It's Michigan week, and with it comes my annual hand-wringing, angst-filled, pre-game post. This is the most anticipated Michigan State/Michigan football game since 1999, when both teams entered the game at 6-0. This season, both teams are 5-0 and in the upper reaches of the top 20.
There are some intriguing storylines with both teams. On one hand, you have the dazzling Denard Robinson and his quest for a possible Heisman Trophy and on the other hand, there is Michigan State's "rallying of the troops" after Mark Dantonio's heart attack after the amazing Notre Dame victory.
I'm nervous about this game. I'm always nervous about this game. I've seen too many MSU losses against Michigan to EVER get overly confident.
Denard Robinson scares me. He is a fabulous player and I'm astounded by his improvement from last year to this year. And, despite what some people have been saying, Michigan is not a one-man team. Stonum, Roundtree, Hemingway, and Odoms are excellent receivers. The Spartan defense will have their hands full, to say the least.
The worst thing that could happen is for Michigan's defense to constantly hear how awful they are. I expect their defense to play one of their best games of the year, and their home crowd will help them exponentially.
I'm still not completely sold on MSU's run defense. They did do a decent job against Wisconsin (in particular, they were able to contain John Clay), but looking at the stats I see that James White had 98 yards on only 10 carries. Denard Robinson is a better and faster runner than either one of those players.
This is Michigan State's first big road test. The game against Florida Atlantic at Ford Field does not really count as a road game. How does MSU respond to 109,000 screaming Michigan fans who will be going crazy for the Wolverines. You know darned well these fans don't want to lose to the Spartans for the third straight year and will do all they can to get their team going. With the expansion of Michigan Stadium, I suspect the place is louder than it ever has been before.
Did I mention I'm a "glass-is-half-empty" MSU football fan?
Having written all of that, I must say there is a quiet confidence about this MSU football team that I haven't seen in quite some time (2008 included). It remains to be seen whether the team is able to behave and perform with confidence throughout the entire season, but I have a feeling that this year's team is different from all the other disappointing or underachieving Spartan teams of the past.
If I have any time between now and Saturday, I'll add more to this post.
There are some intriguing storylines with both teams. On one hand, you have the dazzling Denard Robinson and his quest for a possible Heisman Trophy and on the other hand, there is Michigan State's "rallying of the troops" after Mark Dantonio's heart attack after the amazing Notre Dame victory.
I'm nervous about this game. I'm always nervous about this game. I've seen too many MSU losses against Michigan to EVER get overly confident.
Denard Robinson scares me. He is a fabulous player and I'm astounded by his improvement from last year to this year. And, despite what some people have been saying, Michigan is not a one-man team. Stonum, Roundtree, Hemingway, and Odoms are excellent receivers. The Spartan defense will have their hands full, to say the least.
The worst thing that could happen is for Michigan's defense to constantly hear how awful they are. I expect their defense to play one of their best games of the year, and their home crowd will help them exponentially.
I'm still not completely sold on MSU's run defense. They did do a decent job against Wisconsin (in particular, they were able to contain John Clay), but looking at the stats I see that James White had 98 yards on only 10 carries. Denard Robinson is a better and faster runner than either one of those players.
This is Michigan State's first big road test. The game against Florida Atlantic at Ford Field does not really count as a road game. How does MSU respond to 109,000 screaming Michigan fans who will be going crazy for the Wolverines. You know darned well these fans don't want to lose to the Spartans for the third straight year and will do all they can to get their team going. With the expansion of Michigan Stadium, I suspect the place is louder than it ever has been before.
Did I mention I'm a "glass-is-half-empty" MSU football fan?
Having written all of that, I must say there is a quiet confidence about this MSU football team that I haven't seen in quite some time (2008 included). It remains to be seen whether the team is able to behave and perform with confidence throughout the entire season, but I have a feeling that this year's team is different from all the other disappointing or underachieving Spartan teams of the past.
If I have any time between now and Saturday, I'll add more to this post.
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