Michigan State favored by 3 in B1G Title vs Iowa

Big Green is an early 3 point fave vs Iowa in Big Ten title game.

Alabama is favored by 16 over Florida in the SEC showdown. Stanford is a 3-1/2 pt fave over Southern Cal.  San Diego State is favored by 3-1/2 over Air Force (who MSU beat earlier this year) in the Mountain West stint.  Clemson is favored by 6 over North Carolina.  Houston is a 5.5 fave over Temple in the American Athletic title game.  Western Kentucky is favored by 8 over Southern Miss in the Conference USA championship. Bowling Green is favored by 9 over NIU in the MAC title.

After what we just did to Penn State, we should be favored... GO GREEN!  Woop woop!

Ohio State a ridiculous 2-TD favorite over Big Green

What a joke.  Ohio State is favored by 2-TDs over the Spartans?  13 points.  LOL.  This is the same Ohio State team that struggled to beat Indiana by 7?

Rutgers is favored by 5 at Army
Maryland is favored by 3 home vs Indy
Minny is favored by 4-1/2 home over Illinois
Wisky is favored by 11 home over Nwestern.  ?????
scUM is favored by 5 at Penn State.  Whaaa????
Iowa is favored by 21 at home vs Purdon't

I need to find me a bookie to bet on MSU, NW, and Penn State.  That's gravy money.

5 Lessons from MSU v Rutgers; scUM favored by TD over MSU

The #12 scUM football team is favored by a TD (6-1/2) over the #7 Big Green as we invade the Godforsaken garbage of Ann Arbor this weekend... and ESPN Game Day wants to pile it on to preview this matchup.  It's a 3:30 kick.

Five things we learned about MSU at Rutgers (the ES went to New Jersey for the game):

1.  Injuries continue to mount.  Dear God, the ES has never seen a team with so many injuries - particularly on the offensive line and defensive backfield.  On the OL, seeing Jack Allen getting carted off the field was devastating... as we've seen losses to Jack Conklin, Kodi Keiler, and Josiah Price.  Madre London hurt his ankle and left the game, but MSU burned the redshirt off Delton Williams with a few carries, and LJ Scott (9-42, 4.7 ypc) ran his tail off again behind a banged up line.  We saw Connor Cook get knocked around more than in any game since he's started for MSU... but... 

2.   Cook (23-38 for 357) played well again AFTER his bad interception that he telegraphed to the Rutgers defense late in the first half.  While he never should have thrown it, in typical Cook fashion he came back in the second half, and on the last drive of the game, made some very, very solid throws in tough situations.  Cook's fave target, Aaron Burbridge (9-146), played amazing except for the easy drop as he walked into the end zone early in the game.  The ES hung out with Connor's dad before and after the game and complimented Connor's play for the most part, despite the few brain farts.

3.  Michigan State's secondary is in trouble.  We've lost Copeland and Williamson for the season, and both are certainly not of the caliber of Dennard and Waynes.  So, relying on Colquon and Edmonson at corners is questionable, but the depth is gone.  The ES sez:  if your leading tacklers are DBs, you are in trouble - against Rutgers, Cox and Nicholson led with 8 & 5.  Tisk, tisk.  There is a guy who the ES met with CHock before the season started - Josh Butler - and he was an impressive young man who may now have his redshirt burned because his talent is so highly valued by Coach D and we are banged up.  But, this is a raw place to throw in raw talent... Why????

4.  We need a better DL play, including a more consistent pass rush.   The Spartans aren't pushing enough up front.  Three sacks for 28 yards, and another three QB hurries just aren't enough and not typical of this Spartan Green D.  Malik McDowell is a beast - he ran over the Rutgers C late in the game but RU called time-out right before the play.  Lawrence Thomas had a sack but also is hit or miss throughout the game.  Shalique Calhoun (1/2 sack, 2 QB hurries) played well... but not dominating.  What's going on?  This area is NOT injured and needs to play better, especially this week vs Michigan to give the secondary a chance.

5.  Special teams suck.  This is the worst special teams of the Dantonio era.   At High Points Stadium, the Spartan faithful were concerned of MSU "Geigering It."  Never heard such negative vibes on our special teams.  One FG blocked, the other hit the right upright and Praise God went through for a trey.  These ain't long kicks - 35, 30 yards.   Big Green had a 11-yard shank punt.  Terrible.  Just lack of execution and focus.  We do this, we lose.

BUT WE WIN GAMES.  Of all the injuries, etc, we keep winning.  Look at the third down conversions:  MSU 11 of 17, Rutgers 3 of 12.  It says quite a bit of the resilience and ability to finish.  This ain't the John L Smith era.   Look at some of the key stats below... interesting.  

                                    MSU       RU

FIRST DOWNS...................       22       15
NET YARDS RUSHING.............      132      141
  Rushing Attempts............       38       32
  Average Per Rush............      3.5      4.4
NET YARDS PASSING.............      357      208
  Completions-Attempts-Int....  23-38-1  15-26-0
TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS...........      489      349
  Total offense plays.........       76       58
  Average Gain Per Play.......      6.4      6.0
Penalties: Number-Yards.......      1-5     3-20
Average Yards Per Punt........     24.7     34.4
Third-Down Conversions........ 11 of 17  3 of 12
Fourth-Down Conversions.......   1 of 1   2 of 3
Sacks By: Number-Yards........     3-28      1-6

MSU -17 fave at Rutgers

Michigan State is favored by 17 at Rutgers. This will be fun! Jeff Sagarin has moved Michigan State down to #34 in the country, while Rutgers is at #89.

Spartans favored by 2 1/2 over Louisville in Elite Eight

Odds for the Elite Eight via Vegas Insider:

Kentucky -11 over Notre Dame
Arizona -1 over Wisconsin
Duke - 2 1/2 over Gonzaga

and... Michigan State -2 1/2 over Louisville

Michigan State a 1-1/2 point underdog to Baylor in Cotton Bowl

From the mouth (and juicy guitar) of the great Roy Clark:   "Well, I never picked cotton... But my mother did, and my brother did, and my sister did, and my daddy died young...."

We're going to the COTTON BOWL!  The Michigan State Spartans made one of the Big Six Bowls and will meet the Baylor Bears, ESPN, 12:30 New Years Day in Arlington Texas.  In all honesty, the logo for the Cotton Bowl should in some way incorporate Roy Clark or Johnny Cash

What is the enemy already saying?  Reading here: "Personally, I'm thrilled with the opportunity to square off against a B1G team to prove our supremacy."  Well, we shall see, no?  Wait 'til the Bears get the big load from the vaunted Big Green DEFENSE...  The ES is excited to see the Spartans, and we have a record-setting offense of our own, in a pretty good matchup against the high-flying Bears from the Big 12.

All top 6 teams were victorious this weekend, with a major ass-whipping by Ohio State vs Wisconsin (59-0) in the Big Ten title game... so the Top 4 in the College Football Playoff are: the Alabama $abans, the Oregon Buck$, the Florida State Cheaters, and the Ohio State Wieners.   And, thusly, Michigan State stayed at #8 in the CFP final poll.

The very, very early odds pick MSU as a 1-1/2 point underdog to Baylor... (seriously???). The odds are:

• Michigan State (+1 1/2) vs Baylor (Cotton)
• Mississippi State (-7) vs Georgia Tech (Orange Bowl)
• TCU (-3) vs Ole Miss (Peach)
• Arizona (-4) vs Boise St (Fiesta)
• CFB: #2 Oregon (-8) vs #3 Florida St (Rose)
• CFB: #1 Alabama (-9) vs #4 Ohio St (Sugar)

Here is the final CFB Poll:

College Football Playoff Rankings
RK	TEAM	RECORD
1	Alabama	12-1
2	Oregon	12-1
3	Florida State	13-0
4	Ohio State	12-1
5	Baylor	11-1
6	TCU	11-1
7	Mississippi State	10-2
8	Michigan State	10-2
9	Ole Miss	9-3
10	Arizona	10-3
11	Kansas State	9-3
12	Georgia Tech	10-3
13	Georgia	9-3
14	UCLA	9-3
15	Arizona State	9-3
16	Missouri	10-3
17	Clemson	9-3
18	Wisconsin	10-3
19	Auburn	8-4
20	Boise State	11-2
21	Louisville	9-3
22	Utah	8-4
23	LSU	8-4
24	USC	8-4
25	Minnesota	8-4

Spartans favored by 2 TD at Penn State

9-2/6-1 Michigan State, which moved up to #8 in the USA Today coaches poll but remained at #10 in the other polls, is favored by 13-1/2 points at 6-5/2-5 Penn State.  Those are 2 Jeremy Langford TDs... and, it is the only Big Ten game this weekend with the road team a fave.

The bookies on the Big Ten slate:

MSU (-13) at Penn State
Iowa (-1) vs Nebraska
Ohio State (-20) vs Michigan
Wisconsin (-14) vs Minnesota
Maryland (-8) vs Rutgers
Illinois (-8) vs Northwestern
Indiana (-2) vs Purdon't

USA Today Poll
RK	TEAM	RECORD	PTS
1	Alabama (25)	10-1	1474
2	Florida State (30)	11-0	1462
3	Oregon (6)	10-1	1431
4	Mississippi State	10-1	1323
5	TCU	9-1	1259
6	Baylor	9-1	1242
7	Ohio State	10-1	1191
8	Michigan State	9-2	1052
9	Georgia	9-2	1002
10	UCLA	9-2	963
11	Kansas State	8-2	912
12	Arizona	9-2	818
13	Arizona State	9-2	783
14	Wisconsin	9-2	758
15	Georgia Tech	9-2	615
16	Auburn	8-3	565
17	Missouri	9-2	560
18	Oklahoma	8-3	420
19	Ole Miss	8-3	390
20	Marshall	11-0	383
21	Colorado State	10-1	304
22	Minnesota	8-3	256
23	Louisville	8-3	208
24	Clemson	8-3	203
25	Boise State	9-2	85

• Dropped from rankings: Nebraska 19, Utah 21, USC 24, Duke 25
• 
  
• Others receiving votes: LSU 43, Nebraska 41, Arkansas 19, Utah 19, Cincinnati 7, Louisiana Tech 7, Stanford 7, Duke 5, Texas A&M 4, Texas 4, USC 4, Northern Illinois 3, Iowa 1, Utah State 1, Notre Dame 1
• 
  

Spartans favored to whip Rutgers by 21

After dispatching Maryland yesterday, the Big Green Machine moved up to #9/#10 in the polls, and enters its final two contests against the bottom-feeders of the Big Ten East: Rutgers and Penn State.

Michigan State is favored by a measly three TDs over New Jersey State University.  In all Big Ten games this weekend, here are where the bookies stand:

MSU (-21) vs Rutgers
Nebraska (-10) vs Minnesota
Ohio State (-31 1/2) vs Indiana
Michigan (-4) vs Maryland
Northwestern (-3) at Purdon't
Penn State (-6 1/2) at Illinois
Wisconsin (-9) at Iowa

And... Western Michigan is favored by 1 at Central Michigan.  The winner has the shot at the MAC Championship Game.

Here is the latest polling:

USA Today Poll
RK	TEAM	RECORD	PTS
1	Florida State (39)	10-0	1518
2	Alabama (17)	9-1	1494
3	Oregon (6)	9-1	1434
4	Mississippi State	9-1	1296
5	TCU	9-1	1279
6	Baylor	8-1	1272
7	Ohio State	9-1	1228
8	Ole Miss	8-2	1041
9	Michigan State	8-2	1030
10	Georgia	8-2	981
11	Kansas State	7-2	880
12	UCLA	8-2	862
13	Arizona	8-2	726
14	Arizona State	8-2	721
15	Wisconsin	8-2	715
16	Georgia Tech	9-2	511
17	Auburn	7-3	508
18	Marshall	10-0	427
19	Nebraska	8-2	409
20	Missouri	8-2	406
21	Utah	7-3	286
22	Oklahoma	7-3	265
23	Colorado State	9-1	259
24	USC	7-3	132
25	Duke	8-2	130

• Dropped from rankings: Notre Dame 16, Clemson 17, LSU 20
• Others receiving votes: Notre Dame 118, Clemson 69, LSU 43, Boise State 32, Minnesota 29, Louisville 19, Iowa 7, Miami (FL) 6, Texas 5, Cincinnati 3, Texas A&M 3, Stanford 2, Northern Illinois 2, West Virginia 1, Arkansas 1