Saturday, October 20, 2012

Iowa 19, Michigan State 16...and Michigan is up next

I've been putting off writing this post, I will admit. But I didn't intend on putting it off until the morning of the Michigan game.

I was out of town last weekend, so I didn't see much of the Iowa game. I listened to the second half on the car radio and watched the end of the fourth quarter and the double overtime in a brew pub, surrounded by people indifferent to the game so I was one of the only lunatics who seemed to care what happened.

I'm still trying to figure out how the Spartans lost. It makes no sense to me.

It's an understatement to say I was disappointed after the game. As I often do (and need to STOP doing), I posted a few "sky is falling" posts on Facebook, going so far as to preemptively congratulate the Wolverines on their win over State. I was rightfully called to the carpet by my fellow Spartans.

Now it's the Michigan game. What happened last week doesn't matter anymore. As the cliche goes in rivalry games, you can throw out the records (not that Michigan's record is that much more impressive than MSU's). However, it looks like MSU's back is really against the wall in this game. The Spartans have struggled to score points, and they are facing a good Michigan defense in a game that looks to be stacked in the Wolverines' favor. The game is in Ann Arbor, it's Denard Robinson's senior season and his last shot to beat MSU, and there is no way Michigan wants MSU to extend it's winning streak in this rivalry to five games. Then again, all the pressure is really on Michigan. They HAVE to win this game. Maybe that will allow the Spartans to play looser.

This is a game in which MSU has to whatever it takes to win: pull out trick plays, play with controlled fury, do anything in their power to make Denard's day a living hell, force some turnovers, play well on special teams, and find ways to score points. All of the obvious stuff.


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