MSU pegged as 2013 Legends division favorites
CBS has a summary article here:
The original site with the odds is here:
http://www.thegreek.com/sports/home.asp
Part of this is scheduling, as MSU gets Michigan at home and doesn't have to play Ohio State, Wisconsin, or Penn State from the Leaders division. Michigan obviously travels to Penn State and has to play Ohio State at home, so presumably the only good team in the conference Michigan will miss next year will be Wisconsin. Add that to the fact that tough road games seem like a guaranteed loss for Michigan over Hoke's first two years and you could see the Wolverines racking up enough losses to send Sparty back to the championship game.
I'm a little bit surprised they have Northwestern so low. They get MSU and Michigan at home, although I guess when you combine that with road games against Nebraska and Wisconsin and a home game against tOSU they don't get off so easy.
In any case, this is another exhibit in the horribleness of the current division configuration where MSU's cross-division rival is Indiana while Michigan's is Ohio State. It will be nice when no such arrangements exist any more.
BTW, I was /s about the midget thing - Nick Hill could be an Oompa Loompa for all I know.
At least he didn't refer to him as retarded.
Guys, it's halfman. Has Game of Thrones taught you nothing?
you gotta get on that man
or little brother
Let's make it a rule on MGoBlog going forward that they are to be referred to as little people.
LOL....its closer to LOLWUT? I guess it would help with an explanation...as in is everyone else just going to be worse? Or do they actually think MSU will be that good? Better than Nebraska? Michigan?
Sounds like their replacement (provided their incoming freshmen RBs don't make an immediate impact) will be converted LB Riley Bullough. The whole reason they even switched him over to the offense is because players like Nick Hill, Jeremy Langford, and Tompkins weren't impressing enough or showing signs of separation.
Needless to say, your point about losing those key players holds true and if you have to resort to converting a player to the other side of the ball to find improvement then it could be a long season for them.
The Bo Division does seem to be pretty wide open this year. UM, MSU, and both NUs all have a legitimate shot at the title, but yeah, strength of schedule does seem to favor the Sparties. On the Woody side, it seems like OSU is the team to beat.
They're going to go from winning two home games the entire year(both non-conference) to winning the division? Replacing a second round tailback(who was their entire offense) with a linebacker?
It's really nice that they don't have to play three of the best teams in the conference (assuming PSU can maintain its decent play from 2012).
They've had great success in avoiding the bigger teams in conference while enjoying a protected rivalry with Indiana. They also got to play both Michigan and Ohio State during some of their worst seasons in decades. MSU's days as a 'contender' are numbered
I mean, you would so often see that Sparty vitriol directed at SCINdiana
They have a pretty easy schedule until we play them. But they're not surviving the stretch of Michigan, @Nebraska, @NW
Now I see why Sparty is complaining about being in the new East division. If it ain't easy, it's not worth having.
Actually laughed out lout at this one. Well played sir.
I think it's easier for teams to enter the season ranked in the 20's or not at all due to pressure being alleviated. Let everyone pick MSU's dynamic offense (/s) and Ohio's great offensive line and defensive front seven (/s) to be the deciding point.
I truly am looking forward to this season. It can be something special as long as we stay healthy and not call a draw on 3rd and 11. Looking at you Al.
It can be something special as long as we stay healthy and not call a draw on 3rd and 11.So the fact that we've already lost Jake Ryan and Russell Bellomy shouldn't be a portent for ill things to come?
Oh god, I hope you are correct.....I really, really do.
And JMFR might be back by MSU anyway.
Thanks for the laughs.
Go Blue!
IIRC they were the "favorites" to win it last year. They will have a solid defense but I can't see them winning more than 7 games. They didn't win a single big ten home game last year.
Go home CBSSports. You're drunk! and it's only 8:30 in the morning. C'mon man.
...8-4/7-5 on a consistent basis with 9-3 and 6-6 sprinkled in every now and again.
The run is over. I've said it for a year now.
Do you really think so? Even with Dantonio recruiting on a national level?
Dennard is back at CB
Why do we think their front 7 will be that good? They lost probably their top 2 DL and they have very little depth behind the starters. The LBs will be good, but not so much on the DL.
As I can think of two other great Michigan teams - the 1985 and 1997 squads - that started the season ranked outside of the Top 10. But I can also think of a number of Michigan teams that started the season ranked pretty high up and ended up having good years. Off the top of my head that list would include 1986, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1999, 2003 and 2004. I'm sure there were plenty of others as well.
I think MSU will be better than last year, but there is no way in hell they're winning the Legends division this year. I think they'll go 8-4 overall and may beat us in EL (that game seems like a 50/50 toss up), but they'll fall short in a couple of games elsewhere along the way.
Northwestern looks like a good bet. They probably should have beaten us last year, have most of their top players back, and get their two toughest games at home.
Also, anyone notice those odds for the Big 10's newest member to win the ACC? It looks like they may really be more putrid than anyone thought.
Unfortunately for NW their homefield advantage is not really an advantage.
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it is good news they have a bye week.