Pure Michigan

And they have the stones to call us arrogant ?



This whole negative connotation of a WAL*MART WOLVERINE is ridiculous. There is nothing wrong with having a strong portion of your fan base comprised of local people that did not attend the University. In fact it is a great thing. It is a testament to the strength of the brand and success of the program.

I find this video both mean spirited and judgmental. I also don't get the racist "Japanese or Jewish" reference. I am sure in East Lansing they have a special screening gate for all Sparty fans to verify they are anglo, christian, straight, attending classes, and/or have a degree from MSU.

HT: 616GoBlue

Turn and Face the Strain

And these children that you spit on

As they try to change their worlds

Are immune to your consultations

They're quite aware of what they're going through

~ David Bowie. Changes.

In the next couple of weeks, there is going to be an announcement regarding the future construct of the Big 10 conference. There have been very strong indications that Michigan and Ohio State will not be in the same division and THE GAME will not be played as the last game on the schedule.

This change will be met with predictable disdain and a universal outcry from both sides of the rivalry. Personally, I am not sure how I feel about it. I understand that M/OSU is the greatest rivalry in sports. I recognize this contest has been the jewel of the Big Ten conference for decades. I acknowledge the historical importance of Bo & Woody. In a perfect world this would go on forever. The days of the Big 2 and Little 8 are gone and they are not coming back.

The truth is, the rivalry has lost some of its luster at the same time other conferences have spiked in national attention. In some respects, I believe we brought this upon ourselves. I can’t help but think the bright national spotlight and overwhelming hatred has become so heavy it has collapsed upon itself. To many outside the rivalry, this thing we have with the Buckeyes is just not that important compared to real conference championship games. We have certainly not been holding up our end of the deal by losing 6 straight games. Couple this one sided situation with the fact Ohio State was whipped twice by SEC teams in the BCS Championship games, and you can understand why the Big Ten Conference is seeking this change.

To the leaders of the Big Ten, this is all about national perception and responding to the competitive challenge presented by the SEC/Big12/Pac12. They are faced with these choices.

1. Place Michigan & Ohio State in the same division and leave THE GAME untouched at the end of the regular season schedule. Run the risk of creating a lopsided balance of power for a single division (see Texas & Oklahoma in the B12 South) and lose all possibility of Michigan/Ohio State ever meeting in the B10 championship game.
2. Place Michigan & Ohio State in different divisions and leave THE GAME untouched at the end of the regular season schedule. Run the risk of having M/OSU face each other two weeks in a row. I (along with many others) didn't want to see this in 2006 and don't want to see it now.
3. Place Michigan & Ohio State in different divisions and move THE GAME to another part of the regular season schedule. Allow the rivalry to continue and set up the possibility of a eventual M/OSU B10 championship game.

Yes, all this is very unsettling. In a perfect world, traditions would continue and no change would be necessary. In the real world, this change is necessary. We have been playing the Buckeyes the end of the season every year since 1935 except when we didn’t, like in 1942 (Iowa), 1986 (Hawaii) and 1998 (Hawaii). The world did not shatter during those seasons, and it won’t now.

There was a time when Oklahoma v. Nebraska was part of our last game of the season club. That rivalry game was changed with the birth of the B12 and both of those programs have moved on and have found new success. There is no reason we won't both survive and thrive.

Rather than rip my hair out and moan about the “good old days” – I am willing embrace this change and see it as a new opportunity. Replacing Ohio State with Sparty that weekend before Thanksgiving sounds like a lot of fun to me – plus if we are both good enough, the prospect of watching Michigan play the Bucks in the B10 Championship game is just too much fun to imagine.

Other signs not in the news

New Final Four logo

This evening, in celebration of both West Virginia and Michigan State getting to the Final Four, the NCAA released a new logo for the event.

Sparty On 2010

"It's not the Spartans that are rioting. Usually, it's others that come here."

5 things I like less than John Gravallese

I went to bed on Sunday night frustrated with the sudden and soul-crushing end of the Michigan hockey season. As a Michigan sports fan, you learn to deal with things like this -- I just woke up and went on with my day looking to find something else to focus on. It did not work. I needed to understand how and why it came to this. At the risk of sounding too much like a Penn State football fan, I needed to know more about this John Gravallese character. A simple google search turned up something from US College Hockey Online about the source of my pain. This interesting article included this terribly ironic quote:

“I just get my assignment, pack my bags and show up.... I try to blend in and let the game call itself.”

Really? You have no idea how much I wish that was true. Instead of letting this ridiculous anger go too far, I decided to get creative and make a list of five things I like less than the "senior man in Hockey East"

1) Raw onions: Sorry Mom, I can't stand them. There is no quicker way to ruin a sandwich or burger than laying a tastless foul smelling mistake on it. I generally like vegetables, but adding raw onions to a mixed salad is a crime. Want to destroy a tuna salad? add chopped onions. Looking to ensure there is left over pizza? add raw onions. The strange thing is I have no problem with cooked/sautéed onions and eat them when offered. But the raw crunch of an onion is unbearable for me.

2) Mr Met: As a lifelong Phillies phan, I am genetically predisposed to loath anything connected the National League franchise in New York . I was an undergrad at Michigan in 1986. It was bad. As a rule, I accept sports mascots as part of the entertainment package of live sporting events. When you really look at him, Mr Met is just plain creepy. Why is he always smiling? Clearly he has not watched his team play for the last couple of years.

3) Snakes: I live in Texas. It is hot here. Last summer I pulled into my garage and stepped out of my car. Something moved. It was a small harmless garter snake slithering about a foot from my safely covered toes. I yelped loudly. I quickly jumped away. Once I realized how foolish I looked, I grabbed a tool looking to kill my nemasis. Much to his benefit, he was gone. I have not gotten out of my car in the garage without looking down since.

4) Mark Dantonio: Worshiped by FDFP writers and long suffering Sparty football fans for his bravado -- I see Mark Dantonio as nothing more than a boorish moron. Time and time again he has delivered. Just a few: His memorable moment of silence comment after the Michigan loss to Appy State. Whining about Michigan players celebrating a win. Responding to Mike Hart by making fun of his size. Openly cheering for Ohio State when his team needed a Buckeye loss to have a chance at the Rose Bowl. Saying he would be embarrassed by only 3 wins minutes after getting crushed at Penn State. Allowing Glen Winston to join practice hours after being released from jail.

5) The wave: I refuse. It was fun the first couple of instances I saw it happen at Michigan Stadium. But that was in the 80's. Enough already. Pay attention to what is going on in the game. Stay focused on being loud and creating a home field advantage. Let it die.

Phew, I feel better.

Sparty Manifesto

Brian linked to this at the bottom of his giddy M/MSU hockey playoff weekend recap. I felt it was so important, I decided to give it additional exposure and save it here for eternity.

The Humiliation, and Destruction of One of many Hockey Players by the Michigan State Hockey Coaching Staff: Rick Comley, Brian Renfrew, and Tom Newton. Provided via Spartantailgate College hockey fans, here we are, it's senior week. Where we usually celebrate and say farewell to the seniors on the MSU ice hockey team. But this year is very different. The class of 2010 was meant to be eliminated by this coaching staff. Just look around the arena - the seniors pictures usually found on the entrance doors of the arena have been put in a very obscure place, and disrespected by erecting a booth to block them. With the exception of Sucharski, of course, who was hated by many of the players for the last five years, but coach loves him, so go figure? The class lost a couple of players along the way, but three remained to be part of the team. But this writing's about #16 Justin Johnston. He left the team today, and couldn't take being humiliated and not dressing on senior night. He was recruited by this staff and accepted an the invitation to MSU proudly (as this is always where he wanted to be), but did so under the clear expectation that being in the line-up and playing were the most important thing. He had many choices of colleges to play for along the way, but dreamed of playing at MSU, and jumped at the chance to be here. His freshman year, the 2006-2007 national championship year, he played three games, was of course humiliated, and was given virtually no reason as to why this was happening. The next two seasons he saw limited ice time in order to prevent any type of meaningful development, and no promotion whatsoever, except for Ron Mason saying to Smiegel (Comley), "Why aren't you playing him?" Justin was given the most improved player award, to "make things look good," he was already very good. But the coaches had their foot on his head, and would not take off, while touting other equal or lesser players. Players said early on when he was a freshman, "I can't believe it, the players spend most of their time in the locker room planning Comley's death and laughing about it. The success of the team has nothing more to do with the coaches." Justin had nothing but the best coaches previous to MSU. Psych major? No, this coach has an authority complex and significant issues as a person in society, let alone a D-I hockey coach. (Are you kidding, the guy should be in the nut house.) Of course, this school does have convicts playing D-I sports, so why not have a nut-job as the head coach of your hockey team? It's really sad. Everyone knows he should have been fired four years ago, but the emergence of Jeff Lerg saved him, although everyone is sure that was a total surprise, and gift to him, that the team turned itself around that year and won the NCAA title. This coaching staff is clearly sick. Other premier programs don't treat their recruits this way. Justin has been a good kid, not drunk every night like the hockey house crowd. He has practiced hard to get past whatever false issues the coaches used. Johnson was given scholarship money his sophomore year, and was told in his junior and senior years would be paid for as well. He never saw a check after the first one, and they had the nerve to say, "Maybe if you played a little better, who knows?" Well, we sat back for four years, and took this crap, and we are all relieved it's over. But the damage has been done. So, we will be carrying the torch from now on for all the players/families (too many to mention) who just got screwed and kept their mouths shut. We promise! Go MSU players! - The Freshman Class of 2006

Who wants to take bets this was written by Johnston's girlfriend or Dad?

Now that is more like it

Friday Night: Michigan 5 Sparty 1
Saturday Night: Michigan 5 Sparty 3
On to the CCHA Final Four at Joe Louis Arena.

Preview

The Spawn of MZone is very excited to get the opportunity to be the first to share the official 2010 MSU Football Media Guide with the world.

We obtained a preview image from one of our inside connections with the Sparty Athletic Department. After some quick negotiations, our insider graciously agreed to share the yet to be released cover on the condition anonymity.

As you may already know a media guide is program specific press kit, distributed as a book or binder. It typically features detailed information relating to the team's players, history, and statistics and in the case of Michigan State, the criminal records and prison terms for each and every player.

Bowling update

Congrats to the Iowa Hawkeyes for the impressive showing last night in the Orange Bowl. The win ensured the Big Ten will have a winning record in bowl games this year. Personally I don't think conference bowl records mean anything, but maybe it will silence the Big Ten football critics for a couple of weeks. If you consider the conference was a FG away from winning 2 more bowl games (Minnesota and Northwestern) things are looking much better than they were a year ago. It is safe to say that Sparty was the only dark spot in an otherwise good bowl season.

Not many people remember, but Iowa was a miracle (in the form of two blocked FGs in a row) away from an Appy State like meltdown in the first game of the season against Northern Iowa. The Hawks dominated the entire game at the line of scrimmage against Georgia Tech. I am biased, but I think Navy runs the option attack better than the Yellow Jackets. It would be interesting to see if they could do better against the Iowa D. I do not look forward to seeing Mr Clayborn next year in Michigan Stadium.

Speaking of impressive, how about that fake FG attempt by Iowa in the 4th quarter ? The flip from the holder to the kicker was as innovative as I have ever seen. He essentially got off his knee before he caught the snap and flipped it thru his legs to the slow (but sprinting kicker). It did not work, but it still as awesome. Watching the play made me ponder two things:

1) Why do the refs not blow most fake FGs dead when the kneeling holder catches the ball ? He is technically down.

and

2) Why do the refs not call intentional grounding when a team spikes the football to stop the clock ? The QB is still inside the tackle box and the ball never makes it past the line of scrimmage.

Anyway, with two games left, here is the Spawn Bowl Pick 'Em update. According to my records, no one has a chance at a perfect 5-0 record. It has come down to Hemlock and myself (and possibly others). I am hoping for a lot of points in the BCS game.

Open Thread : Inferiority Complex Bowl

For the record, I am rooting for Santa Anna's Army.

Fired

The Alamo Bowl drama continues...

Texas Tech fired coach Mike Leach today, two days after he was suspended by the school as it investigated his treatment of Craig Jame's kid who was injured with a concussion. They handed Leach's attorney a termination letter just minutes before the two sides were to appear in a Lubbock courtroom for a hearing on the coach's suspension.

Ted Liggett (Leach's lawyer) said that Texas Tech general counsel Pat Campbell approached him outside the courtroom and told him : win, lose or draw in the hearing, Leach was out, effective immediately.

Your move Sparty.

Wild night at the Small Planet

Sparty redshirt freshman Myles White was charged this morning with urinating in public. This is a 90-day misdemeanor coupled with a minor in possession of alcohol, it carries a penalty of $100 plus court costs. The incident happened early in the morning of Nov. 22 at the Small Planet nightclub. This was the same event in which now former Spartan Glenn Winston got into in an altercation with a member of the Iota Phi Theta fraternity.

The next night, Winston gathered his posse and things were continued with the Iotas.

Happy Turkey Day

Let's make this the Lions Open Thread also.

Go LIONS !!! Beat the Packers !!!

Glenn Winston meet Brandon Graham

I don't have any real content today, I am working on Iowa's KYF today. In case you have not already figured it out, when I don't have anything prepared I will throw up a video. Thanks to Brian for splicing all up the plays. If you are a football junkie and want to learn what really happens, read this. It is what separates MGoBlog from every other site out there.

I could watch this play over and over a hundred times and it will make me smile. I know we lost, but I wonder if Glenn Winston wishes he was still in jail after this hit.

Gameday 2009 - Sparty Open Thread

There is a paradox in pride:

It makes some men ridiculous, but prevents others from becoming so.
~ Charles Caleb Colton

Know your Foe – Michigan State 2009

Saturday we will take our first trip outside of Ann Arbor to visit with our good friends from East Lansing. This game will be the 102nd skirmish between Michigan and Michigan State. For most of my life, this game has been a joyous occasion, as we typically come out on top. However, because last year’s game is still burning in my soul a win this year will likely make me jump up and down like a little kid watching football for the first time. Historically we have a 67-29-5 record against them, so even if we do happen to lose, feel free to remind your Sparty friends that they need to win the next 37 years to pull even with us. Here is what you need to know about our jolly green in state rivals:

History: There have been four constitutions approved by the people of Michigan. The first was in 1835, written as the territory was preparing to become a state. The second was ratified in 1850. This one mandated the creation of an "agricultural school”. If you read Article 13 section 11 of the 1850 constitution, it appears to me that the school was intended to be a part the existing University of Michigan. At the time, UofM President Henry P. Tappan tried to convince the legislature to build the agriculture school in Ann Arbor. However, the Secretary of the State Agricultural Society, John C. Holmes, argued that Michigan's young farmers would not get the attention they needed amongst the arrogant intellectuals in Ann Arbor. Holmes' argument eventually won out and on February 12, 1855, Michigan Governor Kinsley S. Bingham signed a bill establishing the nation's first agriculture college, it was called the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan.

This new school was the prototype for 69 other land-grant colleges later established under the Morrill Act of 1862. It was the first institution of higher learning in the United States focused on scientific agriculture. In 1857 the school opened with three buildings, five faculty members, and 63 students (all of them male). To help offset the costs students were required to work as manual laborers for three hours a day. This first class all left the school in 1861 to enlist in the Union Army only to be graduated in absentia.

The original scientific curriculum created an immediate conflict with the managing State Board of Education. The Board saw this new school as being elitist and extravagant. Additionally, many farmers protested against the curriculum calling for the school's abolition. These farmers saw the scientific curriculum as educating boys “away from the farm”. In 1859 after just two years and great public pressure, the president Joseph R. Williams resigned, and the school was reduced to a two-year, vocation-oriented farming program. This move created a drastic reduction in enrollment and the school was soon in dire financial straits and was facing with dissolution.

After he resigned, Williams successfully ran for Lieutenant Governor were he helped pass the Reorganization Act of 1861, the law removed oversight of the College from the Board of Education and placed it under the newly created State Board of Agriculture. It also mandated that the college have a four-year curriculum and the power to grant degrees comparable to those of the University of Michigan. The people of the state of Michigan are still waiting for that to happen.

Officially there have been six names of this place:
1855: Agricultural College of the State of Michigan
1861: State Agricultural College
1909: Michigan Agricultural College
1925: Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science
1955: Michigan State University of Agriculture and Applied Science
1964: Michigan State University

Location: MSU's main campus is located in East Lansing, about three miles from the Michigan State Capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County; though a small portion lies in Clinton County.

The original settlement of East Lansing began around 1847; the same year nearby Lansing was made the capital of the state of Michigan. It was an important junction of two major Indian trails: the Okemah Road, and the Park Lake Trail. By 1850, the Lansing and Howell Plank Road Company was established to connect a toll road to the Detroit and Lansing, which cut right through what is now East Lansing.

The city charter in 1907 prohibited the possession, sale, or consumption of alcoholic beverages, and East Lansing was a "dry" city until voters modified the charter provision in 1968. Michigan State students have been trying to make up for lost time ever since.

The 5200 acre campus is enormous. I have been to many college campuses over the years, and MSU is definitely not anywhere near the top in terms of charm and beauty. But I am clearly biased and recognize that many consider it as one of the nicest in the country. As their fight song indicates, the school is perched on the banks of the Red Cedar River, but if you have ever seen it, this particular body of water is much more of a creek than a river. Also the trees along the river's source are actually junipers, not cedars.

Nickname: They call themselves Spartans. They were originally known as Aggies until 1925. Looking to expand and improve the school’s "dumb farmer" image they hosted a contest to establish a new nickname. The winner of the contest was "Staters". Local sports writers were unhappy and sifted through the losing entries to find a shorter and more heroic name. They found one that read "Spartans". It is safe to say that Sparty was born as a result of a stolen election.

An interesting coincidence and side note: Justin Morrill (sponsor of the 1862 Morrill Act) had once compared the Land Grant colleges he was helping establish to the schools of ancient Sparta. So there you have it.

Mascot: If you have ever been to a MSU sporting event, you have likely seen the meat-head, muscle-bound costumed version of Sparty. Let's call him HGH Sparty. There is a non-juiced version a Spartan warrior displayed in two statues on campus. The original 9 foot statue was dedicated in 1945. When it was erected, the media claimed that it was the tallest free-standing ceramic sculpture in the world. This original statue was moved indoors to be protected from the weather and replaced with a tougher bronze version in 2005. The newer bronze hero is theoretical guarded by members of the marching band, but obviously sometimes they fall asleep.

The HGH Sparty has been a staple at MSU athletic events since 1989, which just happens to be the year that Tony Mandarich left MSU to become the biggest bust in NFL history. Sparty has been named ESPN’s Mascot of the Year three times and was nominated to the Mascot Hall of Fame, where he unsurprisingly lost to Brutus Buckeye. Over the last couple of years it seems like HGH Sparty is everywhere, including ESPN commercials and computer game covers. I even saw him at a West Michigan Whitecaps game a few years ago, where ran over a little kid and made him cry.

Colors/Logo/Helmet: They wear green and white. As I covered in the EMU KYF two weeks ago, they are one of four NCAA BCS football schools to wear this seemingly common combination. No one really knows when the MSU athletic teams officially began wearing green and white. In 1899 the records of the Michigan Agricultural College show the athletic association took steps to adopt a green monogram, "to be worn only by athletes who subsequently take part in intercollegiate events." It is generally accepted the colors became official with the arrival in 1903 of Chester L. Brewer as the school's first athletic director.

As far as logos, MSU has had many different logos over the years. Most of them including some version of a Spartan warrior helmet. My favorite is the smoking/drunken auto-worker carrying a seat cushion and thermos from the mid-60’s. Since East Lansing was a dry town up until 1968, I can only assume that thermos contains black coffee. Today, the primary school logo is the “block S”. When my son was little, he used to ask me why “that team in green has the number five on their helmets?”

Speaking of helmets, Michigan State provides yet another slice of supporting data for my helmet changes/program success theory. The Spartans have changed their helmets more frequently than they have had former wide receivers go to jail.

Here is a nice comparison: Michigan last changed the basic look of the helmets in 1976 when we changed from grey facemasks to navy blue facemasks. In the same 33 year period Michigan State has changed their helmet logo/facemask/stripes 10 different times. During that same time period Michigan has won or shared the Big Ten title 16 times and Michigan State three times.

The current Spartan head design has been used on many different versions over the years. They've also used the block "S" during two different eras, including the 83-94 George Perles era where they only had the “S” on one side of the helmet. Perles came to East Lansing from the Pittsburgh Steelers and didn't understand that logos should be put on both sides of the helmet.

Fight Song: MSU's original fight song was written in 1915 and copyrighted in 1919. A cheerleader named Francis Irving Lankey, along with lyricist Arthur Sayles, created the song by combining original lyrics with the melody from an early-20th century hymn called "Stand Up, Stand Up For Jesus". When the name of the school changed from Michigan Agricultural College to Michigan State University, the lyrics also had to change.

The original song included the line “Michigan is weakening, We're going to win this game.” When they lyrics were changed, that line was changed to the more generic and less obsessed “See their team is weakening, We're going to win this game.” However, Spartan fans continue to use the original line and it seems that most only know one word from the song “WEAK”

On the banks of the Red Cedar,
There's a school that's known to all;
Its specialty is winning,
And those Spartans play good ball;
Spartan teams are never beaten,
All through the game they'll fight;
Fight for the only colors:
Green and White.
Go right through for MSU,
Watch the points keep growing,
Spartan teams are bound to win,
They're fighting with a vim!
Rah! Rah! Rah!
See their team is weakening,
We're going to win this game,
Fight! Fight! Rah! Team, Fight!
Victory for MSU!

Academics: I don't think I have ever met an MSU student or alum that doesn't claim they “also got into Michigan” but chose Michigan State instead. Of course this makes complete sense, given that MSU is nationally ranked 71st in latest the U.S. News and World Report school rankings. This spot puts them in last place in the Big Ten conference, tied with Indiana and Iowa. The Fall 2008 acceptance rate was 70%, although I don’t think I know anyone from my high school class that applied to MSU and did not get in.

The fact of the matter is that Michigan State is one of the classic “if you can’t get into college go to State” institutions in America. Reading through their current marketing materials, MSU claims to have “one of the largest and best career placement services in the nation”. Given the current unemployment rate in the state of Michigan, I can only imagine along with a MSU diploma you get a bus ticket out of the state.

Football Program: Following World War II, The University of Chicago decided to de-emphasize athletics and resigned its spot in the Big Ten in 1946. The conference re-named itself to the Big Nine (imagine that?) and Michigan State lobbied hard to become a member. Despite the objections of UofM Athletic Director Fritz Crisler, the Spartans were admitted into the conference in 1949, once again making it the Big Ten. It was one of Crisler’s own protégés, Clarence "Biggie" Munn that turned the Spartans to a national football power. They have claimed various versions of a football National Championship six times (1951, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1965, and 1966).

The most famous game in Michigan State history was the 1966 Notre Dame game at Spartan Stadium. It was dubbed "The Game of the Century", but it has become one of the most controversial, games in college football history. Michigan State entered the contest 9-0 and ranked #2, while Notre Dame came to East Lansing with an 8-0 record and ranked #1. The game ended with Notre Dame electing to run out the clock on the final series accepting a 10-10 tie. Both schools claimed different national championships after the season.

The Spartans have produced some decent professional players, including Pro Football Hall of Famers Joe DeLamielleure and Herb Adderley. Detroit Tiger legend Kirk Gibson was an all-American flanker receiver for the Spartans. They won the 1988 Rose Bowl over USC with the help of a juiced up Tony Mandarich. But basically since 1966, MSU has slipped backwards into obscurity and are now an after-thought in the world of college football elite.

Other sports: You may have heard, but Sparty also has a strong basketball program led by Coach Tom Izzo. They have won two National Championships and have been to countless Final Fours, including a run to the Finals last year in Ford Field. MSU can also claim Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. The Spartan hockey team is also pretty strong with three NCAA titles over the last couple of years, even though they have recently turned into a bunch of THUGS. In the late 1960’s their men’s soccer team won consecutive national titles.

If you are looking for Lady Spartan championships -- save your search engine cycles. I could not find any women’s NCAA titles and they only claim about a dozen Big Ten titles in all sports over the years. Apparently women go to Michigan State to look good, not play sports.

Famous alums: Michigan State has around 460,000 alums worldwide. Famous former Spartans include the first woman to parachute from an airplane, Fay Gillis Wells. They also claim movie actor James Caan and TV actor Robert Urich, Bistol Myers Squib CEO James M. Cornelius and Nobel Prize winning Doctor Alfred Hershey. Fans of radio clown Howard Stern will recognize Jackie Martling; and finally every pedophiles worst nightmare, Chris Hansen.

From a the world of sports, in addition to the previously mentioned former Spartans, MSU can claim Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane, Quicken Loans founder/Cleveland Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, and baseball Hall of Famer Robin Roberts. Pro football pro bowlers Bubba Smith and Carl Banks and MLB all-star Steve Garvey also spent some time in East Lansing. As you would expect from a basketball school like MSU, they have a bunch of NBA players including drunk driver Scott Skiles, Steve Smith, Kevin Willis, and speed racer Jason Richardson.

AND, for those of you keeping score… Michigan State has not produced a US President or astronaut.

The Game: Last year I made the trip to Ann Arbor for this game and stayed to watch them hoist the Paul Bunyan Trophy like it was a crystal football. This was first Spartan victory in Michigan Stadium since Eddie Brown assaulted Desmond Howard in 1990.

To be honest, I alternate between feeling good and feeling anxious about this game. I just don't know what to expect. I have watched a couple of MSU games this year, and just have not been that impressed. They obviously have some good players and they are desperate to beat us to save their season. On the other hand, I have no idea how our young team will respond on the road in a hostile environment. Our defense continues to make me cry in agony.

Maybe it is my typical Michigan arrogance or my searing hatred for Mark Dantonio -- but I just can’t bring myself to predict a score that shows them winning this game.

Michigan 38
Michigan State 31

Rewind: 1991 Michigan State

This week I decided to re-watch the 1991 Michigan State game. I chose this game because it was the last time we visited Spartan Stadium following a loss the previous year in Ann Arbor.

Michigan State came into this game 0-4 and was coached by George Perles. Michigan was coached by 2nd year coach Gary Moeller and ranked in the top 10 with a single loss to Florida State. Moeller came into this game with an 0-4 record against State (3 of those losses came while he was the coach at Illinois). Our offense was as dynamic and exciting as we had ever been, led by quarterback Elvis Grbac and future Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard.

1st quarter: Sparty got the ball to start the game, made a first down and was forced to punt. Michigan marched down the field mixing passes to Desmond and pounding the ball on the ground with Rickey Powers. Grbac hit Desmond on a slant for a touchdown pass to take a 7-0 lead.

Sparty sputtered with a three and out. Elvis and Desmond hooked up again, this time on a diving fade route on the corner of the end zone for a 14-0 lead. These two touchdowns were the 11th and 12th of the season for Desmond. Up to this point, as a team Michigan State had scored 2 touchdowns in their 4 games.

2nd quarter: WIth a comfortable 14-0 lead, Moeller started running the ball a lot more with Ricky Powers, Jesse Johnson, and freshman Tyronne Wheatley. Elvis Grbac threw his first incomplete pass (he was 9 for 9 to start the game) but hit Dave Diebolt for another touchdown and a 21-0 lead. Sparty picked themselves off the turf and drove the length of the field and QB Jim Miller hits Courtney Hawkins for a touchdown right before halftime to cut the lead to 21-7.

3rd quarter: Michigan got the ball on the 2nd half kickoff and let Ricky Powers and Burnie Leegette carry it down the field behind their huge offensive line, led by All Americans Matt Elliott and Greg Skrepenak. ESPN announcer Gary Danielson continues to complain about Michigan's perfectly legal (at the time) use of more than 11 players in the huddle. At one point he actually cries "It is not fair to Michigan State". Jesse "House Cat" Johnson finishes the drive with a 17 yard touchdown scamper. Michigan 28-7.

As is typically the case in this rivalry game, Michigan State continues to battle and moves the ball deep into Michigan territory. Speedy Spartan freshman Mill Coleman catches Jim Miller's 13th straight completion for a touchdown, equaling the total number of touchdowns they have scored all season. 28-14 and momentum looks like is starting to swing towards the jolly green giants.

After exchanging punts, Jesse Johnson scores another running touchdown late in quarter. We recover the fumbled kickoff at the 25 yard line. At the end of three quarters Powers and Johnson have combined 240 yards rushing, Grbac has thrown for 3 touchdowns and the Wolverines have a commanding 35-14 lead.

4th quarter: Following the fumble, Michigan stalls inside their 10, including a missed opportunity for Desmond to catch another TD. JD Carlson kicks a FG and we now lead 38-14. Another Sparty punt and another Michigan drive featuring Tyrone Wheatly and Desmond. Todd Collins takes over for Elvis midway thru the drive and Wheatley fumbles the ball to Sparty into the end zone. Miller throws an interception against our 3rd string defense and the ball is returned inside the 5 yard line. This time Tyrone crosses the goal line with the ball in his hands. 45-14 Wolverines. Garbage time.

Michigan State punched in two late meaningless touchdowns against Junior Varsity defense allowing the home crowd to cheer a couple of times. The game ended with the good guys winning 45-28.

What did we learn from this exercise? Sparty has never been a football power in my lifetime. The talent differential between Michigan and Michigan State in the 1990's was pretty clear. Our team was stacked with future NFL talent and it showed throughout this game. Desmond Howard was the best and most exciting player in college football in 1991. Our offensive line was capable of dominating a game and Elvis Grbac was a darn good quarterback. The defense coached by coordinator Lloyd Carr and led by Butkus Award winner Erick Anderson was solid and unspectacular at the same time.

The 1991 team won the Big Ten with a perfect 8-0 record and lost to the eventual National Champion Washington Huskies.

Opening the week...

Put the keys away and yell

I was watching the Central Michigan at Michigan State game on Saturday and I saw something that raised my blood pressure to a dangerous level. And...No, it wasn't Mark Dantonio.

For those of you that missed it, it was a great game ending in with a timeless Sparty meltdown. Down 27-20 Central rallied and scored a touchdown in the final minute. Rather than kick the PAT to send it to OT, they went for the win. The two point conversion failed and it looked like they would lose 26-27. BUT, After a perfect on-side kick and a couple of plays they were in position to kick the game winning 47 yard field goal. They miss it, but Sparty was called off-sides and they get another chance from 42 yards.

Eight seconds left. Right before the eventual game winning FG ESPN pans the noisy and anxious Central Michigan section at Spartan Stadium -- and I see this:

I can only assume the guy on the phone was a MSU fan calling his friends complaining that they were going to lose another game they had in the win column. But more importantly, notice the brunet female CMU fan making noise. Now take your eyes two people to her left. Yes, the fan wearing a "M" hat. He looks like he does not have any idea what to do in such a critical moment of the game...

Rather than follow the lead of the Chippewa fans sitting around him by making some noise or clapping his hands, this poor misguided Wolverine fan takes out his keys and starts shaking them. Wow. I can see Yost's head spin off his shoulders now.

I will admit, I thought the "key play" shtick was cute..... in 1980. I am posting this as a public service, in case you are unsure on what to do next time you are in Michigan Stadium. If just one Michigan fan changes his behavior, it will be worth it. At critical moments in the game put your keys in your pocket and scream. If you absolutely have to jingle your keys, go ahead and multitask : open your mouth and scream while holding your keys.