of 2010 - #4 Michigan State
"Most importantly, they bring back a share of the Big Ten title for the first time since 1990...and beat the co-champion they played, Wisconsin, by 10 points. It's not bound for the Rose Bowl, but depending on what happens against Alabama in the Citrus Capital One Bowl and with Wisconsin and Ohio State in their respective BCS games, this could still be the first Michigan State outfit to go out as the highest-ranked Big Ten team in the final polls since 1987."
The Spartans still have a chance to walk away with perhaps the most impressive - if not unlikely - bowl victory for the Big Ten. Everything from here is gravy.
Urban Meyer is walking away from Florida, this time for good
Examine this how you will, but no doubt a serious health scare will make any man, let alone a Division I football coach, reassess their priorities in life. And even though Coach Meyer is a year removed from his health issues that made him think seriously about retiring last season, the thoughts certainly linger.
Given what has happened with Coach Dantonio this season, we as MSU fans understand how suddenly a program on the rise can get the cage rattled - and priorities put into perspective. From this Spartan fan - and a fan of the game in general - I have much respect for Coach Meyer giving his program everything he had...and even more respect for him knowing when to walk away.
IU interviews MSU Offensive Coordinator Don Treadwell
[Bump. --LVS.]
Most of what I read following Coach Treadwell's stellar performance calling the game against the Badgers was that he would be among the top of the list of candidates for the next available MAC head coaching job.
Now it appears that Indiana University has taken a pretty serious interest in him as well. Not surprising given that he was mentioned in Rittenberg's initial list of candidates, but an actual interview is a substantial step for Coach Tread. As much as I would hate to lose him, this is without a doubt a deserved opportunity.
The Case for Brett Bielema
by Spartan-Football on Nov 28, 2010 1:41 AM EST
on The Only Colors
Brett Bielema has gotten a lot of flack for putting up an insane amount of points lately. And after a 70-23 drubbing of Northwestern, I wanted nothing more than the numbers to confirm my suspicion that Bielema was needlessly running up the score. But after running through some of the point totals, comparing them against Ohio State, and doing some situational analysis of Wisconsin's Rose Bowl outlook, I cannot help but acknowledge that Bielema didn't have much of a choice if he wanted to get his team to The Granddaddy of Them All.
After Wisconsin beat Ohio State in Week 8, Wisconsin was ranked #13 in the BCS, while Ohio State was #10. It wasn't until the Week 9 and a 1-point victory over Iowa did the Badgers finally pull ahead of OSU in the BCS, and just barely so - #10 and #11, respectively.
At this point, it appeared that Iowa was a very strong contender for the Big Ten title, and in Week 10 Iowa shellacked MSU by 31 and OSU was beating Minnesota by 42. Wisconsin was on the bye, and as far as Bielema could tell, restraint was not the name of the game.
In Week 11, Wisconsin only beat a hapless Purdue team by 21, after OSU blanked Purdue in Week 9 49-0. At this point Wisconsin was barely ahead of OSU in the BCS, and the only like-opponents the teams shared were Purdue and Minnesota, in which OSU beat by a margin of 101-10, and Wisconsin beat by a margin of 75-36 (a 52 point difference in just two games). If you are Brett Bielema, what would you do?
Well, apparently, you beat Indiana by 63. Then beat Michigan by 20. And after all of that, the Fighting Sweater Vests do nothing but close the BCS gap, and the Buckeyes are just one spot behind the Badgers.
It's now Nov. 28th. You've just seen the team that is .054 behind you in the BCS standings beat Michigan by 30 points (remember, Wisconsin beat Michigan by just 20). Against like-opponents, you still trail OSU in margin of victory 30.4 ppg vs 24.6 ppg. Your job is to get your team to the Rose Bowl. What would <em>you</em> do?
As much as I can't stand Brett Bielema, after running through the numbers and the scenarios, I don't think he could have done anything differently and felt like he was still putting his team in the best position to go to the Rose Bowl. I'd love to blame Bielema for running up the score, but statistically he was still the inferior team against like-opponents against his primary competitor for the Rose Bowl berth.
Did he have to beat Northwestern by 47 to go to the Rose Bowl? Maybe not. But if I'm Brett Bielema, if I'm a Wisconsin football player, or if I'm a Badger fan, I am 100% sure that I don't want to take that chance.
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