Read this book: War As They Knew It: Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler and America in a Time of Unrest by Michael Rosenberg

I'm definitely not a fan of the University of Michigan, nor am I a fan of Ohio State University. As a college football fan, though, I can't help but grudgingly respect the success the two schools have had for so many years. The architects of this football success, at least in the last half of the twentieth century, were Woody Hayes at Ohio State and Bo Schembechler at Michigan.

As a died-in-the-wool Spartan, it was with a great deal of trepidation that I picked up this book (and for any Spartan fans out there who think I've completely lost my mind, I assure you that I checked the book out of the library and did not purchase it--so no Green-and-White money was exchanged for a Maize-and-Blue/Scarlet-and-Grey book). I had heard enough good buzz about the book from reliable sources, and had listened to an interview with Michael Rosenberg on the "Huge" radio show out of Grand Rapids. This, of course, meant that I had to suffer through Bill "Huge" Simonson, but Rosenberg was quite interesting.

Without further adieu, Was As They Knew It is one of the best sports-related books I have read in years. It's compulsively readable, and extremely well-written. To prove my point, I actually stayed up until 4:00 AM Friday and 1:30 AM Saturday because I didn't want to put it down. The book is much more than simply the story of the Bo/Woody rivalry, it's really a social history of the American Midwest from the late sixties through the late seventies. Of particular interest is the portrait of the radical leftist Ann Arbor of the late sixties, and how football at U of M had become an afterthought. There were far more important events occurring in the world, namely the Vietnam War. Some Michigan football players actually didn't wear their letter jackets on campus for fear of the mockery they'd receive from fellow students. Michigan Stadium was lucky to get over 60,000 people for home games. The situation was so dire that athletic director Don Canham heavily advertised the '69 Michigan/Ohio State game in the state of Ohio, resulting in most of the spectators wearing Scarlet and Grey (and witnessing the Wolverines beat the Buckeyes in what was then dubbed as the "Upset of the Century").

Rosenberg does a great job fleshing out the complex personality of Woody Hayes. I have not changed my mind that the guy was a sore loser and a bit of a nutcase. Rosenberg argues that Woody's diabetic condition, which often resulted in a blood/sugar imbalance, may have been the cause of his most famous tirades, but I'm not completely sold. Still, despite his potty-mouth language (a character flaw of which Hayes was aware and not proud), his crazy temper tantrums, and right-wing political bent, the man was an outstanding football coach. I was not aware that he was quite a student of history, and a voracious reader of history books. In fact, his office at OSU was lined with historical tomes. Hayes was also a great admirer of Emerson, and lived an incredibly frugal life. He continually turned down salary raises and left many uncashed checks from various speaking engagements. This side of Woody Hayes was completely unknown to me, and I certainly respect his more admirable qualities. (One of the clever things Rosenberg does in the book is sprinkle various Emerson quotes throughout. Each quote highlighting or reinforcing some aspect of Woody's character or personality).

Throughout the portrayal of Woody Hayes, I detected an underlying current, not explicitly stated, of class consciousness in Woody's immense dislike of the University of Michigan. Woody's roots were in rural Ohio, and he ruled the roost at the school I sometimes refer to as "the cow college with pretensions"--Ohio State. OSU (although it did have some student unrest in 1970) reflected Woody's conservatism and football fanaticism. It's obvious that Hayes couldn't stand Michigan's liberal attitudes and was probably irked by what he viewed as U of M's elitism.

As far as Bo goes, his personality was not nearly as complex or volatile as Woody's. He was one of those men who lived and breathed football. When Bo was coach at Michigan, I personally couldn't stand the guy. I'll always picture him on the sideline with that damned blue "M" cap perched on his lantern-jawed noggin, wearing those dark aviator sunglasses. I'm sure most of my hatred was due to the fact that he beat MSU almost every damned year. My favorite memory of Bo is watching him blow his stack several times during Michigan's 17-11 loss to MSU in 1987. As the years have gone by, however, I've grown to respect the man's integrity and outstanding coaching ability (and I'm sure Michigan fans will long for the Bo era much more if they continue to suffer under Rich Rodriguez).

As I stated earlier, the book is much more than a sports book. Rosenberg does a brilliant job of placing Bo, Woody, Don Canham, and football in the context of the times. There's lots about such disparate characters as Bill Ayers (had no idea that the future Weather Underground radical had tried out for the Michigan football team), John Sinclair, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and many others.
One area I'd wished Rosenberg had explored a little further (but understand that it was not really the thrust of the book) was how it felt to be on the "Little Eight" side of the "Big Two, Little Eight" 1970s Big Ten paradigm. How did these football programs deal with the fact that, year-in and year-out, they essentially had no chance at winning the Big Ten title? How did they view Bo and Woody? Did it make them angry? Jealous? Let's face it, for anyone who is/was a fan of any Big Ten school besides Michigan or Ohio State, the period from 1969-1978 was one of the most Godawful boring ever.

As a Spartan fan, I wish that Rosenberg had given some props to Darryl Rogers for, first of all, becoming the only Big Ten coach not named Bo or Woody to win a share of the Big Ten title between '69 and '78 and for, secondly, introducing the passing game to the Big Ten. In 1978, the year the Spartans shared the Big Ten crown with That School in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines had no idea how to stop MSU's passing attack in State's 24-15 win. I have no doubt that, had the Spartans played the Buckeyes that year, MSU would have shredded OSU's secondary even worse than it did Michigan's...but I digress.

Anyway, quibbling aside, I strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in the history of Big Ten football and/or 1960s/1970s social history. If you lived in Michigan or Ohio in the late during this time period, and have any interest in college football, you'll find the book a wonderfully enjoyable and informative read.

The real Thanksgiving turkeys are wearing Honolulu blue and silver

I've heard rumblings that the NFL should no longer allow the Detroit Lions to have a monopoly on the Thanksgiving day football game and should rotate it amongst all the league's teams. As much as I realize how much of a drag it must be for the rest of the country to suffer through the Lions every Turkey Day, as a born and bred Michiganian, I'd really miss this tradition. From a purely objective standpoint, it makes perfect sense to rotate the game, but my heart says "No! Leave the poor Lions alone!"

Some of my most permanent Thanksgiving memories have to do with the Lions. There was the 1980 game against Chicago when the Bears' David Wiliams ran back the kickoff in overtime to beat the "Lie-downs." I can vividly remember sitting in front of my grandma's TV, the rest of the family watching with a combination of horror and humor, as the Lions let another one go in typically inimitable Lions fashion. There was the game against the Steelers a few years later in 1983 when The Lions crushed Pittsburgh, 45-3. I believe that was Terry Bradshaw's last season in the NFL. Then, of course, there was the infamous "coin-flip" game of 1998, when the Lions beat the Steelers 19-16.

If nothing else, the Lions give us guys something to talk about on Thanksgiving Day. If you can't find any other common ground, your average Michiganian male can commiserate about the Lions. We can talk about what a terrible owner William Clay Ford is, how the organization is poorly run and how the Lions consistently make horrible draft picks. Back when Barry Sanders was starring for the Lions, we could guess at how many yards he'd rush for, and marvel as the juked and squirmed his way around defenders.

So please NFL, let the Lions continue to play on Thanksgiving!

Penn State 49, Michigan State 18

This shot of Glenn Winston getting gang tackled by Penn State's outstanding defense tells you everything you need to know about this game. So much for that 1997 magic I was hoping for!

I intended on writing about this game much sooner after the fact, but am just getting to it now. Saturday night I spent watching Oklahoma's massacre of Texas Tech, Sunday I was busy doing other things, and yesterday I was both coming down with a cold and helping my son finish up a school project. So here I am at home trying to recover from my first bout of the winter cruds.

At this point, I don't have much to add to what has already been said or written about MSU's loss to the Nittany Lions. It's pretty simple that the better team won. Penn State is a team that, if not for losing control of their game against Iowa (a game the Lions dominated), would be undefeated and possibly playing for a national championship. Michigan State has the misfortune, every other year, of having to conclude the season at Beaver Stadium. State College, PA is arguably the most difficult place to play in the Big Ten. MSU, a program that usually doesn't have the personnel to line up against PSU, has to play the Lions every single year and when the game is in Happy Valley, on PSU's senior day, in front of a rabid crowd and consistently terrible weather, you're looking at, for all intents and purposes, a guaranteed loss. MSU has done themselves no favors in making Penn State one of their two protected rivalries.

It was a successful year for Michigan State football. Mark Dantonio and his staff got as much out of this team as could ever be expected. One could make a valid argument that, man for man, this year's Spartan team is not as talented as last year's 7-6 team. Certainly from an offensive standpoint, MSU lost an extra dimension with Devin Thomas' departure to the NFL and were unable to find another runningback to fill the shoes of Jehuu Caulcrick. Perhaps the single biggest disappointment of this season was that none of the backup runningbacks were able to step up and give Javon Ringer some relief.

Here are a few more random observations:

I liked what I saw of Kirk Cousins in the waning moments of the game. Sure, it was "garbage time," but the kid showed good presence on the field and really has some zip on his passes. It should be quite a battle next year for the starting quarterback spot between Cousins and Keith Nichol.

Is Glenn Winston the man to beat for starting running back next year? Anderson, Leggett, and Jimmerson all had shaky seasons and never really stood out. Incoming freshman Edwin Baker is highly touted. Will he and Winston be battling out?

Was it really necessary for Penn State to be going for the homerun ball with a 42-7 lead? I realize you want to give your backups a chance to play and have fun, but throwing a deep ball when the game is already in the bag seemed like rubbing it in. I liked Dantonio's gamesmanship at the end, calling consecutive timeouts near the end of the game. Hopefully, the Spartans will remember the sour taste in their mouths after this game and let it serve as motivation for next year.

Having said that, congratulations to Penn State on winning the Big Ten title and going to the Rose Bowl. The Nittany Lions are a worthy champion and I hope they clobber whatever team represents the Pac 10.

Congratulations to Javon Ringer, Greg Jones, and Otis Wiley for their selection as first team all-Big Ten. I was also happy to see Brett Swenson make second team all-Big Ten and former walk-on Blair White make honorable mention. Blair White's emergence at receiver was one of the best stories on this MSU football season.

I have had lots of fun following MSU football this fall, and it's been a blast sharing my thoughts about the games in this blog. I'm not a football expert by any means, but I am an enthusiastic fan. I hope that if there are still any people out there checking out this blog, you've have an enjoyable time following this season as well.

I future posts, I may give an overview of the Big Ten football season that was, and perhaps give out the first annual Brainsplotch Big Ten Football Awards.

Pictures from the 1997 Michigan State-Penn State game

I went through my personal archives of newspaper clippings and came across the Lansing State Journal sports section from November 30, 1997. Here are some post game photos from the newspaper. I hope the Lansing State Journal doesn't stumble on this blog and decide to sue me.

I remember that day as being cold, drizzly and very gray (in other words, a typical November day in Michigan). It's great to see these photos and have my memories confirmed.

By the way, Ike Reese is one of my all-time favorite Spartan athletes. What he may have lacked in sheer athletic ability he more than made up for in grit, determination, and character. He parlayed that into a nine-year NFL career. I hear that he is now hosting a sports radio show in Pennsylvania, and will be the Spartans' honorary captain when they take on the Nittany Lions.

My Spartan Memories, Volume 3: November 29, 1997

With Michigan State facing Penn State today for a shot at the Big Ten title, I can't help buy recall the best, and certainly most amazing, game I ever witnessed at Spartan Stadium. The date was November 29, 1997 (the Saturday after Thanksgiving). The beaten and bruised Spartans thrashed the #4 Nittany Lions, 49-14.

One aspect of journal keeping that is wonderful is that I can often go back and see what I wrote about particular events in my life. Here are my observations of the game the day after:

"...I saw the greatest college football game ever played in Spartan Stadium. I realize that sounds like grand hyperbole, but I swear it's true! I have never witnessed, in person, a better game at Spartan Stadium...Michigan State rushed for over 400 yards, with Marc Renaud and Sedrick Irvin gaining over 200 yards each. An absolutely unexpected and awesome display, the likes of which I may never see again...Michigan State took out all the anger and frustration from the season and directed it squarely at Penn State. I've described the game as similar to the scene in A Christmas Story when Ralphie beats the hell out Scut Farkus, the bully who has terrorized him all school year."

Now for some perspective on the 1997 season. In Nick Saban's third season, the Spartans began the campaign 5-0 and things looked promising. However, after that charmed beginning, everything unraveled. A missed fieldgoal in the waning moments against Northwestern resulted in a 19-17 loss and State fell to 5-1. The Spartans limped back to Spartan Stadium for a showdown against undefeated (and eventual co-national champion) Michigan. It was a game that lost most of its luster after MSU's disappointing loss to Northwestern. The Wolverines won 23-7, in the game that featured Charles Woodson's famous one-handed interception. Then MSU was trounced by Ohio State 37-13. That wasn't the worst of it, though. The next Saturday, the Spartans blew a 21-10 lead with about two minutes and change remaining against Purdue, losing 22-21. That truly terrible game, in which MSU head coach Nick Saban reportedly told his assistant coaches he'd kill himself if Purdue came back to win, deserves its own blog entry. (To make matters even worse, later that day I ventured to Ann Arbor to see a Ray Davies concert at the Michigan Theater. Before the show, I was forced to watch Michigan beat Penn State in a restaurant full of Wolverine fans). Following the Purdue debacle, the Spartans salvaged a win against woeful Illinois.

I recall that Michigan State had a bye week between the Illinois game and the Penn State game. That gave me two weeks to churn over how disappointing the season had been. I had bought the tickets several weeks earlier, when the season had gotten off to such a promising start, but as the game approached I was becoming as disenchanted as I'd ever been about MSU football (at least until the 2002 and 2006 seasons, that is).

On game day, my expectations were extremely low. After all, Penn State entered the game with only one loss, and in the two weeks prior to the MSU game had demolished both Purdue and Wisconsin. Historically, Penn State had been a huge thorn in MSU's backside, anyway. Since the Nittany Lions had joined the Big Ten, they'd beaten the Spartans four consecutive times from 1993 to 1996. Three of those four losses were particularly heartbreaking, with the final score not decided until the last few minutes. (The only one of of those losses that wasn't close was a 59-31 beatdown in '94, when PSU went undefeated). There was absolutely no reason to believe that MSU's luck would change on this slate grey, freezing cold, late November Saturday.

As the game began, I fully expected the Spartans to just lay down. I remember shouting several sarcastic comments throughout the first half (something I rarely do), even though the Spartans got off to a 7-0 lead and took a modest 14-7 lead into halftime. I think I was probably upset that the Spartans missed two field goals in the half that would have made ths score 20-7.

I have no idea what happened to the Spartans in the 20 minutes between the first and second halves, what Saban told them or what magic pills they ingested, but the second half of that game was truly amazing. Irvin and Renaud ran all over the Lions, and MSU outscored Penn State 35-7 to win 49-14. (The Spartans actually scored the last 35 points of the game). I literally had to pinch myself to make sure it wasn't all a dream. I left Spartan Stadium on a high that I never expected 3 1/2 hours earlier. (The only real downer was that I had to go to work that night from 6 to 10 PM. Those were the days when I was a bookstore assistant manager and had terrible hours. I was in no mood to work that night and would have much preferred celebrating the football win). This game still ranks as the Spartan football game I ever saw in person.

I don't know if this year's Spartans will be able to duplicate the magic of that 1997 game. Having to play in State College instead of East Lansing will be a difficult obstacle to overcome. However, I do trust Dantonio to have the guys ready, and stranger things have happened, just ask Sedrick Irvin, Marc Renaud, and yours truly.

Just go the distance

It's funny to me that the creation of this blog coincided with the start of the football season. When I started writing this thing, I had no idea what form it would take. It was my intention to just let it flow naturally and write about whatever I deemed important or interesting at the time. However, as Michigan State's season unfolded, I became more and more excited about the direction the team was taking and eventually Brainsplotch became, for all intents and purposes, a football fan blog. I even considered renaming it something like "Dispatches from Sparta" or some such goofy Spartan-themed moniker, but have decided to keep it's current name. (I'd hate for all zero of my fans out there to not be able to find this wonderful blog and, once they did find it, have to reset their favorites list--that could get messy). Once the football season is over, I'll write about other things unless, of course, I become obsessed with college basketball.

As I stated in my previous post, it's been one odd and exhilarating year in college football, particularly in Big Ten country. Regardless of what happens in tomorrow's Penn State game, it's been a wonderful year for Michigan State. They have already exceeded any reasonable expectations and will be headed to a nice warm-weather bowl game.

As far as tomorrow's MSU/PSU game goes, I really don't expect the Spartans to win. To use another Rocky analogy, I just want the Spartans to "go the distance." (As fans of that movie will remember, all Rocky Balboa wanted to do was make it all fifteen rounds against the heavily- favored champion Apollo Creed). I'd be satisfied if the Spartans hung with the Nittany Lions and made them sweat until the final gun. I don't mean to say that I don't want MSU to win (of course I do), but let's face it, the cards are really stacked against them in this game. (Okay, that is one of the world's most overused cliches. I apologize for using it). They haven't won in State College since Duffy was coach and Lyndon Johnson was President. But, hey, this has been a year when a slew of long-standing streaks have ended (Michigan's bowl streak and MSU's Ann Arbor losing streak to name a few), so who knows?

I have always believed that Michigan State was a sleeping giant in football. There is absolutely no reason why, with the advantages and facilities MSU has, that the school should not be a consistent power in the Big Ten. I don't expect the Spartans to be winning Big Ten titles every year, but it's not unrealistic to believe that MSU can consistently finish in the upper half of the Big Ten and occasionally take a conference crown. MSU has finally found a coach who looks like he'll fulfill this promise.

Allow me to comment on the Michigan Wolverines football situation. Like many others, I'm astounded at how far Michigan has fallen this year. I know that the Wolverines lost several star players who are now on NFL rosters (Henne, Hart, Long, and Manningham in particular--and it must also be noted that Ryan Mallett transferred), but how is it possible that Michigan is so devoid of talent that they can't even win more than 3 measly games? I googled "Michigan Wolverines 2005 recruiting class ranking" (since those players would be seniors this year) and found that Sports Illustrated ranked Michigan's class #2 in the nation. For those who are interested, here's the link:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/football/ncaa/scout.top25/

Of those signees, two big ones (Mario Manningham and Kevin Grady) are out of the mix. Manningham, of course, is in the NFL and Grady has had both legal and injury problems limiting his playing time. The other players mentioned by SI, I must admit, I've never even heard of--so all you Michigan fans out there tell me how much they're contributing this year.

Oh, by the way, Michigan State's 2005 recruiting class isn't anywhere in the Top 25 (big surprise, eh), but includes big 2008 contributors like Javon Ringer, Otis Wiley, Deon Curry, and Kendall Davis-Clark to name a few. It makes you wonder if these recruiting rankings are based more on perception than reality.

Well, this post has become excessively long (and I probably still haven't touched on everything I wanted to discuss) so I'll wrap it up now. If I'm not too tired tonight, I'll do another installment of "My Spartan Memories," as I know everyone is dying to read more of my blathering about MSU football.

One quick thought

I've been meaning to write an extended entry for some time, but have had the hardest time finding the time. Here's one quick thought: Who would have ever guessed that this year's Ohio State/Michigan game would be the third most important game in the state this week. Michigan State and Penn State are playing for the Big Ten title this Saturday, and tonight Ball State takes on Central Michigan in a game with both MAC title and BCS implications (Ball State is trying to stay undefeated and get a shot at a BCS bowl game, CMU is undefeated in the MAC and, along with Ball State, vying for the MAC title). It's been one odd, but exhilarating, year in college football.

Happy Senior Day (Michigan State 21, Purdue 7)

The Spartans knocked off Purdue today in what was not a pretty game, but as the expression goes: I'd rather win ugly than lose pretty.

Here are some random thoughts about today's game and MSU football in general:

Is Michigan State a great team? No. Are they a good team? Most definitely. Are they a very good team? If the definition of a "very good" team is one that never gives up, always plays hard, makes the big play, and gets the most out of its talent, then the answer is certainly "yes." Depending on how the Penn State game goes, and how the Spartans play in their bowl game, it's still possible that they could be remembered as a great team, but I'm not too concerned about that. I want to just appreciate what this team has already accomplished this year.

Let's put this season into perspective. Two years ago, in John L. Smith's last (brutal) season as coach, the team completely imploded after the awful loss to Notre Dame. With the possible exception of Bobby Williams' awful 2002 season, the 2006 season was about as dark and dismal as it's been for Spartan football, and we're talking about a program that has had LOTS of peaks and valleys. In only two years, Mark Dantonio has taken this program and completely changed the attitude and culture from top to bottom. One can argue all they want that the Big Ten is down, and perhaps they're right, but that still doesn't change the fact that Michigan State has played with a desire, toughness, attitude, mental discipline, and flat-out consistency that we as Spartan fans have not seen since at least Nick Saban's 1999 squad. I'm as encouraged by this development as I have ever been in my 31 years of following this program. I'm amazed that in Dantonio's second year as head coach, we are uttering the words "Spartan football" and "Big Ten title contenders" in the same breath.

I continue to be flabbergasted by the Detroit media's hostility towards MSU's football season. Not every Detroit sports journalist has been nasty, but some (like the Free Press' perpetually negative Drew Sharp) continue to pooh-pooh MSU football every single week. I know that I shouldn't care what these people write, but it's still extremely annoying. I don't expect the media to be cheerleaders for any program, but a little positive spin once in a while wouldn't be asking too much.

Having just ripped on the Detroit media, I'd like to thank the Free Press' Michael Rosenberg for his classy article about the Spartans. For anyone interested, here's the link:

http://www.freep.com/article/20081108/COL22/81108058/1048/SPORTS

Back to the game: Purdue's offense looked AWFUL! Maybe that was just as a result of Pat Narduzzi having a great game plan against the spread (and MSU's defense playing really well--too bad they couldn't hang on to the shutout) but I couldn't believe this was the same Boilermaker team that tagged Michigan for 48 points and over 500 yards total offense. It further proves how wacky college football, and the Big Ten in particular, can be and how each game needs to be judged independently.

Johnny Adams' interception for a touchdown late in the second half was a HUGE play. One of the defining characteristics of this team is their uncanny ability to make big plays when they need them the most.

The bye week is coming at a great time for Michigan State. They sorely need it (pun intended). They're banged up and need rest before the Penn State game. Win or lose in Happy Valley, it's been a great season for Spartan football. Let's not forget how much they've exceeded our expectations.

College football is still the greatest sport in the world. Today saw Iowa upset Penn State on a last second field goal, and Alabama beat LSU in overtime in a thriller in Baton Rouge. I had the good fortune of listening to the LSU radio broadcast on my car radio as the Tigers blocked 'Bama's game-winning field goal try in regulation. Those guys were going completely bonkers--unfortunate for them that LSU couldn't win it in OT.

I'm keeping tabs on the Cal/USC game. I'd love it if Cal beat the Trojans (however as I write this, USC has a 10-3 lead deep into the second quarter).
 

That's all for now, I'm going to go back to watching "iCarly Goes to Japan" with my son!

Postscript: Texas Tech looks like the best team in college football. That offense is absolutely amazing and if I could vote for the Heisman, I'd go with their quarterback Graham Harrell. (Having just written that, watch them lose next week! That's what happens when I make statements like that).

President-elect Barack Obama (that sure has a nice ring to it!)

Election night I drifted in and out of sleep plopped in front of the TV, but snapped immediately awake when i heard someone on NBC's coverage, at 11:00 PM, declare Obama the winner. It was one of the few moments in my life when I truly felt like I was witnessing history I was definitely teary-eyed when, at midnight, Obama delivered his acceptance speech in front of that amazing sea of people in Chicago. I'm not afraid to admit I was misty--the election of our first African-American President is a monumental achievement for this country. Obama also brings the promise of a new direction for the United States.

I'm not naive enough to believe that one man alone can correct all that ills the country. This is an incredibly difficult time for anyone to become President. One thing is certain however--as of right now, world opinion of the U.S. just went up exponentially upon Obama's election. That's definitely a step in the right direction.

Maybe outplayed, but definitely not out-toughed: Michigan State 25, Wisconsin 24

I just returned from Spartan Stadium. I don't have much time to write, but I will be adding to this later. The first three hours of the game were "ho hum," but the last half- hour or so was the best half-hour (certainly the most surreal half-hour) I've ever spent at an MSU football game. Wow!

I'm finally returning to this post, and all I have to say is that there is truly something special going on with this Michigan State football team. They may not be the most talented team in the Big Ten, but they are certainly the guttiest and most determined.

As I wrote earlier, I was actually at Spartan Stadium for this game. Through most of it I was thinking that, as usual, I had selected the wrong game to attend. Wisconsin's beefy offensive line was blowing our defense off the line of scrimmage, and the Badger's outstanding tandem of tailbacks, P.J. Hill and John Clay, were running all over the field. Little did I know that the Badgers' (and their head coach's) lack of discipline, coupled with the Spartans' resiliency, would lead to the most dramatic finish I've ever witnessed at Spartan Stadium.

Here's an interesting side note to the game:

Our seats were in the west upper deck. Seated directly behind us were, as my wife referred to them, the "Brady Bunch": a mom and dad and their two sons (one who was probably 15 and the other about 11) who were clearly witnessing their first MSU football game. They were four of the most relentlessly cheery, guileless people I'd ever encountered (particularly the mom and dad). As it turns out, their eldest child, a daughter, is a freshman at State and they had come to East Lansing for the weekend to pay her a visit (and attend a football game). It was so funny to hear these MSU football "virgins" react to what was going on during the game. When the Spartan Marching Band took the field for their pre-game show, the mom and dad were beside themselves with joy and amazement, "Oh wow!!! Look at that! They're so precise! How do they do that? They must have to try out for this band!" I wish I'd written down everything they said during the game, because their comments were priceless. The mom made the cardinal sin of calling Michigan State "Michigan," the youngest son wanted to know why the smokestack next to the Stadium had the letters "M.S.C." (someone behind them explained the history of the school). Anyway, I'd like to think that this naive foursome brought some magic with them into the stadium!

The week in MSU football, rebuilding the Blue Wall, plus: Coming up, Wisconsin

I've meant to write in this blog earlier this week, but am just now getting around to it.

What a strange week it was for MSU football. Immediately following the Spartans win over Michigan, the "Blue Wall" was being reconstructed. Ancient Detroit sportswriter Jerry Green rose from his crypt and treated us to this column:

(The following URL is no longer valid. If you want to read this column--I don't know why you would, but if you do--find the Detroit News microform in a library).

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081025/OPINION03/810250452/1004

Then, fellow Detroit News scribe Rob Parker stated on Detroit TV that MSU backup quarterback Kirk Cousins was involved in a fight involving Spartan football and hockey players. His information was bogus, and he apologized in the middle of the week for getting the story completely wrong. (I will give Mr. Parker credit for at least apologizing for his mistake).

On Monday, I made the egregious error of listening to Grand Rapids sports talk show host Huge (aka Bill Simonson) while he went on a diatribe about how MSU still "hasn't beaten anybody" and ripped MSU and its fans for getting overly excited about beating a bad Michigan team. Ugh! I really wanted to get on here and write after listening to that nonsense. Let's just say that Huge showed us his true (maize and blue) colors.

On the subject of the Michigan game, I must admit that I did not actually start watching the game live until the Spartans went for it on 4th down late in the 4th quarter--and even then I thought I'd have a heart attack if State didn't convert. I'm sorry, fellow Spartan fans, I was a WIMP. I did, however, watch the replay in its entirety on ESPN 360, and I gotta tell you it's probably for the better that I didn't watch the game live because I definitely would have had a heart attack. Pylon Pete's phantom touchdown call, combined with Hoyer's questionable fumble (resulting in another Weasel TD) and MSU's unfathomable placekicking woes would have certainly put me over the edge. I'm glad we at least had the highlight reel of Blair White and Javon Ringer to fall back on.

By the way, I view the Spartans win over Michigan more as relief than triumph.

Today, the Spartans are taking on Wisconsin and I will be at the game. Folks, I have not witnessed a Spartan win in person since 2002, so I sure hope my luck changes NOW. The Badgers should give State all they can handle, but I'm hopeful for a Spartan victory this afternoon--finally putting to rest all that "Same Old Spartan" talk.

I have gone to at least one MSU football game every year for the last 16 seasons, and I'm really looking forward to today's game, not just for the contest on the field, but the whole spectacle and atmosphere of college football. I love the Spartan Marching Band, and hope I'm able to see them march from Adams Field, past "Sparty" and to the stadium. I'm also excited to witness the football team take the field, because I know they'll receive a wildly enthusiastic welcome from our fans.