The ES presents his 14th annual championship season preview of your 2014 Michigan State Spartans. May the preview begin! Please find the ES commentary... followed by 6 other predictions of Spartan faithful across the globe! Read between the lines... WE ARE HEADED FOR THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYOFF.
note: SR is the
Sagarin Rating of each team, preseason, for the 2014 schedule. Notably, Michigan State has a SR of #20.
Enlightened Spartan preview
8/29. Jacksonville State.
SR # 96
Win, 52-0.
Spartans should be embarrassed for scheduling such trivial garbage.
9/6. at Oregon.
SR# 1
Loss, 24–28.
Autzen Stadium is the loudest in North America. But at least this time the Spartans will make it close.
9/20. Eastern Michigan.
SR# 178
Win, 42–7
The Charlie Batch years seem like a century ago for Eastern.
9/27. Wyoming.
SR# 102
Win, 35–10
Laramie Wyoming is a great town. State should schedule an away game there.
10/4. Nebraska.
SR# 36
Win, 23–18
A battle of great defenses but the home team airs it out in the fourth quarter
10/11. At Purdue
SR# 107
Win, 27–14
Poor Purdue, even Drew Brees is getting old at QB U.
10/18. At Indiana.
SR# 69
Win, 38–28
An Ariel circus with a little bit better defense from the Spartans. Nice try, but no payback from the Hoosiers.
10/25. Michigan
SR# 31
Win, 27-20.
The Other Side feels good about making a score that seems reasonable to the voters, despite once again rushing for negative yardage. Shoelace was the "greatest ever". Gardner was the "second coming." Whatever. It's the same story, Spartan domination.
11/8. Ohio State
SR# 10
Win, 9-6.
The most difficult game of the year. A defensive stalemate. A FG in OT from Geiger is the difference.
11/15. at Maryland
SR# 59
Win, 28-0.
Welcome to the Big Ten. The hype about the Terps competitiveness crashes to reality with a wakeup call against the nation's best defense.
11/22. Rutgers
SR# 87
Win, 42-10.
Rutgers exemplifies 1869. Their play shows it. Rutgers is nothing more than a bump in the road, like Eastern Michigan. Welcome to the B1G.
11/29. at Penn State.
SR# 41
Win, 24-20.
The most difficult game to call on the schedule. Penn State with a new coach, but the history of excellence and kicking our butt. Still, the recovery effort dominates the landscape compared to the well-oiled machine aiming for a title run. Cook pulls out a late TD to seal a victory.
12/6. B1G Championship
MSU 31, Wisconsin 17.
Michigan State again matches up against the Wisconsin Badgers, but the juggernaut that is MSU overcomes the new estate in Madison. Defense, which carries MSU much of the year, wins this championship again.
OTHER PREDICTIONS:
Swiss Spartan (Switzerland)
1. What will be MSU's overall record (Wins-Losses) 13-2 (Losses to Oregon and in the National Championship Final)2. What will be MSU's Big Ten record (Wins-Losses) 8-0, 9-0 including the Championship game.3. What will MSU finish in the Big Ten East? 6-04. Most disappointing loss or potential for a loss? Oregon.5. Most satisfying victory? (and predict the score) vs Iowa in the Big Ten Championship game, 35-21.6. Best player? Shilique Calhoun and Mike Sadler. Shilique will deliver as expected while Mike's 46.5 yard-a-punt average lands him yet another cover photo on Seventeen.7. If it were January 2015, what would you say about the performance of the Spartans in 2014? I'll be sitting by the pool in Pasadena reflecting on another great year and our first back-to-back Rose Bowl visits in school history.
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Sloth (Luxemborg)
1. 12-2 (losses to Oregon and tOSU)
2. 8-1 (including loss to tOSU and win vs. Wisky in the Big 10 Championship Game)
3. First place in the East
4. Michigan is always the biggest potential for a disappointing loss
5. Michigan is always the most satisfying victory - 37-9
6. Langford has the potential to have a Lo White season this year
7. I wish Notre Dame was on the schedule so we could beat the living shit out of them
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Chock (San Francisco)
1. What will be MSU's overall record (Wins-Losses)
[chock]: 10 – 4
MSU 31 – JS 17
UO 27 – MSU 24
MSU 38 – EMU 9
MSU 28 – WY 13
NEB 24 – MSU 21
MSU 21 – PUR 17
MSU 42 – IND 31
MSU 21 – scUM 17
MSU 24 – OSU 21
MSU 28 – Maryland 21
MSU 24 – Rutgers 13
PSU 24 – MSU 21
B10 Champ Bowl – MSU 31 vs. Wiscy 28
Bowl – LSU 28 v. MSU 27 at the Cotton Bowl, Jan 1
2. What will be MSU's Big Ten record (Wins-Losses): 6-2 (7-2 counting the B10 championship game)
3. What will MSU finish in the Big Ten East? Tied for first
4. Most disappointing loss or potential for a loss? Maryland will be closer than it should be, we’ll lose in Happy Valley
5. Most satisfying victory? (and predict the score): Beating UM again 21-17
6. Best player? Geiger and Sadler continue to make the best kicking tandum in all of college ball. Other than that, Taiwan Jones makes a name for himself this year … or at least has to if my predictions will come true
7. If it were January 2015, what would you say about the performance of the Spartans in 2014? Pretty decent season and great to be playing on Jan 1 once again!
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West Coast Smig (San Francisco)
Reporting my pigskin prognostications – We were who we thought they were!!
1. What will be MSU's overall record? 13-1
2. What will be MSU's Big Ten record? 9-0
3. What will MSU finish in the Big Ten East? Champions!
4. Most disappointing loss or potential for a loss? MSU will lose to Oregon. We could also win this game and run the table. I flipped a coin!
5. Most satisfying victory? 2 straight wins vs scUM and OSU
6. Best player Darian Hicks Narduzzi is going to make this guy a star in his defensive backfield
7. If it were January 2015, what would you say about the performance of the Spartans in 2014? I plan to be enjoying this conversation in warm weather looking at a national champiionship game in our future and I will say “They were who we thought they were”
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Big Bob (East Lansing)
Here are my picks:
1. What will be MSU's overall record (Wins-Losses) 11-3
2. What will be MSU's Big Ten record (Wins-Losses) 7-2
3. What will MSU finish in the Big Ten East? Tied for first with Penn State.
4. Most disappointing loss or potential for a loss? Losses to L'il Bo Pelini and the JoePa's.
5. Most satisfying victory? (and predict the score) Ohio State 31-28. Urban Meyer has another fake heart attack after MSU's OT victory.
6. Best player? Shilique Calhoun
7. If it were January 2015, what would you say about the performance of the Spartans in 2014? Very impressive. Next year: national championship game.
Big Bob
