November 2nd, 2013 at 8:57 PM ^
that the Sparty D was phenomenal in 2011 when it was mostly sophomores (this year's seniors)? Dantonio's staff takes lesser players and develops them faster and better. To quote Bum Phillips' famous line about Don Shula,
"He can take his'n, beat your'n, or take your'n, beat his'n."
November 2nd, 2013 at 9:01 PM ^
It was in his fourth and fifth year's that MSU's defense turn into a dominant force.
November 2nd, 2013 at 11:41 PM ^
Dantonio's second year was 9-4, but yeah.
November 2nd, 2013 at 8:51 PM ^
How in the hell did you get -99000 points?
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:17 PM ^
I asked for them.
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:16 PM ^
Let's see who starts jumping from this sinking ship. I hope nobody. But were bound to have major recruiting losses at the end of this season.
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:38 PM ^
Examples please.
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:36 PM ^
I'm sick and tired of recruiting championships. I want to see Big Ten Championships. nothing but promises and lip service from Hoke and Co for 3 years and we get manhandled by a bunch of 3 stars who show heart, discipline, and speed all over the damned field. They are simply a better coached team at every level. That's extremely dispiriting.
They have young guys on their lines too....but they play well. and they aren't five stars like Kalis - who looks like he's still in high school out there. We have serious problems and it starts with the coaches.
November 2nd, 2013 at 8:35 PM ^
Save the template of this post for probably 2 or 3 more of our games too. Just replace MSU with Nebraska or OSU etc. We'll need it after those games too.
November 2nd, 2013 at 8:37 PM ^
I've not lost sight of the fact they are a dirty team and their coach is an ass.
November 2nd, 2013 at 9:43 PM ^
I've not lost sight of the fact that it was Taylor "Tyler" Lewan out there twisting face masks today. I'd like to hear him apologize in the presser and I would not be opposed to sitting him for a quarter in the Nebraska game.
November 2nd, 2013 at 9:59 PM ^
For him to make his bullying comments earlier this week and then pull that crap...taking a quarter off would be appropriate.
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:28 PM ^
It wasn't too many years ago that the Big Ten office would review plays like those and suspend players from the next game.
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:41 PM ^
and he had the audacity to say THIS after the game?!?!
@chengelis Taylor Lewan when asked how tough is Shilique Calhoun: "He's not. They only put him on me a couple times... didn't really have a problem"
-48 yards rushing and Devin couldn't stand up by the end of the game and you didn't really have a problem?!?!? WTF? Take some responsibility. Admit you got your ass kicked. Be a MAN. And Calhoun is the perfect representative for all that is wrong here. They lose Gholston, who is supposed to be the best guy on D, and the replacement is some no name who is BETTER. That's frightening to me. We sure as hell haven't been able to do that in a long long time.
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:49 PM ^
Lewan was Lewan all game long, in spite of his shennanigans. It only takes one unblocked guy on the line to blow up a play. I'm sure the UFR will vindicate Lewan, he was solid all day. The rush came from up the middle.
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:58 PM ^
I was disgusted to see him stoop to that level. All Michigan players should be above that, but especially their captains.
November 2nd, 2013 at 8:39 PM ^
They played better and more disciplined football. They do have an extremely good defense, and if their offense were this far along earlier in the season, they'd be undefeated right now.
November 2nd, 2013 at 9:24 PM ^
This is a Michigan Blog fergodsakes!!!!
November 2nd, 2013 at 8:47 PM ^
If they get to the Championship game, bet your ass I'll be cheering for them to win!
November 2nd, 2013 at 8:50 PM ^
Why? Most of them root for Ohio against us.
November 2nd, 2013 at 9:53 PM ^
No good guys to root for, but it might be in our interests for one of them to win as opposed to the other.
If we are not able to tag OSU with their 1st loss, I will be rooting for MSU that game.
If we are able to beat OSU, I will probably root for them vs MSU and hope for MSU to get shut out of the BCS one last delicious time
November 2nd, 2013 at 8:51 PM ^
They wouldn't cheer for us they'd just say, meteorite !!! Sometimes I wish I hadn't invented that back in 2008 but it's still pretty relevant so whatever. Yeah, I'm the first guy that said " I'm routing for a meteorite to fake out the entire stadium ," when two rivals were playing.
November 2nd, 2013 at 11:45 PM ^
UM will actually have to make it to a Big Ten Championship game before we'll ever know the answer.
November 2nd, 2013 at 9:12 PM ^
so they can go to their 5th Rose Bowl game in their history, and the first since 1988.
Go Blue!
November 2nd, 2013 at 8:49 PM ^
Congrats to Alabama and the Indianapolis colts for beating the 49ers, Seahawks and broncos so far this year. Congrats to the Boston Red Sox and also congrats to the time for having the sense to change later tonight so that it's not dark as fuck for four hours after I wake up for work.
November 2nd, 2013 at 8:52 PM ^
This made a lot of sense.
November 2nd, 2013 at 9:03 PM ^
Neg away.
November 2nd, 2013 at 9:06 PM ^
With no voting system your only downfall would be the "metereorite" that you allegedly invented, at your own insistence.
November 2nd, 2013 at 8:49 PM ^
Tipping the hat is the right thing to do.
November 2nd, 2013 at 8:53 PM ^
I've texted my Sparty friends the same. They earned it.
November 2nd, 2013 at 8:53 PM ^
They were the far superior team today. Very impressed with the defense. Connor Cook showed he can play as well. Dantonio and Narduzzi are the real deal. Go to Indy, beat OSU and win your BCS bowl Sparty.
November 2nd, 2013 at 8:53 PM ^
Might as well fold to MSU on this blog, that's what the rest of the program did today
November 2nd, 2013 at 8:59 PM ^
is terrible! It's just Michigan's D is even worse!
November 2nd, 2013 at 9:00 PM ^
Fuck Hats too...(but concur with OP's point)
November 2nd, 2013 at 9:06 PM ^
It's how you handle losing where we see the measure of a person's class. This certainly was not an acceptable result or performance, but that does not mean you don't extend the hand in a respectful acknowledgement of the other team's performance.
Congrats to MSU. They were the far superior team today. Now learn from this Michigan. Get better as a team.
November 2nd, 2013 at 9:11 PM ^
State looked like a tire fire on offense at the beginning of the year, while we looked unstoppable. 10 weeks later, the roles have completely reversed. That's coaching. State is doing it better than we are.
F***!
November 2nd, 2013 at 9:15 PM ^
Wag of the finger.
Here's to starting the game plan now for next year. This series has turned into a rivalry game that needs attention. Good for MSU in putting the ball in our court and taking control of the series. The time to restore historical order is upon us.
I'm very interested in what Hoke does in this coming year. Many things are not working. But for now MSU is the better team.
November 2nd, 2013 at 11:14 PM ^
in 2010, 2011, 2012, or two weeks ago?
November 2nd, 2013 at 9:17 PM ^
but right on, brother. We aren't even close to as good a team as they are. Hate to say it but give credit where cedit is due.
What concerns me is the meme that this game is their Rose Bowl. That might be partially true but they still kick (ed) our ass even above and beyond that. 5 of the last 6. Not to mention they look a helluva lot better against other common opponents.
November 2nd, 2013 at 9:18 PM ^
Yes, congrats to MSU. That Rose Bowl drought may end. Who's graduating from that defense again?
November 2nd, 2013 at 9:23 PM ^
I actually looked that up during the game
The starters I know for sure were denard and burlugh or whatever.
They will be as good or just a tad worse next year I believe.
November 2nd, 2013 at 9:26 PM ^
This defense isn't going to be as good next year.
November 2nd, 2013 at 9:24 PM ^
They lose half of their defense and most of their best players. They'll still field a good defense, but it won't be as dominant--particularly in the back 7.
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:31 PM ^
MSU loses:
DT Tyler Hoover
DT Micajeh Reynolds
Losses, definitely, but they rotate 4-5+ DT's as it is, and have Kittredge, who arguably would have been their best DT, barely playing b/c he missed some games early.
MIKE Max Bullough
SAM Denicos Allen
These will probably be the biggest losses. Bullough is especially a stud and will be tough to replace.
SS Isaiah Lewis
BC Darqueze Dennard
Lewis will be replaced by the better of RJ Williamson, who filled in quite well for Drummond last year, and Demetrious Cox, the 4* out of PA that has been talked about heavily.
Dennard will be trickier to replace, but it's hard to doubt Dantonio replacing CB's. One of Darian Hicks, Jermaine Edmondson, or Ezra Robinson will replace the FC spot when Waynes moves to BC.
MSU does lose talent after this year, but have replaced many great players on D, and seems capable to.
The issues arise on offense, where MSU has to replace 3 starters on the OL, and Bennie Fowler, who was excellent today. Treadwell leaves at LG, France at RG, and Fonoti at RT. Travis Jackson and Jack Allen will probably split up C and one of the G positions, as they both play heavily at C and have both subbed in at G. The biggest question marks will be the other G spot and RT. Will be interesting to see if Jack Conklin (RS-FR starting at LT) was a fluke, or if the staff really can identify and develop talent like that. Also, a developed Cook could be really good. Will be interesting to see.
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:48 PM ^
The biggest losses on D will be at the LB level. Max is a super computer as a MLB and if Denicos Allen was 6'2 rather than 5'11 (and probably shorter in reality) he'd be a 1st round draft pick. He will still probably be an undersized 3rd rounder with a great motor. DTs are DTs - they dont have dominant players there, Calhoun is the main guy on the end. Dennard I think is a bit overrated as a CB although he played well today, he PI's a lot. And I wouldnt worry about replacing corners. MSU's other corner who I think is better than Dennard is a 2 star, 2011 player. We counter with two 4 stars with Blake and Taylor and that kid is just as good. They know how to identify athletes on defense and they COACH THEM UP. It will take a step back but for anyone thinking its a rollover team or game next year they are deluding themselves. People said the same thing when Cousins left... MSU is not going anywhere. They have a coaching staff that can develop players = period.
On offense I do think the OL losses will hurt as OL is the one place they seem to not do well at finding talent but they did bring in a new coach from OSU who has focused on OL and is paying dividends.
November 2nd, 2013 at 11:36 PM ^
With a couple added points of clarity.
OL is definitely the issue on offense, as far as identifying talent, but they were able to identify a kid very late in the cycle who has paid huge dividends for them; RS-FR Jack Conklin (walk-on or grey-shirt). This could mean that they've been identifying the talent, they just haven't been able to coach it, which brings me to the second point...
Bollman is technically the TE coach/co-OC. He isn't technically the OL coach. That having been said, I'm guessing he's teaching Staten/Warner/Dantonio a thing or two about how to coach an OL. If he is, they could be learning these things for the long haul, ultimately having a better OL coaching staff as a result. If that's the case: lookout. That would be trouble if they can consistently put together a solid to above-average line. If they ever get premier recruits on the OL and put together a dominant OL, well, then they could be destined for something.
November 2nd, 2013 at 9:29 PM ^
That defense of theirs would give the '97 Wolverines D a run for its money. Pure evil.
November 2nd, 2013 at 9:57 PM ^
Who have they dominated that is any good? Certainly not us. I'll be very interested in the B1G Championship game when they are matched up with OSU.
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:09 PM ^
It is a good defense, but they have not had to play many good teams. Remember what the '97 Michigan team did to a very good PSU team? Let's see what MSU does against OSU this year.
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:43 PM ^
Do yourself a favor and wait until the end of the season before making statements like this.