Michigan State Spartans: 2010 Big Ten Football Champions
The last time Michigan State won a Big Ten title in football, I was 22 years old, and still (sort of) a student at MSU. I had (so I thought--it's a long story that I'll get to some other time) finished my coursework, and was awaiting placement as a student teacher, so I was sort of in limbo during the autumn of '90. I still had friends on campus, so I drove to MSU a few times that Fall to hang out. (I was living at home that autumn, and missed campus life terribly). I recall that the big popular song that autumn of '90 was Bell Biv Devoe's "Do Me!", I was on the MSU campus the day the Spartans beat Michigan in the "Number one vs. No one" game (and joined an impromptu crazed-but-happy rally at the "Sparty" statue following the game), I had a couple crushes on two girls--neither of which panned out (due mainly to my then-cluelessness with the opposite sex), and that I had a youthful scrape with the law--during Thanksgiving weekend--that I was worried would derail my student teaching plans. (Thankfully, everything worked out in the end, I completed student teaching, and I've been a good law-abiding citizen ever since).
Okay, you don't need a discourse on my goofy life ca. 1990. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that it's been a long time since MSU won a Big Ten championship in football. (If I'd known it'd take another two decades for the Spartans to win another Big Ten football title, I'd have appreciated the one in 1990 a little more). Twenty years later, I'm married with kids and a little grayer, balder, and slightly pudgier than I was back then.
Being older, though, hasn't stopped me from basking in this championship as if I were a little kid. Ever since I had the gumption to finally check the score, while at work, at about 3:30--I've been reading everything I can, watching every college football highlight show on ESPN and the Big Ten Network, and generally enjoying the hell out of this. Big Ten football titles certainly don't come every year to East Lansing, and I'm going to appreciate this for all it's worth.
Unfortunately, I was not able to watch the Penn State game. As I mentioned in the previous post, I had to work yesterday. As a public service librarian, I'm obligate to work one Saturday per month, and my Saturday was yesterday. I knew that the only way I'd be able to work effectively was if I made a point NOT to check the score until I was reasonably sure the game was over. It was at times excuciating, but I gutted it out until 3:30, when with bated breath I found the final score on ESPN...then, pure elation. I went into the backroom/work area of the library and had a private fist pump. (Okay, that sounded a little more unintentionally pornographic than I intended--sorry).
A few observations of the game and college football in general:
What a great way to end the yearly series with Penn State, with the first MSU victory in Happy Valley since 1965. Since the Nittany Lions joined the conference, and the yearly Land Grant Trophy was established between MSU and PSU, it's been nothing but pain and heartbreak for the Spartans when they venture into Beaver Stadium. Few of those losses were harder to take than the 2008 game, which saw the Lions clobber MSU 49-18 and celebrate a Big Ten title at the Spartans' expense. Two years later, MSU returned the favor. With conference realignment, Penn State is off MSU's schedule for the next few years and the teams will no longer meet each other every year in the final game of the season.
Okay, you don't need a discourse on my goofy life ca. 1990. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that it's been a long time since MSU won a Big Ten championship in football. (If I'd known it'd take another two decades for the Spartans to win another Big Ten football title, I'd have appreciated the one in 1990 a little more). Twenty years later, I'm married with kids and a little grayer, balder, and slightly pudgier than I was back then.
Being older, though, hasn't stopped me from basking in this championship as if I were a little kid. Ever since I had the gumption to finally check the score, while at work, at about 3:30--I've been reading everything I can, watching every college football highlight show on ESPN and the Big Ten Network, and generally enjoying the hell out of this. Big Ten football titles certainly don't come every year to East Lansing, and I'm going to appreciate this for all it's worth.
Unfortunately, I was not able to watch the Penn State game. As I mentioned in the previous post, I had to work yesterday. As a public service librarian, I'm obligate to work one Saturday per month, and my Saturday was yesterday. I knew that the only way I'd be able to work effectively was if I made a point NOT to check the score until I was reasonably sure the game was over. It was at times excuciating, but I gutted it out until 3:30, when with bated breath I found the final score on ESPN...then, pure elation. I went into the backroom/work area of the library and had a private fist pump. (Okay, that sounded a little more unintentionally pornographic than I intended--sorry).
A few observations of the game and college football in general:
What a great way to end the yearly series with Penn State, with the first MSU victory in Happy Valley since 1965. Since the Nittany Lions joined the conference, and the yearly Land Grant Trophy was established between MSU and PSU, it's been nothing but pain and heartbreak for the Spartans when they venture into Beaver Stadium. Few of those losses were harder to take than the 2008 game, which saw the Lions clobber MSU 49-18 and celebrate a Big Ten title at the Spartans' expense. Two years later, MSU returned the favor. With conference realignment, Penn State is off MSU's schedule for the next few years and the teams will no longer meet each other every year in the final game of the season.
Once again, I subjected my reader(s) to more hand-wringing and angst prior to this game. I must sound like a broken record. I was thrilled to see MSU play their best since at least the Michigan game. The offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage, the running game (led by Edwin Baker) got it going again, and the defense was solid. With the acception of a few hiccups in the fourth quarter, it was a dominating performance by the Spartans.
I have seen the game highlights, and intend on watching it in its entirety on ESPN 360. Much has been made of Trenton Robinson's gaffe after his endzone interception. Yes, it was ill-advised to try to run the ball back after snatching it nine yards deep in the endzone (and I'm happy I didn't see it live because I would have surely had either a coronary or would have thrown something at my TV), but everyone needs to let it go. Trenton Robinson has had a great year and he made a mistake in the heat of the moment. (I saw Robinson on the sideline as the game ended. A teammate took him aside and Robinson looked like he was in tears). I can guarantee that the next time he makes a pic deep in the endzone, he'll take a knee.
This leads me to one of the primary reasons MSU was so successful this season: they are a great TEAM. They all have each other's back. One never sees finger-pointing among these guys.
I really don't care if MSU plays in a BCS game. To me, the Big Ten co-championship is more important. There was too much going against the Spartans to reach the BCS anyway. Unlike Ohio State and Wisconsin, the Spartans began the season unranked and had to fight their way into the top 10. Despite the win over Wisconsin, of which the Spartans can be justifiably proud, the blowout loss at Iowa really hurt. Let's face it, another factor is that MSU's football resume over the last few decades is much less impressive than the Badgers and Buckeyes, and if you don't think that matters to voters, you're fooling yourself.
As I write this, the latest AP poll was announced and MSU is #7, while Wisconsin is #4 and Ohio State #6. I'm a bit surprised, but pleased, that MSU moved up to seventh.
The Spartans really shouldn't worry about the polls now, anyway. The goal should be to win whatever bowl game they end up in (probably the Capital One Bowl) and the rest should work itself out. With a bowl win, MSU should finish no worse than the top 5 in the BCS, and that would be an outstanding season.
It was a great year for the Big Ten, with three teams tying for the title and all finishing 11-1. It would be great if Michigan State, Ohio State, and Wisconsin all won their bowl games and all three finished in the top 5. I know many Spartan fans out there have it out for Wisconsin. I agree that it appears the Badgers have run up the score in their last few games, but unfortunately that's the way the BCS system is set up and Bret Bielema is playing the system.
Although this post has probably been long enough, I may add to it later, so don't say you weren't warned.
I have seen the game highlights, and intend on watching it in its entirety on ESPN 360. Much has been made of Trenton Robinson's gaffe after his endzone interception. Yes, it was ill-advised to try to run the ball back after snatching it nine yards deep in the endzone (and I'm happy I didn't see it live because I would have surely had either a coronary or would have thrown something at my TV), but everyone needs to let it go. Trenton Robinson has had a great year and he made a mistake in the heat of the moment. (I saw Robinson on the sideline as the game ended. A teammate took him aside and Robinson looked like he was in tears). I can guarantee that the next time he makes a pic deep in the endzone, he'll take a knee.
This leads me to one of the primary reasons MSU was so successful this season: they are a great TEAM. They all have each other's back. One never sees finger-pointing among these guys.
I really don't care if MSU plays in a BCS game. To me, the Big Ten co-championship is more important. There was too much going against the Spartans to reach the BCS anyway. Unlike Ohio State and Wisconsin, the Spartans began the season unranked and had to fight their way into the top 10. Despite the win over Wisconsin, of which the Spartans can be justifiably proud, the blowout loss at Iowa really hurt. Let's face it, another factor is that MSU's football resume over the last few decades is much less impressive than the Badgers and Buckeyes, and if you don't think that matters to voters, you're fooling yourself.
As I write this, the latest AP poll was announced and MSU is #7, while Wisconsin is #4 and Ohio State #6. I'm a bit surprised, but pleased, that MSU moved up to seventh.
The Spartans really shouldn't worry about the polls now, anyway. The goal should be to win whatever bowl game they end up in (probably the Capital One Bowl) and the rest should work itself out. With a bowl win, MSU should finish no worse than the top 5 in the BCS, and that would be an outstanding season.
It was a great year for the Big Ten, with three teams tying for the title and all finishing 11-1. It would be great if Michigan State, Ohio State, and Wisconsin all won their bowl games and all three finished in the top 5. I know many Spartan fans out there have it out for Wisconsin. I agree that it appears the Badgers have run up the score in their last few games, but unfortunately that's the way the BCS system is set up and Bret Bielema is playing the system.
Although this post has probably been long enough, I may add to it later, so don't say you weren't warned.
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