NCAA 2009

[Savonarola]

Rivalry week starts!

Spartan: 'Everybody has a hatred for Michigan'
BY SHANNON SHELTON
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER


EAST LANSING — Mark Dantonio didn't have to say much today during Michigan State's weekly news conference concerning the intensity of feelings during Michigan week.



His players did it for him.

"This game is personal, and we need to win it," said sophomore quarterback Kirk Cousins. "And we better win it."

That was one of the milder comments.

When players were asked how they felt about the U-M rivalry, they didn't hold back.

"Before the game last year, Coach D told us that if you haven't played Michigan, within 30 seconds you'll realize why we don't like them," said defensive end Trevor Anderson. "After about 15 seconds, I realized why I didn't like them. Just the total lack of respect that they have for our school in general. Not just the program, but the general lack of respect they have for us."

And from left tackle Rocco Cironi, an Ohio native, when asked if he grew up with a "hatred" for U-M: "Yeah, I think everybody has a hatred for Michigan."

MSU (1-3) hasn't beaten U-M (4-0) in consecutive seasons in 42 years, but has that opportunity this Saturday. The Spartans won three straight against the Wolverines from 1965-67. Since then U-M has put together streaks of eight, six and five wins in a row. U-M had won six straight from 2002-07 before the Spartans broke that string last season in Ann Arbor.

The Spartans, who enter Saturday's game riding a three-game losing streak, haven't beaten the Wolverines in Spartan Stadium since 2001.

"I know this is a very important game," Dantonio said. "I try and deal with the present right now. It's a critical game for us. It always will be, regardless of our record."

One of my coworkers went to the University of Michigan.  His daughter, when she was a middle school student, got a "B" in Art.  She asked her father "Does this mean I have to go to Michigan State?" 

[Ed Anger]

HA!

[Valmy]

UT went 10-2 in 1990

That year was so awesome.  Texas played way over their heads, got everybody fired up, played a real team in the Cotton Bowl and lost 45-3 and that was with Thug U setting every record for unsportsmanlike penalties.

[jimmy olsen]

As long as somebody knocks Boise State out of going to a BCS bowl, I'll be happy.

Here is their remaining schedule:

UC Davis
@ Tulsa
@ Hawaii
San Jose State
@ Louisiana Tech
Idaho
@ Utah State
Nevada
New Mexico State

It seems really unlikely Boise could fuck that up, but here is hoping.

Oregon is making that win by Boise look good too.

I think it is pretty clear the Ducks just shit the bed in that one, the Broncos are no where near that good and the Ducks, obviously, are much better than they played than night.

All we can do is look at the actual game results, and the Broncos won.

If Oregon goes on to win the Pac 10 it'll make Boise look pretty good.

[MadBurgerMaker]

That year was so awesome.  Texas played way over their heads, got everybody fired up, played a real team in the Cotton Bowl and lost 45-3 and that was with Thug U setting every record for unsportsmanlike penalties.

ESPN calls that "swagger."   

[Valmy]

All we can do is look at the actual game results, and the Broncos won.

Um...no we are allowed to look at the actual game as well.  This is College Football it is just as much a beauty contest as an athletic competition.

[grumbler]

Rivalry week starts!

And what is funny is that this is a completely one-sided rivalry.  Michigan State is pretty much just another game for Michigan.  A bit ahead of the Indiana game, because it does involve some smack-talk with neighbors, but a bit behind Minnesota because the Little Brown Jug is such an old and cool trophy (whereas the faux-old and uncool Paul Bunyan's Axe should be retired immediately).

One of my coworkers went to the University of Michigan.  His daughter, when she was a middle school student, got a "B" in Art.  She asked her father "Does this mean I have to go to Michigan State?" 

A "B" student will get a scholarship to State, and get to take Honors Cow Milking rather then the regular version.

[Eddie Teach]

And what is funny is that this is a completely one-sided rivalry.  Michigan State is pretty much just another game for Michigan.  A bit ahead of the Indiana game, because it does involve some smack-talk with neighbors, but a bit behind Minnesota because the Little Brown Jug is such an old and cool trophy (whereas the faux-old and uncool Paul Bunyan's Axe should be retired immediately).

To be fair, you talk about Michigan St. WAY more than about Minnesota.

[jimmy olsen]

All we can do is look at the actual game results, and the Broncos won.

Um...no we are allowed to look at the actual game as well.  This is College Football it is just as much a beauty contest as an athletic competition.

That's what I meant. The Broncos dominated, the game wasn't as close as the score suggested.

[Valmy]

That's what I meant. The Broncos dominated, the game wasn't as close as the score suggested.

Well there are subjective things like it being early in the season and so forth also.

Anyway the problem with the Broncos is that their conference is terrible and they do not play anybody the rest of the year.  TCU on the other hand plays in the Mountain West.  It will be interesting to see what happens if they both go unbeaten (which is all but a forgone conclusion in Boise State's case).

[Valmy]

To be fair, you talk about Michigan St. WAY more than about Minnesota.

To be fair this board has Michigan State fans and does not have Minnesota fans.

[sbr]

All we can do is look at the actual game results, and the Broncos won.

Um...no we are allowed to look at the actual game as well.  This is College Football it is just as much a beauty contest as an athletic competition.

That's what I meant. The Broncos dominated, the game wasn't as close as the score suggested.

The Broncos actually played pretty bad and could have won by a whole lot more the Ducks played so poorly.  IIRC the Broncos turned the ball over at least 3 times, don't have time to look now.

[Eddie Teach]

To be fair, you talk about Michigan St. WAY more than about Minnesota.

To be fair this board has Michigan State fans and does not have Minnesota fans.

Yeah but Grumbler will bring the Spartoons up on his own. 

[Berkut]

Cautiously optimistic:

Arizona Team Statistics (National rank)
Rushing: 223 yds/game (16)
Passing: 189 yds/game (81) However, with Nick Foles coming in last week replacing Matt Scott, he debuted with 157 passing rating, good for 16th in the country.
Total Offense: 412 yds/game (38)

Rushing defense: 94.5 yds/game (21)
Passing defense: 194 yds/game (44)
Total defense: 288 ygds/game (25)


It is still early, but with Nick Foles performance last week, hopes are starting to creep up

[grumbler]

To be fair, you talk about Michigan St. WAY more than about Minnesota.

I very much doubt that you have the slightest clue as to what I talk about most!    I don't believe we have even met, let alone hung out together long enough for you to have a good idea of my relative output of UMinn versus MSU talk.

On this forum, I talk about MSU more than UMinn because there are no UMinn people here to smack/take smack from, while there are MSU fans.