The Outback Bowl doesn’t get to pick first amongst Bowl selectors but the Outback Bowl arguably got the Big Ten’s best team…and arguably the Big Ten’s best show.
I won’t spell it out, but strength of schedule is a good place to start. Tell me the last time a Big Ten team beat Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin in consecutive weeks? The answer is…you have to back to 1776 or just before the revolutionary war to find the last team to accomplish that feat…and talk about strength of schedule…the magnitude is tantamount to Chief Pontiac, warrior chief of the Ottawa’s who proudly defeated the British and then the French and humbly informed them…this land belongs to the Ottawa’s (said with smile from my home in Pontiac).
And don’ forget the Big Ten’s best record. The Spartans earned the Big Ten’s best record for the second consecutive year…and by that measure…and according to historical format…the Michigan State Spartans are your Big Ten Champion. But that was then and this is now and the Outback Bowl gets the Big Ten’s rising star…and college Football’s best theatre.
The Outback Bowl gets a veritable highlight reel dressed in Spartan Green & White when you consider…“Little Giants” (faked Field Goal for victory)…”Mousetrap” (faked Punt for victory)…the “Rocket” (Hail Mary for victory) and who can forget a blocked punt and a blocked Field Goal in the same night against Wisconsin on October 22…but most recently the Spartans added a little more ‘show time’ with stunning football execution via an improvised ‘lateral’ from Keith Nichol to BJ Cunningham to ‘underscore’ a stunning Touchdown in the inaugural Big Ten Championship game.
And, speaking of the Big Ten Championship game, let’s talk about that game with the benefit of a ‘long lens’ and less emotion.
If you’re reading this thru ‘green & white’ lenses then the Spartan loss to Wisconsin was disappointing but there is no shame…because the Spartans played like the Champions they have become. As you recall, I didn’t predict a Spartan victory but I did declare the Spartans were statistical favorites to win the Big Ten Championship game…and in that context, I was correct.
Moreover, I called…nonsense…on the so called experts who casually installed the Badgers as 9 ½ to 10 point favorites. Hey ‘odds-makers’…maybe you didn’t get the news…the Spartans won the first game on October 22!!! Anyhow, without equivocation, the Spartans won the game of Statistics but lost the game of miscues. The Spartans played well enough to win…they acquitted themselves like Champions…but give Wisconsin credit…the Spartan Defense gave the Badgers fits all night’ but Wisconsin was able to hold on…and hang a ‘W’ with a little help from the Spartans.
Here are the numbers: The Spartans held the Badgers to 126 yards rushing (or 120 below their average) and rendered the ‘unstoppable’ Montee Ball…‘stoppable’…in the second half (137 total…but less than 35 in 2nd half) and turned Montee Ball into a passer and receiver in lieu of a running back…but, in total, the Spartans held the Badgers to 345 yards total offense (132 yards below their season average).
Moreover, the Spartan Defense had Russell Wilson on the run for most of the game…sacked Wilson 3 times, humbled his running game and held the ‘unstoppable’ Russell Wilson to minus 5 yards (-5) on 7 rushing attempts and further held Wilson to 187 yards passing compared to his season average of 221. So, with the exception of two ‘gut wrenching’ “Transcontinental” passes (an endearing football term from my era) that seemingly floated in the air for nigh on 60 seconds before they found their target…the Spartans did virtually everything needed to win.
Moreover, the Spartans rang the bell for 471 yards of Offense (88 over their average) at 7.4 Yds a clip…rattled off 190 earth rattling rushing yards (51 more than their average)…and struck through the air for an aerial assault of 281yards (37 more than their average). So, by any measure, the Spartans won the statistical battle (471 to 345) but unfortunately lost the battle of miscues…and thereby lost the game on the scoreboard.
But the BCS won’t share these ‘stats’ with you because they ‘pick and choose’ the stats to best tell their story. They will conveniently forget to tell you the Spartans lead this ‘so called’ mismatch from the 10:21 mark of the 2nd Qtr through the 3:34 mark of the 4th Qtr and that translates to 36 minutes and 36 seconds. Not bad for a team who was supposed to lose by 10 points.
And, let’s not forget, everyone outside of East Lansing was pulling for a Badger victory because it would enable the BCS to send ‘pre addressed’ invitations to ‘pre arranged’ Bowl selections…not to mention the so called experts who picked Wisconsin to ‘run away’ with the Big Ten Championship prior to the season…and the same experts who picked Nebraska to ‘run away’ with the Legends Division…unfortunately, they didn’t count on the Spartans to spoil their party by earning the best record in the Big Ten for the second consecutive year.
Nevertheless, the next challenge awaits the Spartans. The Spartans earn an opportunity to play Georgia (10-2 and 7-1 SEC) in the Outback Bowl. Georgia lost ‘back to back’ games to Boise State and then South Carolina to start the season but then rattled off 10 consecutive victories until they finally lost to LSU 42-10 in SEC Championship game. Georgia now owns the #3 ranked Defense in the country displacing the Spartan ‘D’ who fell to #5…while the Bulldogs own the #39 ranked offense in the country compared to the Spartans who are ranked #60. Advantage Georgia? Not so fast.
I’ll break down each team and give you my prediction in the week prior to the Outback Bowl but if you’re awaiting the Spartans to fall off the radar in 2012 (like so many experts do…at least those who don’t do their homework)…here’s a teaser…the Spartans return 20 of their Top 22 Defensive players and the Spartans will also return 13 of their Top 22 on the Offensive Depth Chart while bringing in a ‘3’ deep QB roster including an Elite 11 QB who has been ‘quietly’ learning his craft in the Spartan system for the past two years.
So, to all the pundits who have predicted the collapse of the Spartans for 5 consecutive years…sorry to disappoint…because the numbers say something else…and don’t wait for the Spartans to go away anytime soon because the Depth Charts suggest the Spartans are just getting started…sorry!
And to the BCS who overlooked the Spartans in favor of teams with weaker strength of schedule and less wins over ranked teams…that’s OK…the Spartans will take their college football show to a venue who appreciates great college football. And one last item, to the guys adorned in BCS Blue Blazers…you may not be able to find East Lansing on the map…and you may not like the fact the Spartans are spoiling your old boy cocktail parties…but student/athletes (recruits) are turning their compass toward East Lansing!
Hey BCS…maybe you should visit East Lansing some time (said with a smile).
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