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: Getting Worse vs Rapidly Improving

MSU Spartans (4-4/2-3) vs Illinois Fighting Illini (5-4/3-3)
Spartan Stadium
East Lansing, MI.  3:30 pm ET.
November 9, 2019

Weather: 41 partly cloudy.  Winds: 11 ssw.

Vegas Line:  MSU by 14-1/2 (yes, they are smoking crack in Sin City)
Sagarin Ratings: MSU #23, Illinois #77 (Jeff Sagarin in high on the pipe, too)

A mantra of football is that your team is supposed to get better as the season goes along.  That certainly is happening with Illinois; but the Spartans are going in the complete opposite direction, dropping like a rock.

Bum Phillips gave the ultimate compliment to good coaching: 

"He can beat his'n with your'n.  And he can beat your'n with his'n."

The one and only Bum Phillips, telling it like it is

Well, Bum certainly was not talking about coach Dantonio, who can't beat anyone with anyone's talent.  It has been a very disappointing season of playcalling on both sides of the ball, missed assignments, lack of a pass rush, dropped passes, poor quarterbacking.

Expect that to continue today vs the Illini:  until things fundamentally change, don't expect any Spartan improvement.  FYI: Illinois beat Wisconsin.  MSU lost to Wisconsin, 38-0.  'Nuff said.

Prognostications:

CHock:  MSU 12-10
Keith: MSU loses
Big Bob:  ILL 17-10
Sloth: 40,000 empty seats, and a lot of boos. 27-6, tRed Granges.
RGM3: 27-10 MSU. We somehow cover.
Big Joe and Phantom 309: 14-6. The defense remains stout and the offense manages to score one TD.
GVSU Gregger: MSU 21-17
Queen Kat:  MSU 17-10

ES sez:  Illinois 21, MSU 17.

TOILET BOWL Saturday: Michigan State vs Illinois

MSU 2-6/0-5. Illinois 2-6/1-4
Sagarin Ratings: MSU #61, Illinois #85

Saturday, November 5, 2016.
12:00 pm ET.
Memorial Stadium, Champaign-Urbana, IL
Weather: 60 degrees, partly cloudy
TV: ESPN News.

Line: MSU by 8 (really?)

Oh my, how the mighty have fallen.  We BIG GREEN NATION are playing at Noon today, on ESPN... News.  LOL.  'Nuff said.

Well, a six-game losing streak ain't much fun.  Today's game is do-or-die for a bowl; but we can call today's game the Toilet Bowl.  Whoever loses is the crap of the Big Ten this season.

Last week, the ES just didn't understand why coach D didn't start Lewerke - if there is one fault of Dantonio, it is that he is too loyal.  Lewerke moves the offense, he has better vision and makes better decisions.  The team gets a shot of jet fuel with him in.  Bummer for us, because...  with Lewerke out for the season with a broken leg, coach D doesn't have many options. However, Tyler O'Connor is not a winner.  He just cannot make the good throw and just can't get it done.  The offense is lethargic with TO behind center.

The ES would play Damion Terry the rest of the season; why not give him the work?  At least he has another year of eligibility.

ES sez:  MSU 38, Chief Illiniwek 28
Ronnie:  MSU 28-24
Brock:  Illinois 19-17
Rick:  MSU 31-21
Carly:  MSU 21-10