How does it feel to be flogged?

Give credit where credit is due. Alabama kicked our ass, 49-7. The best commentary yet from ESPN's Adam Rittenberg sums it up nicely:

"Dantonio has done a lot of good things in his four seasons as Spartans coach, but the program clearly isn't at elite status yet. Michigan State didn't perform like it deserved to be in a BCS bowl and was totally noncompetitive against a 9-3 Tide team. It doesn't take away from the Spartans' first Big Ten title in 20 years, but the loss leaves a sour taste after a special regular season. Michigan State must continue its recruiting efforts and keep upgrading the talent to be able to compete with teams like Alabama. The Spartans lose several outstanding seniors like linebacker Greg Jones but return a pretty good core for 2011."

You know what sucked? When Marcus Hyde (#11) was totally run over TWICE by #3 Richardson and #22 Ingram on the one-yard line into the end zone. What did that say? Our talent doesn't match, or Hyde needs to add 25 pounds of muscle by next year. I'll take the former, not the latter.

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.

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.
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#51 Michigan State. SS #43.
#58 Minny. SS #18.
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#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.

Give it up for Jones & White; More MSU vs. Iowa previews

Adam Rittenberg of ESPN gives the Big Ten's mid-season defensive MVP award to Michigan State's Greg Jones, who leads the nation in tackles. And, if you saw his dominating, sideline-to-sideline and in-Kafka's-face performance vs Northwestern, you'd have to agree. He gives MSU's offensive team MVP award to Blair White, and sez MSU has already had "two seasons crammed into one through the first seven games."

Here are some more predictions and previews: Sports Network (Iowa 23-20); MSU - Iowa from ESPN; all the jokers at Rivals/Yahoo are picking Iowa over MSU; two of six pundits are picking MSU over at CFN/Scout;

Both ESPN and Rivals are projecting an Alamo Bowl matchup of MSU - Oklahoma/Nebraska. CBS Sports predicts a MSU - Clemson matchup in the Champs Sports Bowl. CBS Sports 120 ranks MSU at #41 overall... CMU is at #23 on their power rankings.

Here is a Michigan State-Iowa preview from the Big Ten Network:

ESPN tools around Michigan State

ESPN Big Ten Blogger Adam Rittenberg was shuffling around the Skandalaris Center and the Duffy Daugherty football building yesterday, and managed to produce several blog postings about Michigan State. Not much earth shattering information out of it for us Spartan fans, but a nice article on Trevor Anderson. Anderson stuck around East Lansing this summer to train with his Spartan compadres instead of heading to Georgia for a camp called "Defensive Line, Inc." with former Atlanta Falcons player Chuck Smith. Rittenberg posts about the quarterback battle between Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol, and the delicate nature of handling the psyche of who will eventually be the backup. And, if you haven't had a chance, read the blog posting about MSU's fall camp by QB newbie Andrew Maxwell.