Spartans vs Indiana (all you need to know)

It’s a few hours shy of kickoff and it’s time to finalize my Spartan prediction!

For what it’s worth, I’m always satisfied when I compare statistics prior to the game to get a comparative feel for position groups…in other words…Offense vs Defense…and Defense vs Offense! In that context, here is my simplistic comparison for tomorrow’s game.

Indiana’s # 107 Ranked Defense (#116 Run & #41 Pass) will face the Spartans # 74 Ranked Offense (#83 Rush & #52 Pass)…and if you reverse positions on the field…it will be Indiana’s #75 Ranked Offense (#56 Run & #76 Pass) vs the Spartans ‘game changing’ #3 Ranked Defense (#12 Run & # 4 Pass).

The kicking game is a push...inasmuch as both teams are ranked #49 (but, the Spartans rarely have to kick) and the Spartans dominate on Defensive Special Teams so give the edge to the Spartans to run a ‘fake’ a Field Goal or force a ‘Block’. At any measure…the Spartans statistically (and visually) pass the ‘eye’ test as the better team.

But, at this late date in the season, here is all you need to know.

If Championship teams earn their respect during the month of November then here are the facts: Coach Dantonio is 11-3 in November compared to 5-19 for his Spartan predecessors during the previous 7 campaigns. So, if you are agonizing over how your Spartan team will fare this month…then all you need to know is that Coach Dantonio hasn’t let you down so far…and it won’t happen any time in the near term!

Here’s a tip…book your trip to Indy…Go Green!!!

Spartan Weekend in Review

Let’s start with Basketball.

The words of Tom Izzo were never more relevant than they were Friday night. It is well chronicled that Tom Izzo has repeated throughout his career: “…we will play anyone…anywhere…at any time”. Of course, Tom Izzo was an unknown graduate assistant when he took over for the legendary Jud Heathcote and so when he became Head Coach he needed to attract recruits and he needed to sell those recruits on a dream. Tom Izzo, the kid from tiny Iron Mountain, Michigan told the recruits what was in his heart…that Tom Izzo fears no team and makes no excuses for the result (win or lose). But the words of Tom Izzo were underscored Friday night.

In an historic event, the Spartans played in the Carrier Classic. The fact that they lost 67-55 seems secondary because the journey to the destination is probably more remarkable. Mark Hollis…the AD who gave birth to the Cold War and BasketBowl…decided to organize a small event on the deck of the Aircraft Carrier, USS Carl Vinson.  Ho-hum, right? Hollis spent a mere 7 years pushing that event thru the Pentagon and in the end, the Spartans added punch to Tom Izzo’s inimitable phrase: anyone…anywhere…anytime.

Tom Izzo’s words played out in real time. The Spartans played the #1 team in the country (anyone)…on the deck of an Aircraft Carrier (anywhere)…and the Spartans casually scheduled the #1 team in the country to commence the season (anytime). How’s that for disregarding the path of most coaches who pump up their records with ‘soft scheduling’? The fact the Spartans came up a little short is almost insignificant because what the Carrier Classic did for Spartan Basketball…Spartan PR…the Spartan Brand…and Spartan recruiting is immeasurable.

Nevertheless, the Spartans played a Basketball game…and while they didn’t win…the Spartans sent a message to the B1G they intend to ‘reload’ and not ‘rebuild’. The Spartans introduced an impressive cadre of ‘new’ Spartans who logged double digit minutes: Branden Dawson, 35 min, 10 pts, 7 boards & 2 blocks; Brandon Wood, 22 min & 7 points; Travis Trice, 20 min, 4 pts, & 3 assists, Alex Gauna contributed 12 min…and highly recruited Russell Byrd only contributed 2 min but, he will contribute more in the future…after all, there are only so many minutes to share.

Of course, we can’t forget the returning regulars: Draymond Green got 13 pts & 18 boards…Adreian Payne had 10 pts & 3 boards;…‘big body’ Derrick Nix has sculpted his body and looks like he is serious about competing and got 6 points & 9 boards…and finally Keith Appling got 5 pts & 1 block in 19 min. All in all, an auspicious way to underscore the phrase “…anyone…anywhere…any time” and not a bad venue to introduce a host of new players who will lead the Spartans into the future. Of course, it’s always best to follow a tough game with an E-Z opponent so the Spartans scheduled Duke for Tuesday night (said with a smile). At present the Spartan record is 0-1 but I say…good for Mark Hollis and good for Tom Izzo!!!

The Spartans also played football on Saturday.

I reported Saturday morning the Spartans would beat the Hawkeyes 28-17 (check my blog for more details: http://daynesdailyspartan.blogspot.com.

I was wrong…I happily admit my error…the Spartans won 37-21. I predicted the Hawkeyes would struggle offensively. And they did. The Hawkeyes #61 ranked offense struggled against the #2 ranked Spartan Defense and, for the most part, the Spartan ‘D’ shut down the Hawk’s running game. Iowa was averaging 156 yds on the ground prior to this game but the Spartan ‘D’ held them to 87 yds total…and ‘powerful’ Marcus Coker was held to 57 yds on 21 attempts for a meager 2.7 yds per. Coker was averaging 122 yds per game.

I also predicted the Spartan Passing Offense would live up to their 237 yard average and they exceeded expectations by rolling up 288 yards…with no Int’s!!! Nice turnaround for Kirk Cousins who rendered 3 Int’s at Kinnick last year. But, I didn’t contemplate the Spartans would roll up a 155 yards rushing against a ‘STOUT’…if not statistically dominating…Iowa Defense. But, moreover a key for the Spartan Offense…no Turnovers! As the season rolls to a close and the Bowl Season arrives, I would like to offer this reminder to the Coaching Staff (ha-as if they need my suggestions).

The Spartan ‘D’ is a game changing unit so, heroics are not required by the Spartan Offense. Efficiency is the word…no Turnovers! The ‘O’ has a lot of weapons so, don’t force the issue…exercise patience…60 minutes is a long time…let the other team make the mistakes…and, when it’s all said and done…there are very few teams who can beat this Spartan team.

All in all…not bad season (so far) for a team that one Detroit Sportswriter predicted would go 8-4 or 7-5. Thank goodness I do my own research and didn’t buy into that poorly studied prediction but, more about that at the end of the year because I intend to reprise my predictions at the end of the season. Nevertheless, as a teaser, at the beginning of the season, I predicted the Spartans would win the Legends Division based upon their organizational stability (wow, how many decades have you NOT been able to make that statement?)…a dominating Defense…overall team depth…and a bounty of returning playmakers!

In addition, as the season draws to a close the Spartans are finally getting some love. The Spartans are ranked #12 in the polls but, they are the highest ranked 8-2 team in the country. And, for all the pundits who thought last year was an anomaly…and for all the pundits who hoped the Spartans would teeter and  fall this year, I say this, I say you haven’t studied Mark Dantonio. Don’t waste your time thinking Coach ‘D’ is a shrinking violet and the Spartans will go away…the Dantonio administration is for real and here are the numbers: 41-17 (70) regular season since his arrival…12-2 (85%) Big Ten over the past two years…a Big Ten title and, oh by the way…they beat both Co-Champions this year. The bottom line: no coach and no coaching administration has done more in the past 5 years!

What will be Coach ‘D’s legacy? It’s a little too early to predict, but when it is all said and done…Coach Dantonio will leave a legacy of historic proportions!

Thank you for reading…Go Spartans!!!

Spartans at Iowa City

Let’s start with the startling ‘Bad’ news…

The Spartans are the dubious owners of a 7 game losing streak at Iowa City that dates back to 1989. 1989? Do you remember where the heck you were in 1989? Ha-neither do I. But all good things must come to an end and, in my opinion, so will this dubious streak commencing on Saturday.

If you have never been to Iowa City, it is every bit as disarming as Lincoln, Nebraska. Located in the middle of the heartland…Iowa fans arrive at Kinnick Stadium by rail via the Hawkeye Express…their fans come to the game attired in ‘Black & Gold’ striped ‘bib’ overalls and extend the obligatory All America greeting…’welcome to Iowa’…’gosh, you guys sure have a good team’…’I wish our Defense was as good as yours’…’I hope you guys take it easy on us today’. Ha-don’t buy it….they don’t mean it.

And just like Nebraska…Football is the only game in town (other than the legendary Iowa Wrestling team) and with that mindset, the fans would just as soon rip your heart out and pin you to the mat while happily cheering…‘Go Hawks’!

So, what should we expect? Here’s a simplistic analysis:

The Spartan fortunes are about to change. While the Hawkeyes are always well coached…they have deficiencies and a lot of new pieces on both sides of the ball. The biggest mismatch is Iowa’s inconsistent offense which is ranked #61 in the  country at 391 yards per game (#59 Pass & #64 Rush)…and that Offense will go ‘head to head’ against the Spartans dominating #2 ranked Defense (#2 Pass & #17 Rush).

What happened against Minnesota you ask? In my mind, the Spartans were emotionally spent after emotional wins against Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin and a loss at Nebraska but yet managed to win against Minnesota in spite of a shaky performance. But, the Spartans won’t be emotionally unprepared when they arrive in Iowa City. Watch for the Spartans dominating Defensive line…that has the most sacks in the Big Ten…to get after James Vandenberg who is a lot less mobile than Braxton Miller, Denard Robinson or Russell Wilson.

Let’s be honest, if the Spartans win this game…the Defense will set the tone but, it doesn’t mean the Spartan Offense is incapable of contributing. The Spartans passing offense is generating 237 yards per game and should live up to those numbers inasmuch as Iowa’s #70 ranked passing Defense is yielding more than 233 yards per game. The important thing for the Spartan Offense (no surprise) heroics are not required…just be efficient and DON’T turn the ball over!

So, let’s give the Hawkeyes the obligatory 3 points for home field advantage but, the Spartans prevail 28-17…Go Green!!!

Compass Setting: Spartans north...Penn State south (Hail Mark Hollis)!

While the Penn State empire teeters and spins out of control…let’s celebrate some good news…let’s celebrate the fact Mark Hollis is AD at Michigan State.

What Mark Hollis has accomplished in a few short years is nearly impossible to fathom. My business experience helps me understand that Mark Hollis is a man in perpetual motion, leading the charge to reestablish the “Michigan State University Brand & Spartan Athletics”.

I acknowledge that a single man doesn’t generate all the ideas nor personally dot every ‘I’ and cross every ‘T’…of every plan…and I acknowledge every leader needs a team to execute the plan but, Mark Hollis is a visionary and here is a list…a not so short list…of accomplishments that appear on Mark Hollis resume. Let’s take a look.

A few short years ago, Mark Hollis was the visionary behind the ‘Cold War’ Hockey Game at Spartan Stadium. The game attracted more than 74,000 fans (the largest at the time) and it may sound ‘ho-hum’ today but, Mark Hollis wrote the script…he was the first to organize a Hockey game in a football stadium and since that time, the NHL and other NCAA teams have adopted the idea but, make no mistake…the first game was played on the grass at Spartan Stadium. Nice job, Mark!

Mark Hollis was also the visionary behind the Spartans playing Kentucky in the Basketbowl at Ford Field in front of a regular season crowd of more than 78,000. Again, ‘ho-hum’ right? I’m not speaking about an NCAA Tournament game with 16 teams…this was a regular season game with 78,000 partisans. Again, nice job Mark!

And don’t forget, Mark Hollis was responsible for reclaiming WJR ‘the great voice of the Great Lakes’ to broadcast Spartan games. WJR booms its voice throughout Michigan and the Midwest, and Mark Hollis demonstrated to WJR the power of the Spartan audience and, in that context, WJR once again became the ‘Flagship’ of Spartan Sports. Small item? I don’t think so. WJR was the Spartan voice throughout the 50’s & 60’s but, Don Canham (Michigan AD) got WJR to switch allegiance back in the day. But, Hollis was not to be denied and when he took the reins, he recaptured WJR to become the radio voice of the Spartans. Great coup, Mark.

And, how about rebranding? For Marketing people like myself who got annoyed over years as various MSU coaches or AD’s tinkered with Spartan uniforms to a point that the word ‘uniform’ was an oxymoron, Hollis recognized the need to stabilize the uniforms worn by Spartan teams. Over the last 40 years, Spartans appeared in different uniforms…adorned in different shades of green…stripes today (gone tomorrow)……some uniforms marked with the word State…others marked with the word Spartans...and on and on…it made national media wonder ‘what is uniform about the uniforms?’ But, Mark Hollis changed all that and with the help of Nike…together they created a ‘Spartan look’ for the 21^st century and a Spartan Brand that appeals to young and old. Nice job, Mark.

Oh, and here are just a few people hired by Mark Hollis over the last couple of years:

Mark Hollis, at the direction of President Lou Anna Simon, lead the search for a football coach and made a nice hire, wouldn’t you agree? Mark Dantonio was chosen from a short list of distinguished candidates and since his arrival, Mark Dantonio has achieved a regular season record of 40-17 (70%)…4 consecutive Bowl games…2 New Year Bowl games and, oh by the way…a Big Ten title. And, the last time I looked, the Spartans are tied for first in the Legends Division and just happen to beat both Co-Champions this year! Nice hire, Mark.

And Mark Hollis also participated in the hiring of Suzy Merchant to lead Spartan Women’s Basketball who, by the way, won a Big Ten Championship this year and then Mark Hollis also hired Jake Boss to lead Spartan Baseball and, once again, Jake Boss won a Big Ten title this year. All in all, a nice day at the employment office. Nice job, Mark.

There are more accomplishments but, there are too many to cover here!

But that brings me to today. Spartan Basketball is commencing their season by playing the #1 team in the country and Mark Hollis thought it would be a nice idea to schedule the game on an Aircraft Carrier while it is ‘parked’ in San Diego Bay. Simple? For anyone who has military experience (as I do) and understands the legendary military procedure manuals and protocol that dictates how everything is done (down to and including, how to fold your towels and where to store your toothbrush) and when you open the military manual and there isn’t a page that describes how to schedule a basketball game on an Aircraft Carrier…then you can appreciate how complicated it was to get approval for this game. But, Mark was undaunted and walked his way through the Pentagon as if it were Spartan Stadium to get the result he desired.

So applaud Mark Hollis today and congratulate him for all he has done for Spartan Athletics. Not bad for a young man who hails from the ‘twin’ Michigan villages of Lexington/Crosswll. So hail Mark Hollis…Spartan nation is proud to call you one of our own. And today, as you watch the empire in State College teeter and fall…you can celebrate the rebirth of Spartan Athletics as Mark Hollis leads the charge!

Go Spartans…good luck on the USS Carl Vinson…play like Spartan Warriors!!!

Penn State: unlimited power yields a tragedy!

According to the facts put forth by the Grand Jury this is an institutional cover up and moral injustice of the highest order.

In my mind, this is 'Watergate' and 'SMU' rolled into one. It is a felonious crime (committed within the football department)...allegedly known to all within the Football Department...but a crime outside the purview of the NCAA.

Bottom line...this story captures the imagination of the public because, seemingly the most renowned name in college football...Joe Paterno...'stayed at the fair too long'. Was his power seemingly too seductive to do the right thing? I don't know but the issues are disturbing.

By any measure, the alleged crime committed by Mr. Sandusky was improperly vetted by Mr. Paterno (cover up may be more applicable)...and more disturbingly, the cover up extended all the way thru the AD's office and right up to the President's Office according to best accounts. Why? Presumably to save...the 'good' name of good old Penn State...and maybe save the names of those associated with the most visible symbol of all major universities...Football.

In that context, this is a sad...sad story...especially for unsuspecting students who are not associated with the cover up.

Unfortunately, everyone at Penn State is tainted by this story: Faculty; Staff; and Students not to mention literally hundreds of unsuspecting women athletes and male athletes who compete in a host of non revenue producing sports and I would be remiss to say, the current roster of more than 100 student Football athletes who chose Penn State from a list of distinguished Universities, who work diligently both on and off the field, didn't sign up for this debacle but, today they are all paying a price.

I love the game of college football but it has bothered me for some time that the commercialism of the game...including but not limited to National TV exposure at Noon...3:30..and 8:00 each Saturday...literally hundreds of games telecast on National TV...has raised the stakes of college football to such high proportions that seemingly good men succumb to pressure and fail to do the right thing!

I'm certain Joe Paterno is not a bad man...and I'm certain his intent was to do the best thing while attempting to manage the unseemly affair...unfortunately...the so called 'win-ingest' coach in college football, a man who has been a coach...a teacher...a mentor...a philanthropist, did the wrong thing by not protecting those who are unable to protect themselves.

This is a sad story and the lessons to be learned from the Penn State debacle will resonate for some time!