Original Post:
AFTER "COMPLETION", ARE YOU REALLY READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?
Wow. What a strange college football off-season. In the past, there was a sense of unfinished business, the need to right the wrongs of the past season and even decades of MSU football (or chUMp mythology), the need to scratch and claw for progress - for that seat at the table, for respect. In the past, I eagerly awaited each ... Read More
Reaction:
AFTER "COMPLETION", ARE YOU REALLY READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?
Wow. What a strange college football off-season. In the past, there was a sense of unfinished business, the need to right the wrongs of the past season and even decades of MSU football (or chUMp mythology), the need to scratch and claw for progress - for that seat at the table, for respect. In the past, I eagerly awaited each ... Read More
Reaction:
ATownAndDown Responds Below
MSU is on a whole new level. While Coach D and company are looking at one game at a time, we know there is more in the Spartans sights than a B1G Championship. I wrote about it last year with the whole perception thing. If you want to get a seat at the big boys table you have to go out and win big games. We beat OSU. We beat Stanford. All we can do is keep winning.
But its different. MSU is not the underdog team with the scrappy defense. Now MSU is the team with the target on their back. Oregon would love to notch that win onto their playoff resume. Every team in the B1G has MSU circled. That is what happens as you move up the ranks. Other teams want to beat you for more than just addition to their win column.
Of course there is room for a huge let down for MSU this year but don't you have to have big time potential to be let down? At the same time this is not your dad's Michigan State Spartans. The defense is trying to replace 6 starters and some great leaders. At the same time the offense was really grooving by the end of the season and looks like its going to take a few steps forward with some added weapons and a QB that has free reign to audible at the line. So is what the defense give up from last year made up for by the offense? Have to keep in mind that last year MSU didn't win on a couple of lucky bounces. Most of those wins once the B1G season started were games MSU controlled.
The real test is taking the next step. Is MSU ready for the big time? Coach D and his staff are keeping these guys hungry for more. There is new blood that is pushing the vets to play better. Cook said that the Mannie workouts this off-season were the hardest he has had to endure. Complacency is not in the minds of the team. They want more. Fans should enjoy the spoils of a victorious season in 2013 but we should want more too.
~ATownAndDown
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Target on their backs is a critical difference this past off season. I think it is great that MSU is the class of the B1G Ten, the gold standard for the conference and everyone else has pencilled in that game as THE game where they have to bring their A game and hope to score an upset.
ReplyDeleteIt's just starting!