VIDEO - MSU FOOTBALL FRONT BURNER: Beyond the Rose Bowl, Part 2 and Video Highlights

ROSE BOWL CHAMPIONS EDITION
Our weekly feature on MSU Football brings diverse responses to
a variety of questions related to the Spartans program. 

Front-Burner was published in three parts between the B1G Championship and the Rose Bowl

Part 1. B1G Championship Game Discussion
Part 2. MSU 2013 Season Discussion
           2A. ATownAndDown Feature
           2B. MSUSpartan76 Feature
Part 3. Rose Bowl Discussion
           3A. Pre-Game Discusison
           3B. The Game/Results - Beyond the Rose Bowl Part 1
           3C. Beyond the Rose Bowl Part 2  (This Edition)

Panelists:

ATownAndDown (Follow A-Town on M-Live)

MSUSpartan76 (Follow '76 on M-Live)
SpartanMan82 (Check out all of SM82's posts)

Note: This will be the final weekly Front Burner edition. Others will follow as new developments related tot the football team dictate.

First let's take a look at the Rose Bowl and celebration highlights.



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1. MSU has finished as a finalist in high profile recruiting battles frequently in recent years. Should we expect to win those battles more regularly immediately, or will MSU need a validation season in 2014 before Dantonio lands more plan A recruits resulting in top 20 recruiting classes?

ATownAndDown (Follow A-Town on M-Live)
Recruiting is improving. There won't be a sudden jump if you ask me. Coach D has already said the pitch is going to remain the same and that is going to turn off some recruits. There are many recruits that view college football as a transitional league and want to hear what a program and coach are going to do for them to get them to the NFL. That is not what Coach D will ever push. He is going to tell guys how its going to be and what is expected of them at MSU. Some recruits will be smart enough to see the results of having that lunchbox mentality (Coach D has put 24 players in the NFL and with guys like Dennard, Bullough, Lewis, Allen, Fou, etc. that list will grow longer soon) but others want to hear the coach tell them that getting them ready for the NFL is his goal. But you are already seeing bigger recruits looking a little harder at MSU and some of the prognosticators are shifting their speculations toward MSU because of that.

MSUSpartan76 (Follow '76 on M-Live)
Elsworth was a walk-on. How many star players has MSU produced from the ranks of the recruiting site 2-stars and unrated?

What we should expect is the MSU Spartan Football coaching staff to continue to stuff the roster with kids that fit the program, can be developed, who are willing to put in the work, who play as a team, and who never quit. We need and want those players that fit: Spartans Will!

We do not need chUMps as role models. We do not need to polish recruiting trophies. Those so-called recruiting "battles" are just hype created by the recruiting sites and spoon fed to the fans. MSU needs no validation. The only true validation comes with "Just Win."

SpartanMan82 (Check out chUMp of the Month Winners)
The recruiting situation is already improving. Nothing is certain until LOIs are signed, but getting a verbal from the top player in Pennsylvania last month was a sign of things to come. There is only room for a few more players in the 2014 Class, but it looks like MSU is bidding for some big names to add before signing day in February.

Much has been made of how well Mark Dantonio has done with "lower-tier" recruits, but that success doesn't mean that he only wants 2-star players. He will be going after "higher-tier" recruits for the 2015 Class, and we should see results of those recruiting efforts during the next eight months. I expect next year's group to finish in the Top 20, perhaps Top 15 or better.

Meanwhile, the 2014 Class is ranked around #35 in the country right now, but every time Dantonio is asked about them, he says it's a great group. As long as Dantonio gets who he wants, it won't matter how many stars they have coming out of high school.

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2. What do you think will be the most intriguing stories in the off-season?

MSUSpartan76 (Follow '76 on M-Live)
Easy. How are the fans going to handle the coaching decisions related to Damion Terry and Connor Cook. Where will Tyler O'Conner fit into the scheme of things.

One other story: Will Desmond Howard actually get a clue?

SpartanMan82 (Check out This Date in chUMp History)

Damion Terry still seems to be a more talented quarterback than Connor Cook, yet Cook has two years experience ahead of him. Will Terry be given a fair chance at the job? If not, will he get to play in non-garbage-time situations? Tyler Hoover guarantees it.

What happens with Don Treadwell? If Narduzzi stays with us, will there be a place for Treadwell on the staff?

What will Mark Hollis do about the perceived "problem" with the student section in Spartan Stadium? Several simple answers are available, and Hollis is more than competent enough to choose one of the solutions to the "problem". Will he fix it?

How do the coaches divide playing time between Jeremy Langford and the other viable running back candidates on the team now and those who will be arriving later this year? Langford will be a Senior, and we don't want a repeat of the LeVeon Bell show from last year, with one running back monopolizing all of the carries for a full season.

ATownAndDown (Follow A-Town on M-Live)
Player development is what I am most intrigued with. Defense will have a ton of talent but there will be holes to fill. Guys like Harris, Davis, LT, Clemons, Bullough, Hicks, Robinson, Edmundson, Jones, Reschke, etc. are all going to be given their opportunities to step up. It will be exciting to see what they do with those opportunities. But even on the offensive side of the ball guys like Holmes, Troup, Madaris, Arnett, Chmura, and even Shelton have showed some flashes. Can any of them step up and rock the boat? Do the starters up their game because of that competition?

Other storylines to watch: Where does Terry shake out and does Coach D go live with the QB's again? Where do guys like Williams and Lyles end up? Does Fowler petition for a 6th year? Potential transfers?

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3. How many losses will be too many for David Brandon to keep the Hokester at the Helm in Ann Arbor? MythAgain plays Notre Dame, Ohio STATE and MSU away from the Pig House. Will Hoke win enough games in 2014 to keep his job?

SpartanMan82 (Check out chUMp Satire)

A five-loss season would be very hard for Hoke to survive, but get ready for his resurrection early in the year. Michigan could again be 6-1, if not 7-0, before the bottom falls out next season. He really needs 10 wins to settle down that fan-base, but he won't get that many.

My guess is that Michigan will finish 8-4 next year, with multiple camps operating behind the scenes regarding the coach situation. If he wins his bowl game, he stays. If he loses his bowl game, he's gone.

ATownAndDown (Follow A-Town on M-Live)
No clue about if or what it will take for Hoke to keep his job. I have been perplexed by that situation with how the U of M fan base revolted against RichRod who was trending back toward a successful program but they are much more patient with Hoke who was his most successful off what RichRod built and has regressed since then.

I think Dave Brandon needs to worry about his own job. Michigan fans are getting tired of a lot of the business decisions being made regarding the program. Ticket prices are going up again and the home schedule for U of M is App St., Miami (OH), Utah, Minn, PSU, Ind, and Maryland. Also in talking to a few Michigan Men, they are not happy about the App St game being scheduled. While they understand the business side of it (should be an easy win but it will still drum up publicity) the publicity will be negative and remind fans of a very dark day in U of M football. Factor in that he is paying his coaching staff an exorbitant amount of money for the results they are getting and he seems to be putting very little pressure on them to change things up. I have even heard rumors that U of M might struggle to clear 100K in the stands at a couple of those poor games early games. How long do the powers that be at U of M allow their crown jewel to not sparkle?

MSUSpartan76 (Follow '76 on M-Live)
Who cares? This question, like the team it references, is totally irrelevant.
   Ok, so I suppose I have to give some kind of answer. Here goes. If Coach Choke stops serving donuts and starts serving Dominos Pizza, David "Avoid the Noid" Brandon will keep him for decades.

MSU does not measure its success by whatever happens with the Ann Arbor Charm School football club. Let's leave that to the chUMps to fret over.

******

Administrator's Note:  A happy shout out and huge thank you to our Front-Burner Contributors for the 2013 season. You guys really did a great job and brought new readers to SpartanResource.com - Thank you!!!   - Return2Glory

Readers - Please let them know your thoughts about their contributions to Front-Burner by clicking the comment link below!

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MSU FOOTBALL FRONT BURNER: The Game/Results - Beyond the Rose Bowl, Part 1

ROSE BOWL CHAMPIONS EDITION
Our weekly feature on MSU Football brings diverse responses to
a variety of questions related to the Spartans program. 

Front-Burner was published in three parts between the B1G Championship and the Rose Bowl

Part 1. B1G Championship Game Discussion
Part 2. MSU 2013 Season Discussion
           2A. ATownAndDown Feature
           2B. MSUSpartan76 Feature
Part 3. Rose Bowl Discussion
           3A. Pre-Game Discusison
           3B. The Game/Results (This Edition)
           3C. Beyond the Rose Bowl

Panelists:

ATownAndDown (Follow A-Town on M-Live)

MSUSpartan76 (Follow '76 on M-Live)
SpartanMan82 (Prophesy and New Reality, By SM82)
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1. People are calling the Spartans win at the Rose Bowl a "program win" and a "defining moment". What background stories surrounding that game/season do you find most interesting?

SpartanMan82 (Prophesy and New Reality, By SM82)
I'm still impressed with the way MSU could lose two Seniors, one a fifth-year and the other an All-American, and still win the Rose Bowl. The post-game focus on Kyler Elsworth is almost a bit much, but not really when you consider the circumstances. Most teams have a huge drop-off from "starter" to "sub", but Mark Dantonio gets so many players into every game that the Spartans have exceptional depth all across the field on both sides of the ball.

When all of the skeptics and nay-sayers start to count-up all of the guys Michigan State will be losing to graduation, keep in mind that the players taking over for the dearly departed may be ready to play. How will we replace them? The same way that we replaced Ringer, Caulcrick, Hoyer, Jones, Thomas, Cousins, Gholston, et al.

ATownAndDown (Follow A-Town on M-Live)
Awesome, awesome, awesome win for MSU but I do find it interesting how the huge story line leading up to the game is getting buried now. We won and our defense stepped up and performed despite not having Max Bullough on the field. This goes to show the depth that MSU has built since Coach D arrived. Could you have imagined in 2009, finding out that Greg Jones was part of the Rather Hall incident and would not be playing against Texas Tech? Because losing Bullough was essentially the same impact but look at the depth and talent around that position that we have now. In my opinion that just shows how far we have come. It used to be a starter would get injured and there would be a panic of who is going to fill in and now its next man up and everyone else will be that much better too.

MSUSpartan76 (Follow '76 on M-Live)
Technically, the expressions "program win" and "defining moment" apply. Any significant win is a defining moment, but the Spartans in 2013 had 14 defining moments, and yes, that includes the Notre Dame loss. The Notre Dame loss was the end of the beginning, to borrow from the wisdom of Winston Churchill. Or, to put it in a more modern context,

"It's not over and it will never be over here. It's just starting." 

-- MSU Head Coach Mark Dantnonio, Nov. 6, 2007

What is most interesting is the amount of negative media coverage, the backhanded compliments, the constant assessing the Spartan defense as unproven or not legitimate because the had played "nobody" even after the B1G Ten Championship trouncing of then No.2 tO$U. What is interesting is the ABC introduction of the UolM at MSU game as "Michigan versus Little Brother Michigan State." What is interesting is the ESPN commentators, during the B1G Ten Championship game, using the "Little Brother" insult as if it were perfectly acceptable.

And, now? The media have all jumped, en mass, on the Spartan bandwagon. MSU is not a "little" anything to anyone anymore. MSU is now on the national stage. MSU has (finally) played someone (notice that it was not a B1G Ten opponent) and proven themselves. Now, everyone loves the Spartans, even quite a number of chUMps who have nothing better to do than make derogatory comments on MLive.com.

The big story I wish to relate concerns me. While I was watching the Rose Bowl, I watch Stanford push MSU around and chalk up a 10 point early lead. My thought was that I was about to witness another Alabama-isque shellacking. I shook my head and said to myself, "If those kids believe they can win, how can I do anything less." Literally. I reposed myself with positive thoughts about winning and watched the drama unfold.

We Spartans do have to raise the bar for ourselves. 4 decades of disappointment are hard to shake, but NOW is the time to gain a new mentality, a new outlook, a new expectation.

This answer continues with the next question...

2. Is the 2013 Spartan football team a flash in the pan, or is it the beginning of a new era?

MSUSpartan76 (Follow '76 on M-Live)
We now have a new definition of "Same Old Spartans" and it is one that we will delight in going forward. Same Old Spartans now means Championships. The team brings back a solid core for 2014, there will be no speed bump in that transition. The team will continue or improve on the 42 wins in 4 seasons.

It is the beginning of a new era. Like the Phoenix, the Spartans have risen. Biggie Munn, Duffy Daugherty, Chester L. Brewer, Charles W. Bachmann, and John F. Macklin are all smiling. So is everyone who bleeds green.

SpartanMan82 (Prophesy and New Reality, By SM82)
I would say it is the end of a new era, the ascendancy of the Mark Dantonio Program. The past seven years, now completed, were the transition phase from the "old ways" (SOS) to the "new ways" (Champions) of playing football at Michigan State. We are now officially done with the past.

Dantonio said upon his hiring that he would probably coach for about 10 years. He looks solid for three more, and maybe beyond, but we are entering the middle phase of the Mark Dantonio Program. In this era, he can tell a guy like Drake Harris to just go away and stay away if you want to flip-flop all over the place. He can find other players now.

MSU is poised now for a great run at the brass ring, and we all as fans have to be careful not to become those whom we despise for their arrogance. If we become just "another Michigan", shame on us. I'm sure the team will not turn into "those guys", but we as fans need to be vigilant as we maintain our core values in the midst of new found success.

The end of this era will be marked by the identification of the successor to Dantonio. I would not be surprised to see an official transition period of a season or two to maintain program continuity as the Head Coach position is changed.

ATownAndDown (Follow A-Town on M-Live)
I think its a continuation of the era. Last year there was a lot of talk of could MSU win without Kirk Cousins and Co. on the team. This year shows that team wasn't that far off being a 9-10 win team too. A few less injuries and a couple of breaks could have easily made things different. There has been a general progression throughout the Dantonio Era. The first couple years were getting the team on track and getting to bowl games. That transitioned into competing in the conference and winning bowl games. And now look where we sit.

3. Which game was bigger for MSU, the 2000 basketball championship/season or the 2014 Rose Bowl win/season? Is Dantonio approaching Izzo-like status in East Lansing, not in results, but in status within Spartan Nation?

ATownAndDown (Follow A-Town on M-Live)
Hands down the 2000 National Championship was bigger. As I pointed out in a previous post, while this has been an awesome season for MSU football, its comparable to the 2011-2012 basketball teams success which is hardly one that goes down as the greatest ever. A national championship or being in the mix for a championship is the ultimate goal for every program. Kentucky basketball doesn't set its goal on winning the SEC. FSU football isn't happy with just winning the ACC. Winning the Rose Bowl and this season might be one of the (if not the) best seasons in football but there are bigger fish in the sea. There were no bigger fish in 2000.

I think Coach D is nearing Izzo status. He is taking the MSU Football Program to new heights and he does a ton for the school. The thing that makes Izzo so much of an icon is what he does off the court. Coach D is having the on the field success and I think he is loyal to the university and becoming an institution here.

MSUSpartan76 (Follow '76 on M-Live)
The 2000 NCAA Basketball Tournament Championship was great, but that is ancient history. We really do not want to use chUMps are role models.

Connor Cook said it best. You are only remembered by your last game. That makes this easy. The 2014 Rose Bowl is bigger for MSU... until March.

SpartanMan82 (Prophesy and New Reality, By SM82)

A national championship, earned by winning a tournament rather than an election, remains bigger than what the football team did this year. It's roughly equivalent to one of the Final Four years in which we weren't expected to get there. That makes it a great season, without question, but not the same as cutting down the net for Coach Izzo to wear as a necklace.

Dantonio has made great strides in public reputation this season, but with all due respect, he's no Tom Izzo. I would rate Dantonio at this time as similar to Izzo at the end of the 1999 season. That's pretty darn good, as we all were thrilled with what Izzo had done in four years.

But to answer your exact question, I would say "yes, he's APPROACHING that status".


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MSU FOOTBALL FRONT BURNER: Rose Bowl Pre-Game Edition

BIG TEN CHAMPIONS EDITION
Our weekly feature on MSU Football brings diverse responses to
a variety of questions related to the Spartans program. 

Front-Burner was be published in three parts between the B1G Championship and the Rose Bowl

Part 1. B1G Championship Game Discussion
Part 2. MSU 2013 Season Discussion
           2A. ATownAndDown Feature
           2B. MSUSpartan76 Feature
Part 3. Rose Bowl Discussion (This Edition)

Panelists:

ATownAndDown (Follow A-Town on M-Live)

MSUSpartan76 (Follow '76 on M-Live)
SpartanMan82 (Tale of Two Programs, By SM82)
______________________________

Part 3 Discussion Questions (Readers COMMENT below the post.)

1. Does seeing the chUMps get spanked by a 7-5 Kansas State team in the BWW Bowl take anything away from the dominating win the Spartans notched against them this year?

2. To beat Ohio State, Connor Cook had to play the game of his life. What are the Spartans chances if he just has an average game against Stanford? How does the loss of Max Bullough factor in your answer?

3. I felt that Spartans "been there before" would help them in the B1G Championship Game. The shoe is now on the other foot as Stanford knows this Rose Bowl Week spectacle very well. Added in with other intangibles like time zone, travel, warm weather would you consider a win at the Rose Bowl a bigger upset than beating Ohio State? Why?

4. What are the chances that Stanford wins and it's not even close? How about the idea that MSU wins and it's not even close; more or less likely than Stanford winning by a wide margin?

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Panelist Responses

1. Does seeing the chUMps get spanked by a 7-5 Kansas State team in the BWW Bowl take anything away from the dominating win the Spartans notched against them this year?

SpartanMan82 (Tale of Two Programs, By SM82)
No, not at all, just check the record. Michigan was 6-1 when they met Michigan State in Spartan Stadium, and since that game, UM could only win one more time, in triple-overtime. MSU also gave them their worst loss of the season.

The Spartans crushed the Wolverines, in one game destroying their entire season. Kansas State was just the team that happened to draw them in the bowl game, and dispatched them accordingly.

Every team that played Michigan after November 2 had a clear "green-print" for how to pound on the Bluebloods. The KSU win was a validation of the November 2 doomsday game for UM, along with all of their other losses along the way.

ATownAndDown (Follow A-Town on M-Live)

Not at all. Bowl games are fickle creatures. There is so much that can impact the outcome that to read too far into the tea leaves is silly. When MSU faced U of M earlier this year they were a different team than the one that showed up to the bowl game. They had a starting QB and still had hopes of winning the division. You saw them stumble hard down the stretch and even saw the desperation of Hoke and Co. to spark something by going for 2 instead of tying the OSU game late. Not getting those 2 points and losing their starting QB really took the wind out of a defeated U of M team's sails by the time they faced KSU.

Since we are on the subject here is a fun factoid for you: RichRod's records at U of M were 3-9; 5-7; and 7-6 and he was fired. Hoke has gone 11-2; 8-5; and 7-6 but the Michigan Men are only at a dull roar about firing him. It would appear that RichRod was trending up and lost his job and Hoke is trending down off of what RichRod built but not a lot of folks speaking up. U of M has talent but Hoke is going to have to fall into something to have success with how fast he lost control of this team.

MSUSpartan76 (Follow '76 on M-Live)

Michigan who? The bar for Michigan State is set way much higher than just merely beating UolM. Also, that game was expected. It was predicted in this post: The Fall of UolM. The Spartans exposed UolM for what it was, something the media is just no catching on to. So, no. The KSU loss in the wings bowl was just another progression in the downward spiral.

A chUMp posted on MLive.com the following (refers to UolM wins versus MSU):
1970s 9-1
1980s 8-2
1990s 6-4
2000s 7-3
2010s 1-3

I think the trend line is obvious in that data. It does deliberately mask the 5-2 record Coach Dantonio owns and the 1-2 record owned by the chUMp coach.

---

Insert by Retrun to Glory, M-Live poster, RosesAreGreen responded to the chUMp's post and others like it with the following:
RosesAreGreen
TO ALL MICHIGAN FANS WHO HAVE POSTED BELOW:

UM has one 12 win season and 2 11 win seasons since 1986.
MSU has one 12 win season and 2 11 win seasons since 2009.
Michigan HAS NEVER had back to back 11 win seasons.
Michigan HAS NEVER won 13 games in a season as MSU has a chance to do vs. Stanford.
UM's cycle of continuous improvement vs. MSU since the Wolvies last Big 10 championship season in football (10 years and counting....)

2004 - 45 points
2005 - 34 points
2006 - 31 points
2007 - 28 points
2008 - 21 points
2009 - 20 points
2010 - 17 points
2011 - 14 points
2012 - 12 points
2013 - 6 points

Hoke's 3 teams have been outscored by MSU 67-32 (minus 35)
Rich Rod's 3 teams were outscored by MSU 95-58 (minus 37)

That's progress!!! Keep up the good work!

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2. To beat Ohio State, Connor Cook had to play the game of his life. What are the Spartans chances if he just has an average game against Stanford? How does the loss of Max Bullough factor in your answer?

MSUSpartan76 (Follow '76 on M-Live)

To beat Ohio State? Certainly Connor Cook had a career game and certainly that was a significant contribution, but I do not believe it was the passing yards and much as it was the resilience of the team that ultimately got the win.

Connor Cook will have the best game he can, come 5:00 pm (EST) on 1/1/14. We are fortunate that the Cardinal pass defense is not the best the Spartans have faced this season. Statistically, it is only marginally better than tO$U, which makes it the 11th best faced this season. tO$U, IU, Northwestern are ranked lower. The Stanford pass defense, statistically, is comparable to Youngstown State. Just as a point of reference.

Max? Max will be on the field in spirit. You can count on that.

ATownAndDown (Follow A-Town on M-Live)

I think calling it the "game of his life" is a bit a of a stretch. From a QB rating stand point it was his 5th best game of the season against a defense that ranked 11th in the B1G in passing yards allowed and 9th in the B1G in QB rating allowed. It was a solid performance on a big stage which is always good to see a guy not buckle under pressure. With that said, I am firmly in the mindset that with Bullough suspended everyone else (coaches, offense and defense) need to step their game up that much. Cook needs have another solid performance and maybe even better than B1G Championship Game. The offense needs to sustain drives to give the defense a rest from Stanford's physical offense. The offense might have to put a few extra points on the board. The offense also needs to not turn the ball over and give Stanford extra shots at the defense. Cook is integral to those things and I think giving extra opportunities to Stanford is going to be a bad thing.

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3. I felt that Spartans "been there before" would help them in the B1G Championship Game. The shoe is now on the other foot as Stanford knows this Rose Bowl Week spectacle very well. Added in with other intangibles like time zone, travel, warm weather would you consider a win at the Rose Bowl a bigger upset than beating Ohio State? Why?

ATownAndDown (Follow A-Town on M-Live)

I don't know if it will be a bigger upset. I mean it was more than OSU folks that were banking on that win. There were businesses marketing travel stuff to OSU fans to the National Championship Game even before they played us. But as far as statements go, it will be big. MSU is stepping into the heart of Pac 12 country to play a team that is highly rated and used to the atmosphere. ESPN has been pushing the 100th Rose Bowl too so there will be a lot of eyes on this one. Also, its one thing to beat the team that is perceived to be the cream of the weak B1G and its another to beat a team that is perceived to be the cream of the Pac 12. So while you are not stopping a 2 year undefeated streak and ending a teams National Championship dreams, you are still making a statement that we are legit.

MSUSpartan76 (Follow '76 on M-Live)

Well, yea, there is that big parade and Disneyland and warm weather, but the boys in green have been faced with distractions many times now. It's not like this is their first trip out of State and it certainly is not like this is their first bowl game. Would I consider it a bigger upset? To start with, I predicted the MSU win over OSU and I have predicted a MSU win over Stanford so I really can not answer this question in the context of an upset.

But it certainly will be the sweeter victory.

______________________________

4. What are the chances that Stanford wins and it's not even close? How about the idea that MSU wins and it's not even close; more or less likely than Stanford winning by a wide margin?

MSUSpartan76 (Follow '76 on M-Live)

Stanford 24 versus Michigan State 35

ATownAndDown (Follow A-Town on M-Live)
Neither team is known for running away from opponents. Both teams have only 4 wins this season of 20 points or more. Both teams also like to play a physical running offense and when they can get a lead in the second half that running game gets stronger. Defenses start to wear down and the clock starts to run down. Opponents become one dimensional and your pass rushers start pinning their ears back. So neither team runs away in the scoring column because they limit their own opportunities with this style. But because of the way they play a 10 point lead can seem like a 20 point lead.

I don't think either team opens up a large margin. I think MSU getting out to a lead early is going to help. The loss of Bullough is big because of the number of facets it impacts. Replacing a 6-4, 250 lbs guy in the middle with a 6-1, 225 is going to mean that guy is going to wear down faster than Bullough against a relentless rushing attack. If we can get Stanford in a position where they can't run as often as they would like that is going to save that guy. And if that guy in the middle can't hold up alone and needs support, Stanford has smart enough coaches to attack where those guys are supposed to be.

In my opinion, that is the linchpin for the entire game: what does MSU have to do to take pressure off that position? If the offense can get out and put some pressure on Stanford to try and move the ball down the field quicker that is one way. If Narduzzi can out chess match Stanford's attack so they are chasing holes and weaknesses that are not there any more that is another. Heck if the combo of Elsworth and Harris can somehow hold up over 60 minutes of pounding that works too. But if Stanford can attack where it wants to attack and pick up chuck yards, they will take advantage of that all day. Look at what they did against Oregon: 66 rushes and 13 passes. That is their goal and we need to figure out how to not allow it.

Tweet ****** Click on NO COMMENTS (or # comments) below to enter and view reader comments. ----- Remember to check Spartan Headline links, updated real time, at the bottom of the page (Web version only). Note: If you are receiving this post via automated email, you need to go to the site to view headline links and embedded videos in this post: http://spartanresource.com/ (Web version only). SIGN UP TO RECEIVE POSTS VIA EMAIL, TWITTER OR FACEBOOK IN THE RIGHT COLUMN.

MSU FOOTBALL FRONT-BURNER: 2013 REWIND Featuring MSUSpartan76

BIG TEN CHAMPIONS EDITION
Our weekly feature on MSU Football brings diverse responses to
a variety of questions related to the Spartans program. 

Front-Burner will be published in three parts between the B1G Championship and the Rose Bowl

Part 1. B1G Championship Game Discussion
Part 2. MSU 2013 Season Discussion
           2A. ATownAndDown Feature
           2B. MSUSpartan76 Feature (This Edition)
Part 3. Rose Bowl and Beyond Discussion

Panelists:

ATownAndDown (Follow A-Town on M-Live)

MSUSpartan76 (Follow '76 on M-Live)

Part 2 Discussion Questions (Readers COMMENT below the post.)

1. Looking back at the season, what are your favorite two or three specific moments/visions - not stats or general outcomes/results, but specific events captured on TV, seen in person, read about or heard on the radio?

2. What are some of the most impressive observations/aspects of this team, staff, players, program, etc. that you feel may have gone a bit under reported?

3. Mark Dantonio selected a few true-freshmen to play this season, while still red-shirting most of their classmates. How do you feel about the decisions to activate Shelton, Williams, and Geiger?

4. How many of the fans who wanted Damion Terry to "burn the redshirt" still think that would have been the right thing to do? What does that tell us for the future about fan reactions and early-season perceptions?

5. As for the QB competition, Datonio was accused of was "creating a circus". Was Dantonio being indecisive or was he merely being patient while gathering information, adjusting and verifying? A little of both? What was your take on the situation then vs. now?

6. Michigan State has 18 seniors and will suffer significant losses on defense. Although the Spartans do return good players on defense, I think most analysts will assume a significant drop off in defensive production. Whatever that drop off might be, if there is one, discuss your thoughts on how the experienced offense might help out the defense in 2014. Will it? Can it? Will it be needed?

Responses from MSUSpartan76

(Follow '76 on M-Live)

1. Looking back at the season, what are your favorite two or three specific moments/visions - not stats or general outcomes/results, but specific events captured on TV, seen in person, read about or heard on the radio?

You just had to ask, didn't you! In a season chock full of highlight reel plays, we have to pick and only 2 or 3? Can't be done. The SHORT LIST:

• WMU: Defensive TD, Jarius Jones interception, as he is tackled, he flips it back to Kurtis Drummond who takes it in for the TD.
• OSU: Cook muscling his way in for the TD on a QB keeper.
• OSU: Langford slicing through the heart of the OSU defense for a TD.
• OSU: Spartan Dawgs stopping OSU on 4th and... and again.
• USF: Tyler Hoover leaping over a defender to get the sack. (If readers know of the play and it wasn't Hoover, please let me know in comments)
• UM: Trevon Pendleton's bail out reception for 49 yards on MSU's 1st offensive play.
• OSU: Josaih Price alone in the end zone TD!

But at the top of my list is:

• OSU: Mumphrey 72 yard pass reception taken in for a TD.

2. What are some of the most impressive observations/aspects of this team, staff, players, program, etc. that you feel may have gone a bit under reported?

I keep reading about how O'Connor will be gone since he is not looking to get any playing time with Terry and Cook likely to be the 1 & 2. I recall reading how Terry would bolt for some other school because he was being red shirted. It seems no matter which page I turn to, there is some noise about one Spartan player or another who will be selfish and take his ball and goes home.

Then I look at Andrew Maxwell. He took the decision and stepped up and found other ways to contribute. We are hearing how great Terry was on the scout team preparing the Dawgs for their games. One can run down the roster and find story after story of how these kids put their team and their teammates ahead of themselves. We get glimpses from time to time, but it really is a big story.

If one looks over the past 7 years, there have been a few who left but the turnover is particulary light. The program Mark Dantonio has built, the "monster in East Lansing," has values that go beyond the stadium and practice fields. Family. Work ethic. Academics. Team work. Loyaty. Selflessness. Humbleness. Will to win.

This is all about how to do it right and sadly that is not going to get any headlines.

3. Mark Dantonio selected a few true-freshmen to play this season, while still red-shirting most of their classmates. How do you feel about the decisions to activate Shelton, Williams, and Geiger?

My feelings have nothing to do with this. Coach Dantonio made decisions based on his plans and his vision and team needs as they arose. In general, Coach Dantonio likes to give incoming freshmen a year to assimilate and integrate into the program. He is old school and probably still remembers when there were freshmen teams to do that. There were needs and kids earned the starts. I'm ok with that.

4. How many of the fans who wanted Damion Terry to "burn the redshirt" still think that would have been the right thing to do? What does that tell us for the future about fan reactions and early-season perceptions?

Who cares what the fans think about things they have no influence over and no information on? Ask 100 people for an opinion and you know what you get? 113 opinions. Go back and read the answer to question 3. It applies here, too. To the point, which is, what can we expect in the future from the immature and ill-informed, narrow-minded, single issue mentality fans? More of the same noise and louder.

At the beginning of the season we had many Spartan fans calling for one coach or another to be fired because of this or that. They all thought things should have evolved and progressed to their instant gratification timeline and when it didn't, it had to be the assistant or position coach's fault. Later in the season when UolM was faltering, the chUMps were making exactly the same kind of noise about their assistant and position coaches. 'nuff said.

Coach Dantonio does not listen to the fans and does not allow fan noise to sway his decisions. We are in good hands.

5. As for the QB competition, Datonio was accused of was "creating a circus". Was Dantonio being indecisive or was he merely being patient while gathering information, adjusting and verifying? A little of both? What was your take on the situation then vs. now?

Anyone who raises questions about Head Coach Mark Dantonio's ability to make a plan and see it through is someone who is just trying to cast yet another negative spin on the Spartans. He told us what he wanted to do. He told us what he was looking for. It is the general impatience of the fans and media that colored this into something other than an assessment period. Instant gratification was not there, so it was spun as a controversy rather than the competition that it was. Impatience ruled, so any little molehill was turned into a mountain. Of course the media contributed to this by stirring things up. The media needs controversy, real or fabricated, to get hits that generate advertising revenues. That will never change.

Coach Dantonio was patient and methodical and comprehensive in his evaluations and assessments and in the alterations to the offense for 2013 based on the players that would make it happen. He stayed with his plan even when things were not quite going the way he would have preferred. And the end result? 12-1.

How can you argue with a record setting coach who is now preparing his team for the ROSE BOWL?

6. Michigan State has 18 seniors and will suffer significant losses on defense. Although the Spartans do return good players on defense, I think most analysts will assume a significant drop off in defensive production. Whatever that drop off might be, if there is one, discuss your thoughts on how the experienced offense might help out the defense in 2014. Will it? Can it? Will it be needed?

It is just plain silly to propose a Spartan defense drop off. Having watched 13 games this season and having seen 55 players go in the game against OSU I can say with total confidence that the pipelines are bursting with kids with the desire, the talent, the ability, the drive, and the will to play and win in all 3 phases of the game. Just like we can't get Swenson back or Edinger or Conry or even Muma back, there is always someone who will step up. Sadler was great and he replaced Bates who replace Fields. All three of those were great punters. We look forward now to whoever wins the spot for 2014.

There might be uplevellings by the opponents and certainly the games will be different, but there will not be a Spartan defense drop off. What's more, it is almost certain that the 2014 offense will be "worthy" of sharing the same field with the defense. The offense certainly earned their keep this season.

Why this question? I mean the preface about the defense dropping off and specifically the accurate assessment that media and analysts will spew forth more of this nonsense. When posed versus almost every other team it is answered with, "No probllem. They will just reload." These kinds of media questions and speculations only serve to malign MSU, to reinforce a conjurred mentality of not being able to stand with the best. This is just more of the M4 at their best.

Once again we have to remember the facts. We lost Ringer and Caulcrick; we lost Baker and Bell and Sims and Caper; we lost Jones and Worthy and a whole long list of excellent players and every year we are faced with the same derogatory comments that the Spartan team will just plummet back into mediocrity. 2012 was an anomaly, a transition year that was not well planned in 2011. That will not happen again under Coach Dantonio.

"It isn't over. It will never be over. It's just starting." 

And anyone who does not think 2014 will be as good or better is just a chUMp.

Tweet ****** Click on COMMENTS (or no comments) below to enter and view reader comments. ----- Remember to check Spartan Headline links, updated real time, at the bottom of the page (Web version only). Note: If you are receiving this post via automated email, you need to go to the site to view headline links and embedded videos in this post: http://spartanresource.com/ (Web version only). SIGN UP TO RECEIVE POSTS VIA EMAIL, TWITTER OR FACEBOOK IN THE RIGHT COLUMN.

MSU FOOTBALL FRONT-BURNER: 2013 REWIND Featuring ATownAndDown

BIG TEN CHAMPIONS EDITION
Our weekly feature on MSU Football brings diverse responses to
a variety of questions related to the Spartans program. 

Front-Burner will be published in three parts between the B1G Championship and the Rose Bowl

Part 1. B1G Championship Game Discussion
Part 2. MSU 2013 Season Discussion
           2A. ATownAndDown Feature (This Edition)
           2B. MSUSpartan76 Feature
           Part 3. Rose Bowl and Beyond Discussion

Panelists:

ATownAndDown (Follow A-Town on M-Live)

MSUSpartan76 (Follow '76 on M-Live)

Part 2 Discussion Questions (Readers COMMENT below the post.)

1. Looking back at the season, what are your favorite two or three specific moments/visions - not stats or general outcomes/results, but specific events captured on TV, seen in person, read about or heard on the radio?

2. What are some of the most impressive observations/aspects of this team, staff, players, program, etc. that you feel may have gone a bit under reported?

3. Mark Dantonio selected a few true-freshmen to play this season, while still red-shirting most of their classmates. How do you feel about the decisions to activate Shelton, Williams, and Geiger?

4. How many of the fans who wanted Damion Terry to "burn the redshirt" still think that would have been the right thing to do? What does that tell us for the future about fan reactions and early-season perceptions?

5. As for the QB competition, Datonio was accused of was "creating a circus". Was Dantonio being indecisive or was he merely being patient while gathering information, adjusting and verifying? A little of both? What was your take on the situation then vs. now?

6. Michigan State has 18 seniors and will suffer significant losses on defense, including punter Mike Sadler [Well - it only seems like Sadler is a senior as he is working on his PhD as a reader pointed out in comments.] Although the Spartans do return good players on defense, I think most analysts will assume a significant drop off in defensive production. Whatever that drop off might be, if there is one, discuss your thoughts on how the experienced offense might help out the defense in 2014. Will it? Can it? Will it be needed?

Responses from ATownAndDown

(Follow A-Town on M-Live)

1. Looking back at the season, what are your favorite two or three specific moments/visions - not stats or general outcomes/results, but specific events captured on TV, seen in person, read about or heard on the radio?

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a U of M basher, but Devin Gardner basically being carried off the field on that last drive was awesome. That was a game going into that everyone was asking who MSU had faced and was really questioning if the defense was that good or not. That image said everything that needed to be said: MSU was for real.

The other specific image that still gets me was Langford's last TD in the B1G Championship Game. And not so much the TD run but the smiles. Langford pulls his mouth piece at the end to reveal a huge grin. Also they showed Coach D's reaction as the play progressed and even he flashed a rare appearance of his pearly whites. This program has grown a lot and come so far since Coach D arrived. Those smiles showed the joy of achieving the goal he set day one on the job.


2. What are some of the most impressive observations/aspects of this team, staff, players, program, etc. that you feel may have gone a bit under reported?

I would say the resiliency of this group is something that gets lost in all the hoopla. Some point to it and say what a great turnaround story but its not a turnaround story. Everyone has stuck to the plan and saw it through to this point. After 2011, we lost Cousins, Cunningham, Martin, Baker, Linthicum, Celek, and Foreman. In 2012, the offense was a mess and the defense, despite being one of the best in the nation, could do very little to get wins because of that. To make things worse, Sims and Bell left early. It would have been so easy for defensive guys to get selfish. It could have been easy for offensive guys to check out. Coaches could have easily lost the locker room. Even after the rough start it could have been issues because guys started to say "Here we go again." But that didn't happen. The team not only stayed close like a tight knit family but they remained vigilant to Coach D's plan. In the end, it was that resiliency that brought this team here.


3. Mark Dantonio selected a few true-freshmen to play this season, while still red-shirting most of their classmates. How do you feel about the decisions to activate Shelton, Williams, and Geiger?

Coach D made the right decisions with the personnel. The team is past those early stages of trying to build some depth and is to the point that you have to win. The true freshman that played really filled holes that this team had. Shelton has great speed and big play ability. Geiger's kicking lead the B1G in FG% (much better than Muma who was 4 for 6 when Geiger took over). And Williams was a guy that balanced out the running attack (especially before Langford really got his legs underneath him). I would have liked to have seen Williams' and Shelton's roles expanded as the season progressed. There was a bye week after U of M so that might have been an opportunity to get them in some planned sets but I am sure there was a reason for that. In the end, those guys filled needs on the team and the team had everything it needed.


4. How many of the fans who wanted Damion Terry to "burn the redshirt" still think that would have been the right thing to do? What does that tell us for the future about fan reactions and early-season perceptions?

To start with, who knows if the decision to pull the redshirt or not would have been the right one or wrong one. Remember that was supposed to happen going into the YSU game. If Terry was able to do things that Cook couldn't do, could that have meant a win against ND that following week? We have seen back-to-back years where redshirt freshman quarterbacks have been the best players in college football. Its hard to believe they wouldn't have been better than average with some fantastic sprinkled in as true freshmen. Was Terry there or not? Only time will tell. In the end, things worked out very well for the program so the decision appears to be a good one. I don't think you will ever break fans habits of overreacting. Its what we do. In fact there are expressions like "The backup QB is the most popular guy on the team" because of fans quick reactions. There is a reason why coaches coach and fans don't. But then again, there are a lot of coaches that make some knuckleheaded decisions too.


5. As for the QB competition, Dantonio was accused of was "creating a circus". Was Dantonio being indecisive or was he merely being patient while gathering information, adjusting and verifying? A little of both? What was your take on the situation then vs. now?

I think Coach D was a little of both. He knew the potential for an awesome season based on the parts he knew he had and the schedule we had in front of us. So he had to make the right decision so he wanted to gather as much information as he could before making that decision. I think he was a little indecisive because he ended up going with Cook despite the fact that everything we heard coming out of camp and saw from the games would suggest that Cook was the wrong choice. Clearly there was something else that Coach D was getting that no one else was so I don't know why it took so long to just pull that trigger. Maybe he needed to see something like he did in the YSU game before pushing all his chips in.

As far as moving forward, I think Cook had better keep his nose to the grindstone with improving his game. Its one thing to win a QB competition when your toughest competition is Maxwell and you are leading a team that has the make up like this one does. But next year you are going to have Terry much more up to speed on the game and the system. That is going to translate to more consistency which seems to be the biggest thing in Coach D not pulling the redshirt this fall. I think the job is Cook's but that doesn't guarantee him anything. If Terry moves into that #2 area on the depth chart going into Spring and has a strong Spring and Fall camp, you will likely see him getting some game reps next year (inline with Coach D's desire to get reps to his #2). But if Cook rests on his laurels and thinks he is good enough, Terry might open the door to create a real competition. The other thing to think about for next year, the defense likely won't be creating as many favorable situations for the offense. Meaning, who ever is QB is going to have to make more plays than we made this year. I don't know if Cook can play at this same level and make those plays. That added pressure for the offense to advance its game might mean pressure on Cook. Can he step up to that plate without raising his own bar?

6. Michigan State has 18 seniors and will suffer significant losses on defense, including punter Mike Sadler [Well - it only seems like Sadler is a senior as he is working on his PhD as a reader pointed out in comments.]. Although the Spartans do return good players on defense, I think most analysts will assume a significant drop off in defensive production. Whatever that drop off might be, if there is one, discuss your thoughts on how the experienced offense might help out the defense in 2014. Will it? Can it? Will it be needed?

The defense will regress however slightly. I think a few will overreact and assume the bottom is dropping out but that is far from the case. MSU's defense will still be a really solid unit but to expect some of the video game like numbers from this year is a stretch. You still return Calhoun and Rush. In addition, Knox and Scarpinato stepped up and hopefully LT and Kittredge can get back healthy and have the impacts we know they can. Taiwan Jones returns and Davis has quietly turned into Denicos Allen 2.0 (but bigger). Harris is a solid player and Riley Bullough should go back to that side of the ball (I have heard rumors that he is already working over there anyway). And don't sleep on the young LB's too. Finally the secondary might not be the No Fly Zone but Waynes, Drummond, Williamson and Cox are all playmakers back there (and don't be surprised to see one of the latter two find their way to that cover OLB spot). Also, Darien Hicks was a true freshman that played in every game this season and Robinson and Edmondson have been CBs that the coaches have been high on too. There is more than enough depth and talent on that defense to be very competitive. I know you can't replace guys like Bullough and Dennard but the guys coming in are not half bad.

I also think the offense should take a step forward. QB should improve. WR's finally appear to be getting it. You have a 1400 yard 17 TD rusher returning and he will only add more depth behind him. The Oline is strong and TE looks to be coming together too. Its tough to say how much better the offense will be. In the end the big numbers will will likely be similar (yards per game, points per game, etc.) but the way they do it will be different and the more overlooked efficiency stats will likely be better. Also, it will be against a tougher schedule too with Oregon, Nebraska, U of M, OSU, and PSU. I am hoping we can see some steps forward before the bowl game too.

~ATownAndDown (Follow A-Town on M-Live)

Tweet ****** Click on NO COMMENTS (or # comments) below to enter and view reader comments. ----- Remember to check Spartan Headline links, updated real time, at the bottom of the page (Web version only). Note: If you are receiving this post via automated email, you need to go to the site to view headline links and embedded videos in this post: http://spartanresource.com/ (Web version only). SIGN UP TO RECEIVE POSTS VIA EMAIL, TWITTER OR FACEBOOK IN THE RIGHT COLUMN.

MSU FOOTBALL FRONT-BURNER: Big Ten Champions Edition

BIG TEN CHAMPIONS EDITION
Our weekly feature on MSU Football brings diverse responses to
a variety of questions related to the Spartans program. 

Front-Burner will be published in three parts between now and the Rose Bowl:
1. B1G Championship Game Discussion
2. MSU 2013 Season Discussion
3. Rose Bowl and Beyond Discussion

Panelists:

ATownAndDown (Follow A-Town on M-Live)

SpartanMan82 (See SM82s posts)

MSUSpartan76 (Follow '76 on M-Live)

Part 1 Discussion Questions (Please send additional questions in COMMENTS below the post.)

1. Wow, how about the REFS in that championship game? They seemed to control the game without distorting the process, making every correct call and non-call without controversy. Many fans were concerned about Buckeye bias in the interest of the Big Ten. Did the strong chorus of concerns preempt an orchestrated officiating bias? What do you think of the Big Ten officiating to Jim Delany tie-in theories?

2. And what was that smirky "thank-you" by Delany to the losing team on the championship podium? It seemed a little bit jammed-in, and it seemed to preempt Dantonio from mentioning them on his own. Does Jim Delany really eat Buckeye Nuts for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Does he even realize why he was being booed? How do you think it happened that the confetti used in the celebration was blue and yellow?

3. Okay, enough about Delany. How cool was it to be up by 17 in the first half? How many "chUMps" did you dUMp in your shorts while you watched Ohio STATE score 24 in a row? When Geiger kicked his second-half field-goal, were you thinking it might be the start of another 17-0 run to finish? Have you ever seen a game so clearly divided into three parts like that?

4. What about the play-calling by Michigan State? Many have had issues with play-calls throughout the season, but it seemed to work out right on Saturday night in Indy. What do you think?

5. OSU finished with relatively gaudy offensive numbers against MSU, drawing some surprising post-game criticism of the Defense, which remains rated #1 in Rush Defense, 3rd-down completion-% defense, and Total Defense, and also in the Top Five in Passing Efficiency defense, First-Down defense, and Scoring defense. What's up with that? How do you view the performance by the MSU-D in the championship game?

6. What other observations or comments do you have about the game, the meaning of MSU's win, fan/media reaction or other story lines?


Panelist Responses (Join in using the comments link at the bottom of the web version post.)

1. Wow, how about the REFS in that championship game? They seemed to control the game without distorting the process, making every correct call and non-call without controversy. Many fans were concerned about Buckeye bias in the interest of the Big Ten. Did the strong chorus of concerns preempt an orchestrated officiating bias? What do you think of the Big Ten officiating to Jim Delany tie-in theories?

SpartanMan82 (See SM82's Post: UM Names Awards For Banquet)
We finally got a game without serious trouble from the officials, and look at the results. There have been far too many MSU football games skewed by crazy calls and/or non-calls, leaving a sour taste over a bitter loss. Not this one. The refs were clean, and the game was clean.

Delany certainly helped both Ohio STATE and Michigan by choosing not to impose penalties on the dozen or more un-penalized players who started and/or participated in the on-field fracas in Ann Arbor. But this game offered no evidence for the conspiracy theories about special favors for those two schools.

MSUSpartan76 (Follow '76 on M-Live)

The officiating in the B1G Ten Championship game left a little to be desired. The number of no calls were just smidgeon higher than they should. I suspect this was due to the pendulum swinging backwards. That aside, it was balanced. MSU got away with a couple as did OSU, so they did not tilt the playing field.
I read in a fan post on MLive.com that ESPN had broached this topic and discussed the possibility of B1G Ten bias in officiating. I have not been able to verify that, but it was obliquely discussed lately on the Big Ten Network in reference to the Notre Dame game and how those questionable pass interference calls probably cost MSU a shot at the National Championship game. I believe that the discussion had its desired effect. I also believe that there was bias against MSU under instructions from Delany and it goes back at least as far as the Gholston suspension and Narduzzi "admonishment" after the UolM game in 2011.

ATownAndDown (Follow A-Town on M-Live)

The officiating wasn't bad. Really it appeared that they took a "let the players decide the outcome" approach in my opinion. There were a lot of no calls. In particular, OSU was getting away with quite a bit of grabbing in the trenches which created a lot of the gap issues we had there in the middle of the game. All in all, I thought it was pretty clean and anything that would have swayed the outcome would have been pretty obvious. I know Jim Delany is in love with the idea of the Big 2 and Little 8 (and he has been called out a few times for that) but its tough on that kind of stage to influence the outcome. Its one thing to dish out suspensions with that bias in mind and its another to have your refs clearly leaning toward one team in what will be the highest rated game of your conferences season.

____________________________________________

2. And what was that smirky "thank-you" by Delany to the losing team on the championship podium? It seemed a little bit jammed-in, and it seemed to preempt Dantonio from mentioning them on his own. Does Jim Delany really eat Buckeye Nuts for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Does he even realize why he was being booed? How do you think it happened that the confetti used in the celebration was blue and yellow?

MSU FOOTBALL FRONT BURNER: B1G Championship Game Edition Part 3. Time for Dessert.

BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME EDITION PART THREE
Our weekly feature on MSU Football brings diverse responses to
a variety of questions related to the Spartans program. 

Panelists:

ATownAndDown (Follow him on M-Live)

SpartanMan82 (See SM82s chUMp of the Month Award for November)

MSUSpartan76 (Follow him on M-Live)

Panelist Responses (Part 3):

MSUSpartan76 Bonus Question: 
You have the most read post on this web site. In that post you discuss the myth of the widening recruiting gap that UM supposedly enjoys over MSU and statistically supported the facts that the gap is, in fact, shrinking. Without sending you on an a multi-day research project, can you comment about the recruiting gap or trends for Ohio State vs. MSU, even in general terms?

It does not take a multi-day research to get to the answer. A quick scan of tO$U class rankings was all that was needed. tO$U and UoLM have recruiting class rankings that pretty much track each other year by year, generally in the top 20 or better (Scout.com). The analysis of the MSU recruiting versus UoLM directly applies to tO$U versus MSU. MSU is closing the gap on all of the top ranked school. Coach Dantonio and his staff are not making the news by getting celebrity recruits but year by year are getting better and better classes of players. The best part is, the kids they sign buy into the program, plan to stay for 4 years, commit to improving themselves and contributing to the success of the team/program without consideration of personal glory or gain.

Have you noticed that the chUMps have been a little quiet of late, ever since their No. 2 recruit broke covenant with Coach Hoax and decided to go on some official visits to other school. Funny how Coach Hoax has decided to bend the rule in this case, the rule being a kid who talks to other schools or goes for visits is no longer considered a UoLM commit.

ATownAndDown Bonus Question: 
I saw something about Bennie Fowler possibly getting an extra year of eligibility. That would be huge - every receiver coming back? Can you fill us on what you know? Has Lawrence Thomas been limited enough to get a sixth year (if he even needs it)? 

Fowler's ability to comeback next season is a good thing. Calling it huge is a little premature because I think that is based on his ability to take that next step. He got off to a rough start and was nicked up for a few games. He has been our most explosive receiver and obviously the best receiver with a nose for the endzone.  But he isn't exactly blowing last years results out of the water. If Fowler takes a step forward and becomes a guy that can pull over 50 catches (maybe push 60) then you are looking at a real weapon for an offense that might have to step up its game with the defense losing a few key guys.

As far as LT goes, I think he does not get a 6th year and that is for a couple reasons. First and foremost, while LT hasn't been a huge contributor because of the emergence of guys like Knox and Scarpinato at the DT spots while he was absent, he has played in the last five games. I believe in order to qualify for a 6th year you have to have played in less than a third of the teams games and none of those games can be in the second half. Even if he sits out the last two games 5 of 14 is over one-third and all five came after game 7. But the second reason why I don't see that happening is back in the Spring we heard Coach Narduzzi say that LT had the talent to be an All-B1G player and recently Coach D said that even if LT could get a 6th year, he would never see it because he would leave for the NFL before it came to fruition. Basically, LT is a guy that, once he gets healthy and gets an opportunity, is going to put the world on notice of his talent. I have not heard the coaches speak so highly of any player for us over their tenure here and there have been some really quality players that have come through. And if it is all smoke it makes little sense to play him in the fashion they have and not hold him out for that potential sixth season of eligibility.

The guy that I have not heard much about that I think can pick up an extra year is Jairus Jones. He only played in the first four games this year and has been shut down. LB's are losing Bullough and Allen. Secondary is losing Dennard and Lewis. Jones being back in the mix for one more year can really be a nice addition to the defense and boost the LB corps and aid in pass coverage too. I was really impressed with his impact at that new spot when he played this year. I would love to see him come back and end his career on a high note.

SpartanMan82 Bonus Question: 
How about that Mike Griffith of MLive? Even though he ranked MSU higher than most in the polls, the headlines of his articles on the Spartan team still seem to be like back-handed compliments, if not outright denigration. Who does this guy think he is?

He seems to think he is "above" his current assignment, apparently because he thinks the SEC is "all that and more". He is like Drew Sharp without the high intelligence. He makes factual errors in his stories on a regular basis, and says dUMb things like the MSU Defense this year can't be remembered as the best-ever unless the team as a whole is selected by a political process to play in a certain bowl.

He's not the brightest bulb in the lamp, and he tries to make up for his obvious deficits by baiting his readers with controversial claims against the home team. He has a poor grasp of the subject matter for which he is responsible. He offers no relevant insights, as he has none.

Mike Griffith appears to be a run-of-the-mill sports-dork who has risen to his own level of incompetence. To cover for his lack of substance, he takes shots at the home team with back-handed compliments, mixed reviews, and subtle innuendo. There is no point in reading his articles about MSU sports.

[Be sure to read comments for more opinions on this topic, including A-Town's reply to SM82.]

______________________________________________________

Part 1 Questions (Previous Edition):

1. It was the Michigan football players who started the on-field brawl in their game against Ohio STATE, yet only a single UM player was penalized in any way. This, despite multiple Wolverines who ran onto the field, several of whom made physical contact with Buckeyes. How does Michigan come out of this ugly incident relatively clean, while Ohio STATE is made to look like the bad guys?

2. MSU Punter, Mike Sadler was clearly roughed near the end of the Minnesota game, yet no penalty was called. This feels similar to the bogus pass-interference calls made against the Spartans at Notre Dame, and the multiple non-calls that should have been made against Taylor Lewan in the Michigan game. Do you believe that Michigan State plays on a level field when it comes to Big Tens referees and/or administrators? 

3. The Buckeye Defense looks pretty vulnerable this season, but what can MSU do about the Ohio STATE Offense? Miller and Hyde look pretty damn good. Give your best guess at the point total to be scored by the Buckeyes.

Part 2 Questions (Previous Edition):

4. What under reported developments, plays or story-lines have you observed since our last Front-Burner?

5. Despite the great season in progress, Mark Dantonio has not been able to register measurable gains in recruiting, at least according to the five-star-system used to rate high school players. On the other hand, Langford and Lippett came in as three-star "athletes", and Dennard and Waynes arrived as two-star recruits. Do the benefits of a season most likely show up with high school juniors more than the current class of seniors? Do you care at all about the recruiting rankings for Michigan State?

Click here for Part 1 panelist responses.
Click here for Part 2 panelist responses

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