Sparty NO Schadenfreude Thread

Big Ten sees a loss triangle of Michigan - Nebraska - MSU with an additional Michigan loss. 

Nationally, they see two loss triangles of Michigan - Notre Dame - MSU and Michigan - Nebraska - MSU. 

Notably, none of these matchups ended with the road team winning. 

There are the extra losses as well: Michigan has a close loss at Iowa.  Michigan State has a close loss in the title game. 

I'd say that under these circumstances alone Michigan State does have the slightly better resume when it comes to loss analysis, but this likely evens out when you factor in that their loss to nebraska was a completely noncompetitive one-sided jailsexing 

At the end of the day,  you have three factors playing into this:

1, three-loss voter knee-jerk reaction,  (unjustly against sparty)

2. Money factor, Michigan will bring it due to  program name + storylines + Denard dilithium (unjustly against sparty)

3. SpartyNoo / Dantonio team in bowl game beatdown factor:

Last year both michigan and michigan state played in bowl games that weren't anywhere near competitive.  Voters remember this.  People write off michigan last year because the improvements from then this year are legion and the team has a completely new identity. Nobody, however, is convinced that Michigan State is a significantly different team than the one that got braincocked by Bama. 

This is evidenced by how they've lost games this season:

1. Laid a complete egg at notre dame and weren't ever really in it

2. Aforementioned nebraska annhilation

3. Undisciplined play throws away an otherwise dominant chamionship game performance (Pathetic late-game 4th down punt and, seriously, why were you within 10 yards of that punter).  As a result, Michigan State's situation, while unfortunate, comes across as easily avoidable with some disciplined football. 

MSU hasn' t been to Pasadena since 1987 season (1988 Rose Bowl).

They had a good defense that year.

For 2012 I think they'll be pretty good defensively, but replacing that quarterback, those receivers and winning another 11 games is going to be serious a challenge.

Wisconsin played a great game too and that fact seems to have been lost on Dantonio and his staff given their post game comments.

Let's see what Valenti has to say....

"trailer trash?" I think he's just mad that our RV party machines are a little bit nicer than his 1993 Chevrolet Celebrity

maybe the BCS committee didn't want roving bands of ski masked thugs beating up people in their cities, and didn't want' 60 minutes of unnecessary roughness on the field.  "decent kids" my ass. 

Yes. Last night and this morning was painful, but after reflecting a bit I can say that I'm extremely proud of this team and what they were able to accomplish. I went to school in the JLS era and would be salivating at even the opportunity to appear in the Insight Bowl. Now, they are coming off 2 10 win season and the future looks bright. The team played a hell of a game last night, especially the seniors. Hats off to Wisconsin as played a great game. It just did not work out for us. After the game I was talking to a Michigan buddy of mine and asked if this is what 2006 OSU felt like. He said yep. Sucks, but looking back, still a solid season.

And that's why it makes no sense for a recruit to go to MSU over Michigan.  Do you want to languish in obscurity or play in the spotlight?  MSU has a good team this year, but no one cares.

Sparty will always be a second class program. 

Oh little brother... sorry our team isn't made up of a bunch of inmates. 

Sparty wants it both ways - the benefit of playing for the Big Ten championship, without the risk of getting punished by voters should they lose.



Here's an idea. The winner of each division can go ahead to play in the conference championship game, or they can opt out but select another school to play instead. This removes the fear of losing and getting hosed by the voters. So for example MSU could've chosen Michigan to go in their place - forcing Michigan to play for the championship and assuming the risk as well.

Every Sparty is forgetting one thing...they LOST in the Big Ten Championship game. It's as if they are trying to sweep that little bit of info under the rug to get people to feel sorry for them. They are not being "punished" for playing, they are being "punished" for losing. Nobody wants Sparty in the BCS picture because everyone knows they are a fraud. They proved that point last year going 11-1 and STILL getting left out of the BCS hunt while getting spanked by Alabama in the Cap One Bowl.