Best points of pavement-grading win by Spartans over Frigging Irish

My, oh my, there are few things better in life than watching the Michigan State Spartans destroy the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.  Under the arms of Touchdown Jesus.  Yes.

That's an Irish road we paved-graded
last Saturday

There was the ES at the altar, the Peanut Barrell, as he watched Madre London run straight through a gaping hole in the Irish defense, 73 yards to paydirt.  Jumping in the air with the rest of the Spartan brethren, screaming "run it down their troats."  Up 36-7, up by 29 points. In South Bend.  Jesus?  Yes. Or, for that matter, LJ Scott running 5 yards here, 6 yards there, etc..  Tyler O'Conner, as predicted, will be just fine.  An impressive, 19-for-26 with 241 yards in the air, 2 TDs, including several downfield 25+ yarders to RJ Shelton (8-80), Madaris(2-40) and incredible play by Corley (4-88).  Third down conversions?  MSU 9-of-18 (50%).  Wow.  Get the pavement grader ready this year.  We're back. 

Guinness can get you to 100, but it
won't help you beat the Spartans

Now, let's talk smack.  The Irish came into the game with their typical swagger, 80,000 under the open arms of God, expecting to revamp their failed crappy play at Texas (who lost at Cal 50-44 by the way). Well, Brian Kelly has his Irish boys consuming the Guinness instead of paying attention to the O-Line gap blocks that left wide open holes for the Big Green all day.  

Defensively, the Spartans played GREAT ALL DAY until they took the foot off the gas.  When you got a pig cornered, put a leg on the throat and stick the knife in real good - let the blood squirt all over.  Prevent defense NEVER works, surprised to see it out of Coach D. He should know better.  Still MSU amassed a huge lead on the road that was difficult to Fk-up. 

MSU's defense and offense combination was dominant enough for a 37-23 time advantage.  A 260-57 rushing advantage.  Dominant.

Although giving up 401 yards, most of those were after the Spartans were kicking ass by 29+ points.  The defensive line controlled scrimmage, and the LBs were lights out.  The secondary is rounding into shape, and the ES digs Darian Hicks and Chris Frey.  

Damn, we're fine. We've moved up to #8, and rightfully so.  MSU kicked ass! Bring on Wisky. 

Team Statistics (Final) 
2016 Michigan State Football 
#12 Michigan State vs #18 Notre Dame (Sep 17, 2016 at Notre Dame, Ind.)

Team Totals	MSU	ND
FIRST DOWNS	22	19
Rushing	9	3
Passing	12	14
Penalty	1	2
NET YARDS RUSHING	260	57
Rushing Attempts	52	25
Average Per Rush	5.0	2.3
Rushing Touchdowns	3	2
Yards Gained Rushing	277	74
Yards Lost Rushing	17	17
NET YARDS PASSING	241	344
Completions-Attempts-Int	19-26-1	20-37-1
Average Per Attempt	9.3	9.3
Average Per Completion	12.7	17.2
Passing Touchdowns	2	2
TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS	501	401
Total offense plays	78	62
Average Gain Per Play	6.4	6.5
Fumbles: Number-Lost	0-0	2-2
Penalties: Number-Yards	3-45	4-51
PUNTS-YARDS	7-266	6-302
Average Yards Per Punt	38.0	50.3
Net Yards Per Punt	37.0	50.3
Inside 20	2	3
50+ Yards	0	3
Touchbacks	0	0
Fair catch	1	3
KICKOFFS-YARDS	6-383	5-276
Average Yards Per Kickoff	63.8	55.2
Net Yards Per Kickoff	45.5	36.8
Touchbacks	2	2
Punt returns: Number-Yards-TD	0-0-0	3-7-0
Average Per Return	0.0	2.3
Kickoff returns: Number-Yds-TD	3-42-0	3-60-0
Average Per Return	14.0	20.0
Interceptions: Number-Yds-TD	1-0-0	1-30-0
Fumble Returns: Number-Yds-TD	0-0-0	0-0-0
Miscellaneous Yards	0	0
Possession Time	37:57	22:03
1st Quarter	8:46	6:14
2nd Quarter	9:15	5:45
3rd Quarter	9:52	5:08
4th Quarter	10:04	4:56
Third-Down Conversions	9 of 18	4 of 11
Fourth-Down Conversions	1 of 1	1 of 1
Red-Zone Scores-Chances	3-3	4-4
Touchdowns	3-3	4-4
Field goals	0-3	0-4
Sacks By: Number-Yards	2-11	0-0
PAT Kicks	4-4	4-4
Field Goals	0-0	0-0
Points off turnovers	15	0

Enlightened Spartan Preview: #12 Michigan State vs #18 Notre Dame Farging Bastages

A thing of beauty in 2008

Sagarin Ratings: MSU #35, ND #15

MSU 1-0/0-0. ND: 1-1
Saturday, September 17, 2016.
7:30 pm ET.
Touchdown Jesus. South Bend, IN. 

Line: ND by 7-1/2 (vegasinsider.com)
TV: NBC
Weather: 74 degrees, showers/partly cloudy.

Depth Chart - MSU - Friggin Irish

I hate Notre Dame.  Just can't stand the arrogance of the program.  Brian Kelly smells like rotten fish, no matter how Irish he is you can't pour enough malt vinegar on him to smell better.  And, it's the 50th anniversary of the 10-10 tie of MSU vs ND in 1966, at the time, the first ever regular season matchup of #1 vs #2 in college football history.  This time, no ties, and we're under the lights.

The Irish were outplayed by Texas and showed their vulnerabilities in the defensive backfield giving up 50 points to a frosh QB.  However, TD Jesus also was able to score 47 at Texas, with 444 total yards - and over 200 on the ground. Their QB, DeShone Kizer, accounted for 292 of those yards, with 5 passing TDs and 1 on the ground (85 total rushing yards on 13 carries).  So, you can expect to see lots of Kizer tonight.

But, has the ND front line improved since week 1?  Likely.  Tyler O'Connor will get a great test today, as he has some years but not much experience.  Will the Spartan defensive line prove itself today and contain Kizer and the Irish?  The addition of Ed Davis and his pass rush skills should help.   Expect far fewer penalties out of the Spartans, who committed 10 (most of them stupid) against Furman.

As Don (from PB) noted - and the ES concurs - a good healthy does of LJ Scott will tame the ND defense: 25 carries should do it.

Enough with the write up - it doesn't matter anyway, because I just CAN'T STAND THE IRISH.  Another victory will never ever get old.

PREDICTION? ES sez... MSU 27, Drunk Leprechaun 24

Rick: MSU 21-17, Joe: MSU 35-31, Carly: MSU 24-21, Shea: MSU 32-18, Brock: MSU 30-19, Don: MSU 24-21, Brad (I met on the street walking to HopCat): MSU 21-14.

Ronnie sez "ND will not score in the second half.  MSU wins 35-17."

LSJ:  Couch (whom the ES met last night at Reno's) ND 30-20; Solari, ND 31-28
Chicago Tribune:  MSU 27-24
Mlive.com: ND, 21-17
Freep:ND, 31-28
Frankie V:ND, 31-21
Athlon:  ND, 27-21
ND Rivals:Somogyi, ND 27-23; Driskell, ND 33-20; Jones, ND 30-24; Boden, ND 34-23; McKinney, ND 27-20
Heavy.com:  ND 23-20

Furman Review: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Let's cut to the chase and talk about the lackluster performance by the Michigan State Spartans in their victory over the mighty Paladins from Furman.

The Good:

1.  Tailgating. Are you kidding?  The ES picked a stellar location, lucky when some moron backed out of his parking spot across from IM Circle (south side of Landon/Adams Field) and the ES popped right in - around 3:15 pm.  Opened up the sunroof, blasted some Van Halen, fired up the grill and cracked those PBRs.  A five-star performance indeed.

2.   LJ Scott.  Enough of Madre London, etc.  Coach D puts in LJ Scott, and everything changes.  105 yards on 20 carries, the moves, running over defenders.  I could watch Scott all day long - he IS the BMOC.

Monty Madaris (#88) was finger-licking-good 
vs Furman. Photo courtesy WXYZ.

3.  Monty Madaris (#88).  Get used to him, Spartan Nation.  The dude had wheels, great hands, a 5 -for-85 receiving day, looking good doing it as well.  Nice routes.  He's the real deal.

4.  Defense.  With the exception of the 11-play, 73 yard drive by Furman in the third to early fourth quarter, the defense gave up very little other than stupid penalties (see Ugly).  MSU held Furman to a total of 226 yards on 64 plays for an average of 3.5 yards per play.

5. Chris Frey (#23).  The dude played lights-out, he was all over the place on defense.  He ended up with a team high nine tackles, and looked good doing it.

6.  Tyler O'Connor.  Let's face it, he's no Connor Cook.  But he is also no Andrew Maxwell. On second thought, the ES didn't have a sleepless night after the game because of TO - he did fine (13-18 for 190 yards with a pick).  He might not win games for us... but he likely won't lose them either.  His performance was fine, a couple of nice throws, a couple of hurries, etc.  He'll get better, which is a relief.

7. Watching ND lose last night to Texas.  The Irish losing never gets old.

8. A bye week. After watching that yawner on Friday, we need it. So much for a $55 ticket price and entertainment.

Michael Geiger needs to straighten
out his kicking game.

The Bad:

1.  Overall offensive inefficiency.  Maybe it should be in the ugly category.  You could tell the team was not very fired up, seemed disinterested on offense.  4-for-10 (40%) on third downs against a FCS team should be better. Was Coach D sandbagging it to wait for ND and Wisky in 2-3 weeks?  We shall see... but, that offense was a bore. Grinding out 361 total yards on offense ain't exactly something to write home about.

2. Lack of use of tight ends.  What the hell is going on?  If we have the best TE unit in the Big Ten, they were absent on Friday, with the exception of the beautiful 21-yard TD from O'Connor to Price.  

3.  The 43-yard missed FG.  We Geiger-ed it wide left.  Need some improvement immediately.

The Ugly:

1-5.  Penalties.  Wha???  10 for 120 yards, and many were of the "are you an idiot?" variety - THREE personal fouls, two pass interference calls... all were blatant stupidity by the Big Green.  This has GOT to be priority #1.

6.  The 11-play, 73 yard drive by Furman in the third to early fourth quarter.  Where the hell did that come from?  D-Line can't fall asleep against ND for a drive like they did vs Furman.

7. Watching sUM put 60+ on a pathetic Hawaii squad, Ohio State dropping 70+ on Bowling Green, Wisconsin's impressive performance beating a senseless LSU team, well... the B1G sans-MSU & Northwestern (which lost to WMU) looked pretty damn strong for the opening week.  The bye week is timely for the Big Green.

                      FUR      MSU
FIRST DOWNS...................       18       19
RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............    33-87   40-171
PASSING YDS (NET).............      139      190
Passes Att-Comp-Int...........  31-16-1  18-13-1
TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS.....   64-226   58-361
Fumble Returns-Yards..........      0-0      0-0
Punt Returns-Yards............      1-5     4-23
Kickoff Returns-Yards.........     1-25     3-70
Interception Returns-Yards....      1-2      1-0
Punts (Number-Avg)............   5-37.8   3-44.7
Fumbles-Lost..................      2-0      1-1
Penalties-Yards...............     4-34   10-120
Possession Time...............    29:31    30:29
Third-Down Conversions........  3 of 14  4 of 10
Fourth-Down Conversions.......   2 of 3   0 of 0
Red-Zone Scores-Chances.......      3-3      4-4
Sacks By: Number-Yards........      2-3      1-5

Enlightened Spartan Preview: #12 Mich State vs Furman Paladins

Sagarin Ratings: MSU #23, Furman #198

MSU: 0-0/0-0. Furman: 0-0/0-0.
Friday, September 2, 2016.
7:00 pm ET.
Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI.

Weather: 70 and sunny; will dip to 60 by 4th quarter.
Line: MSU favored by 45 (oddsshark.com)
TV: BTN

Depth Chart - MSU - Furman

Going up against Furman, an FCS team that finished 4-7 a year ago, means a potential blowout this evening in East Lansing.  The Paladins lost 45-3 to Va Tech last year, but beat a woeful Central Florida team 17-16 (UCF finished 0-12 last year).

On offense, the ES is looking for sharpness out of our QB crew (Tyler O'Connor) and good protection up front with a newly revamped O-Line led by LG Brian Allen and C Kodi Keiler.  It will be interesting to watch our receiving crew - RJ Shelton has the wheels and experience, but is Felton Davis (6-4, 192, So.) the real deal?  We know LJ Scott is the stud, but the best name on the team goes to FB Prescott Line (#45).

On defense, it's usually about the DBs - Darian Hicks (#2), Demetrious Cox (#7), Montae Nicholson (#9), and Vayante Copeland (#13) all have experience... but, they were also torched by 'Bama in the National Semifinals.  The proof is in the pudding.  How close to the No Fly Zone do they get?  

On special teams, we have Michael Geiger returning at kicker - he had a rough year early on in 2015; let us see the extent that Jake Hartbarger changes the field at punter (if at all necessary vs Furman).  It's exciting to have RJ Shelton return kicks - he's got the wheels, a speed burner.  A runback or two vs. Furman would be nice.

FINAL PREDICTION?   ES sez... MSU 38, Furman 10.

Freep:  MSU 48-6
DetNews:  Charboneau, MSU 41-10.  Chengelis, MSU 38-3. Wojo, MSU 44-10.  Niyo, MSU 45-13.
LSJ: Couch, MSU 36-13. Solari, MSU 48-6.
USAToday:  MSU 48-14
BTN: Dinehart, MSU 38-7. Merriman, MSU 35-10. Yarina, MSU 41-10.

Enlightened Spartan Preview 2016

The ES has been outta commission for much of the year... but we're back!  Here is the season preview by our master prognosticators, dating back to 2001...

MSU is listed in Stassen's Top 25 of all the preview magazines, at #12 - anywhere from at #4 (College FB Poll) to #24 (Sports Cruncher).  The ES is looking for a great year out of the Big Green... let's see what the prognosticators chime:

ES

• What will MSU's overall record be for 2016: 10-2
• Playoffs or bowl game (which one) for the Spartans?  Rose Bowl
• How far will MSU advance in the Big Ten?  10-2, tied with scUM for 2nd in East
• Will MSU beat sUM, OSU, and Wisky at home? Yes, No, and Yes - 2-1 out of the three
• MVP for the Big Green this year?  Riley Bullough

Furman, W; @ ND, W; Wisconsin, W; @ Indy, W; BYU, W; NW, L; @ MD, W; scUM, W; @ Illinois, W; Rutgers, W; OSU, L; Penn St, W.

GO GREEN! A step down these years is a step up in our history!  Let's see what Coach D can pull off!

CHock

• What will MSU's overall record be for 2016: 9-4
• Playoffs or bowl game (which one) for the Spartans?  Citrus Bowl, lose to Ole Miss 31-28
• How far will MSU advance in the Big Ten?  9-3, tied for 2nd with UM in B1G East
• Will MSU beat sUM, OSU, and Wisky at home?  No, No, Yes
• MVP for the Big Green this year?  Riley Bullough

My take: we dominated the last couple of years because we had absolutely ROCK STAR lines. We basically lost 5 guys off the line (3 on O, 2 on D) to the NFL and while the O line does have some depth, the D line has been completely wiped out. Aside from McDowell, the last time most of the rest of our D line will have been on the field was when they were playing High School ball. Great LBs and an improved secondary will insure we’re not dropping to MAC level, but those very close ones where we need to win in the trenches won’t go our way like they have in the last couple of years.

Furman, W, 38-6; @ ND, 17-24; Wisconsin, W 24-23; @ Indy, W 38-31; BYU, W 28-24; NW, W 28-26; @ MD, W 24-13; scUM, L, 20-24; @ Illinois, W 28-21; Rutgers, W 27-23; OSU, L 28-35; Penn St, W 27-21.

BigBob

• What will MSU's overall record be for 2016? 10-3
• Playoffs or bowl game (which one) for the Spartans? MSU will win its bowl game against some SEC chump 
• How far will MSU advance in the Big Ten (record/final standing/B1G Title)? 7-2, second place in division, no title this year 
• Will MSU beat Michigan, Ohio State, and Wisconsin at home? MSU will lose to Ohio State but beat both Wisconsin and UM at home. Jim Harbaugh will suffer a stroke and die in Spartan Stadium after shitting himself when his team is once again defeated by the Spartans on the last play of the game. Who will be the MVP for the Big Green this year? Malik McDowell

Sloth

• What will MSU's overall record be for 2016: 8-4 
• Playoffs or bowl game (which one) for the Spartans? Who cares, the Big Ten Champeenship is what matters 
• How far will MSU advance in the Big Ten? 2nd in conference 
• Will MSU beat sUM, OSU, and Wisky at home? Yes, No and No 
• MVP for the Big Green this year? My liver 

SpartyMSU

• What will MSU's overall record be for 2016: 12-1. I know originally.. I predicted 2 losses.. but the Green cool-aid is flowing..
• Playoffs or bowl game (which one) for the Spartans? Rematch against Stanford.. it’s the 2014 Rose Bowl all over again., and just like 2 years ago – The Spartans beat Stanford. I am making my plans now… Last trip to Pasadena was awesome
• How far will MSU advance in the Big Ten? Win the East and beat to Iowa OSU stumbles.. 1 more loss than the Spartans. scUM proves they are over rated, get beat early (Shades of App State)..
• Will MSU beat sUM, OSU, and Wisky at home? MSU 27 – scUM 21 (scUM loses early, prove they were over rated – but still advance to Outback Bowl); MSU 23 – TOSU 21 (Buckeyes advance to Cotton Bowl); MSU 31 – Badgers 27 (Badgers head to TaxSlayer Bowl)
• MVP for the Big Green this year? O - Tyler O’Connor; D- Malik McDowell, Riley Bulgur

The cupboard is not bare on the D-Line. True many are young, but, Demetrius Cooper and Malik are forces andill provide leadership. Grad transfer Kevin Williams will be stout, so will Bowers. Spartans will be using RS-Freshman, although they have been around a stellar program and have learned. In order for the MSU Defensive line to remain one of the best in the nation, they must step up and preform. I believe they will. Offensive will be fine.. No concerns. Bottom line, this is a very good team, underrated, and will hit the “Back2Back” goal for 2016. Sparty On !!

Furman, W; @ ND, L; Wisconsin, W; @ Indy, W; BYU, W; NW, W; @ MD, W; scUM, W; @ Illinois, W; Rutgers, W; OSU, L; Penn St, W

ChiSpartan:

• What will MSU's overall record be for 2016? 11-2 
• Playoffs or bowl game (which one) for the Spartans? Rose Bowl 
• How far will MSU advance in the Big Ten (record/final standing/B1G Title)? 8-1 
• Will MSU beat Michigan, Ohio State, and Wisconsin at home? Lose to OSU 
• Who will be the MVP for the Big Green this year? Riley Bullough 

 9/2 FURMAN W; 9/17 at ND L; 9/24 WISKY W; 10/1 at Indy W; 10/8 BYU W; 10/15 NW W; 10/22 at Maryland W; 10/29 scUM W; 11/5 at Illini W; 11/12 RUTGERS W; 11/19 OHIO ST L; 11/26 at Penn St W

Smigdiggler:

The WestCoast Spartan Reporter is the pigskin prognosticating expert who is here to tell you how the season is going to unfold for Big Green.

• What will MSU's overall record be for 2016? 12-1 
•  Playoffs or bowl game (which one) for the Spartans? Playoffs - That is what they play for now! anything else is what Harbaugh would wish for!! 
• How far will MSU advance in the Big Ten (record/final standing/B1G Title)? 9-0 Big Ten Title is only a pitstop on the Green Kool-Aid train ride. 
•  Will MSU beat Michigan, Ohio State, and Wisconsin at home? That shit Cra! I bet you a harbaugh titty twister that they sweep at home this year. 
•  Who will be the MVP for the Big Green this year? LJ Scott Loc of the century!

Getting hammered

Yes, we got our asses kicked.   'Bama took the Spartans to the woodshed.  Connor Cook played terrible, worst game of his career - tough when he was the key to victory.  Still hate Alabama and Satan

Oh well, t'was fun while it lasted.  Great season, Go GREEN!

Cotton Bowl Preview: Michigan State vs Alabama

Here it is! Cotton Bowl Preview! The ES is at the Peanut Barrel and then heads to Dallas to  banter with an Alabama rooter.   Video footage from East Lansing and Dallas as well as guest predictions! Enjoy...   Predictions:

ES:  MSU 20-18.   Joe: MSU 21-10  Shea:  MSU 26-23  Tim:  MSU 27-24.  Howard:  Bama 42-10.

Go Green! Roll Tide!

The Enlightened Spartan in Dallas the day before the Cotton Bowl with Howard, a Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer supporter.  Howard predicted a 42-10 victory by Alabama over Michigan State.

Enlightened Spartan Rails on Bama and the Great $atan

How rare is a top 3 ranking in football and basketball; Couches ablaze

Spartan Nation... When was the last time any school was ranked #1 in men's hoops and in the top 3 in football in the same week during the season?   The ES wuz trying to figure this out with Joe, Scooz, and Rod at the Peanut Barrel.  Hmmm.   Florida in its last year of football under Oscar Meyer?  Maybe Oklahoma in early 2000's (that's a stretch with basketball); potentially Michigan (Cheating Five; Remedial Robinson title) in the late 80s/early 90s?  Ohio State (Greg Oden and the sweater)?  Outside of these schools, one might have to go back to the mid 60s with the UCLA hoops teams that were #1 forever under John Wooden and went to a Rose Bowl or more.     

COUCHES ABLAZE

The ES wuz in Indy and was in his own blazing glory of beer and victory, so didn't get to see the fires and partying in East Lansing after the B1G Ten Title victory over Iowa.  However, after returning later on Sunday and walking through town... Linden Street seemed to be ablaze with couches early Sunday morning.  

Corner of Linden and Division

Further down on Linden

Damn straight it is GREAT TO BE A SPARTAN.  

BIG TEN CHAMPS! BRING ON $ATAN AND 'BAMA CAN HAVE ITS 9 POINTS

The ES was in Indianapolis, in Lucas Oil Stadium, on his hands and knees, once again in tears of joy, as our Michigan State Spartan football team won its second Big Ten title in three years and advance as the #3 seed to the Cotton Bowl in the National Playoff to take on the Great Satan - Nick $aban and Alabama.  We're a 9-pt underdog.

I have lived my life for 47 years and have dreamed of this moment - to have a shot of getting to the Promised Land.  Our moment is at hand.

If you are a football purist, for all those purveyors of good old-fashioned football, then this Michigan State Spartan team is your dream, it is an early Christmas gift that keeps on giving - we get to continue to watch this team as it pounds its way to Glory.  The Big Ten Championship win was dominated by MSU up front in tough, ugly fashion, in a bare-knuckles fight against the Iowa Hawkeyes.

The football gods once again shined on MSU at Lucas Oil Stadium

State seemed to move the ball between the twenties but poor play calling on third downs and tight defense by Iowa kept the Big Green from doing nothing but kick field goals.  Michael Geiger, who kicked the winner at Ohio State, hit three but missed a 45-yarder wide and hit the crossbar on a 53-yarder.

Iowa - give them credit - they are a DAMN FINE TEAM.  They are playing in the Rose Bowl... and they should.  That's the best team Michigan State faced all year.

GREATEST DRIVE IN HISTORY OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL

What was pure beauty to watch - what makes MSU the most fun team to watch in the country - was the final drive, the longest drive I've ever heard of or witnessed.  It has to be the drive with the most plays in Big Ten history.  A bone-crushing 22-play, 82 yard drive (just 3.7 yards per play) that took... get this... 9:04 out of the final 9:31 of the game.  The drive forced Iowa to burn all their time outs.  Connor Cook, who played OK for much of the game (16-31, 191 yards, and his usual boneheaded INT), played exceptionally well on the final drive, with a laser-beam toss to Aaron Burbridge on third down and the critical 3 yard gain to the 2 yard line on 4th down with 55 seconds left.




MVP WAS L.J. SCOTT... NOT CONNOR COOK

Not sure who made the MVP decision for the game, but they must be smoking crack.  Cook played fine, but not great.  However, LJ Scott played well whenever inserted into the game.  He ran 14 times on the final drive, and the winning TD was sheer brilliance - all Scott as he spun through three Hawkeyes and reached the ball into the end zone for the winning score.  THAT was an MVP performance.

REFEREE INCOMPETENCE

The Spartans had far too many penalties (8 for 80), and the Big Ten referees remain incompetent. Once again, John O'Neill and his crew (which blew the call in the Nebraska game) remain inconsistent, blind, and questioning their own decisions. First, one can question a phantom defensive holding call on Hicks in the 4th quarter that added to an Iowa drive; second, consider the terrible offensive pass interference call on Burbridge for throwing a pick that didn't exist.

But... what really gets my ire is the puzzling decision by O'Neill to review the video on the Burbridge out-of-bounds catch that resulted in a penalty AFTER THE REFS ALREADY RULED IN-BOUNDS.  Even O'Neill didn't know what to do and called up to the conference office to see if they could even review the play...  What?  How can you not use video to overturn the stupidity in the Nebraska game, but you can to overturn and penalize MSU for its out-of-bounds catch by Burbridge on the final drive.  This once again leads the Spartan Nation to believe MSU is targeted by the Big Ten conference as a team the conference office really doesn't want to win and will use the referees as a way to try and impose its way.

The refereeing in the Big Ten Conference is a national embarrassment and must be overhauled.  Jim Delaney... wake up.  This stinks like bad fish.

MSU STATISTICAL DOMINATION

When you do look at the stats, you can see that the Big Green dominated Iowa along the front lines (MSU 174 yards rushing, Iowa 52 yards rushing).  Look at this gem:

                                    MSU     IOWA

FIRST DOWNS...................       20       13
RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............   46-174    24-52
PASSING YDS (NET).............      191      216
Passes Att-Comp-Int...........  33-16-1  27-18-1
TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS.....   79-365   51-268
Fumbles-Lost..................      0-0      4-2
Penalties-Yards...............     8-80     5-45
Possession Time...............    36:38    23:22
Third-Down Conversions........ 10 of 20  3 of 12
Sacks By: Number-Yards........     3-20     2-10

Other than the blown coverage by Darian Hicks on a very well thrown, 85-yard TD bomb by Iowa QB CJ Beathard that gave Iowa a 13-9 lead into the fourth quarter... Iowa was basically shut down all game long.

The ES to $atan:  You better get ready... Bring it, you traitor!

THE GREAT SATAN - $ABAN

Yes, #2 Alabama is a 9-point favorite over #3 Michigan State.  Perfect, we have them right where we want them - come join the ES in Dallas as the Spartans ruin the Great $atan's season.

Enlightened Spartan Preview: #5 Mich State vs #4 Iowa Uglybirds

Sagarin Ratings:  MSU #11, Iowa #14

MSU: 11-1/7-1. Iowa: 12-0/8-0
Saturday, December 5, 2015. 8:17 pm ET.

Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN.

Weather: Doesn't F'ing matter. But outside, it will be 50 degrees earlier.  

Line:  MSU favored by 3-1/2

TV:  FOX

GO BIG GREEN!  Watch this sheisse.  ES and April are joined by Ronnie and Nicole as they yeeee-haw toward the Big Ten championship.   One note;  Rod of the PB predicts at Michigan State 36-35 win over Iowa.   ROD IS ALWAYS RIGHT.  Enjoy this video.  :)

A history lesson from 1965: Last time Michigan State won the title

This was what Bubba drove in EL, last time MSU won the title!

Driving down Grand River Avenue in a long, white 1964 Buick Riviera with "Bubba" in black metallic letters on the drivers door side, Michigan State's star player cruised in his pretty sedan in the city of the nation's best football team.  This was Bubba Smith.  He, with Charlie "Mad Dog" Thornhill, and George Webster -- each of whom were imported from Texas and Louisiana to MSU as black football players who were not allowed to play in the segregated south - would "work" as bouncers at Coral Gables.  This was the team, 50 years ago, that won the last national championship for the Michigan State University football program.

It was a dry city.  You had to get your beer at Paul Revere's, Monty's bar, Mac's Bar, Coral Gables, Dagwood's, or The Brewery.  But no beer in EL.  Local citizen, Joe Bell, was working at Sears & Roebuck in Frandor.  Whatever happened to Roebuck, I'll never know.

The Lions were actually good.  The NFL used to have a "Runners Up" bowl, where the second place team in each division played - the Lions won two out of three appearances.  They had last won the title in 1957.

"The Sound of Music," "Cat Ballou," and "Doctor Zhivago" were playing at the State Theater, which is now nothing more than a cluster-f*uck of a dilapidated bank building and two-block area across from Beggars Banquet.

Michigan "Bump Elliot" football sucked, but Ohio "Woody Hayes" State, and Illinois were good.  

In 1963, MSU were to play Illinois, but there was a delay because of the assassination of JFK.  State had a chance to win against Illinois to win the national title, and Dick Butkus plowed through the line three times in a row in Spartan Stadium and pushed Sherm Lewis and Don Japinga (who ended up selling insurance) back to secure the MSU loss.  That loss still stung to the Spartan faithful, years later... until 1965...

Aaahhh... the history...

Fast forward, 50 years, to today.

Michigan State is now in the hunt for the Promised Land - 50 years in the wait.  This is IT.  It is our time.  The Peanut Barrel, now owned by Joe Bell, the former Sears & Roebuck employee, is the center of the universe. It is not dry land in E. Lansing, not since 1973.  The newest iteration of "Star Wars" is about to play with Harrison Ford, the 7th in the series dating back to the original in 1978-ish, at the NCG in Eastwood Township.  The Buick Riviera doesn't exist, neither does Oldsmobile, the Beatles, the Berlin Wall, Julia Child, Yugoslavia, Duffy Daugherty, apartheid, or the wishbone option.

On the gridiron, MSU is reliving its ancient history of hard-nosed defense and grinding offense, with a shot at winning IT ALL.   Connor Cook is throwing laser-beam passes for the Spartans, the #5 team in the nation which just destroyed Pennsylvania State University, 55-16, to advance to a 11-1 record on the season.  Hell, the Spartan offense just scored last week on a 9-yd TD run off right tackle by its center, Jack Allen. Michigan State are 3-point favorites over the University of Iowa to advance to the national title playoff.  My, how times change... but yet remain the same...

One thing has not changed in 50+ years. It's the chip on the shoulder.  Michigan State must continue  to prove to the masses we belong - more than Bump Elliott, Woody, or Jesus Harbaugh.  The ES will be in Indy, and would enjoy your company.  50 years in waiting.  Victory is at hand.

Go GREEN!

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!

Enlightened Spartan Preview: #5 Mich State vs Penn State

This is what awaits Quackenberg... 

Sagarin Ratings:  MSU #15, Penn State #42

MSU: 10-1/6-1. Penn St:  7-3/4-3
Saturday, November 28, 2015. 3:30 pm ET.

Spartan Stadium, Columbus, OH

Weather: 40 degrees, cloudy, winds 5-10 mph

Line:  Big Green favored by 11

TV:  ABC

The ES actually recorded a preview in Chicago... but the audio petered out.  So, here we are with our standard preview.  Hope to be back next week with a preview of the Big Ten Title game... IF WE BEAT PENN STATE

Penn State has a very good defense, but their offensive line is atrocious.  And, the Lion QB Hackenberg has been hammered all year - he only passed for 130-odd yards against Michigan last week on 13-32 (40%) passing... and yet PSU still hung around, trailing by only five points (21-16) midway through the fourth. 

But, Michigan State seems to be back with a force in the trenches... with a completely healthy offensive line and defensive line.  It showed in the total domination of the Ohio State interior.  Spartan defense allowed only 123 total yards to the Buckeyes, while rolling up 203 on the ground against OSU.  The surprise was the solid play of backup QBs Tyler O'Connor and Damien Terry, who filled in for our star QB, Connor Cook.  Each made a mistake, but for the most part ran a very, very well called game by the Spartan coaching staff: a combined 8-16 for 91 yards, 1 TD; better yet, a combined 16 carries for 50 yards.  And, allowing only 5 Buckeye first downs while the Spartans possessed the ball for 38+ minutes?  Domination. 

The refs?  If they did not allow the force-out-of-bounds by Aaron Burbridge that led to a 36 yard completion from Tyler O'Connor - the longest pass of the game on either side - I would have gone ballistic (considering how MSU was screwed at the end of the Nebraska game).  But, the Big Ten crew allowed it, and it was a different crew than what the Big Green has faced this year.  With the football gods on our side, MSU ended up scoring on the drive.  

Bottom line, it is amazing how well you can accomplish a task when you have the right tools: namely, your best, healthy players. 

MSU doesn't need to get fancy against the Lions.  As long as the boys play inspired in the trenches, it should wear down PSU as the game goes on.  I would expect to see a bit more of a passing game out of MSU - whether it is Cook or not.  Regardless, I find it difficult to fathom how the Lion offense will be able to stop the flood of the MSU defense pouring in on Hackenberg - and the repositioning of the MSU defensive backfield with the addition of Darian Hicks helping to create better pass coverage.  

With so much on the line - a trip to the Big Ten title, potential trip to the College Football Playoff. And, Michigan State's coaching has been, for the most part this season, very good.  

Predictions:  ChiSpartan:  MSU (with Cook) 34-21; (without Cook) 24-21.  EnlightenedSpartan:  MSU 31-13.    

If the Spartans win, a variety of scenarios are set up for the Big Ten title vs Iowa - read here.

College Football Playoff Scenarios for Michigan State

Let's not look past a very tough Penn State game this week; although Quackenbush doesn't look so hot (his offensive line is offensive) yet, the Nittany defense is tough.

But, MSU handles Penn State... so, OK, here are some predictions for Michigan State in the College Football Playoff.  Note that the Orange Bowl (Miami) gets seeds 1-4; Cotton Bowl (Dallas) gets seeds 2-3. 

Probable scenarios assuming MSU wins Big Ten title vs. undefeated Iowa, Clemson beats South Carolina, and Alabama defeats Auburn.

1. Everyone wins out. MSU gets #4 seed. Book your rooms in Miami.
2. Clemson loses ACC title.  The rest win out.  MSU gets #3 seed.  Book Dallas.
3. Alabama loses SEC title.  The rest win out.  MSU gets #3 seed. Book Dallas.
4. Clemson loses ACC title. Alabama loses SEC title.  MSU gets #2 seed. Book Dallas... or, MSU gets #1 seed pending tight win by Oklahoma; then, Book Miami. 
5. Oklahoma loses to Ok St.  The rest win out.  MSU gets #3 seed.  Book Dallas.
6. Clemson loses ACC title.  Oklahoma loses to OK St.  MSU gets #2 seed.  Book Dallas.
7. Alabama loses SEC title.  Oklahoma loses to OK St.  MSU gets #2 seed.  Book Dallas.
8. Clemson loses ACC title. Alabama loses SEC title.  Oklahoma loses to Ok St.   MSU gets #1 seed.  Book Miami.

If MSU wins vs Penn State but loses Big Ten Title?  It would likely play #9 Stanford in the Rose Bowl.  Book Pasadena.

If MSU loses to Penn State?  It would get the #3 Big Ten spot, the Capitol One Bowl.  Book Orlando.

Here are your top 7 playoff contenders:

#1 Clemson (11-0/7-0)

vs 3-8/1-7 South Carolina.
vs #14  10-1/7-0 North Carolina.

#2 Alabama (10-1/6-1)

vs 6-5/2-5 Auburn.

vs #12 10-1/7-1 Florida.

#3 Oklahoma (10-1/7-1)

vs #11 10-1/7-1 Oklahoma State. 

end of season.

#4 Iowa

vs 5-6/3-4 Nebraska.  

vs (projected) #5 11-1/7-1 Michigan State.

#5 Michigan State (10-1/6-1)

vs 7-4/4-3 Penn State.

vs #4 12-0/8-0 or 11-1/7-1 Iowa. 

#6 Notre Dame (10-1)

vs #9 9-2/6-2 Stanford.

end of season.

#7 Baylor (9-1/6-1)

vs #19  9-2/6-2  Texas Christian.

vs 4-6/3-4 Texas. 

Big Green jumps to #5; awaits the Quakers

Michigan State surges in the polls to #5 in the College Football Playoff, with a convincing 17-14 victory at the horseshoe over Ohio State in Columbus.  Now, bring on the Quakers of The Pennsylvania State University.

The ES watched Quackenberg against scUM and thought, not only does the Quaker offensive line have no push or protection, but Quacker really didn't play well under pressure.   Now, the Quakers have great defense, but that will be tough sledding for a full day against a refurbished, and healthy, Spartan O-Line.  I'm looking forward to the stint.  And, the MSU defense has returned to form... playing off the charts.

The rankings...

TEAM	RECORD	CFP	AP POLL	SOS	SOR	GC	RAT	RK
Clemson	11-0	1	1	32	2	1	21.2	6
Alabama	10-1	2	2	5	1	2	24.3	3
Oklahoma	10-1	3	5	34	3	5	26.4	1
Iowa	11-0	4	3	67	5	11	12.9	28
Michigan State	10-1	5	6	50	8	13	16.5	17
Notre Dame	10-1	6	4	29	7	6	19.7	8
Baylor	9-1	7	7	62	9	3	25.1	2
Ohio State	10-1	8	8	58	13	10	22.5	4
Stanford	9-2	9	13	24	12	18	19.3	9

Spartan defense kicks crap out of whining Buckeyes who don't know how to lose

Wahooooooo!!!!!  Michigan State's defense kicked the CRAP out of Ohio State yesterday.  Taught those terrible Buckeye fans a lesson on how to play GOOD OLD FASHIONED FOOTBALL.   And, after missing a 43-yard FG earlier in the day, Michael Geiger had to hit a pair of 41-yarders (one didn't count as Ohio St called time out) in the rain to win.  Yeah!  Projections have MSU moving up to #6 or maybe #5...  MSU has the most impressive resume in America, beating Oregon, Michigan, and Ohio State, winning three ESPN Game Day contests - and did not lead a single second against scUM and OSU.

Biggest crowd in Ohio State history, over 108,000 people, watched MSU gift the 2-TD favorite Buckeyes their advantage, but nothing more.    Only 132 yards and 5 first downs from the "Mighty Buckeyes", and the Spartans won with two backup quarterbacks - not the trio of Buckeye QBs.  Gerald Holmes, LJ Scott, Damion Terry, Tyler O'Connor combined for more than 200 yards rushing.   That guy - yeah that Heisman guy,  Ezekiel Elliott?  12 carries for 33 yards.  Hilarious.

Now, all the Ohio State fans are whining and lighting up the Twittersphere.  And, Elliott and company are bailing because they don't know how to lose.  How classy is it when your Heisman-contending back says "there's no way I'm coming back next year."  What a sissy.  If I were a Buckeye fan or alumni, I would be embarrassed.  Instead, I am laughing.

Dear God, GROW UP Buckeyes.  You are lower than low.  Gouge Away, Buckeyes.

This was a brilliant defensive performance by Michigan State.  It's not about Ohio State.  It's about the MSU defense which had to have its best performance to hope to beat the Buckeyes.  MSU hit OSU straight in the mouth, made them bleed.  We pounded them and pushed them around all game long.  It's easily Michigan State's best defensive performance since the Rose Bowl in 2004. OMG, look at the stats:

                                    MSU      OSU
FIRST DOWNS...................       17        5
NET YARDS RUSHING.............      203       86
  Rushing Attempts............       51       29
  Average Per Rush............      4.0      3.0
NET YARDS PASSING.............       91       46
  Completions-Attempts-Int....   8-16-0   9-16-0
TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS...........      294      132
  Total offense plays.........       67       45
  Average Gain Per Play.......      4.4      2.9
Fumbles: Number-Lost..........      2-2      0-0
Possession Time...............    38:10    21:50
Third-Down Conversions........  7 of 15  4 of 14

Enlightened Spartan Preview: #9 Mich State vs #2 Ohio State

Sagarin Ratings:  MSU #21, *uckeyes #4

MSU: 9-1/5-1. Ohio St:  10-0/6-0
Saturday, November 21, 2015. 3:30 pm ET.

Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH

Weather: 50 degrees, cloudy

Line:  Ohio State favored by 13

TV:  ABC

This is Game Day, the third time this year for the Spartans... yet MSU is getting zero love or respect from the national media.  This plays right into our hands.  With 2 inches of snow falling here in EL, it's nice to see the weather better down in Columbus for the game today.  Ohio State has yet to play a quality opponent - wait until they get a load of us!

Coach Dantonio always has his teams prepared and the Spartans play to the level of their competition.  It's nice to be as healthy as we have been all year, with Darien Hicks returning to the defensive backfield to add depth.  Key to the game:  the Spartan defensive line vs the Buckeye offensive line.  MSU needs to limit the OSU rushing game and put pressure on QB TJ Barrett to keep some pressure off the secondary.  

Sorry no video this week - just no time!  But the prediction:  Sparty will win, the ES is as confident today as he was 2 years ago heading into the Big Ten Title game.  MSU 27, Ohio State 26.  

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.

Bring on the Buckeyes! 5 Things We Learned From the Spartans' 24-7 Win over Maryland:

1.  We learned we moved up 5 spots to #9 in the AP Poll, and we still control our own destiny.  It's kind of a shock that we zoomed up as much as we did, but we needed the injection. Damn it feels good to be back where we belong.  Because we won and belong with the elite, ESPN Game Day is going to that crap town in Ohio to cover the Spartans for the THIRD TIME this year.  Wow - three times in one year?  We're 2-0 on Game Day this year, baby.  Bring on the Bucks.

2.  Tailgates are awesome.  We're playing the Turtles for Godssakes, let's concentrate on the party.  Kudos to my neighbors, Rick and Joe, who invited me and my new bud, Brock, to a killer tailgate by the Auditorium - great, spicy, sausages while we brought our travelers from the Peanut Barrel.  Sunny, warm, toasty, tasty, and spicy.   What a grand day for playing the sisters of the poor.

3.  We need Connor Cook to be healthy.  Sweet Jesus, we only gained 262 total yards against Maryland, and Tyler O'Connor was just 6-11 for 44 yards.  We need that prolific offense to be just that - prolific.  And, Cook is key.  It's only the third time in the past two years in the regular season we scored less than 30 points.

4.  "Break a bottle, clean up your own mess."  Just don't break a beer bottle in line to get into Spartan Stadium.  They ain't janitors.

5.  When Maryland comes to town, drink water.  Lots of it.  Helps with the beer.

I don't think I'm going to Ohio State game, despite the hype.  Buckeye fans are the WORST.

Enlightened Spartan Preview: Mich State vs the Turtles of Maryland

Sagarin Ratings:  MSU #22, Turtles #79

MSU: 8-1/4-1. Maryland:  2-7/0-5
Saturday, November 14, 2015. 12 pm ET.

Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI.

Weather: 51 degrees, clear skies.  C-c-c-cold.  

Line:  MSU favored by 16, wind 9 mph West

TV:  ESPN2

The ES is with April Jones at the Peanut Barrel, still hungover from the bullshit screwjob loss to Nebraska. We preview the Maryland game and have some picks from the locals... including a walkup to the bar with Joe!