ES Preview: MSU v Penn State & Thank God it's over

Spartan players taking a cue from Elvis: "I'll be Home for Christmas"

Michigan State Spartans (5-6/3-5) at Penn State Nittany Lions (9-2/6-2)

November 26, 2022. 4 pm ET.
Beaver Stadium, Happy Valley, PA
TV: FS1
Weather: 52, sunny

Sagarin Ratings: Penn State #5, Michigan State #55
Line Outta Vegas: Penn State by 19-1/2

It's impossible to win at Penn State, especially when your team loses in 2OT to Indiana because of boneheaded coaching and poor execution.  No bowling over these holidays. 

Thank God this forgettable season will be over soon.  Bring on Izzo and hoops.  

ES sez:  Joe Paterno 38, Michigan State 21.

FireCoachTuck.com? Same Old Spartans? Tuck impersonates the John L Smith years

Thanks for the incompetence, Mel "I wanna be just like John L Smith" Tucker

Post-Indiana, the ES doesn't know where to start, other than the obvious:  Fire Coach Tucker for the incompetence we saw on Saturday in the loss to an 0-38-when-down-by-17-at-half-since-2003 Indiana team. 

FireCoachTuck.com?  No, and that's because there's a simple reason. The ludicrous $95 million/10 year contract signed by the athletics department to hire a guy with little-to-no head coaching experience (ok, should we count one year of coaching at national power U Colorado as something?).  Problem is, two years into the fraught-ridden deal, MSU would be on the hook for the last 7 years of the contract.  Thanks to Matt Ishbia and the St. Andre guy, they agreed to pay half of the salary to hire him, but none of the salary (aka "Golden Parachute") to fire him.  So, MSU paying Tuck $66.5 million (last 7 years on contract) not to coach and sit on a sofa eating cheese puffs is a bit ridiculous.  

But, someone else should create FireCoachTuck.com to put some pressure on the staff to get them to get their head out of their arse and stop acting like John L. Smith with the "outsmarting himself" decisions, pep-down speeches, and halftime adjustment failures.  Clearly, it's not working.  Setting up for a field goal on the two-yard line with a questionable-at-best FG unit in a driving, freezing windstorm isn't exactly good coaching.  OK, Spartan fans, everyone watching, raise your hands if you were saying on the final drive "We gotta score a TD, I'm not confident in our FG unit."  Thought so, all of us felt that way... except of course, for coach Tuck.  Listen, coach, you gotta coach from 30,000 feet as much as from the field level and use your authority to make a little better decision for the team and the Spartan Nation instead of acting like this is the NFL.  Either get a new pair of glasses to see the reality on the field and make better decisions or fire guys like d-coord Scottie Hazelton who can't produce any consistent play in the defensive unit (your honor, just look at exhibit A: giving up gashing 20-to-30 yard runs to an Indiana QB after stifling nation-leading Illinois RB Chase Brown is irrational).  

It is painfully obvious that we Spartans were spoiled with Kenneth Walker III in 2021, who put the Spartans on his back and ran like wild to an impressive 11-2 record.  This year, coach Tuck followed the John L Smith stuff-the-roster-with-JUCOs script with his tapping the transfer portal ad nauseum.  Note to Tuck: it doesn't work.  You gotta recruit and develop talent, not spend your time trying to find once-in-a-lifetime lightning in a bottle.  

Unfortunately, 2022 year was the return of the "Same Old Spartans" and very much resembled an overcoached (lack of focus on fundamentals) and underperforming (losing record) transfer-filled Spartan team all year long.  This dud of a season will be the remembrance of coach Tuck's decisions which impersonated slap-yo-mamma John L. Smith (the L stood for "laughter" or "loser", your choice).  

Victory for MSU? Nope.  Same Old Spartans?  Yup.  Thanks for making MSU a laughing-stock again, the pride of averageness and incompetence, coach Tuck.  And Good Luck against Penn State, LMAO.  

Michigan State Spartans hosts Indiana's Little Pink Hoosiers

Michigan State Spartans (5-5/3-4) vs Indiana Hoosiers (3-7/1-6)
November 20, 2022, 12 noon

TV: BTN

Weather:  Cloudy, 27, windy = 17 mph

Sagarin Ratings: MSU #46, UI #93

Line outta Vegas:  MSU by 10

Land of the free... Little Pink Hoosiers for you and me, babe

Methinks with the cold windy weather, this game is going to be a challenge for both teams, and that means defense will steal the show.  While Sparty is having a sub-par year, there is a bowl bid on the line... and Indiana, well nothing's changed, they still have Little Pink Houses for you and me.  

 

This year, Sparty and Indy are once again dancing in the doldrums of mediocrity.

 

The way both teams are playing, it reminds me of how both teams fared in similar sitnts from average George Perlees-esque years, or par Bobby Williams 2002, or underperforming John L Smith (pick the year), or boring Mark Dantonio 2019.  Not really glory years, very ho-hum AVERAGE football.  

Today will be a ho-hum game between an average team and a perpetual wanna be "runt of the litter".  Harumph.  I'm a bit scared on Thorne throwing it through the air lately, some of his mid-range and short passes are just flat and off.  But, he does throw a damn fine long ball.  A few of those will make the difference in the game.  The defense has got to tighten up on the defensive line. This game will be closer than the 10-pt spread...

The ES is in Las Vegas and will tune in on the boob-tube. 

ES sez?:  Bobby Williams 21, Gerry Dinardo 17.

ES Preview: Spartans host the Knights

Michigan State Spartans (4-5/1-4) host Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-5/1-5)
November 12, 2022.  12 noon
Spartan Stadium. East Lansing, MI
Weather:  ccccccold

Sagarin Ratings:  MSU #42, Rutgers #105
Line outta Vegas: MSU by 9.5

Cccccc-cccccc-cccc-COLD Spartan Fans!  Huddle up!

ES sez:  MSU 28, Rutgers 17 

Spartoonies take on #17 Illinoisie

The old days with Dick Butkus are back at Illinoisie. Go figure.

Michigan State Spartans at #17 Illinois Illini
MSU (3-5/1-4) at Illinois (7-1/4-1)
November 5, 2022, 3:30 pm ET 

TV: BTN

Weather:  Sunny, 64, winds 11 mph SW

Sagarin Ratings: MSU #49, UI #22

Line outta Vegas:  Illinois by 17

Wait, Illinoisie is ranked?  What year is this, Butkus-esque 1964?  

This is the toughest game of the season for Michigan State.  After the scUM “tunnel fiasco” leaving 4 Michigan Staters suspended (and two defensive starters - Grose and our best player this year, Windmon), it will be a challenge for the Spartans to defend one of the nation’s best runners at the Illini in Chase Brown.  Ugh.  Top that off by the haphazard and underwhelming performance by the offense this year against the nation’s top-ranked defense, and that can spell trouble.  

Mind you, pudding-boy-coached Illinois has not played a heavyweight in its competition to date (beating Iowa 9-6 in a game that took football back 100 years; beating Wisconsin and Minnesota).  Is MSU a heavyweight?  Traditionally, yes, but this test will be foreboding.  The offense for MSU must get on track to have a chance in this game.

ES sez:  Pudding Boy 27, Tunnel Vision 14.

ES Preview: scUM week and a Trivia Quiz

She's gonna play on the OLine today for the scUMbuckets

Michigan State Spartans (3-4, 1-3) vs #4 Michigan Wolverines (7-0, 4-0)

Michigan Stadium
Ann Arbor, MI
October 29, 2022.  7:30 pm
TV: ABC
Weather: 50 clear skies. 

Sagarin Ratings:  scUM #4, Michigan State #48

Line Outta Vegas: scUM by 22

TIME FOR SOME TRIVIA

1. Who has won 10 of the last 14 in the MSU-scUM series?
2. Who won 3 of the last 4 in the MSU-scUM series played in Ann Arbor?
3. Which MSU coach is the only coach to be 2-0 in his first two games vs scUM?
4. How much was scUM favored by the last time the MSU played them in Ann Arbor?  Who won?
5. What is Jesus Habaugh's all-time record vs MSU?
6. Who won the last time scUM was favored by 22 in Ann Arbor?
   
   Answers below.

Yes, after the defensive-led performance by Michigan State in its W over Wisky two weeks ago, there is LIFE in them lungs of the Green and White.  Today: two weeks to prepare (for both teams).  The Jesus in khakis vs Tuck, the best-dressed man in college football. What better than to repost the ES' thoughts from two years ago, when #13 Michigan were favored by 22 (sound familiar, WalMart Wolverines?) in Ann Arbor :

---------

Ha Ha Ha, Harbaugh: You are on your KNEES!

OK, at first the ES was outraged.  Then, sitting next to Big Bob with mimosas and Bell’s Beer at the steady, we began to finally realize the brilliance of Mel Tucker.

This is all part of the master plan.  Let’s calm down, no worries Spartan Nation.  Getting your asses kicked is fun! Clearly we have the next $aban.  The 38 points allowed by MSU with a new coach (Tucker) in his first game was the most since his mentor, $aban, lost 50-10 to Nebraska in 1995. 

“The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.”  

Wow, that exactly is what we saw today in Spartan Stadium.  No passion and execution to succeed was on display by the men in green.  Ahhhh, but then we turn to Sun Tzu and realize the genius of Mr. T as we lead into our annual throwdown against the Yellow Jackets from Ann Arbor. 

Sun Tzu – “All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.”

We certainly deceived the enemy in Ann Arbor today.  It was pure genius; unable to attack, appearing inactive, far away from the action – that was Michigan State football in its greatest deception of the modern era.  Michigan – you have no idea the volume of destruction that is headed your way next Saturday.

Some of the action today was borderline confusing – QB Rocky Lombardi ambling along like a mentally deranged alcoholic on the gridiron, firing passes left and right for no reason.  The offensive line lacking any ability to block or “perceived” lack of ability to strike Rutgers’ iron wall defense. 

Brilliant. 

It is our ruse. Ha Ha Ha.  We got you right where we want you.  Thought you had us figured out, didn’t ya?

Next week, coach Tucker will release Armageddon.  

To quote Sun Tzu again, as is clearly coach Tucker’s strategy: “know yourself and you will win all battles.”  Oh, we Spartans know who we are.  We are proud and mighty, and a 11 point loss at home to mighty Rutgers is exactly the strategy that will bring your savior Jesus Harbaugh to his knees. 

See you next week.  Rest well, little people in Ann Arbor.  The time is ‘nigh. Grab your spears and pitchforks. We’re coming!

------

TRIVIA ANSWERS. 

1. Michigan State
2. Michigan State
3. Mel Tucker
4. 22. Michigan State
5. 3-4 vs Michigan State
6. Michigan State

ES sez.... MSU 24, UM 23. 

ES eats a plate full of crow for breakfast: Thank you Spartan defense!

 Look at this stat line carefully (ES with arrows as pointers):

Giving up less than 300 yards and just 131 through the air???  Huh????  Thought I'd never see the light of day.  Yes, the ES is GLAD to eat crow and say he was proven otherwise by the Spartan defense yesterday.  Michigan State played its most complete game of the season, and that especially can be said for the defensive side of the ball.  

ES had his keen eye on the DBs all game, and this was by far their most focused and athletic game:  Ameer Speed broke up several plays (turning his head around to look at the ball, yes!) and Charles Brantley also didn't get torched for once (well maybe once), for the most part keeping plays in front of him.  Not sure what happened in practice this week, but give Coach Tuck credit for reaching out of the grave to pull himself and MSU out of it. 

MSU played with grit for much of the game, and the defense made BIG PLAYS (2 TOs, including in double OT) when they needed it: it's been over a month since a big play from the defense.  

This is a game MSU can build upon.  It must.  Two weeks until we meet the overrated Wolverines, who we get at exactly the right time: you hear that Jesus Harbaugh?  We got you right where we want you.  GO GREEN!  

ES Preview: MSU vs Wisky

Michigan State Spartans (2-4, 0-3) vs Wisconsin Badgers (3-3. 1-2)
Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI
October 15, 2022.  4 pm. 

TV: Fox Sports

Weather: 50 and cloudy.  Black and blue. 

Sagarin Ratings:  Wisconsin #20, Michigan State #58

Line Outta Vegas: Wisky by 7

I gave up and didn’t post for the matchup vs Ohio State last week because I knew - as did 60,000 others who DID attend the game but left at halftime, that MSU’s futility is no match for an awesome Buckeye team.  This is not the 1999 team with talent that upset OSU; this is actually the worst MSU team since Muddy Waters was coach at Michigan State.  Why?  This team is LOST, its gone AWOL. 

Michigan State has lost its last 4 games by double digits since God knows when - longer than the 36 years since I first attended MSU for my undergrad degree from 1986-90.  For all you Coach Tuck fans, not even coach D or John L Smith or Bobby Williams or Nick Saban managed such a feat.  It means this team is LOST between the ears. They can fight all they want, but they are not being coached to be in a position to win. For this week, this column focuses on the defense backfield to prove the point. 

I’m tired of the poor coaching of the defensive backs.  It’s terrible.  It reminds me of a conversation I had with Mark Dantonio in his fourth year at Reno’s Sports Bar for the MSU Coaches Show.  I said: “Wow coach!  It looks like these DBs are finally learning to turn around and look at the ball for once.”  Coach D took offense to it since he was also a former DB at South Carolina.  

Coach Tuck should also take offense if he is worth his salt.  And then do something about it. 

The defensive secondary has no help without a pass rush.  OK, injuries are a major factor… but that means Coach Tuck has not solved our depth problem on the defensive line or elsewhere.  He got “lightning in a bottle” last year with Kenneth Walker III - but no lightning this year.  His ”transfer portal” strategy reminds the ES of John L Smith’s JUCO strategy — the difference is John L Smith was more consistently better with it over four years than the one year lightning from coach Tuck.  

Coach… if you can’t tell, Charles Brantley is getting TORCHED in the backfield.  All he does is chase receivers around the field all game, even if he is somewhere within 10 yards of being in position. He plays lost.  Why does he NEVER TURN AROUND when the ball is on its way?  THAT IS COACHING.  It hasn’t changed since game one this year, or since game one last year. If anything, CJ Stroud showed all too well the CBs are easy to pick on.  Brantley sucks.  Brantley & Co. gets smoked nearly every route and then put their hands in the air as if helpless.  HANDS UP IN SURRENDER? Brantley in particular has lost confidence and has taken a step back.

And, Coach, your blitzes never get home because they are either telegraphed, bad timing, or just plain poor execution. Again, this is coaching.  Blitz, and you put the DBs on an island where they are already lost.  It’s a pure shame, just watch the tape. 

I’ll be at the stint vs Wisconsin on Saturday.  But unless you get a pass rush and coach the defensive backs to turn around, it will be another loooonnnng outing, and you can expect Spartan Faithful to again exit in droves at the half. 

Tuck Comin’?  His lack of talent, depth, coaching and scheming shows to me he’s as lost as the players.  Tuck Leavin’.  PROVE ME WRONG. 

ES sez: Wisconsin 38, MSU 21.  

ES Preview: Michigan State at Ugly Uniforms

MSU (2-2, 0-1) vs Maryland (3-1, 0-1)

Saturday, October 1, 2022. 3:30 pm
Capitol One Field, College Park, Maryland
TV: FS1
Weather: 62, showers.  Wind:11 NE

Sagarin Ratings: Maryland #35, Michigan State #47

Line Outta Vegas:  Maryland by 8.

A tiny Taulia Terrapin

The ES got to thinking…. Has Maryland EVER been favored over MSU?  Methinks not, especially with MSU’s 10-2 dominance in the series.  

Oh well, this is not the most exciting post from the ES.  MSU has major problems dating back to last year in the defense, and they obviously have not been solved.  What’s to think one week makes a difference?  

Maryland brings a prolific offense to this game, like the last two opponents, Washington and Minnesota.  Uh-oh.  Somebody tell DC Scottie Hazelton.  The defense has no pass rush and the DBs have been chasing receivers down from behind the last two weeks.  It’s been embarassing.

Spartan Fans:  Pray for a miracle of for the earth to split into two.   Pray for rain, lots of it, just to make things interesting.  I dunno.  Harumph. Whatever.  I have a faint sliver of hope.  It makes no sense for Maryland to be favored over MSU.  None.  Time to right the ship. Coach Tuck, measuring stick time.  

Prognostications:   

ES sez:  MSU 28, Maryland 26.

INEXCUSABLE

Worse coaching, even worse prepared, and exceptionally poor execution compared to last week on the road at Washington.  Basically shut out with starters at home, whitewashed by Minnesoter?  Just 17 minutes with the ball?  There is NO EXCUSE to be shut out at home.  Tuck Leavin' for sure - he should be ashamed of himself.  Thorne played absolutely terrible today, on top of it all.  

The Woodshed was for Tuck, not PJ 

ES Preview: Spartans vs Minnesoter

Michigan State Spartans (2-1) vs Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-0)

September 24, 2022. 3:30 pm. ET.  

Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI

TV: BTN

Weather: 62, cloudy

Sagarain Ratings: Minny #21, MSU #30

https://sagarin.usatoday.com/2022-2/college-football-team-ratings-2022/

Line outta Vegas: Minny by 3

https://www.vegasinsider.com/college-football/odds/las-vegas/

Minnesoter by the Dandy Warhols

The big question is:  will Tucker learn from the abysmal performance at Washington, get his head out of his butt and teach the corners how to play defense?  Will he again have CBs on 15 yard cushions and give Minnesoter everything they want in the passing game?  Will there be a pass rush, or any aggression at all from the defense? The defense needs to make some stops, instead of giving up chunks of yardage ad nauseum.  

Can the offensive line block? The offense needs to show up early in this game, and not spot Minny a 22-point lead, like last week.  Need some balance on offense and make some holes for Berger and Broussard.  Wow, writing this, sounds like the ES is asking for MSU to change its entire approach and execution... YES, I AM.   

Minnesoter is a good test at 3-0, and a win by either will put them in the top 25.  

This game feels like a toss up.  It all comes down to mental preparedness and execution.  And, that goes for coach Tuck as well as the players.  There's been some rain this morning, so expect a wet track... but it should be clear for the fans.  The ES is gonna be a homer...

Freep:  Minny 37-30; MSU 26-23; MSU 27-24; Minny 31-27; MSU 26-24
The Daily Gopher: eight pick Minny, two pick MSU
LSJ: MSU 30-27
MLive.com:  MSU 27-24

ES sez:  No more horse shit 31, Minnesoter 27.

U-Dubb Whipping? Tuck Leavin’

Michigan St. went the wrong way on Saturday

Well, at least the trip was great.  Not sure if we want Washington to join the Big Ten if we can’t compete with them; maybe we’d rather have Akron join the B1G.  

What an embarrassment.  What the ES doesn’t understand is 1) the lack of preparedness for Penix; 2) the lack of any effective adjustments at the half; 3) why the DBs played soft and unaggressive for the entire game, giving Penix the opportunity to slice, dice, and shred an already vulnerable defense; 4) QB Thorne showing up for only the last half of the last quarter.  

1. Coach Tuck noted at the beginning of his comments as he boarded a plane home, (paraphrasing) “obviously they were aware of a vulnerability in our defense and exploited it,” then why didn’t he have a better game plan to provide help to an obviously poorly executed DB gang?  We all knew the capability of Penix, who shredded MSU the two times he faced us while at Indiana.  Why give him what he wanted, which was soft coverage?   The lack of an effective pass rush, and few blitzes in the game, allowed Penix to basically do what he wanted.  On the other side of the ball, the offensive line played very poorly, and on no occasion did we see any misdirections in the run game or jet sweeps. All up the middle, all game long.  When it became obviously ineffective… why continue to run it for 2-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust when throwing the ball was the only way to crawl back into the game?
2. Coach Tuck also noted “we made adjustments” which is absolute horse shit.  If so, they were the least impactful and most ineffective halftime defensive adjustments since the French bailed on the Maginot line from the Nazis.  I have no idea what he and the staff were thinking. It was painful to witness firsthand the continued lame play by the DBs.
3. The DBs need lots of work and help. Not once - not once - did I see a Spartan corner turn his head to any Penix ball was thrown.  Instead, the DBs were chasing Husky receivers from behind all over the place.  Giving a 10-12 yard cushion every single play all game long served no purpose, other than playing into Penix’s hands.  Maybe coach Tuck acknowledges we didn’t have the talent, especially with injuries?  Then, ROLL OVER THE SAFETIES FOR SOME HELP.  Instead, too many times DBs were on islands or in a soft zone coverage that Penix exploited.  Coach Tuck didn't put his players in a position to win.  Just inexcusable.  
4. Thorne can’t just show up late in the 4th quarter.  He has got to stop telegraphing his passes, and take a page from Penix and look off the defense. No wonder the Husky DBs played such tight coverage!  And, he needs to make plays earlier.  He missed wide open receivers, and the pick from his own end zone was just a terrible, hurried throw.  Throw it out of bounds, buddy, not directly to the defenders!!!!  He was not sharp, once again.  For everyone who says “he gritted it out and was a gamer,” I say GREAT - show up EARLIER in the game than the 4th quarter.  Stop making so many mistakes!  
   
   

Said coach Tuck: “ If we can get it cleaned up with better technique and better fundamentals, we’ll do that. If it’s a scheme issue, then we’ll have to fix that. If it’s a personnel issue, we’ll make those changes.”  Ahem - all of the above, coach, all of the above. 

If anyone says "jet lag" is an issue, then I'll throw back atchya one of Coach Tuck's comments to his players: "if you're 30 seconds late (to a meeting), then get up 10 minutes earlier."  Here's an idea - fly in more than one day before kickoff.  

It was frustrating to get your ass kicked on national television.  He’s a better coach than that crap we saw on Saturday. He needs to do some introspection as much as teach the DBs how to play football with some aggressiveness. It was embarrassing to look unprepared, to be outplayed and outcoached.  At least the Spartan Nation showed up. Too bad the team didn’t.  Tuck Comin’?  Hell no, Tuck Leavin’. 

Pics from the trip below:

Lovely Seattle from I-5

Don't order the Fish & Chips!  At best a 6 of 10.  Shoulda got the pizza

Rip-roaring Husky Stadium.  It was loud. 

There's Coach Tuck, lost in space.

U-Dubb, watch out: Tuck Comin'

 

ES Preview: Spartans at U-Dubb

#9/#11 Michigan State University at University of Washington
September 16, 2022. 4:30 pm. PT.
Husky Stadium, Seattle.

TV: ABC

Weather:  63 and cloudy

Sagarin Ratings:  UW #21, Michigan State #24

Line outta Vegas:  UW by 3-1/2

The ES is in town for the MSU-UW tilt, and visited his friend (a professor at UW) yesterday.  Walking the streets, going up to the rooftop at the Graduate hotel, lots of GO GREEN GO WHITE!  My friend said “what if I just say GO WHITE”?  I said “it would fall on deaf ears, you gotta say GO GREEN and the other says GO WHITE!”  She was impressed by the enthusiasm of us Spartoonies. Right on!

View from the Graduate Hotel, UW District

UW has Michael Penix, the former Indiana QB that torched us for a few years before transferring.  UW is averaging a whopping 571 yards per game on offense.  That will test the Spartan secondary.  Expect Penix to put up some points. Wait, who have the Huskies played?  Nobody, just like Michigan State.  There’s plenty of API talent on the UW roster with names I can’t pronounce.  

But, MSU has its pair of RBs: Wisconsin transfer Jalen Berger, runs hard and fast and leans forward; Colorado transfer David Broussard dances through tough traffic to find yards. The pair make a good duo, averaging 5.7 ypc and 228 ypg, good for 24tth in the country.  Payton Thorne has underperformed, throwing off his back foot and overthrowing receivers; he needs to be solid.  Thorne is a fourth-quarter QB, and improves as the games go along.  He's a gamer.  Let’s hope Jaylen Reed returns for MSU after the injury vs. WMU. Expect points on this end.

This game will come up to turnovers and possibly the kicking game.  The ES was telling his dad our punter, the bespectacled Bryce Ballinger, can flip a field and drop a punt inside the 10; he’s ranked #21 in net punting at 43 ypg.  That might bode well for the Spartans in this game and help the defense by giving UW a long field.  Washington’s net punting, with Jack McCallister, is ranked #79 at 39 ypg.  MSU’s kicker, Jack Stone, is fresh outta high school, an 18-year-old, and is 1-2 on the season.  Untested, indeed.  UW has an advantage here, with senior Peyton Henry 2-2 on the season.  Last year, he was 11-14, but only with a long of 38 yards (0-3 beyond 40 yards).  

I'm guessing 20,000 Spartans will fill the 73,000-seat Husky Stadium.  Watch a back-and-forth game, momentum back and forth, with the game hinging on a turnover and field position.  That gives MSU an advantage.  Despite the 0-13 history regular season out west dating back to a win over Cal in 1957, expect the Big Green TD Machine to notch a win.

Prognostications:

College FB HQ/Fan Nation:  UW 31, MSU 25

CFN: UW 27, MSU 23

MLive: MSU 30, UW 27

LSJ:  MSU 31, UW 24

The Only Colors: MSU 24, UW 27

Sporting News: MSU 28, UW 23

ES Sez:  James Caan 31, Bruce Lee 27. 

Time to get a win out west: MSU 0-8 regular season vs Pac-10 since 1970

UW calls themselves the "Dawgs"

The last (only) time the Spartans visited Seattle to play the University of Washington was in 1970.  It was a different era; Duffy Daugherty was the Spartan coach, nearing the end of his Hall of Fame era.  Jim Owens was the coach at UW, nearing the end of his 17-year career.  UW won this game, 42-16, to begin a 6-4 season in 1970.  The Spartans won the previous year, 1969, 27-11 in East Lansing in an unforgettable season for both schools (MSU 4-6, Washington 1-9).  The ES was one year old the last (only) time the Big Green beat UW. The last time the two played was at the Aloha Bowl in 1997, where #21 U-Dubb beat the #25 Spartans, 51-23. 

A warning about the West Coast during the regular season

In the last 50 years, the regular season on the West Coast (Pac-10, not Pac-12) has been unkind to the Spartans on the gridiron.

In 2018, the Spartans lost to Arizona State in Tempe, 16-13, in a terribly coached game by Dantonio. They also lost to ASU in 1986, 20-17 in Tempe under coach Perles.  In 2014, Oregon defeated MSU 46-27 as both teams were ranked in the top 10.

The ES attended MSU’s thumping by Cal in Dantonio’s first game of his second season, 2008, losing 38-31 in Berkley.  Cal’s Jahvid Best and Shane Vereen (future NFL RBs), ran all over MSU for 268 yards on the ground.  Nick Sabin got whacked at Oregon, 48-14, in 1998; the ES walked out of Autzen Stadium at half-time and had to take his shirt off as to not be laughed at.  So did Muddy Waters, getting his butt kicked 35-17 in 1980 at Oregon; the ES was just getting exposed to MSU and was living in California as a 12-year old, making the trip to Eugene. The ES is 0-3 watching MSU out west.

Way back in 1974, Dick Vermeil led UCLA to a 56-14 win in LA over Denny Stoltz and MSU. 

That’s 0-8 vs Arizona State, Cal, Oregon, UCLA, and Washington since 1970. Time for a W over UW!

Whitewashing Akron 52-0: the record books

Had to look in the record books after sitting in Spartan Stadium for the 52-0 MSU Spartans' crushing of the Akron Zips.  The last two shutouts by MSU were against Rutgers.  27-0 on the road in 2019, and 49-0 at home in 2016.  Biggest shutout victory since 54-0 against Indiana in 1957. 

Oh... and I wonder who the MVP for the Spartan defense (yes, we have a defense) is this year: Senior linebacker Jacoby Windmon, had five tackles, 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles-for-loss, along with three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery to lead the defensive unit.  Jesus.

There ya go!  See you in Seattle!  Go GREEN.