Yinka Double Dare

August 21st, 2014 at 12:13 PM ^

It probably has. Rafael Palmeiro won a gold glove when he played about 20 games in the field and spent most of the season at DH, and that was voting done AFTER the season. 

With two or three returning starters who were actually quite good potentially being beaten out for their jobs, you have to think the back 7 is going to be pretty damn good this year.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 9754

Mgoscottie

August 21st, 2014 at 12:25 PM ^

and not only that, they talked about Hackenberg and Indiana's qb as being passed over for Cook.  Anyone else think that Gardner is clearly better than everyone except for maybe Miller?

Joined: 08/25/2009

MGoPoints: 16365

BigBlue02

August 21st, 2014 at 1:58 PM ^

No it isn't. Just because he got progressively better as the season went on doesn't mean he should be at the top of the list. He was pretty awful in a handful of games and played well the last two games of the season. If we are only taking into account the second half of the season, Gardner had much better numbers.

Joined: 06/29/2009

MGoPoints: -1003

NOLA Wolverine

August 21st, 2014 at 2:11 PM ^

He was the B1G Championship game and Rose Bowl MVP. Pretty hard to make a case against that from the outset of the season. Second half of the season was clearly Cook's better half. In the second half of the season outside of the Ohio State game, a loss, Gardner does not have anything to build a strong case with. 

Joined: 09/01/2009

MGoPoints: 7308

BigBlue02

August 21st, 2014 at 2:41 PM ^

A strong case like 10 passing touchdowns and only 1 interception in the last 6 games? And add 5 more rushing touchdowns? 10 of Gardner's 11 interceptions were in the first half of the season, when cook wasn't good enough to start for his own team. This was Gardner's first year as a starting QB also, just like cook. I'm not saying cook won't be good because I think he will, but it isn't tough to think he might not be an all world QB.

Joined: 06/29/2009

MGoPoints: -1003

NOLA Wolverine

August 21st, 2014 at 3:58 PM ^

Average QB ratings over the last six games of the regular season plus the post season games leaves Connor Cook at 150.3 and Gardner at 147, add in the fact that Michigan State actually won some pretty big games to end the year and it's really not hard to see why Cook should be on top of the list to start the year. 

Joined: 09/01/2009

MGoPoints: 7308

BigBlue02

August 21st, 2014 at 7:13 PM ^

So a difference of 3 QB ratings points gets cook the top candidate and Gardner not mentioned? Even though Gardner had more yards, fewer interceptions, and more rushing TD's? And don't tell Indiana or PSU's quarterbacks that you need to win a lot of games to be mentioned as a contender for the best B10 QB.

Joined: 06/29/2009

MGoPoints: -1003

switch26

August 21st, 2014 at 2:42 PM ^

yea and if Stanford doesn't drop 2 inexplicable easy INT's that Cook threw right into their chests he probably doesn't win any kind of award..

 

They couldn't give the award to their entire defense who saved Cook in virtually every game last year, so someone had to get it

Joined: 02/04/2010

MGoPoints: 8309

Franz Schubert

August 21st, 2014 at 6:35 PM ^

During conference play, Gardner threw for more yards and touchdowns than Cook. Just for good measure Gardner threw less interceptions than Cook also, not to mention the rushing yards and touchdowns Gardner offers. In fact Gardner threw the fewest interceptions in the conference during conference play! DG is the conferences leading returner in total offense and passing yards even if you include Braxton Miller! Now consider he was constantly under pressure, had no running game and didn't benefit from one of the best defenses in the country. Gardner is greater than Cook in every area, other than Cook was on a better team.

Joined: 07/20/2009

MGoPoints: 4453

Brianj25

August 21st, 2014 at 11:31 PM ^

MSU's offensive line was even worse than Michigan's early on in the season when they had a bunch of injuries. Cook's QB Rating over his final six games were 265, 123, 111, 205, 117, 144, and 151 for an average of 186, compared to 110, 140, 108, 99, 185, and a "Did Not Play" for an average of 128 for Gardner. And it's hard to use the argument that Gardner's ability on the ground makes up for that, considering in those same games he had negative 37 total rushing yards. 

These are stat-driven awards, and people think Michigan's suspected offensive line issues are going to continue to hamper Gardner's stats. Cooks stats have skyrocketed ever since MSU got over their offensive line issues, and people don't think those issues will be recurring. 

It's hard to feel slighted. Fix the offensive line issues and you don't have to argue that Gardner could be better if only he had a better offensive line. 

Joined: 08/21/2014

MGoPoints: -584

xxxxNateDaGreat

August 21st, 2014 at 1:32 PM ^

Depends on if Hackenberg can make the sophomore leap, if Conner Cook can build on the momentum from last year, and if the O line can give Devin two seconds to process the world around him before he is swept off his feet. I'd say right now, knowing what little we all know, Devin should be the best QB in the Big Ten this year.

Joined: 11/28/2011

MGoPoints: 2312

chomz14

August 21st, 2014 at 12:29 PM ^

7 Sparty's on the list including the QB and the Big 10 defensive player of the year. Crazy how things have changed... We have a WR who's listed as a TE, a OLB that moved to the middle and a corner who might be the 3rd best corner on our team.

Joined: 09/03/2009

MGoPoints: 3676

maize-blue

August 21st, 2014 at 1:11 PM ^

I've been wondering this for real though. The entire MSU persona has been built around this direspected, underdog, "Little Brother", etc., image. Dantonio has used this to great affect and he, the players and the fans all took this attitude. Now that they have actually had some success and gained national attention, I wonder if they'll be able to keep that motivation? 

Joined: 01/10/2013

MGoPoints: 44662

mal

August 21st, 2014 at 1:35 PM ^

New method. We have a bullseye on our back, they want what we got, etc. A good motivator can motivate the team in any situation. I really just care about Sparty when Michigan plays them and they will always have the inferiority complex-thing goin on with that game.

Joined: 03/06/2012

MGoPoints: 87

WMU81

August 21st, 2014 at 12:55 PM ^

Did anybody these yahoos watch the Rose Bowl? Cook looked terrible and is rather lucky Stanford's LB's couldn't catch a ball to save their lives. Not trying to hate on SPARTY, but Cook is not that Good.

Joined: 10/15/2012

MGoPoints: 774