Elsworth 1:46... says it all

 

ELSWORTH 1:46.  LINK HERE

Spartans finish #3, preseason #6, move Oregon game up a week

OK, the ES has taken some time off and healed his victory wounds from Pasadena.  Michigan State ended up #3 in the BCS, and in the final USA Today Poll; just 13 votes behind Auburn. The complete final AP poll is below, but as the ES said, MSU should have finished #2 above the Tigers.

What IS interesting, is that the "way-too-early" ESPN Poll picks the Big Green as a preseason #6 pick, with a favorable schedule - first time I can remember in my life that the Spartans were a preseason top 10 in football.

In other news.... the Spartans scheduled game at Oregon has been moved up to September 6, with a 3:30 ET kickoff.  Future schedules are listed below the USA Today Poll

USA Today Poll
RK	TEAM	RECORD	PTS
1	Florida State (59)	14-0	1475
2	Auburn	12-2	1388
3	Michigan State	13-1	1375
4	South Carolina	11-2	1219
5	Missouri	12-2	1200
6	Oklahoma	11-2	1189
7	Clemson	11-2	1091
8	Alabama	11-2	1086
9	Oregon	11-2	975
10	Ohio State	12-2	872
10	Stanford	11-3	872
12	UCF	12-1	865
13	Baylor	11-2	796
14	LSU	10-3	719
15	Louisville	12-1	703
16	UCLA	10-3	597
17	Oklahoma State	10-3	587
18	Texas A&M	9-4	443
19	USC	10-4	313
20	Arizona State	10-4	302
21	Wisconsin	9-4	266
22	Duke	10-4	202
23	Vanderbilt	9-4	180
24	Notre Dame	9-4	125
25	Nebraska	9-4	123

• Others receiving votes: Washington 67, Fresno State 54, Northern Illinois 21, Marshall 17, Texas Tech 13, Kansas State 11, Ole Miss 7, Texas 4, Miami (FL) 4, Cincinnati 3, East Carolina 3, Arizona 2, North Texas 2, Utah State 2, Navy 1, Louisiana-Lafayette 1

2014 SPARTAN FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Aug. 30 JACKSONVILLE STATE
Sept. 6 at Oregon
Sept. 20 EASTERN MICHIGAN
Sept. 27 WYOMING (HOMECOMING)
Oct. 4 NEBRASKA
Oct. 11 at Purdue
Oct. 18 at Indiana
Oct. 25 MICHIGAN
Nov. 8 OHIO STATE
Nov. 15 at Maryland
Nov. 22 RUTGERS
Nov. 29 at Penn State

2015
Sept. 12 OREGON
Sept. 19 at Western Michigan
Sept. 26 CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Oct. 3 PURDUE
Oct. 10 at Rutgers
Oct. 17 at Michigan
Oct. 24 INDIANA
Nov. 7 at Nebraska
Nov. 14 MARYLAND
Nov. 21 at Ohio State
Nov. 28 PENN STATE
* Additional game to be scheduled

2016 (BIG TEN ONLY)
Oct. 1 at Indiana
Oct. 8 WISCONSIN
Oct. 15 NORTHWESTERN
Oct. 22 at Maryland
Oct. 29 MICHIGAN
Nov. 5 at Illinois
Nov. 12 RUTGERS
Nov. 19 OHIO STATE
Nov. 26 at Penn State

2017 (BIG TEN ONLY)
Sept. 30 IOWA
Oct. 7 at Michigan
Oct. 14 at Minnesota
Oct. 21 INDIANA
Oct. 28 at Northwestern
Nov. 4 PENN STATE
Nov. 11 at Ohio State
Nov. 18 MARYLAND
Nov. 25 at Rutgers

2018 (BIG TEN ONLY)
Sept. 22: at Indiana
Oct. 6: NORTHWESTERN
Oct. 13: at Penn State
Oct. 20: MICHIGAN
Oct. 27: PURDUE
Nov. 3: at Maryland
Nov. 10: OHIO STATE
Nov. 17: at Nebraska
Nov. 24: RUTGERS

2019 (BIG TEN ONLY)

Sept. 21: at Northwestern
Sept. 28: INDIANA
Oct. 5: at Ohio State
Oct. 12: at Wisconsin
Oct. 26: PENN STATE
Nov. 9: ILLINOIS
Nov. 16: at Michigan
Nov. 23: at Rutgers
Nov. 30: MARYLAND

Michigan State football should be #2

Congrats to Florida State; the ES was pulling for Auburn to give MSU a shared national champion.  That said, the final polls should be:

#1 Florida State (14-0)
#2 Michigan State (13-1)
#3 Auburn (12-2)

... then, everybody else. Associated Press voters have nothing to do with the BCS. They should do the right thing to vote MSU #2, particularly after the SOLID PERFORMANCE by the Spartans in their victories in the Rose Bowl over #5 Stanford, and the B1G Ten Title game over then-#2 Ohio State.  As the ES said earlier, "Why Not Us?"

Why not us?

Glorious.  It was the greatest experience in the history of mankind. 

The #4 Michigan State Spartan football team dominated Stanford in the Rose Bowl, as we Spartans knew they would.  It was very much the same theme we’ve seen out of the Spartans all year, only this time against the best opponent Michigan State has faced all year.   MSU was a six point underdog, as it had been frequently an underdog this year.  The Spartans started slowly, as they had often this year.  MSU spotted Stanford 10 points in the first quarter, thanks in part to the poor decision by QB Connor Cook to throw a terrible pass picked and returned for six. But, the ES wasn’t worried.  Cook rebounded nicely and had yet another career high, this time throwing for 332 yards.  The mix of run and pass by the Spartans was deliberate and effective.

This Michigan State team is the best team in the country.  They proved it again in their most complete performance of the season, and the most complete performance in my 45 years of life.  Quite simply: we’d kick Alabama’s ass. 

As Dantonio stated after the Big Ten championship, “why not us?”  MSU IS the best team in the country.  They really are.  They beat everyone the same way – aggressive defense, an improving offense, and wearing teams down with physical play.  Who’s next?  Bring them on. The Spartans would beat anyone.

Speaking about Alabama…  fifteen years ago, Nick Saban left Michigan State for “greener pastures” at Louisiana State, not wanting to be #2 in the state of Michigan.  Well, Nick, I guess the tables are turned.  MSU is better than your team, and it is the #1 team in the state of Michigan; funny, your Crimson Tide is #2 in the state of Alabama.  That’s karma.

The ES is writing this blog with Keith in Manhattan Beach, and I haven’t even looked at the stats until now.  Why?  Cause it doesn’t matter.  It’s the last game of the season, you either win or you don’t.  The only stat that matters in the Rose Bowl is the score. But… that said, let’s see the stats to learn what really stands out:

1.    The No Fly Zone was in effect:  my god, Michigan State threw for 332 yards; Stanford for just 143 (10-of-18).  It was so impressive, the stadium was roaring “No Fly, No Fly” as the game wore on. Stanford was afraid to throw on its last drive.

2.    Stanford’s drives in the second half demonstrate MSU’s rugged defense:
•    3-13, 1:13, interception
•    7-54, 4:18, stopped on 4th down
•    3-(-1), 2:01, punt
•    3-7, 1:13, punt
•    9-50, 4:46, field goal
•    4-9, 1:23, downs

3.  Stanford’s defensive front was the best Michigan State faced all year – holding the Spartans to just 65 yards rushing, with three sacks; Jeremy Langford had 84 yards on 23 carries (3.7 average).

4.  Bennie Fowler (2-97) and Tony Lippett (5-94) were AWESOME targets for Connor Cook.  Fowler’s 37 yard, reach-back grab, was especially amazing.  These guys couldn’t catch a ball early in the season; yesterday, they caught everything thrown their way.

And, Kyler Ellsworth absolutely deserved the award for Defensive MVP.  His play at the end of the game, diving over the top to smash Stanford’s last hope on a fourth down run, is one of the greatest individual efforts I’ve ever seen.  It was ridiculously amazing.  The best part of it, though, was being in the stands after the play as the 70,000-plus Spartans went ape-shit.  It was pure zaniness.

45-minutes after the game, there were still 70,000 Spartan fans in the Rose Bowl.  Noone wanted the moment to end. 

OK, more later.  The ES just ran into some Spartan fans here at Baja Sharkeez – we talked about the game yesterday, and they agreed “it was the greatest event I ever saw.”  Funny thing is, they also noted “it ruined watching sports for the rest of my life.” 

Well, I haven’t bathed since 4:30 am on Wednesday and my hair is still green.  I might never wash it again. 

Thank you, coach Dantonio and these Michigan State Spartans.  As was the theme of the Rose Bowl, and as sung by Darryl Hall during the Rose Parade, “You made my dreams come true.”  Coach D, you done did it. Thank you. 

And by the way: to the college football nation, Michigan State is #1.