Rooting for chUMps revisited, Monday Links, chUMps lose corner

Michigan cornerback figures out that "those who stay will become chUMps" - prefers division II over Pig House.

Remember when the media was trying to get Spartan fans to root for chUMps in that second to last week (and even asked Dantonio if he would)? Remember when those of who said NO-WAY where characterized as stupid, shallow, haters?
First, we ended up not needing chUMps to win because the Spartans won out.
Second, chUMps winning led them to get into a BCS game and play a weaker opponent than a handful of teams who did not play a BCS bowl, including the Spartans.
Third, now there is a debate on who should be ranked higher - MSU or the chUMps who played 8 home games including Notre Dame, Nebraska and Ohio State while dodging Wisconsin all together and played a bowl opponent that did  - while MSU played all three of those teams away from home, played the best team in the conference twice and played the SEC runner up in a bowl game? Oh and while MSU manhandled chUMps on the field of play. What would chUMps record have been with MSU's schedule and bowl game? Two more losses? Three more loses? What a joke.

Remember, when SpartanMan82 asked, "Will Bardy Hoke root for MSU?" (and part 2)
CLEARLY, it was stupid to root for chUMps. Hopefully you did not fall for that crap.

Monday Links

Joe Rexrode Looks Ahead. The Building Blocks Dantonio Defined. Sunday Links...

Hey Joe!
Joe Rexrode of the Lansing State Journal takes a shot at next year's starting line-up. Heavy strengths will be O-line, running back, defensive ends and corners - all should be among the best position groups in the Big Ten. Also check out out the eligibility year of the defensive players. The Spartans will have a senior laden defense in 2013 (unless younger guys prove even better) which is a year MSU will have a 5th-year senior QB and no Ohio State, Wisconsin or Penn State on the schedule. We could see a return to the Big-Ten Championship game in 2013 if the Spartans miss next year. Click here for the full post.
Also check out Joe's 10 most memorable moments/developments of the 2011 football season.

The Little Brother Blog has had some good content (even though if find the name of the blog baffling).
In their latest post, the author reflects back on five principles Dantonio said he would use to build a successful program at Michigan State. He then dissects how the Spartans have done against those benchmarks.

1. “I think they’re the cornerstones of who we are as a program, what we’ll try to develop, what I try and develop every day. … I want them first to be good people and make good choices, to be morally correct...
2. “Second thing is I want our family to be together. … It’s important that our players’ families come together, they know me, our coaches personally...
3. “We need to get bigger, stronger, faster to get to where we want to go. We need to be coached at the highest level...
4. “The next thing I want our players to do is to graduate...
5. “The last thing we want to do, probably the most important to a lot of people who are here. I wear this championship ring very, very few times, but I wear it for a reason. I wear it to symbolize what can happen when you have the resources, when you have the players, and most importantly when you have the commitment. … It happens because of a commitment from the players, a belief in values, a belief in themselves. Once you start doing it, it continues. I believe that that can happen here. I truly believe that or I would not have come.” I highly recommend the full post.

Sunday Links:

Chat at BEATchUMps.com during the game

Just go to the site and in the right column is a chat box. Select your log-in and roll! If you have trouble logging in or creating a free account, simply send a comment back to this post and I will help you. - I will reply in the chat box so look there.

(as a back-up, you can email BEATchUMps@gmail.com )
Publish Post
Go Green!

Be a Hokie for a Day (& Hokie-Spartan Love)

     Our current allies, the Virginia Tech Hokies, are having trouble generating interest in their bowl game. We have to support our second favorite team this bowl season. The enemy of our enemy is our friend.
     I always ask anyone who buys a dUMp the chUMps button how they found out about the buttons. This week I received the beautiful response. It really must be love. Here is what jmitch (from Virginia) said:

"I found it on eBay while looking for MSU merchandise. My girlfriend is a Spartan and I am a Hokie. I figured this way she could enjoy my bowl game even though she got robbed. :) Thanks!"

Mistake is Accurate in a Strange Way...

From M-Live:

Victoria's Secret is out: Folks there are a little confused about Michigan college football. The woman's lingerie company created a cute little Michigan State T-shirt, complete with Spartan logo and the word "pink" on the back.

The problem? The front reads: "Spartans: Hail to the victors." Just makes you want to hum the University of Michigan fight song, doesn't it?.

The mixed-message "Bling Scoopneck Tee" was part of the company's Pink Collegiate Collection, but it disappeared from the Victoria's Secret website almost as soon as it went up,according to the Detroit News. It was gone by 8 p.m. Friday.

The error was spotted by CNBC sports business reporter Darren Rovell, who notified the company of the goof, according to Rivals.com.

E-mail Sue Thoms: sthoms@grpress.com

Come to the site and chat during the game

Visit BEATchUMps.com and chat with Spartan friends during the game - or comment after. Log in to the chat box in the right column. It will in the right column. You can use your google or facebook login - or create a free chatroll account.

After dUMping the chUMps, Spartans still ELITE in Defense

Half way through the season and two games in, to what Spartan Dan called the "meat grinder" portion of the schedule, the Spartans are at or near the top of the national rankings in many defensive categories.

SPARTANS DEFENSIVE NATIONAL RANK:

Passing yards per game: #1
        Next Game, Wisconsin is #3
Rushing Yards per game: #3
        Next Game, Wisconsin is way down the list (could be the area that turns the tables?)
Total yards per game: #2 (less than two yards per game behind Alabama)
         Next Game, Wisconsin is #7
Sacks per game: #3
        Next Game, Wisconsin is way down the list (could be the area that turns the tables?)
Points per game: #4
          Next Game, Wisconsin is #3
          Past opponents: Notre Dame #31
                                   Ohio State #13
                                   chUMps #9 (really?)

Should Spartans be Rooting for chUMps Tonight?

Help us grow. Like this post on facebook. Please share your thoughts by using the comment feature. As Always, check the resource center (page bottom) daily...

What is best for the Spartans?

A. Play the chUMps while they are undefeated and highly ranked. Would it be better to knock the chUMps off their "arrogant asses" and be the team to begin their second half slide? Is it a case of the higher they are (emotionally and ranked), the harder

Spartan Dad Takes 15-year Old Son to "The Shoe" for 1st MSU game

Posted by C-Mann79 (c/o Return2Glory - I highly recommend reading this account of the Columbus experience through the eyes of a Spartan - my Brother.)

I needed some time after witnessing the closest near shutout of the Buckeyes in the Shoe in 28 years to absorb the entire day.  Did the Spartans defense play that well or is the loss of those five tattoo experts mean that much to the Buckeyes?  More on my answer in a moment but first I have to describe the day.  My 15 year old son was about to attend his first Big Ten game.  Dressed in all of the green we could muster, six different Spartan hats adorning the dash and a green and white bumper sticker stating “Happiness is Crushing Buckeye Nuts” on the rear bumper we made our journey into Columbus.  We made a U turn when we saw

Videos - players, coaches, Izzo/Roe

Help us grow. Like this post on facebook. Please share your thoughts by using the comment feature. As Always, check the resource center (page bottom) daily...

Hondo Carpenter interviews players and coaches frequently and posts them on this sight. Currently he has video of player and assistant coaches and press conferences and one with Tom Izzo and Delvon Roe. With the bye-week, I thought you might like something extra to check out. If only Spartman82 could do these instead (better camera/audio work and interview skills), we all be all over them all the time! Well, someday!

Click here to get to the videos.

Gholston Becoming Dominant

Help us grow. Like this post on facebook. Please share your thoughts by using the comment feature. As Always, check the resource center (page bottom) daily...

Michigan State's Will Gholston 'dominant' against Ohio State: 'It was so much fun'

Published: Tuesday, October 04, 2011, 8:00 AM     Updated: Tuesday, October 04, 2011, 10:38 AM

 By Greg Johnson | The Grand Rapids Press 

AP PhotoMichigan State's Will Gholston (2) showed some of the reasons he was a five-star recruit out of high school.

EAST LANSING -- Michigan State’s Will Gholston was a high-profile national recruit in 2010 whom the Spartans landed with hopes he would become a dominant player.

The sophomore demonstrated dominance in Saturday’s 10-7 win against Ohio State with five tackles, including three for loss, his first career sack, another sack that was wiped out by an Ohio State penalty and a pass deflection, as the Spartans held the Buckeyes scoreless until the final 10 seconds of the game.

Fans comment of Devoln Roe retirement - Knee pain just too much...

From The Hey Joe! Blog on Greenandwhite.com
There were a lot of articles from which to select. You can get more details in the rescource center at the bottom of  the page. I selected this piece because of the comments fans are leaving on the blog. I included some here and more after the jump-break.

The best "free" info from inside Spartan Football (lots of O-Line stuff) [Bonus Video]

From Hey Joe! on GreenandWhite.com
September 28, 2011

"I went back to Ohio..."

Pretenders, anyone?  Someone will be tagged with that label around 7 p.m. Saturday. The Spartans don't want it to be them, and many of them will have a little something extra for this game. Mike Tressel was asked this afternoon whether that can in fact be counterproductive. He had an interesting response. “I think it will be a

From the opponent's perspective...

The Big Ten Awaits - How Do The Buckeyes Measure Up?

 by Chip Minnich on Sep 26, 2011 11:00 AM EDT

http://www.alongtheolentangy.com/2011/9/26/2448592/the-big-ten-awaits-how-do-the-buckeyes-measure-up#storyjump

At three wins and one loss as the calendar is turning to October, Ohio State fans are wondering what type of team the 2011 Buckeyes have as they prepare for the beginning of Big Ten conference play. Ohio State will play Michigan State, at Nebraska, at Illinois, and Wisconsin over the next five weeks, a stretch that will demonstrate if the Buckeyes are

MSU defense statistically #1 in nation - Must prove it vs. Buckeyes

EAST LANSING - Statistically speaking, the Michigan State defense is having one of the best seasons in the nation.

Though the number of games and quality of opponents differ between teams, MSU ranks No. 1 in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total defense after Saturday.

The Spartans are allowing 172 yards per game, just ahead of Alabama, Virginia Tech, Florida, Wisconsin and Texas.

MSU allowed only

Spartans rank 20 in # of fans (chUMps at #2) - Big Ten #1 conference, by far

The new York Times studied a variety of measurable factors to determine the number of fans each school carries. For the complete story, click here.

Here is a segment of the article:

Let’s review the results on a conference-by-conference basis with an eye toward realignment. Conferences are listed in order of their aggregate number of fans based on their current configurations.

Big Ten

The Big Ten can afford to be picky. Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State are the three most popular college football teams in the country, according to our study. Seven Big Ten teams, including new addition Nebraska, rank in the top 20 nationally. And all but one Big Ten school is in the top 50, the lone exception being Northwestern, which has the Chicago market and strong academics going for it.

The only plausible additions that would allow the Big Ten to improve upon its average of about 1.5 million fans per team are

Video - M-Live Pre-game Analysis: MSU vs. ND

Are we really ready for this?

So really, what do you think about these uniforms the Spartans will be wearing for the chUMps game at home on October 15th? Go Green!...  ...Go...  Bronze? Please add comments below (or in the chat box to the right).

Recruiting: Could Spartans land Michigan's best prospect again?

From Freep.com:

Purchase Image

Farmington Hills Harrison wide receiver Aaron Burbridge / DIANE WEISS/DFP

BY MATT DORSEY

DETROIT FREE PRESS SPECIAL WRITER

• 
  

Michigan State has landed the top football recruit in Michigan, according to Rivals.com, the last two years. In 2010, it was Detroit Southeastern defensive end William Gholston and most recently it was Detroit Renaissance linebacker Lawrence Thomas. Could the Spartans make it 3-for-3 in 2012?

Rivals.com has MSU commitment Aaron Burbridge, wide receiver for Farmington Hills Harrison, ranked as the No. 2 player in the state for the class of 2012. He is behind only Michigan commitment Royce Jenkins-Stone, linebacker at Detroit Cass Tech. How well these two perform this fall could go a long way in determining who will be the state’s best recruit on national signing day.

Rivals.com Midwest recruiting analyst Josh Helmholdt hasn't seen much difference between the two prospects so far this season. 

“There was not much separation between Jenkins-Stone and Burbridge to begin with. Burbridge's stock is rising, while Jenkins-Stone's is not. A change atop the state of Michigan rankings is definitely possible, but we'll keep evaluating these two over the course of the fall.”

Burbridge and Jenkins-Stone are expecting to lead their respective teams deep into the playoffs. Both will get several chances to prove who is the top recruit for 2012.

"We'll address our issues," Dantonio said. "I can promise you that."

From Drew Sharp at FREEP.com

EAST LANSING -- There was some blunt, colorful halftime commentary within the Michigan State locker room. The Spartans looked sluggish, leading lower division cousin Youngstown State by only eight points. The assessment was deservingly harsh, but anyone thinking the coaches chipped the paint off the walls with their blistering verbiage or sent chairs flying in rage should understand something.

There's no need for such histrionics now.

When you've had the same system in place for what's now five years, everybody already knows what needs to be done to turn what went wrong into what should be right.

"Everyone was mad," said wide receiver B.J. Cunningham. "The coaches were upset. The players were