Conner Cook likely a gametime decision
Nothing too unexpected here, but it sounds like Cook is going to be a game time decision for sparty.
Assuming that we take care of business against Ohio State, this could be the difference between us making a trip to the BigTen Championship game or not. If Cook plays, I think that sparty beats PSU pretty handily. Without Cook, however, PSU's solid defensive front is likely to really rattle MSU's inexperienced QBs, which could lead to a PSU win.
http://espn.go.com/ncf/story/_/id/14213199/connor-cook-michigan-state-s…
November 24th, 2015 at 3:35 PM ^
No, they have natural grass. They switched away from turf several years ago.
November 24th, 2015 at 3:10 PM ^
It's a must win game for them. He plays if he can throw at all.
November 24th, 2015 at 3:56 PM ^
November 24th, 2015 at 3:10 PM ^
Don't think Cook plays either. Looks similar to Henne's separated shoulder in '07, highly doubt he could throw the ball with any accuracy.
November 24th, 2015 at 3:15 PM ^
November 24th, 2015 at 3:21 PM ^
State did a lot of really inexplicable things both offensively and defensively. What State did was impressive but they were significantly aided by a really bad scheme on the part of OSU. They seemingly did not adjust their coverages at all after they learned Cook wasn't playing and really did little different in the second half.
November 24th, 2015 at 3:19 PM ^
November 24th, 2015 at 3:22 PM ^
Yup. And they didn't really seem like a threat against Michigan whose OL is about the same level as MSU's.
I think the key will be Hackenberg and if they just keep him in the shotgun all game but PSU's receivers are pretty weak.
November 24th, 2015 at 3:37 PM ^
PSU's best pass rusher (Nassib) didn't play against us. Not sure if he's available for Saturday.
November 24th, 2015 at 4:02 PM ^
You are right, I forgot about him.
November 24th, 2015 at 3:28 PM ^
One difference is that MSU was able to do this by throwing one pass the entire second half because of OSU's mind boggling offensive game plan never forced MSU to throw. Now PSU has a great pass rushing line, but the rush D isn't nearly as good so this favors MSU. I still think they win regardless, but the one thing PSU does well is occasionally unleash big plays, and with MSU's shaky secondary, if PSU can force MSU to actually have to throw sometimes, then the game shifts greatly to PSU.
November 24th, 2015 at 3:29 PM ^
November 24th, 2015 at 4:19 PM ^
It's unlikely, but let it be said that PSU's defensive line can hold up against the run pretty well, and for long stretches of that game OSU held down MSU's rushing attack. And I don't see a world in which MSU wins 2 games in two weeks if they don't throw the ball even a bit. Honestly, OSU played a lot like PSU would; dinosaur offense and rely on your defense and turnovers. And they nearly did win the game given those crappy parameters.
I don't think people expect MSU to lose, but if Cook is out that takes away a huge part of their offense and, as we saw with UM against PSU, being able to throw the ball consistently is essential to keep PSU on their heels.
November 24th, 2015 at 3:17 PM ^
Connor Cook looks like a stereotypical frat boy douche
November 24th, 2015 at 3:20 PM ^
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November 24th, 2015 at 3:48 PM ^
way to profile
November 24th, 2015 at 3:58 PM ^
November 24th, 2015 at 3:18 PM ^
November 24th, 2015 at 3:20 PM ^
The term "Sparty No" wasn't coined over a single incident. They have a lifetime of epic, just when you think they've got things in hand, screw ups.
Keep the faith boys.
November 24th, 2015 at 3:23 PM ^
don't do that much anymore. The last real "Sparty No" moment was the roughing the kicker against Wisconsin but even that wasn't a complete debacle.
November 24th, 2015 at 3:28 PM ^
Nebraska 2015?
November 24th, 2015 at 3:35 PM ^
not really. Not every loss is a "Sparty No." A "Sparty No" moment is a special kind of screw up. Imagine a team that had the ball at midfield with 10 seconds left and a two point lead that only had to get a punt off to win the game. Now imagine that team losing that game. Now put a green uniform on that team. That is "Sparty No."
November 24th, 2015 at 3:38 PM ^
Nebraska 2015 counts. MSU had a five-point lead with 40 seconds left and pinned Nebraska on its own nine-yard line. And they lost.
November 24th, 2015 at 4:15 PM ^
That's true, but Nebraska 2015 was also pretty bad (beyond giving up gobs of yards to let Nebraska take the lead, they got the ball back, were basically at midfield, and then their all-conference QB basically wasted 7 seconds on a sideline throw that sailed so much it cost them one final chance).
November 24th, 2015 at 4:26 PM ^
A sparty no momemnt is what we did against them this year, losing a game you should win in spectacular fashion.
November 24th, 2015 at 3:29 PM ^
November 24th, 2015 at 3:46 PM ^
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November 24th, 2015 at 3:23 PM ^
Even if they do, it seems like this is the season when enough falls MSU's way. PSU will be tied with 20 seconds left and driving for a game clinching FG but then Hackenberg will fumble the shotgun snap, kick it trying to recover it, and Sparty will return it for a game-winning TD as time expires.
I think MSU's ability to "fuck things up" pretty much left with JL Smith.
November 24th, 2015 at 4:12 PM ^
That's pretty much true, though they've also been incredibly lucky this season in a way that seems even extreme for Dantonio. I mean, the UM game was a crazy end-of-game fluke, but they also probably should have lost to Oregon (Adams had a broken finger and was off all day, yet he still missed a wide-open RB in the endzone with like 30 seconds left which should have won it for them), and then OSU played terribly (and Elliott was still suffering from what sounds like a nasty infection) in a way nobody has seen even during a down year. Not taking MSU's wins away from them (except UM, as that was just batshit crazy luck), but Dantonio shouldn't get too much credit for some of the outcomes.
November 24th, 2015 at 4:50 PM ^
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November 24th, 2015 at 5:31 PM ^
and a horrendous decision by O'Neill. MSU did nothing to cause that to happen. That was the flukiest win of all time.
November 24th, 2015 at 3:22 PM ^
Looks like the opening line is MSU -11.5
http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-football/odds/las-vegas/line-moveme…
November 24th, 2015 at 3:24 PM ^
as I thought -1.5 was way too low if Cook could not play, so to do I believe that 11.5 is way too high even if he does.
November 24th, 2015 at 3:31 PM ^
Ok that 1.5 someone posted yesterday didnt make sense.
11.5 is pretty high if Cook is not playingg but again emotion. MSU is going to be sky high with the chance to win the Big 10. PSU is playing for nothing.
November 24th, 2015 at 3:46 PM ^
While I generally agree with your on this, there are a few scenerios in which the emotion element could swing in favor of PSU. For example:
-Rather than playing with sky high emotion, MSU could come out a bit flat after a hugely emotional win in Columbus.
-Or, MSU could come out with TOO MUCH emotion, causing them to lose fundamentals, take stupid personal foul penalties, etc.
-Or, perhaps, for a crop of seniors who have lived through a really difficult and emotional time at PSU, PSU is the one that comes out on fire.
I do think that you are likely right that MSU does have the emotional edge, but I am just pointing out that with anything so inherently unquantifiable and "feelingsball-ish", you just never know.
November 24th, 2015 at 3:54 PM ^
just so circumstantial. Last week, for anybody to tell me that MSU was going to have the "emotional edge" over OSU after Cook went out I would have told them they were crazy. However, I could tell right away that something was amiss with OSU right away and really never got the feeling they were going to win it. It is hard to predict.
I will say that I have seen very little evidence of Mark Dantonio teams falling prey to trap games, etc. They are usually frustratingly even keel in these circumstances.
November 24th, 2015 at 4:06 PM ^
Outside of Nebraska, MSU has not lost to a team they were clearly better than since 2012. Its just a different dynamic now. Dantonio changed the culture and mentality. They are a damn resilient team nowadays. Most teams would have packed it in down 25 or whatever vs Baylor. When OSU scores 24 pts in a row vs them in Big 10 championship game the old Sparty would have turned into a paper bag.
If PSU were to play an emotional game to send out their seniors it would have been at home in front of their fans on senior day vs a blue blood program.
And forget feelinsball - MSU is just better at almost every position.
Look anything can happen. But counting on Brokenberg and James Franklin to pull off a road upset is far fetched. Check out Franklin's all time record vs ranked teams. It's Hoke-ish. If MSU backup QBs play and turn ball over 5x ok I could see it.
November 24th, 2015 at 4:13 PM ^
but I think you are being a little too dismissive, especially if Cook does not play. Nothing breeds confidence like success, particularly in game success, and if Penn State is in the game they are likely to become fired up in a hurry. There is very little to believe that PSU can win this game but it is not like there is an overwheling talent disparity where they would have to play well "above themselves" to win. If MSU makes a few mistakes and a couple of things go right for PSU, all of the sudden Penn State is the team with the experienced QB who has been through the ringer and can perform down the stretch. It is a game that MSU will win easily if things go according to script. But if is also a game that could get away from them in a hurry if Cook does not play and they make some early mistakes.
November 24th, 2015 at 4:19 PM ^
Penn State beating MSU in EL would be a far bigger upset than MSU beating OSU in Columbus.
November 24th, 2015 at 4:42 PM ^
November 24th, 2015 at 3:28 PM ^
Tickets are selling like Dave Brandon did the promo! $10. Anyone? Anyone care about MSU football? Nope. Disrespect even from their fans.
November 24th, 2015 at 3:49 PM ^
Pat is saying that OHIO stadium had a record attendance too last weekend
November 24th, 2015 at 3:49 PM ^
Pat is saying that OHIO stadium had a record attendance too last weekend
November 24th, 2015 at 3:29 PM ^
Seems like bullshit though I dont blame him. Wasn't he throwing before the game to see if he could go? To do that you have to be close.
November 24th, 2015 at 3:47 PM ^
You may be right that he was close but just wasn't ready to go, but if the injury was enough to keep him out of arguably the biggest game of his career, then he might not have been as close as you think.
November 24th, 2015 at 3:55 PM ^
November 24th, 2015 at 3:59 PM ^
are going to have a long afternoon regardless of who takes snaps from center for MSU.
November 24th, 2015 at 4:00 PM ^
He'll play, or PSU will piss away the game anyway. At this point, I've just come to accept that 2015 is a season in which OSU can't run the ball and both MSU and Iowa have one loss between them and are both competing for a CFP spot (and the right to be waxed by Alabama or Clemson). It's just one of those seasons.
And if I'm Cook, I'm not going to risk millions of dollars in the NFL by messing up my shoulder just to get murdered by a couple of NFL-lite teams.
November 24th, 2015 at 4:01 PM ^
November 24th, 2015 at 4:05 PM ^
Lets be honest, there is a better chance of Cook finishing this game than Hackenberg. The PSU oline is going to be like blocking dummies to the msu dline. Psu should just have their offense be shotgun bombs. It worked ok for rutgers.