Sunday, November 29, 2009

Michigan State's bowl fate on Dec 6; Izzo passes Heathcote

What is the Spartans' football fate? Well, MSU's possible travels outside of the Detroit Pizza Bowl certainly improved this weekend with losses by #9 Pitt and #12 Oklahoma State, making it more likely for a pair of Big Ten teams to make it to the BCS: Ohio State and either Iowa or Joe Pa (if JoePa makes it over Iowa, it is complete robbery, with Iowa crushing the Old Man in Happy Valley earlier this year). Also, expect two other BCS at-large births to go to undefeated #5 Boise State and undefeated #4 TCU.
The only thing that could upset this ship is if Nebraska defeats Texas in the Big 12 title game. Note: If Pitt beats undefeated Cincinnati next week for the BCS bid from the Big Least, Cincy will be hung out to dry; the same with potential upsets of Oregon State over Oregon in the Pac 10, or of Clemson over Georgia Tech in the ACC - expect only one bid from either of those conferences.

Here is last week's bowl forecast from ESPN, which remains the same after this past weekend.

Assuming a Texas win over Nebraska in the Big 12 title game:

BCS Title: Ala/Fla (SEC) vs Texas (Big 12)
Fiesta: Boise St (WAC/at large) vs Iowa/Joe Pa (Big 10/at large)
Sugar: Ala/Fla (SEC/at large) vs Pitt/Cincy (Big Least)
Orange: Georgia Tech/Clemson (ACC) vs TCU (MWC/at large)
Rose: Oregon/Oregon State (Pac 10) vs Ohio State (Big 10)

Bowl Selection show is slated to be broadcast at 8 pm EST next Sunday night, Dec 6, on Fox. Everyone is still projecting a Michigan State vs Texas Tech matchup in the Alamo Bowl. If so, that would be played on January 2 at 9 pm on ESPN. And, with that spread offense, you can expect TTU will be licking its chops with a hemorrhaging, disappointing Spartan secondary.

Izzo passes Heathcote; UNC up next
And, in case you missed it, Michigan State crushed UMass last night, 106-68, to improve to 5-1 overall and give head coach Tom Izzo his 341st victory. Izzo surpassed Heathcote for most wins as a coach in the school's illustrious basketball history. Next up? Rematch of the National Title game to be played down in Chapel Hill, with a MSU-UNC tipoff on Tuesday at 9 pm on ESPN.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

ES likes Florida radio more than MSU's Teeman; Spartans turnover loss to Florida

Wow, listened to the basketball game last night on the computer via Yahoo, and the Spartans LOSING to Florida, 77-74, for its first loss of the year.

Before I share brief thoughts of the game, I'll say that the ES was impressed with U of Florida's radio announcers (couldn't get MSU radio on Yahoo gametracker, but I could get Florida's) -- far superior than the very poor coverage by Will Teeman over the years for Michigan State. Teeman always misses plays, has long delays after crowd roars before explaining what he saw, and is significantly biased toward Michigan State. Whenever I hear Teeman, I cringe and question the authenticity of what is being reported, though I like Matt Steigenga's coverage. Not so with U of Florida announcers last night, as they were as stunned as everyone else with MSU's loss (and I put in in that perspective, MSU's loss, not Florida's win). Several times the Florida announcers questioned calls against Michigan State and stated they would have reversed it, including touchy-tack back to back calls vs Delvon Roe, and impressive scouting on Spartan players and Izzo's style. Very straightforward and good reporting. Will Teeman, if you are reading this, you can learn a few lessons by listening to their broadcast on tape.

That said, what I took away from the game was this: critical free throws missed at the end of the game, as well as far too many turnovers: 23 TOs by MSU to 11 for Florida. You won't win in any sport giving the other team 12 more chances than yourself to score. Korie Luciuos played awful with 4 turnovers and 0 points - something he has a tendency to do. As reported, the Spartans played sloppy in front of hundreds of MSU fans in New Jersey at the Legends Classic... and you could hear the Spartan Nation loud on the radio. I'm shocked we were even in the game the way we turned it over," Izzo said.

Let's not be alarmed. MSU will drop from its #2 ranking, but the Spartans always start slow in the non-conference season and rise as the season moves along. The fact MSU led for most of the second half with as many turnovers as it did says it has the tools for long term success... and knows what it needs to work on to get there. REDUCE TURNOVERS.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Michigan State -4.5 vs Florida in Men's Basketball

Yer #2 Michigan State men's dribblers will take on Florida on Friday at 8 pm. We're favored by 4 1/2 points. The game is part of the Legends Classic to be held in Atlantic City. It's the first time the Big Green has hit the road this year. etc. etc.

MSU is 4-0, but so is Florida. Jeff Sagarin ranks MSU #6 and Florida #18. There will be a championship game on Saturday at 8 pm vs. the winner of Rutgers/UMass; the consolation game will start at 5:30 pm on Saturday. All games are on HDTV but will not be on ESPN cable or BTN... so those of us may have to sneak to the bar to watch it or tune in on our Gametracker.

Here is the USA Today poll, and not a whiff of the Gators in it...

1. Kansas (28) 3-0 772
2. Michigan State (2) 4-0 734
3. Texas 2-0 698
4. Villanova 5-0 655
5. Kentucky 4-0 642
6. Purdue 3-0 588
7. Duke (1) 4-0 587
8. West Virginia 1-0 532
9. Syracuse 4-0 481
10. Butler 3-0 475
11. Tennessee 4-0 464
12. North Carolina 4-1 447
13. Connecticut 3-0 405
14. Washington 4-0 383
15. Michigan 2-0 339
16. Minnesota 3-0 233
16. Louisville 3-0 233
18. Ohio State 3-1 219
19. Georgetown 3-0 205
19. Clemson 3-0 205
21. Illinois 3-0 131
22. Maryland 3-0 99
23. California 2-2 71
24. Vanderbilt 2-0 67
25. Georgia Tech 3-1 56
Others Receiving Votes
Oklahoma 53, Wake Forest 40, Gonzaga 26, Oklahoma State 24, Brigham Young 23, Florida State 20, Notre Dame 18, Dayton 18, UNLV 18, Miami (FL) 16, LSU 15, Pittsburgh 12, Xavier 12, Tulsa 12, Memphis 11, Mississippi 10, Kansas State 8, Texas A&M 8, Florida 3, Missouri 3, Saint Mary's 2, Siena 1, New Mexico 1.
Dropped From Rankings
Oklahoma 17, Dayton 21.

Turkey Day College Football - Screw the NFL and the Pathetic Lions

Football on Turkey Day used to be all about the Detroit Lions. But they have sucked so bad, arguably worse than the 0-fer Northwestern, Oregon States, Rices, and Kansas States of the 1970s and 1980s. Will the ES turn on the Lions on Turkey Day? Sadly, probably not. They may have lost the ES permanently.

Luckily, who needs the NFL? We've got Texas vs Texas A&M on ESPN at 8 pm... eat your mid afternoon turkey, take a nap, then wake up and hope for the Aggies to upset the Horns so we can be rid of U-Texas' perpetual largess. On Friday, there are a shitload of games - from the traditional post-Turkey Day Nebraska-Colorado stint (3:30 pm/ABC) to the more interesting noon matchup of Illinois vs Cinci (ABC), or Rutgers at Louisville (11 am/ESPN 2), Alabama at Auburn (2:30 pm/CBS), Pitt at West Virginia (7 pm/ESPN 2), and concluding at 10 pm EST with Nevada at Boise State (ESPN 2).

But, of all this week's games -- as stated by Adam Rittenberg at ESPN -- the Big Ten should be rooting for Oklahoma at home to upset #12 Oklahoma State (12:30 pm on Saturday). That would help boost the conference to a pair of BCS births and move all the bowl pairings up a notch.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Dantonio Takes Swift Axe to Winston and Jenrette

OK, so maybe in this case we should rush to judgment. Seems pretty clear to me.

Mark Dantonio has dismissed both DB Roderick Jenrette and RB/KR Glenn Winston from the football team for a violation of team rules. Both players are connected to the assault that took place on Sunday night at Rather Hall, just 90 minutes after the football banquet ended.

Good for MD for not putting up with any shenanigans and giving them the boot -- both were promising players for the Spartans, but obviously they couldn't get their act together outside as students or community members. The football team doesn't need these guys around, nor that type of demeanor. Actually, both have missed the last half of the season - Jenrette played a great game vs. Michigan before he broke his foot... and, Winston tore his ACL in the Illinois game.

Dantonio's response was swift and easy, as it didn't take him long to give them the boot. Winston owes the Spartan nation an apology, but particularly coach Dantonio. Dantonio stuck his neck out and gave him a second chance after Winston's 180-day stint in jail for assaulting Spartan hockey player AJ Sturges. Maybe Sturges was right: Winston should have spent a year in jail. My guess is he just might with this stupid act.

Sez the ES? What a couple of dummies, not to mention thugs. Good for coach Dantonio to get this embarassing trash off the Spartan team.

And, let us be clear. It's a free country - coaches can't stand guard over their players 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, or lock them in a closet, and coaches shouldn't be expected to. Athletes are people and need to take personal responsibility for their actions as well as respect the university for the opportunity to be a team member. If they don't have the value set to behave like adults and respect others, they should not be on the team. Dantonio guessed wrong on these two, but he also believes in giving people a chance. Winston and Jenrette had that chance and blew it -- Dantonio's swift response was the right move and he didn't hesitate. It will also help the team move on toward concentrating on the bowl game by quickly putting this mess behind them.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Reporting of assaults involving athletes

State News got wind of a reported assault at Rather Hall on Sunday night that may have involved MSU football players.

The ES asks not to rush to judgment, as was the case with most of the public with respect to Glenn Winston's assault on MSU hockey player AJ Sturges and the punishment he and others received that noone knows about. While Winston's public punishment may not have fit the crime... not all the details of the punishment were ever revealed.

When it comes to athletics and student conduct, well, there is more to the story than you ever read. This is particularly because of the FERPA law, which says "schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student's education record..."

Just to be fair and not to single out athletes: On October 18, the State News reported Takashi Higuchi, an instructor and resident in the College of Veterinary Medicine, was sent to jail and suspended with pay for 30 days after being arraigned Thursday on three counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of kidnapping. And, on September 17, the State News reported a pair of assault cases on campus as the first of the fall, with the MSU police having one person in custody and searching for another.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Jones named Big Ten Defensive POY; Swenson gets team MVP

Greg Jones was named the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year; Blair White was named First Team all Big Ten as a WR, as was Brett Swenson as a PK. Joel Nitchman was named a Second Team lineman. Congrats, Jones! A highlight in a disappointing year.

What is most surprising, however, maybe shouldn't be on second look. Swenson was named the team's Most Valuable Player by his peers, the first time a kicker has ever taken home that award... and MSU is the home to the best kickers in college football history. After you consider the inconsistency and disappointment on both sides of the ball this year, the one thing you could always count on was Swenson - he earned it. Congrats!

Charlie Weis fires himself; Fire Your Football Coach website update

Hilarious, as Charlie Weis has fired himself, "If they decide to make a change, I’d have to say I’d have a tough time arguing with that.... it would be tough for me to argue with that point."

So, it's that time of year - bowl bound or be fired. College football fans, the ES submits this list for your amusement. Here is a current list of "Fire Your Coach" websites for those NCAA Division I-FBS football coaches on the hotseat and in danger of being sacked.
  • Arizona State: FireDErickson. Fire Dennis Erickson on twitter.
  • Colorado: FireDanHawkins.net. Fire Dan Hawkins. Hawkins' Law: Any mistake that can be made will be made.
  • Florida State: hireretireorfirebobbybowden.com. Hire, Retire or Fire Bobby Bowden: The Future of Bowden.
  • Georgia: FireMarkRicht.net. Replace Mark Richt: Free Willie!
  • Louisville: FireKragthorpeNow.com. Fire Steve Kragthorpe Now.
  • Michigan: FireRRod.com. Fire Rich Rodriguez.
  • Michigan: FireRichRodriguez.com. Fire Rich Rodriguez: Just kidding. We love RichRod where he is … in the losers bracket at scUM.
  • Notre Dame: ChuckWeis.com. Fire Chuck Weis: Demanding excellence, not dreaming about it.
  • Tennessee: KanKiffin.com. Dedicated to preserving the grand tradition of the University of Tennessee football and giving a voice to those fans who believe that the new head coach, Lane Kiffin, is embarassing the program.
  • Texas A&M: firecoachsherman.com. Fire Coach Sherman: Please Save Aggie Football!
  • Virginia: firealgroh.com. Fire Al Groh: I don't know when Duke became a stronger football program than UVA, but it has happened.
  • Virginia: dontfirealgroh.com. Virgina Foosball wahooter.
Michigan State: Alas, a 6-6 season won't outdo the Spartan Nation which has one, too (though the ES is in strong disagreement): Fire Dantonio.com.

Final Big Ten standings, MSU disappointment

Your final Big Ten football standings, with ES projected bowls (projection based on Big Ten nabbing two BCS bids. If not, move everything down a notch, with the toss up between Minny and MSU for the Pizza Pizza Bowl bid in Detroit). ESPN projects Notre Dame in Detroit... and MSU deserves to be there, too, IMHO. This was a disappointing season out of Michigan State. It's too bad.


TEAMCONFALLES PROJ.
Ohio State7-110-2Rose/BCS
Iowa6-210-2Fiesta/BCS
Penn State6-210-2Cap One
Northwestern5-38-4Champs
Wisconsin5-38-3Outback
Michigan State4-46-6Alamo
Purdue4-45-7
Minnesota3-56-6Insight
Illinois2-63-7
Michigan1-75-7
Indiana1-74-8


Your USA Today Poll (Nov. 22):

RKTEAMRECORDPTS
1Florida (47)11-01459
2Texas (4)11-01398
3Alabama (8)11-01388
4TCU11-01279
5Cincinnati10-01224
6Boise State11-01181
7Georgia Tech10-11125
8Ohio State10-21031
9Pittsburgh9-11021
10Oregon9-2941
11Penn State10-2843
12Oklahoma State9-2815
13Iowa10-2714
14Virginia Tech8-3656
15Brigham Young9-2510
16Clemson8-3467
17LSU8-3463
18Oregon State8-3450
19Utah9-2318
20Houston9-2305
21Miami (FL)8-3266
22USC7-3261
23Nebraska8-3191
24North Carolina8-3167
25Mississippi8-3165

Dropped from rankings: Wisconsin 14, Stanford 17

Others receiving votes: California 149, Wisconsin 123, Stanford 58, Navy 50, West Virginia 30, CENTRL MICHIGAN 27, Arkansas 17, Temple 17, Arizona 15, Northwestern 13, Texas Tech 12, Nevada 12, Auburn 9, TROY 2, South Florida 1, Kentucky 1, Missouri 1

Thank goodness it is basketball and hockey season. At least we have consistent winners in men's and women's hoops, and on the ice.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Penn State debacle sends message: Michigan State earns bowl bid to Detroit vs. Notre Dame

Embarassment. The Spartans weren't even competitive. The game against Penn State was a joke. Coach Mark Dantonio, D-coord Pat Narduzzi, and O-coord Don Treadwell all owe the Spartan nation an apology for the pathetic performance of the Spartans in the second half of yesterday's 42-14 loss. This is a team that looked lost and disengaged as it wore on. They were pathetic. It was the worst performance of the year by Michigan State against a very good Penn State team. Where do you start?

Kirk Cousins had the worst game of his career (16-28-155-2 INT), and overthrew receivers, mistimed passes, or just made poor decisions. Especially on third down, after going 2-5 on third down in the first quarter, the Spartans finished 0-7 the rest of the way (2-12 for the game). Much of it was terrible play calling by Treadwell, who couldn't put three effective play calls together if he tried. Poor game planning - the screen plays were telegraphed, running on second down when trailing by 21 points was STUPID and ineffective, Cousins couldn't hit an out pattern if he tried.... and, then when MSU goes to the hurry up offense down 28-7 with 5 minutes left in the third quarter, they get an offsides call... and then quit the hurry up? Huh? What the hell are they thinking? What kind of ad hoc coaching is that?

To top it off, after Cousins misses on the fifth consecutive 3-and-out... at the end of the 3rd quarter, the coaches still fail to put in Nichol? This, after early in the year they disrupt the timing of the offense in the second quarter of games to deliberately insert Nichol? What the hell is going on? Brain dead coaching. Just the poorest effort out of Dantonio and his staff all year.

Defensively, the secondary looked completely lost as JoePa crossed receivers in motion and RBs on deep post patterns, with no Spartan safeties or DBs within 5-10 yards of coverage. What the hell was going on? Dantonio can learn about some Xs and Os from the Old Man.

Give credit to the Old Man - we got out butts kicked, and this Spartan team doesn't deserve to be in the top tier of the Big Ten. We're just average at best. Like last year vs Ohio State, this team just can't compete against the Big Boys. We're just not good enough.

I'm glad I painted my hair green and yelled my heart out. So much for being an avid Spartan fan. It was pathetic. I should send my bill for $2.99 for green hair spray to Coach Dantonio and request a refund.

SEND MICHIGAN STATE TO DETROIT
The way they played, the Spartans don't deserve a bowl game. They'd stink up any matchup unless it was against the Sun Belt conference. OK, so MSU is bowl eligible... so what should the league do? Michigan State and Notre Dame (who lost to UConn) deserve each other in a bowl game - send the two to Detroit for the Pizza Pizza Bowl.

The highlight of the game (below) was the balloons let go at the end of the first quarter.



or, little miss Santa gal (center below) who braved the 55-degree weather...



PSU-MSU STATS

                                   PSU      MSU

FIRST DOWNS................... 24 16
Rushing..................... 7 5
Passing..................... 16 10
Penalty..................... 1 1
NET YARDS RUSHING............. 188 94
Rushing Attempts............ 38 25
Average Per Rush............ 4.9 3.8
Rushing Touchdowns.......... 1 0
Yards Gained Rushing........ 213 121
Yards Lost Rushing.......... 25 27
NET YARDS PASSING............. 324 239
Completions-Attempts-Int.... 20-28-0 20-33-2
Average Per Attempt......... 11.6 7.2
Average Per Completion...... 16.2 11.9
Passing Touchdowns.......... 5 2
TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS........... 512 333
Total offense plays......... 66 58
Average Gain Per Play....... 7.8 5.7
Fumbles: Number-Lost.......... 0-0 0-0
Penalties: Number-Yards....... 6-27 6-60
PUNTS-YARDS................... 5-192 9-337
Average Yards Per Punt...... 38.4 37.4
Net Yards Per Punt.......... 38.2 36.0
Inside 20................... 5 3
50+ Yards................... 1 0
Touchbacks.................. 0 0
Fair catch.................. 1 3
KICKOFFS-YARDS................ 7-475 2-125
Average Yards Per Kickoff... 67.9 62.5
Net Yards Per Kickoff....... 44.0 31.0
Touchbacks.................. 2 0
Punt returns: Number-Yards-TD. 4-13-0 2-1-0
Average Per Return.......... 3.2 0.5
Kickoff returns: Number-Yds-TD 2-63-0 5-127-0
Average Per Return.......... 31.5 25.4
Interceptions: Number-Yds-TD.. 2-47-0 0-0-0
Fumble Returns: Number-Yds-TD. 0-0-0 0-0-0
Miscellaneous Yards........... 0 0
Possession Time............... 33:56 26:04
1st Quarter................. 6:35 8:25
2nd Quarter................. 8:49 6:11
3rd Quarter................. 7:43 7:17
4th Quarter................. 10:49 4:11
Third-Down Conversions........ 6 of 13 2 of 12
Fourth-Down Conversions....... 0 of 0 0 of 0
Red-Zone Scores-Chances....... 2-2 1-1
Sacks By: Number-Yards........ 1-9 4-20
PAT Kicks..................... 6-6 2-2
Field Goals................... 0-2 0-0

Saturday, November 21, 2009

POUND GREEN POUND - kick JoePa's arse

Time for the Big Green Touchdown Machine to POUND Penn State and the Old Man into submission.

ES predicts MSU 23-21, and holding off a furious JoePa comeback...

Kickoff 3:30 pm in East Lansing. It's overcast today, and a bit cold (50 degrees), but it could be worse. If you can't make it into town, watch on ABC.

Friday, November 20, 2009

MSU favored by 29 over Toledo; Izzo to tie Jud

Michigan State vs. Toledo. 6:30 pm tonight.
MSU (2-0, #2 USA/AP, #6 Sagarin)
Toledo (0-2, #245 Sagarin)
TV: Big Ten Network

The Spartans are a 29-point favorite over Toledo. After the Spartans win this evening, Tom Izzo will be tied with Jud Heathcote as the coach with the most wins (339) in Michigan State men's basketball history...

ummm, I meant Izzo will be one behind - it takes 340 to tie Jud. He'll tie Jud with a win over Valpo on Sunday.

ES Game Day Prediction: Michigan State 23, Penn State 21

Penn State (9-2/5-2) at Michigan State (6-5/4-3)
PSU Sagarin: #21 , #84 ss; MSU Sagarin: #54, #47 ss
Saturday, November 21. 3:30 pm EST.
ABC-TV
Weather: partly sunny, 50 degrees.
Line: Penn State favored by 3.

Tickets Available

Injuries: Michigan State - RB Andre Anderson (gone), out; RB Caulton Ray (gone), out; S Roderick Jenrette (foot), out; RB Glenn Winston (knee), out. Penn State - WR/KR Chaz Powell (shoulder), out; RB Brandon Beachum (ACL), out; CB Stephon Morris (head), doubtful; OL Johnnie Troutman (calf), probable.

Common Opponents: PSU 4-1; MSU 3-2. Iowa (PSU L 10-21, MSU L 13-15); Illinois (PSU W 35-17, MSU W 24-14); Minnesota (PSU W 20-0, MSU L 34-42); Michigan (PSU W 35-10, MSU W 26-20); Northwestern (PSU W 34-13, MSU W 24-14).

ES Predictions: This will likely be a defensive battle, with a tad more offense than what we saw in the Iowa game. Michigan State is as healthy as it has been all year, particularly on the offensive and defensive interior. Penn State has started slow in games but has finished strong.

Special Teams - The JoePas have a huge loss missing Chaz Powell in its kick return game. Expect JoePa not to kick to Spartan WR/KR Keshawn Martin who has emerged as one of the best in the nation; he will allow his PSU defense to take its lumps on a shorter field against the Spartan offense.

MSU offense - Will the MSU offense execute effectively and efficiently enough to get into the endzone? It had its worst showing of the year last week and again showed its difficulty in the red zone converting TDs. Another 11-25-208 showing by Kirk Cousins won't get it done vs. JoePa. MSU's leading rusher was Martin, thanks to his 45-yard run; this also needs to change, with our running backs getting solid yardage.

MSU defense - Will it make the plays at the end to win, or will it bend-but-break and allow JoePa All-World Everything QB Darryl Clark to make the plays to get it into the BCS? Clark wasn't impressive (17-28-194, 2 INTs; 29 yards rushing) last week against a ho-hum Indiana squad. But, MSU hasn't exactly caused oodles of turnovers this year... can the Lions take advantage of an inconsistent Spartan secondary that is 10th in pass defense? Probably. But will it be enough?

Don't be surprised if this game is again decided on special teams, which favors the Big Green. This is the toughest game of the year for the ES to predict so far. What Spartan team will show up?

Halftime: Michigan State 17, Penn State 7. Final Score: Michigan State 23, Penn State 21.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Michigan State vs Penn State predictions

Early predictions on Joe Pa at Michigan State on Saturday. Kickoff, 3:30 pm, ABC-TV.

Adam Rittenberg/ESPN (Joe Pa, 24-20), CFN/Scout (MSU, 20-17), NBCSports.com (Joe Pa, 27-21), SpartyMSU (MSU, 34-31), TSN/AccuScore (JoePa, 29-23), USAToday (JoePa, 20-17).

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Higher Frequency of Football Trifecta (MSU win, scUM & ND loss) since 2007

TRIFECTA HISTORY – Past 41 years (since 1968). Weekends: 479. Occurred: 17 times.

The ES looked back over his lifetime, 41 years long now, to see how often his weekend football Trifecta had occurred. Again, the ES Trifecta is defined as: on the same weekend for there to be a Michigan State victory AND losses by Notre Dame and Michigan. Note, on some weekends over the past four decades not all three teams played. But, again, the TRIFECTA makes for a PERFECT football weekend when all three events are combined.

Is it happening more frequently than the ES remembers in the past? A resounding YES. There IS a changing of the guard with RR in AA-land and Chuck E Weis in South Bend... and the Big Green is a beneficiary with Mark Dantonio. The statistics, plain Ws and Ls are below.
  • * From 2007 – 2009, the Trifecta occurred 7 times (7 times over 36 weekends = 19.4% frequency) .
  • * From 1968 – 2006, the Trifecta occurred 10 times (10 times over 443 weekends = 2.3% frequency).
  • * Six times in the past 41 years has a weekend included either MSU defeating Michigan and ND losing, or MSU defeating ND and Michigan losing.
  • * Twice has the Trifecta occurred in back-to-back weekends: the first weekends of the 2007 season, and the past two weekends.
  • * There has not been a Trifecta three times in a row in the past 41 years. With Michigan a 13 point underdog to Ohio State, Michigan State a 3 point 'dog to Penn State, and Notre Dame a 6 point favorite hosting UConn… can it happen again?
The year-by-year break out is below.

2009 (2)
11/7. Michigan vs Purdue. L, 36-38. ND vs Navy. L, 21-23. MSU vs WMU. W, 49-14.
11/14. Michigan at Wisconsin. L, 24-45. ND at Pitt. L, 22-27. MSU vs Purdue. W, 40-37.

2008 (2)
10/11. Michigan vs Toledo. L, 10-13. ND at North Carolina. L, 24-29. MSU at N’western. W, 37-20.
11/1. Michigan at Purdue. L, 42-48. ND vs Pittsburgh. L, 33-36. MSU vs. Wisconsin. W, 25-24.

2007 (3)
9/1. Michigan vs. Appalachian St. L, 32-34. ND vs Georgia Tech. L, 3-33. MSU vs UAB. W, 55-18.
9/8. Michigan vs. Oregon. L, 7-39. ND at Penn State. L, 10-31. MSU vs BGSU. W, 28-17.
11/10. Michigan at Wisconsin. L, 21-37. ND vs Air Force. L, 24-41. MSU at Purdue. W, 48-31.

2006 – 2004: none

2003 (1)
9/20. Michigan at Oregon. L, 27-31. ND vs MSU. L, 16-22. MSU at ND. W, 22-16.

2002: none

2001 (2)
9/8. Michigan at Washington. L, 18-23. ND at Nebraska. L, 10-27. MSU vs CMU. W, 35-21.
11/3. Michigan at MSU. L, 24-26. ND vs Tennessee. L, 18-28. MSU vs Michigan. W, 26-24.

2000 - 1999: none

1998 (1)
9/12. Michigan vs Syracuse. L, 28-38. ND at MSU. L, 23-45. MSU vs ND. W, 45-23.

1997 - 1988: none

1987 (2)
10/10. Michigan at MSU. L, 11-17. ND at Pitt. L, 22-30. MSU vs Michigan. W, 17-11.
11/21. Michigan vs Ohio St. L, 20-23. ND at Penn St. L, 20-21. MSU at Wisconsin. W, 30-9.

1986-1985: none

1984 (1)
10/6. Michigan vs MSU. L, 7-19. ND vs Miami-FL. L, 13-31. MSU at Michigan. W, 19-7.

1983 (1)
9/17. Michigan at Washington. L, 24-25. ND vs. MSU. L, 23-28. MSU at ND. W, 28-23.

1982-1980: none.

1979 (1)
11/10. Michigan at Purdue. L, 21-24. ND at Tennessee. L, 18-40. MSU vs Minnesota. W, 31-17.

1978-77: none.

1976 (1)
11/6. Michigan at Purdue. L, 14-16. ND at Georgia Tech. L, 14-23. MSU vs Indiana. W, 23-0.

1975-1968: none.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Greg Jones is Big Ten's MVP. Right?

Adam Rittenberg at ESPN has added some video commentary, so you can see his scruggly hair wave along with his opinions... and, his latest opinion is a good one.

AR is giving the nod for Michigan State's All-World LB Greg Jones to be named the overall MVP of the Big Ten, the first time since that Yellow Belly Charles Woodson won it as a corner for scUM in 1997. Rittenberg rests his laurels on the fact that the Big Ten's defensive units have been consistently better for most of the year, better than offenses, anyhow. Hmmm.... while I'll agree with him on the MVP choice, I'm not sure about the fact that Big Ten defenses have been better than offenses -- sans the 15-13 Iowa-MSU slugfest.

#2 Michigan State 75, Gonzaga 71

Wow, what a game. Michigan State looked awful early, and really couldn't hit its shots for the better part of the first 30 minutes. Give it up for Durrell Summers hitting clutch shot after clutch shot, and the Spartan captains, Kalin Lucas and Raymar Morgan for really making key plays both on offense and defense down the stretch. Gonzaga is a damn fine team, and with a pair of talented 7-footers they are gonna give teams fits.

But, as coach Izzo said in his post-game presser: "Give credit to Gonzaga. They punched us right in the mouth, and we didn't know what to do at first. But, I guess good teams find a way to win, and our captains really led a great comeback."

GO GREEN. 2-0, baby.

Official Basketball Box Score
Gonzaga vs Michigan State
11/17/09 8 p.m. at Breslin Center (East Lansing, Mich.)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISITORS: Gonzaga 1-1
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
00 Sacre, Robert....... * 7-12 0-0 3-3 0 4 4 4 17 0 0 0 0 19
03 Goodson, Demrtri.... * 0-5 0-1 1-2 1 0 1 2 1 1 2 0 1 27
15 Bouldin, Matt....... * 5-15 2-7 3-3 1 2 3 1 15 4 4 0 1 39
20 Harris, Elias....... * 6-16 1-2 4-7 3 6 9 4 17 1 2 0 3 31
32 Gray, Steven........ * 3-14 1-8 6-6 2 3 5 1 13 4 2 3 2 38
01 Arop, Mangisto...... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
05 Vilarino, G.J....... 1-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 3 2 0 0 0 1 13
13 Olynyk, Kelly....... 2-4 0-0 0-0 2 1 3 5 4 1 0 0 1 19
14 Poling, Andy........ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0+
45 Foster, Will........ 1-1 0-0 0-0 1 2 3 4 2 1 1 0 0 12
TEAM................ 5 3 8
Totals.............. 25-70 4-18 17-21 15 23 38 24 71 12 11 3 9 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 14-38 36.8% 2nd Half: 11-32 34.4% Game: 35.7% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 1-7 14.3% 2nd Half: 3-11 27.3% Game: 22.2% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 6-7 85.7% 2nd Half: 11-14 78.6% Game: 81.0% 3


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: Michigan State 2-0
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
01 Lucas, Kalin........ * 7-16 2-5 3-5 1 3 4 1 19 5 3 0 1 36
03 Allen, Chris........ * 2-7 0-1 1-1 1 2 3 1 5 4 2 0 1 30
10 Roe, Delvon......... * 0-1 0-0 0-0 1 4 5 5 0 0 4 0 0 12
15 Summers, Durrell.... * 8-9 1-1 4-4 1 10 11 3 21 1 3 1 1 32
41 Sherman, Garrick.... * 2-3 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 2 4 0 0 0 0 10
02 Morgan, Raymar...... 3-8 0-1 10-11 2 3 5 5 16 2 2 0 2 22
22 Dahlman, Isaiah..... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
23 Green, Draymond..... 1-4 0-0 4-6 2 8 10 4 6 1 5 1 1 25
34 Lucious, Korie...... 0-4 0-3 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 16
50 Nix, Derrick........ 2-5 0-0 0-4 4 1 5 0 4 0 1 3 0 16
Team................ 1 1
Totals.............. 25-57 3-11 22-31 13 31 44 22 75 15 20 5 6 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 9-28 32.1% 2nd Half: 16-29 55.2% Game: 43.9% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 1-5 20.0% 2nd Half: 2-6 33.3% Game: 27.3% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 11-12 91.7% 2nd Half: 11-19 57.9% Game: 71.0% 5


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officials: Michael Eggers, Brian Rood, Rick Bastell
Technical fouls: Gonzaga-None. Michigan State-None.
Attendance: 14759
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Gonzaga....................... 35 36 - 71
Michigan State................ 30 45 - 75

Points in the paint-GONZ 30,MSU 28. Points off turnovers-GONZ 21,MSU 9.
2nd chance points-GONZ 9,MSU 12. Fast break points-GONZ 6,MSU 6.
Bench points-GONZ 8,MSU 26. Score tied-3 times. Lead changed-4 times.
Last FG-GONZ 2nd-01:47, MSU 2nd-00:39.
Largest lead-GONZ by 13 1st-07:54, MSU by 4 2nd-02:08.

The Case Against Instant Replay. Verdict: Execution.

The ES is now an avid hater of instant replay, particularly this year after seeing Michigan State get screwed royally time and again late in games. Mind you, Sparty still should have made plays to win the games, but if it is a "game of inches" then it really makes it a tough break when the replay refs overturn correct calls on the field. I'm gonna lobby against it unless something drastically changes. My arguments? Let us start with three exhibits, as follows.

Exhibit A: Michigan State vs. Iowa. 2009. With the game tied at 3-3 late in the 4th quarter, on a third and nine, Iowa QB Stanzi hangs his RB out to dry by floating a ball into the right flat. Spartan safety Marcus Hyde unloads on the RB and knocks him out with a clean hit. After lying on the carpet for two minutes, replay officials call down to the field and tell the ref to throw a flag for a personal foul. Replays clearly demonstrate Hyde's clean hit, yet… if the QB didn’t hang out his RB to get clobbered, and if the RB would have popped back up quickly, there would have been no foul. It is a physical game, and it goes both ways, yet the time the RB spent on the deck allowed the referee (who was bored and had nothing else to do, I guess) to call a penalty. Iowa drove the field and kicked a FG to take the lead. Screwed. MSU loses, 15-13.

Exhibit B: Michigan State vs. Minnesota. 2009. Minnesota QB Adam Weber throws a ball to RB Tow-Arnett who takes two steps before being stripped of the ball, recovered by MSU DB Chris Rucker and returned to the Minnesota 20. Replay officials review the call and miraculously overturn it, calling it incomplete. The very next play, Minnesota scores on a flukey ping-pong play in which the Weber throws to a receiver, who bobbles the ball, hits the ground, it pops back up in the air and into the hands of RB Bennett who goes the distance for a score. Replay officials fail to overturn it (ok, not the correct call on the field, replay still didn't do its job). Royally screwed. MSU loses 42-34.

Exhibit C: Michigan State vs. Michigan. 2008. Michigan QB Threet throws a ball to RB Brandon Minor on a 3rd and 11, who hits the pylon in mid-air (see it for yourself at right). The referees on the field call it out of bounds, as is the rule. The replay official overturns the call, and says the pylon is part of the field which it is not. Michigan scores a phantom TD. Screwed. MSU still wins, 35-21.

When replay refs give away first downs for legal hits (Iowa) or take away turnovers as clear as day (Minnesota)... it makes you wonder, what is the Big Ten doing? Last year, the replay refs gave a TD to Michigan when the player's foot hit the cone. Remarkably blind and dumb. And, that's just Michigan State taking it on the chin from the replay.

I'm now convinced the replay is relied upon too much (after virtually every TD) and more often than not, they do NOT use indisputable evidence but instead take their time to make the call they way THEY see it, which is not the rule. It just doesn't work.

Either take it away (and save money), or implement it only where coaches can request a replay - allowed one call a half at most, and you lose your opportunity for a second call if you lose the first; plus, if you lose any call, you lose a timeout. Don't make it automatic after everything.

Instant replay must be overhauled or it must die. With these seeing-impaired and mentally-challenged jokers in the Big Ten replay booth, mistakes will continue. The ES misses the good ole days, when ALL the action was on the field – good and bad.

Is Jud in the house?

Former Spartan men's basketball coaching legend, Jud Heathcote, wears the Gonzaga blue & red as his adopted team whenever they take the hardwood in his hometown of Spokane, Washington. But, tonight, the Zags are in East Lansing to take on the #2 Michigan State Spartans. Will Jud be in the stands? Should be a barn-burner, and expect some playing time out of Raymar Morgan and Chris Allen tonight.

The Zags also have 7-0 and 7-4 players, so methinks lots of Tom Herzog and Derrick Nix tonight.

Tipoff is 8 pm on ESPN.

Anyone read Wojo's column over at the Det News? It is a thing of beauty.
"Inexhaustable Tom Izzo." Enjoy.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Swenson gets POW; MSU ranked #7 in nation in kick returns

Brett Swenson gets the Big Ten POW nod for his four field goals... although Keshawn Martin and his 250-all purpose yard performance, including his kick returns, should have garnered some recognition. Without the two of them and a blocked field goal, the Big Green may have lost by 20 points to Purdue.

Still, a pair of 52-yard FGs on the road, and a 4-for-4 performance was sweet. FYI, Swenson is hitting a blistering 90% (18-of-20) field goals this year. Ouch! Can you say "Lou Groza"?

So where does MSU rank statistically, nationally? Our best stat is, no surprise #7 in the country in kick returns. But, our rush defense at #24 and pass offense at #21 ain't half bad. Greg Jones is third in the nation in tackles at 11.45. Keshawn Martin is fifth in kick returns at 31.7. Kirk Cousins is #13 in pass efficiency at 149.7



Category Nat'l
Rank
Actual Nat'l
Leader
Actual Big Ten Rank Big Ten
Leader
Actual
Rushing Offense 67 139.73 Nevada 353.10 6 Wisconsin 208.00
Passing Offense 21 274.09 Houston 428.20 1 Michigan St. 274.09
Total Offense 34 413.82 Houston 562.60 1 Michigan St. 413.82
Scoring Offense 30 31.00 Boise St. 43.60 3 Michigan 31.27
Rushing Defense 24 105.91 Texas 50.40 4 Ohio St. 83.73
Pass Efficiency Defense 79 132.98 Florida 87.18 8 Iowa 96.02
Total Defense 50 350.91 Texas 232.30 6 Ohio St. 258.27
Scoring Defense 56 23.55 Florida 10.50 6 Penn St. 11.64
Net Punting 48 36.50 Georgia 43.73 5 Michigan 41.27
Punt Returns 60 9.10 Central Mich. 18.47 4 Minnesota 15.67
Kickoff Returns 7 26.81 Stanford 30.78 1 Michigan St. 26.81
Turnover Margin 88 -.36 Rutgers 2.33 9 Ohio St. 1.09
Pass Defense 94 245.00 Air Force 127.91 10 Iowa 165.73
Passing Efficiency 18 147.61 Cincinnati 170.01 1 Michigan St. 147.61
Sacks 19 2.73 Pittsburgh 4.10 2 Penn St. 3.09
Tackles For Loss 72 5.45 Cincinnati 8.80 10 Penn St. 8.27
Sacks Allowed T-18 1.09 Boise St. .50 1 Michigan St. 1.09

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Penn State favored by 3.5 at Michigan State

The latest out of Las Vegas has the bookies placing Joe Pa as a 3.5 point favorite at Michigan State this Saturday. Ohio State is favored by 13 at scUM; Iowa by 13 at home over Minny; Purdue by 2.5 at Indiana...

Here is the most recent USA Today poll....

RKTEAMRECORDPTS
1Florida (48)10-01460
2Texas (4)10-01397
3Alabama (7)10-01388
4TCU10-01277
5Cincinnati10-01219
6Boise State10-01183
7Georgia Tech10-11127
8Ohio State9-21019
9Pittsburgh9-1997
10LSU8-2956
11Oregon8-2875
12Penn State9-2772
13Oklahoma State8-2750
14Wisconsin8-2630
15Iowa9-2584
16Virginia Tech7-3558
17Stanford7-3516
18Brigham Young8-2404
19Clemson7-3274
20Oregon State7-3256
21USC7-3239
22Houston8-2229
23Utah8-2212
24Miami (FL)7-3156
25Nebraska7-3107
25North Carolina7-3107

Dropped from rankings: Arizona 19, West Virginia 23, South Florida 24, Auburn 25
Others receiving votes: Arizona 87, Navy 76, Rutgers 74, California 55, Mississippi 46, West Virginia 46, CENTRL MICHIGAN 27, Temple 17, Oklahoma 15, Boston College 14, Auburn 8, Texas Tech 7, Nevada 6, Northwestern 3, Georgia 2,

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Yahoo/Rival Sports embarassed by missing stats in Michigan State-Purdue game

If you saw the game stats from Yahoo and Rivals relating to Michigan State's 40-37 victory over Purdue today, you'd be stratching your head... how did MSU win. "What's missing here?" you would think to yourself.

The answer: return yards. Michigan State DESTROYED Purdue in special teams. In return yards, MSU had 229 as compared to 55 for Purdue, including kick returns of 85-yds by Keshawn Martin and 43-yards by AJ Jimmerson (let alone the 11 yard fumble return on defense for TD by Chris Rucker to start the game). That right there is 13 points set up by LONG returns. Martin and Jimmerson had consistent 20+ yard returns ALL GAME LONG that gave Michigan State a short field, which, in the end spelled doom for Purdue.

But, you'd never know it reading the stats from Yahoo and Rivals. A glaring, embarrassing omission from a network of which you would expect better. Maybe they should be more extensive or we should just stick to the official SID results, if not ESPN?

Michigan State at Purdue, Live Chat

Live Chat -
MSU vs Purdue. ES Predicts MSU 32-27
Noon. ESPN.


MSU wins hockey, hoops; football to complete trifecta? Live chat at Noon

A GREAT start to the Spartan weekend last night. Will it be a clean sweep? The ES watched the #13 Spartan hockey team's incredibly chippy performance with a dominating, 3-2 victory at Yost Ice Arena over the Yellow Bellies. This, in combination with the #2 men's basketball team crushing Florida Gulf Coast, 97-58. Can we complete the trifecta with a victory today by the football team vs. Purdue? Come back here for a Live Chat, noon kickoff vs. Purdue.

Speaking of trifecta, the past two years' there have been more of the ES' personal gridder trifecta (MSU victory, scUM loss, ND loss) than probably in the past 30 years combined. Will this weekend be yet another this year? MSU is favored at Purdue, at scUM is an underdog vs. Wisky, as is ND vs. Pittsburgh...

Friday, November 13, 2009

ES Game Day Preview: Michigan State 32, Purdue 27

Michigan State (5-5/3-3) at Purdue (4-6/3-3)
Sagarin sez: MSU #51 Sagarin, #43 SS; Purdue #72 Sagarin, #22 SS
Kickoff: 12:00 pm EST.
TV: ESPN
Weather: 61, sunny
Line: MSU favored by 3.

Tickets available

Injuries: Michigan State - RB Andre Anderson (gone), out; RB Caulton Ray (gone), out; S Roderick Jenrette (foot), out; RB Glenn Winston (knee), out; LB Drew Stevens (knee), doubtful; DT Jerel Worthy (leg), probable; S Marcus Hyde, probable; S Danny Fortener (concussion), probable; DT Oren Wilson, probable; RB Larry Caper (concussion), probable. Purdue - DT Nick Mondek (leg), out; LB Jason Werner (back), out; WR Keith Carlos (knee), doubtful; WR/KR Royce Adams (knee), probable.

Common opponents: Both 2-3. Minnesota (MSU-L, Purdue-L); Notre Dame (MSU-L, Purdue-L); Illinois (MSU-W, Purdue-W); Wisconsin (MSU-L, Purdue-L); scUM (MSU-W, Purdue-W)

ES Prediction: This should be a high scoring affair with two prolific offenses on a sunny day. MSU has a greater sense of urgency as it has lost three games on the last play of the game, or would be 8-2. But, Purdue has also fared similarly competitive against the same opponents. The difference is this was already a rebuilding year for Purdue and it has played above expectations; MSU hasn't finished, and needs to do so or be remembered as yet another "would've, should've, could've" team in Spartan history. Give it up to the Spartans to get it done. You want more details, check out the other previews and predictions below.

With the return of Larry Caper in the backfield, and a healthier defensive line, it should have enough manpower to outduel the Boilermakers. The Spartan defense will struggle with the spread as it has all year, but the return of Danny Fortener at safety should help to stem the tide for a while. Will Trenton Robinson step up and play better in the defensive backfield and make plays against the spread, or will he once again play wiffleball? Overall, MSU has a little more on defense and a little more on offense; enough to carry the day.

Final score: Michigan State 32, Purdue 27. Halftime score: Purdue 17, Michigan State 14.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Michigan State vs Purdue predictions; Spartan running game

Spartan fans... Some early predictions on Michigan State vs Purdue so far: ESPN/Adam Rittenberg (MSU 27-26); CFN/Scout (MSU 38-30); Sports Network (Purdue 31-24); SpartyMSU (MSU 31-24). ES will have his preview out by early Friday morning.

Interesting to see Ed Baker, Ashton Leggett, and Larry Caper in the projected lineup. The ES isn't entirely sold on Leggett yet, his oustanding performance vs Western Michigan was against... well, WMU. Baker and Caper have experience against the Big Boys. But, Purdue is giving up 170 yards per game in Big Ten play, good for 8th-best in the conference. So, there should be room enough for all three to run.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Sagarin & Big Ten Rankings: Week 11

What does Sagarin think of the Spartans now? Well, the Big Ten is kind of a jumbled mess, and his ratings and schedule strengths show it.

#12 Ohio State. SS#46.
#16 Iowa. SS #39.
#19 Joe Pa. SS #72.
#24 Wisky. SS #44.
-----
#51 Michigan State. SS #43.
#58 Minny. SS #18.
-----
#72 Purdue. SS #22.
#76 scUM. SS #96.
#78 Northwestern. SS #103.
#90 Illinois. SS #33.
#91 Indiana. SS #56.

OK... but ESPN's Adam Rittenberg has his own Big Ten power ratings at ESPN: #1 OSU, #2 Iowa, #3-t Wisky, #3-t Joe Pa, #5-Northwestern, #6-MSU, #7-Purdue, #8-Illinois, #9-Minny, #10-Indy, #11-scUM. Yup, that's Meeechigan dead last.

Rittenberg also prviews the MSU-Purdue game and calls it a "bowl play-in game." But, what's your prediction, smarty pants?

Oh, and it's just $10 for students/free for g.i.'s to get into this weekend's game at Purdue. It is senior day, and the Boiler faithful are asking students and military folk to "Show Up For the Seniors.

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Michigan State - Purdue EVEN; Bowl Projections

The early line from Las Vegas LVSC Open has Michigan State vs Purdue as an even spread; Illinois is favored by 5.5 over Northwestern; Ohio State is favored by 13 over Iowa; Wisky is favored by 8 over Michigan; Joe Pa is favored by 17.5 over Indiana.

Interesting bowl projections over at ESPN, with Mark Schlabach having MSU at the Insight Bowl vs Texas Tech and Bruce Feldman with the Big Green in the Alamo Bowl vs Kansas State; Adam Rittenberg also picks MSU in the Alamo Bowl vs the Big 12. This, of course, assumes a win over Purdue before our annual stint against Joe Pa.

USA Today's recent poll has Wisky up to #20, Iowa down to #15, Ohio State up to #8, and Joe Pa down to #17. Notre Dame got the axe, not even getting one vote after their loss to Navy. Can we say OVERRATED and the ES TOLD YOU SO.

RKTEAMRECORDPTS
1Florida (48)9-01460
2Texas (4)9-01399
3Alabama (7)9-01389
4TCU9-01262
5Cincinnati9-01224
6Boise State9-01200
7Georgia Tech9-11118
8Ohio State8-2944
9Pittsburgh8-1940
10USC7-2847
11LSU7-2838
12Houston8-1766
13Iowa9-1757
14Utah8-1688
15Miami (FL)7-2685
16Oregon7-2665
17Penn State8-2552
18Oklahoma State7-2530
19Arizona6-2472
20Wisconsin7-2341
21Virginia Tech6-3268
22Brigham Young7-2216
23West Virginia7-2121
24South Florida6-2106
25Auburn7-380

Dropped from rankings: Oklahoma 20, Notre Dame 21, California 23
Others receiving votes: Clemson 71, Stanford 54, Oregon State 39, Texas Tech 36, Nebraska 31, Navy 28, Temple 8, CENTRL MICHIGAN 8, North Carolina 7, Boston College 7, Oklahoma 6, Rutgers 3, Tennessee 3, Mississippi 2, Fresno State 1, Kansas State 1

Michigan State 49, Western Michigan 14

Michigan State just kicked Western's butt yesterday. Kirk Cousins and the offensive line at least were statistically near-perfect. It was a real season-setting weekend in the Big Ten, with scUM taking sole possession of last place as the worst team in the Big Ten, and Iowa's stumble expected as they have been playing on borrowed time for weeks.

Here are the stats from the game; most amazing stat? WMU was 0-for-13 on third downs. Do that, and you'll get your butt kicked every time.

                                    WMU      MSU

FIRST DOWNS................... 11 30
Rushing..................... 2 9
Passing..................... 8 18
Penalty..................... 1 3
NET YARDS RUSHING............. 94 219
Rushing Attempts............ 16 43
Average Per Rush............ 5.9 5.1
Rushing Touchdowns.......... 1 4
Yards Gained Rushing........ 117 237
Yards Lost Rushing.......... 23 18
NET YARDS PASSING............. 117 383
Completions-Attempts-Int.... 16-39-0 28-35-0
Average Per Attempt......... 3.0 10.9
Average Per Completion...... 7.3 13.7
Passing Touchdowns.......... 1 3
TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS........... 211 602
Total offense plays......... 55 78
Average Gain Per Play....... 3.8 7.7
Fumbles: Number-Lost.......... 1-1 0-0
Penalties: Number-Yards....... 7-56 4-30
PUNTS-YARDS................... 10-389 6-231
Average Yards Per Punt...... 38.9 38.5
Net Yards Per Punt.......... 35.2 32.7
Inside 20................... 3 2
50+ Yards................... 0 1
Touchbacks.................. 0 0
Fair catch.................. 2 2
KICKOFFS-YARDS................ 3-198 8-490
Average Yards Per Kickoff... 66.0 61.2
Net Yards Per Kickoff....... 50.0 38.5
Touchbacks.................. 1 2
Punt returns: Number-Yards-TD. 3-35-0 5-37-0
Average Per Return.......... 11.7 7.4
Kickoff returns: Number-Yds-TD 6-142-0 2-28-0
Average Per Return.......... 23.7 14.0
Interceptions: Number-Yds-TD.. 0-0-0 0-0-0
Fumble Returns: Number-Yds-TD. 0-0-0 0-0-0
Miscellaneous Yards........... 0 0
Possession Time............... 22:47 37:13
1st Quarter................. 5:43 9:17
2nd Quarter................. 6:30 8:30
3rd Quarter................. 7:55 7:05
4th Quarter................. 2:39 12:21
Third-Down Conversions........ 0 of 13 3 of 12
Fourth-Down Conversions....... 1 of 2 2 of 2
Red-Zone Scores-Chances....... 1-1 5-7
Sacks By: Number-Yards........ 2-6 3-23
PAT Kicks..................... 2-2 7-7
Field Goals................... 0-0 0-1


Saturday, November 07, 2009

MSU 28, WMU 0... so far. Wow.

Been to a conference on the west coast all week, so just following the MSU-WMU online like everyone else.

Wow - MSU up 28-0 midway through the second quarter, Cousins 11-12 passing, Ashton Legget with a 71 yard TD, and MSU outgaining WMU 301-38 yards.

1st Downs313
3rd down efficiency
0-72-5
4th down efficiency
0-00-0
Total Yards31301
Passing44196
Comp-Att
8-1811-14
Yards per pass
2.414.0
Rushing-13105
Rushing Attempts
718
Yards per rush
-1.95.8
Penalties5-361-5
Turnovers10
Fumbles lost
10
Interceptions thrown
00
Possession11:2414:10

Monday, November 02, 2009

Michigan State favored by 17.5 over Western Michigan

Michigan State, fresh off its biggest disappointment this season in a loss at Minnesota, is an 17.5 point favorite over Western Michigan this weekend. Iowa is favored by 18 at home over Northwestern. Minnesota is favored by 4.5 at home over Illinois. Wisky is favored by 5 at Indy. Joe Pa is favored by 4 at home over Ohio State. And, scUM is favored by a TD at home over Purdue.

Here is the latest BCS and AP Poll rankings:

Bowl Championship Series

RKTEAMRECORD
1Florida8-0
2Texas8-0
3Alabama8-0
4Iowa9-0
5Cincinnati8-0
6TCU8-0
7Boise State8-0
8Oregon7-1
9LSU7-1
10Georgia Tech8-1
11Penn State8-1
12USC6-2
13Pittsburgh7-1
14Utah7-1
15Houston7-1
16Ohio State7-2
17Miami (FL)6-2
18Arizona5-2
19Oklahoma State6-2
20California6-2
21Wisconsin6-2
22Notre Dame6-2
23Virginia Tech5-3
24Oklahoma5-3
25South Florida6-2

Associated Press Poll:

RKTEAMRECORDPTS
1Florida (38)8-01448
2Texas (13)8-01408
3Alabama (8)8-01390
4Cincinnati8-01212
5Boise State8-01211
6TCU8-01147
7Oregon7-11130
8Iowa9-01127
9LSU7-11036
10Georgia Tech8-1949
11Penn State8-1886
12USC6-2741
13Houston7-1707
14Pittsburgh7-1690
15Ohio State7-2636
16Miami (FL)6-2602
17Utah7-1552
18Oklahoma State6-2361
19Notre Dame6-2352
20Oklahoma5-3348
21Arizona5-2322
22Virginia Tech5-3185
23California6-2181
24Wisconsin6-2172
25Brigham Young6-2130


Dropped from rankings: West Virginia 20, South Carolina 21, Mississippi 24
Others receiving votes: South Florida 115, Clemson 35, Auburn 30, Texas Tech 24, West Virginia 15, Rutgers 11, Boston College 6, CENTRL MICHIGAN 4, Oregon State 4, Tennessee 3, Idaho 2, Richmond 1, South Carolina 1, Temple 1,