Question for those who have watched MSU this year: have they looked bored?

Submitted by Erik_in_Dayton on

I'm asking this because MSU has been doing the sort of winning the last couple of years that often leads to complacency.  OSU looks to me like they suffer from champions' malaise* this year.  Florida State looked like that last year to me at times too.  I wouldn't be surprised if MSU is plagued by that this season. 

I know MSU has had some injuries this year, but have they also looked like they're waiting to turn it on, so to speak, when they play Michigan (and whomever else they consider worthy of their full attention)?  Or do their flaws seem to be more about their injuries, the loss of Narduzzi, losses to graduation, etc.? 

Any insight you can provide on this (as well as unrelated gifs, snarky comments, jokes about koalas, questions about the heath of my mother - she's fine, by the way) would be greatly appreciated.  Spasibo.

 

 

 

*Yes, the sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament.

alum96

October 14th, 2015 at 4:24 PM ^

They look like a classic Carr team that was rated very high preseason but lost 3-4x a year.  A good group of talent with some high level NFL picks on it but a doofus play here or the pieces not all fitting together like you expect.  Playing down to competition and fans complaining about the "DeBording" happening on offense to keep bad teams around too deep into games. And to be fair some injuries.

Also they are now the hunted, just like teams always gave Carr era UM their best shot because it is a scalp every program wanted.

They also have played some good QBs which is a rarity for them in any typical year.  So that is stressing their defense more than playing the Armstrongs, Leidners, CJ Browns, etc of the world that they usually feast on.  i.e. 53% completion rate, 6.1 ypa guys the Big 10 has been churning out for a decade.  The 2 MAC QBs they played would be top 5 QBs in the Big 10.  So when the offense mails it in they haven't won 23-6 like they used to.

  Rating Comp Att % Yds YPA TD INT
Terrell 154.9 115 171 67.3% 1378 8.1 14 6
Laviano 153.9 87 124 70.2% 1002 8.1 9 5
Rush 144.9 155 230 67.4% 1771 7.7 12 5
Adams 142.3 43 71 60.6% 581 8.2 4 2
Rudock 120.4 106 171 62.0% 1135 6.6 5 6
Roberts  109.9 15 30 50.0% 246 8.2 1 3
Blough 102 68 127 53.5% 694 5.5 4 5

 

evenyoubrutus

October 14th, 2015 at 4:40 PM ^

Eh, not sure how much high level NFL talent they really have.  I feel like every year people expect them to have half a dozen or more guys taken in the first 3-4 rounds and most of them end up falling once the draft starts. For example, Max Bullough, Jonal St Dic, Jerel Worthy (fell from a supposed top 10 pick to the 3rd round), to name a few.  Sure, a few of them have panned out but the majority do not.

I would imagine Connor Cook will eventually be included with those who do not.

alum96

October 14th, 2015 at 5:33 PM ^

Conklin McDowell Calhoun Cook all could be 1st to 2nd round picks.

Jack Allen will not due to the position he plays as its not valued as a high draft pick position but he is a 2 time All American I believe.

I expect Lawrence Thomas to be taken mid rounds too and Ed Davis as well. 

Thats a lot of picks on 1 team, and a lot of 1st/2nd rounders.

NFL cares more about high end athletes which MSU didnt have a lot of in the past - these guys are more of that ilk.  Or talented O linemen.

As for panning out in the NFL, a lot of guys from all schools don't pan out at next level.

bronxblue

October 14th, 2015 at 6:14 PM ^

Cook and Calhoun seem like locks to be taken in the first 2 rounds; I'm not sure about Conklin as an NFL talent but I could see him taken because of his position.  McDowell has played well as a true sophomore, but he still feels like an uncertain property to me; let's see how he handles some better offensive lines.

Thomas seems like a tweener-ish athlete like Will Campbell in that he bounced around a bunch without a great fit.  He'll probably get a late-round pick because of this potential, but he never stood out and I'm not sold that'll change even with an okay final season (which is how he's looked thus far IME).  Same with Ed Davis, though I'm sure he'll get drafted mid-round.

I don't think their NFL talent is that much better that they've been historically (though they corners in the first round is obviously impressive), but the results on the field have definitely been better.  I think what's happening is that Dantonio is getting them to realize more their ceiling as a team than in years past, and combined with a couple of conference powers being down helped them rise nationally.

 

ijohnb

October 14th, 2015 at 4:18 PM ^

being a 9 point dog to your in-state rival after dominating them for the last two years as being that thing that kind of lights the match for them.

CompleteLunacy

October 14th, 2015 at 6:34 PM ^

You have a problem if it takes you being a 9-point underdog to get you fired up to play your biggest rival. They'd find a way to put that chip on their shoulder even if they were favored in this game. 

mGrowOld

October 14th, 2015 at 4:19 PM ^

 
 
  • Massive media coverage over Michigan's resurgance? - check
  • MSU drop in polls despite being undefeated? - check
  • Michigan opening as a favorite despite our recent lack of success against MSU? - check
  • Michigan becoming an even BIGGER favorite as the sharps money goes down on the favorite? - check

I think they are ready.

MI Expat NY

October 14th, 2015 at 4:39 PM ^

I don't think it's mental or anything with them.  I think they simply haven't been able to replace their personnel loses over the last year or two on defense (especially in the secondary) and they don't recruit well enough to have the depth to overcome their injuries on offense.  They'll give us their best shot because it's a rivalry, but that best shot isn't going to be what it's been the last couple seasons.  

For Ohio State I don't think it's a championship hangover.  I think that the last three games of the season just weren't representative of what that team really was last year.  They got unbelievably hot and played at a level well above where they were the first 12 games of the season.  They've come back down to earth and the QB "problem" has sort of turned into an actual problem.  Moving Braxton Miller hasn't been a boon to their system because, despite being an exceptional playmaker, he's simply taking away opportunites from other exceptional playmakers.  I figure they'll get better by the game, but I see them as being a top 5 type team, not a once in a lifetime type team.  

 

Leonhall

October 14th, 2015 at 4:14 PM ^

I don't know...they haven't looked consistent. I think they are better than most think on here. Anytime you have a good qb, I think you have the potential to have great games. Their front dline is good and can be disruptive. We will need to game plan around that. I feel they have the potential to definitely beat us.




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reshp1

October 14th, 2015 at 4:15 PM ^

They've been fighting for their lives late into games. I'd hardly describe that as bored. The previous games you could maybe argue they got out ahead early and just let off the gas, but Rutgers had them on the ropes from the start and they had to get clutch play after clutch play on the final drive (plus an awful last series by Rutgers) to pull it out. 

814 East U

October 14th, 2015 at 4:17 PM ^

I could see the "bored" argument v. Purdue, but there was no reason to be bored vs. Rutgers at night on the road a week after the Purdue game. I think they just aren't that good because of the injuries.

Tyrone Biggums

October 14th, 2015 at 4:36 PM ^

Purdue was running all over them in the second half of that game, and had an opportunity to win if not for the interception on the final drive. As someone else described this MSU team has a lot of hype because of their preceeding track record over the years but they aren't as good as billed (top 5 preseason) this season as in previous years.

I've watched about 12 quarters of their games this year and nothing about MSU vs UM scares me at all. All the disrapek talk is just that this year, talk. Our D is demonstrably better in everything except maybe the talent level on the D-line. Everyone they've played has been able to run on them, up the middle. So of course that plays to our strengths. Connor Cook is a future pro but he won't look like it on Saturday if he only completes about 50% of his passes due to our pass rush and press coverage.

Michigan is by far an all around better team at this point of the season and I can't wait for Saturday. It's been a long time since MSU has caught a beatdown from the Wolverines and the PTSD doesn't effect me. That's exactly what they are going to get, a beatdown! 

35-6! Harbaugh! Go Blue!

Hoping for shutout #4 but that just seems greedy.

ijohnb

October 14th, 2015 at 4:19 PM ^

They have been complacent.  They are now a program with sustained success who have won high stakes games in the BIG title game, Rose Bowl, and Cotton Bowl.  They are also "the hunted" now so teams come at them hard and they are getting teams best shots.  State is good.  There are a lot of people on here that genuinely believe they suck.  They don't.  They are going to come to play on Saturday and it is going to be a shock to the system for some people.

Newton Gimmick

October 14th, 2015 at 10:40 PM ^

Lloyd's teams usually dominated the line of scrimmage versus lesser opponents, but sometimes would be too conservative and predictable and let teams hang around.

I've heard a lot of turd-shining talk from MSU fans and unconfident Michigan fans.  Purdue and Rutgers are, statistically, the two worst teams in the Big Ten, and State was gashed on both lines consistently.  Both teams had legit chances to win those games.  It's not like they're saving their motivation and keeping it vanilla on offense to the point of losing, twice, to the 100th and 101st best teams in the country.  

There is no argument to be made, outside of Feelingsball cliches, that State should win this game.  And by the way, it's not like Michigan's not going to get up for this game.  It will come down to personnel and playcalling, and everything on the field this season shows Michigan has an edge in both.

GoBlueX2

October 14th, 2015 at 4:18 PM ^

due to injuries and graduation. In particular, their OL and secondary are not what they've been the past couple years. That being said, I still believe they haven't played their best game yet and will pick it up come Saturday. Game will come down to QB play, where they have an obvious advantage. If Rudock can have a "nice" game, nothing too spectacular, then I like our chances to win.

not TOM BRADY

October 14th, 2015 at 4:19 PM ^

Sort of. Which is odd. They haven't done anything that amazing to be complacent. They won one rose bowl and the equivalent of winning a bcs game that doesn't really matter.
They also though look like a team that isn't good at defense.

Tuebor

October 14th, 2015 at 4:29 PM ^

2 B1G championships since 2010 and a Legends division championship to boot.  And 11+ wins in 4 out of last 5 seasons.  Only Wisconsin and Ohio State have comparable records in the same time period and Wisconsin is on their 3rd Head Coach since 2010 and Ohio State is Ohio State.

 

Michigan hasn't had a comparable run of success since the early Carr era.

BigBlue02

October 14th, 2015 at 4:55 PM ^

They have 2 B10 championships since the early 90s. I have a feeling that now that they have to play OSU every year and not dodge them and also have to play some Michigan games on the road that they won't be getting many 11 win seasons. Dantonio is a good coach but he has 2 B10 championships in 8 years there. Let's not suck his dick quite yet

Tuebor

October 15th, 2015 at 11:29 AM ^

Dantonio is a great coach.  Top 10 maybe even top 5 in the country.  The program he inherited was a disaster.  He did luck into a situation where Michigan has been shooting itself in the foot but that doesn't explain all of his success.  I'll be interested to see how the rest of his tenure works out now that Narduzzi is at Pitt.  I hope he stays at Pitt for a long time.

 

In those 8 years 4 teams have won or shared a B1G championship.  OSU, Wisconsin, MSU, and PSU (shared with OSU in 2008).

 

Considering he took over for a team that hadn't made a bowl game in 4 years, had lost 5 straight to their primary rival and then basically assumed Michigan's position amongst the conference best is damn impressive.  That isn't "sucking his dick" it is seeing reality for what it is.

McSomething

October 14th, 2015 at 5:42 PM ^

MSU has had some serious scheduling luck on their side the better part of the last decade. Not saying they haven't been very good, just that their best seasons seem to have conspicuous omissions on their list of teams played. Didn't hurt them that Michigan decided it a great time to turn into a dumpster fire for 7 years, either.

McSomething

October 15th, 2015 at 6:12 PM ^

And until last year Sparty always seemed to be missing a lot of the top teams from their schedule near every year. Especially their two most successful seasons.

Don't remember which topic it was in, but I've already made a list showing that the difference in schedules is quite noticeable for an extended period of time.

HAIL-YEA

October 14th, 2015 at 7:24 PM ^

Wtf is a legends division championship..we had a better record than 5 other teams let's hang a banner, what a joke. They a 1 outright title and 1 shared.. If we win the B1g we will be in the playoffs and Harbaugh will have surpassed everything D'antoni ever did in his first year.