ES Preview: Redbox Bowl

REDBOX BOWL 2018
Michigan State Spartans vs Oregon Ducks
MSU: (7-5 all, 5-4 B1G).  Nike: (8-4 all, 5-4 P12)
Sagarin Ratings: MSU #31, Oregon #33

Santa Clara, CA - Home of the 49ers
Dec 31, 2018.  3 pm ET.
TV: Fox

Line:  Nike is favored by 1-1/2

Best win:  MSU 21-17 over Penn State.  Oregon 30-27 OT vs Washington.
Worst loss:  MSU incompetent 6-9 at Nebraska.  ORE whipped 15-44 at Arizona.

Oregon has scored at least 30 points in 9 of its 12 games.  When losing, they've scored 15, 20, 25, and 31 points.  Yes, they score a ton.

MSU has given up LESS than 30 points in each game except one all year (the first game of the season).  The Spartan defense is world-class, better than that Michigan crap we saw in the Peach Bowl, and has kept MSU in games all year regardless of the ineptitude of the offense and OC Dave Warner.  That defense is great to watch, #1 across the board.

Yes, DEFENSE wins championships, and MSU has had a harder schedule than Oregon.  But, MSU's offense has been entirely mismanaged, bungled, and is inept at best.  In its losses, they've scored 13, 19, 7, 6, and 6.  Yes, they don't score.  MSU's offense is not well thought of by the Spartan Nation, after struggling until the 4th quarter to beat Rutgers in its last game.  (FYI, Rutgers is ranked 121st by Sagarin behind such national FCS powers as Dartmouth, Samford (not a typo), Colgate, UC Davis, and Kennesaw State).

The 14-10 win over Rutgers was the single-worst experience the ES has ever experienced in Spartan Stadium. Ugly, cold, rainy, and pathetic against a shit team.

Bottom line:  teams are supposed to get better as a season progresses - MSU has done exactly the opposite and become far worse.   That blame goes straight to coaching and to coach Dantonio. 

ES was so bored by the Spartans' effort in an empty, rainy, cold Spartan Stadium
in late November, he turned red-faced in honor of the Scarlet Knights,
with the sheriff and Dieter watching in laughter

Picks:

• Kat:  Oregon, 27-7
• Poke: MSU, 24-20
• Zech:  Dux soup 27, Spartans 17. If LJ and Lewerke are 100% and play that way, maybe State pulls the upset 20-19.
• Aussie Paul:  MSU, 45-0.
• Chef Tom: I hope we do better than Purdue, Notre Dame and Michigan. Should be a piece of cake.
• Big Bob:  Oregon, 42-7
• Sloth: 1-0, both teams suck so badly on offense, that they will have to go to penalty kicks.
• Big Joe and Phantom 309:  Ducking fucks 38-the shittans -4
• RGM3:  Oregon, 24-14
• Gregger:  Ducks, 34-27

ES sez:  Just no offense all year.  Prove it otherwise, coach D.  Regardless, you can score 100 points, WAKE UP AND FIRE WARNER.  Oregon will win, 31-17

The Spartan Nation ROARS: Video of stuffing Oregon in goal line stand from Section 19

Yesterday's 31-28 win by #5 Michigan State over #6 Oregon was about the most amazing, loudest, and entertaining football games the ES has ever seen.  The atmosphere was electric and deafening... all game long.   East Lansing was an absolute party city yesterday, all day long.  This place looked as if it grew to 250,000 people.  The whole town was rocking.  It was incredible.

Coach D was  right on, spot on with his comments:  "I just think this was the place to be in this state today. Very exciting atmosphere. Spartan Stadium was rocking and great crowd, great crowd, great football game, right down to the end, and very, very exciting. So you know, I just think it was a great atmosphere, and we knew it would be. It had everything coming into the football game, game day, national TV audience, two good football teams that were ranked in the Top-10. It had it all, so it delivered. The game delivered in terms of its intensity, and as I said, it was fast and furious out there."

Check out this video of the goal line stand from my seats.  This was with about 10 minutes left in the second quarter.  LISTEN TO THE ROAR OF THE CROWD.  The Spartan Nation was totally dialed in for the whole game.   I LOVE MY BIG GREEN TOUCHDOWN MACHINE!  WE ARE FOR REAL.  THIS IS IT!!!!