We'll know more about our chances to start the season 6-0 next week after MSU plays ND; and we'll have a stronger indication about where we may stand in the B10.
How many think Sparty beats a down ND next week and how many think Our Lady puts the hurt on little brother?
I can see MSU has a running game; their field goal kicking is solid. But I respect ND after yesterday, see them playing opponents tough all season. What do you-all think? Anyone out there following MSU closely?
Nope.
haven't see Sparty at all this year so no idea
It will be interesting. Though, comparing how MSU does with how we did against ND does not really work. I was watching the game with a Purdue alum, and she said "I hope ND wins so Purdue has a chance against Michigan." Teams can have bad/good game or match up better/worse than against one team or another.
Proud member of the Rebellion
I have some friends who
I have some friends who follow them, and they dont think they look all that great. Cousins doesnt look any better than last year, their run game has been pretty good cause the teams they have played are total garbage...
Their secondary still sucks, giving up 14 to a terrible western team and 17 to florida atlantic.. The game was close yesterday until the end of the game for msu against a poor team
ND wins
MSU loses to both ND and Wiscy before we tag them.
MSU hasn't played anyone yet.
MSU hasn't played anyone yet. However, the game is in East Lansing so they might put up somewhat of fight.
I'm thinking close game, but ND will hopefully pull it out. MSU needs that one loss, and then their snowball just keeps rolling. Thankfully for them though, the have probably the weakest OOC schedule I have ever seen.
watched most of the MSU game,
watched most of the MSU game, so based on only that and ND yesterday, I think ND wins by 7 or 10 next week. Cousins didn't look great and their defense looked mediocre in the 2nd half.
well said
at times MSU looked lost on defense and wasn't firing on all cylinders on offense
Edit: nevermind, wrong game.
Edit: nevermind, wrong game.
for GUJD, above: I get that, but given
that MSU has not been scintillating thus far, I like ND's chances.
Hopefully we don't overlook
Hopefully we don't overlook Indiana too much. Their offense scares me a little bit and it's at Indiana.
Hopefully they worry about UMass first
If the last three years taught me anything, it's that any team has a chance. I hope the team just worries about next week first.
They haven't looked good yet...
...but they're saving it all for us.
Anybody remember 1999? This was probably the best Michigan State team since at least '87, if not the sixties. Saban and crew beat us in a close, hard-fought game.
The next two weeks, they go out and lose two of the ugliest games I've ever seen to Purdue (40-10) and Wisconsin (52-28). Neither game was remotely competitive.
Where's Charlie Bauman when you need him?
Hopefully ND rolls and State
Hopefully ND rolls and State loses the rest of their games.
Omnia mutantur nos et mutamur in illis.
App state and toledo
I understand we are excited about this team, we do have a shot at going 6-0, but let's not overlook some games, look what happened in the past years. Take it game by game
We can overlook whoever we want
as fans. It's the players who can't do that.
Follow me on Twitter @gfraley05
Thank you, thank you, thank
Thank you, thank you, thank you, and thank you.
For today, goodbye. For tomorrow, good luck. And forever, Go Blue.
expectations
its fine as long as your expectations are within reason.
lets go one game at a
lets go one game at a time...please. It is amazing that there is a chance that we go 6-0 to start the season, and that would be awesome, but its a yound team and big mistakes happen. We can't take anyone for granted. Young teams tend to lose one game a year that they should have won.
No showing up with unis and filling in the W column
Yeah. If there is any program that should appreciate winning way more than in the past it is ours. Victory doesn't happen by accident or just being who we are. I expect the next two games to be challenges that we'll have to play well to overcome.
But since our thread starter was factoring in a little hypothetical speculation into the question and I love that, here goes:
Michigan State had better play one heck of a game to beat us this year. The scary thing is this is clearly going to get better when guys become experienced. We are so young.
"because character wins in life and character wins on the football field....." 1-11-11
I would definitely say that to the team, but I think fans
can look down the road. In fact, it's what makes the game fun.
MSU-ND
MSU always plays ND tough because it the game after UM. An f’in trap game every year for ND and the parasites in EL reap the rewards. If the schedule were reverse MSU would not do to well vs. ND. Here’s hoping they can fill the Snake Pit in EL this weekend…Man I hate MSU.
Fuck it, Dude, let's go bowling.
one game at a time
Let's focus on Umass, getting healthy, playing some young guys, and improving our execution before we worry about a game on october 9th. Lots of football to be played. I wouldn't be surprised if msu beats nd. msu has a huge advantage having played 2 cupcakes and nd has played 2 big ten teams. msu hasn't shown anything yet because you don't have to if you are playing fau and western.
MSU-ND
I think Notre Dame wins since Crist will most-likely be healthy the entire game.
MSU is too far away
I can't look too far ahead to MSU... Indiana pushed us to the brink last season and I don't think we can ever look 4 games ahead. I have seen too many JMU/Va Tech, South Dakota/Minn, NDS/Kansas, Jacksonville State/Ole Miss, etc. etc. to assume we will thrash UMass either (though we better as hell do it). How many of us were looking ahead to Oregon in 2007?
As for MSU/ND, Crist healthy for a whole game against that MSU secondary? I gotta give it to Notre Dame unless they have a big hangover from this game, which is a distinct possibility. But on the other side of the ball, MSU doesn't have anything resembling Denard on their roster. But who does?
BA 2009 LSA
6-0?
I believe there is no question we would start 12-0
I don't know about UM and MSU...
... too far away.
I think I know that Brian Kelly will hang a 50 spot on Sparty (assuming Crist can play the whole game).
ND has Stanford, BC and Pitt after Sparty. Cap'n Kelly needs this game bad.
MSU's path will be tougher
MSU faces Notre Dame and Wisconsin at home, followed immediately by road game against UM in the Big House.
The game at Michigan will be their first real road game with a hostile and hopefully very, very loud environment.
Michigan faces UMass, Bowling Green and at Indiana. I do think Indiana will be a tougher test than people think for UM's defense, but UM's offense should roll like a freight train through these games. Seriously.
I'm liking Michigan's chances more and more as to how that MSU at UM game is setting up.
first road test
that first real test on the road is always tough. MSU will get a taste of it
That is a good thought
How much of a hangover is ND going to have after yesterday? I like what I saw in Coach Kelly and the Fighting Irish, I think they'll be ready to play, but what ever happened to Crist has got to be worrisome; clearly there is a big difference between him versus Montana or the other guy. The Sparties I think are fielding their best team in awhile; I really like Cousins, they have a 'stable' of running backs, they have good recievers/TE's, and on defense they have some key players as well. I wouldn't be surprised if the Spartans were favored and took it; don't want to look ahead but Oct. 9th will be a gynormous game for the us...and the state.
You have to play this game like somebody just hit your mother with a two-by-four. ~Dan Birdwell
You really can't say anything about Sparty...
... until after the ND game.
They only beat FAU by 13, not even half the spread of 28.
All I know
All I know is that I do not want to lose to them for a third consecutive year! I think UM will be up and motivated for this game. I don't really see their defense stopping our offense. I hope our defense can lay some lumber on them. I would be happy with a win but would prefer a blow-out win!
Sparty always plays ND tough in Southbend. I don't know who will win but really I don't care who wins.
expect the best
weak, weak sparty
I watched a good chunk of MSU's game against Boca Raton Middle School Tech yesterday. First thing, don't believe the reports of 36K fans in attendance. There is no way the crowd was more than 10K "strong". Second, their running game looks good but hard to judge without competition. Third, they could have lost that game if BRMST played to win. I've never seen a coach quit like that. Finally, nothing else about MSU looked impressive.
BRMST seemed to be able to move the ball at will. If State can't pummel such a weak opponent on "home" turf, they're going to get crushed by ND. Kelly is a good coach. Dantonio is an angry man who only looks like a good coach because he's always so angry. This one could get ugly in a hurry.
ND 35 MSU 13
Bravo...
... +1 for Dantonio as "angry man." It's perfect. How on earth he has escaped the hot seat after last year's epic collapse is beyond me.
At this point, the better UConn and ND do, the better for us.
I think the best bet next week will be to take ND, I haven't seen a line yet.
MSU will get boat raced by ND.
And Dantonio's post-game presser will be better than Pacquiao-Maywhether.
we're putting 70 up on
we're putting 70 up on sparty
and 100 each on them and Minn next eyar
Harvard: The MICHIGAN of the East
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
Speaking of Minnesota
did anyone else realize that last night was our first road win since Minnesota in 2008? Yeesh
Follow me on Twitter @gfraley05
first half vs second half
depends on if michigan plays like they did in the first half against ND or if they play like they did in the second half.
Did anyone else see the Brian
Did anyone else see the Brian Vanochten article in the GR Press, wherein he said that FAU forfeited the game, and never intended to win? After the game FAU coach (and legendary former Miami FL coach) Howard Schnellenberger called the game a "great scrimmage," and thanked MSU for allowing FAU to play them, and also for not "running up the score" (in a 27-14 game going into the 4th quarter? Huh? Really?).
Vanochten basically stated that Schnellengerger had no intention of trying to beat MSU, and that basically the game was a cash grab to help finance FAU's new stadium. That's why he opted to kick a field goal instead of attempting to go for the win. Spatans got their win, and FAU got their cash, so both sides went home happy.
Not necessarily shocking, but definitely a scathing article.
http://www.mlive.com/spartans/index.ssf/2010/09/spartans_should_give_flo...
HOKEAMANIA RUNNIN' WILD
Formerly, TheLastProphet
Huh. I'm often willing to believe the worst
about corruption and hypocrisy in sports, but until you or Vanochten supplies me with a convincing rationale. . . Why can't Schnellenberger take the money and also play to win?
I think S's own reasoning, though faulty, really probably holds: he doesn't believe in his D. Not a great message to transmit to your kids, ANY kids. But that's how he saw it.
you obviously didn't watch the game
down 16 and deep in MSU territory FAU kicked a fg and then did a full kickoff (non-onside). he packed it in and gave MSU the win. and Dantonio was classless enough (and i don't use that loosely) to put both Cousins and Baker in and ran the ball rather than kneel for the stats. it was an added element to be embarrassed for should someone be an MSU fan.
This doesn't deserve its own thread, but...
What in the fuck was Schnellenberger doing sending out the FG unit when he was team was down 16 with just over 3 minutes to go? They needed two TDs and two 2-point conversions to tie...and he sends out the FG unit to keep it a 2-possession game.
That simply made no sense to me.
"The difference between a man and a boy is, a boy wants to grow up to be a fireman, but a man wants to grow up to be a giant monster fireman."
- Jack Handey
Don't assume the IU game (a
Don't assume the IU game (a week before MSU) is a gimme. They've got an excellent passing game and have a score to settle after last year. That's a potentially dangerous game.
If I've learned one thing
If I've learned one thing over the past several years it is to not to look ahead or look past anyone. I'm looking forward to UMass and seeing some of our extremely young players get some much needed experience. MSU has looked okay against the cupcakes they've played, but they certainly don't scare me one bit.
Champions of the west, GO BLUE!
Nope.
Sincerely,
Cpt. Ass-Hat