UFO seen at Spartan football practice... is it a Boise spy toy?

Anyone see the UFO across from Spartan Stadium today, next to the football practice field?  So, here was the ES with Big Bob, again hurling that pigskin at Ralph Young Field (field hockey stadium), and all of a sudden there was this whirring noise.  Sssswhirrrrrrrr.... The ES looked over toward the International Center, and up in the air was this this THING that looked like an upside down spider, a metal thing with someone sitting in the middle. The ES lost his good camera, so he took this with his iPhone, then zoomed in best he could with Photoshop:

Was it a spy from Boise State looking at the Spartan gridders in practice? Or was it some Spartan booster with too much money that decided to spend it on a toy for Dantonio to film practice in one-minute spurts (it was only airborne for a minute at a time)? Were the Spartans just testing this thing to use to spy on future opponents? Or was it an educational, engineering experiment? God only knows, but it was WIERD. Anyone have a clue? Post on the ES message board....

The thing shot up to a few hundred feet real fast, and came down real fast. Loud, like metal rotors purring...

Michigan State favored by TD over Boise State in opener

As noted by the consensus line at Vegas Insider, Michigan State is a 7-1/2 point favorite in the season opener against Boise State.  Should be one helluva season opener, under the lights for an 8 pm kickoff on ESPN.  In other Big Ten games, Minny is favored by 10 at UNLV, 'Bama by 11 over Michigan at Cowboys Stadium and Nebraska at home by 17-1/2 over Southern Miss. There are plenty other games, just no lines posted as of yet.  And, Notre Dame is favored by 14 at the US Naval Academy.

GO BIG GREEN!

MSU Football schedules cupcakes in 2013, 2014

Spartan Nation:  let's grade the football non-conference schedules for the next three years. The ES gives a high grade of a B- for 2012.  Then, 2013 and 2014 are pathetically uninteresting and uncompetitive.  Jacksonville State in 2014? Come on.  Which team would you schedule for MSU to play in the open date of September 6, 2014?  Hopefully another major BCS-caliber football program like the Oregon Ducks.  The ES hates scheduling revenue-generating bottom-feeders.

2012: Grade = B-.
Aug. 31 BOISE STATE
Sept. 8 at Central Michigan
Sept. 15 NOTRE DAME
Sept. 22 EASTERN MICHIGAN

2013: Grade = C-.
Aug. 31 WESTERN MICHIGAN
Sept. 7 SOUTH FLORIDA
Sept. 14 YOUNGSTOWN STATE
Sept. 21 at Notre Dame

2014: Grade = C.
Aug. 30 JACKSONVILLE STATE
Sept. 6 TBD
Sept. 13 at Oregon
Sept. 20 EASTERN MICHIGAN

Dantonio: Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime? Boise State in 2012 and beyond

Wow: Mark Dantonio and Mark Hollis are doing to Spartan football what Tom Izzo has done to Spartan basketball - play the big boys.

On the eve of the Michigan State vs Iowa game, the Biggest Football game in 44 years for Spartan fans, the MSU athletic department announced a three game series with Boise State: in EL in 2012, in Idaho in 2022, and back in EL in 2023.

In the last 18 months, Michigan State has announced home-and-home series with West Virginia (2014-15), Alabama (2016-17) and Miami-Fla. (2020-21) as well as the extension of its series with Notre Dame through the 2031 season, with two-year breaks in 2014-15, 2020-21 and 2026-27.