Keepin' Up With The John L.'s (Sparty)

Any way CJ Bacher can top his 520-yd, 5 TD performance against Sparty on October 11, 2008?

In our third installment of our occasional series, "Keepin' Up With..." we take Michigan State blogger, Scott, from Enlightened Spartan to task. As you've read so often, the Cats - Sparty series may be the most bizarre Big Ten series in the past 15 seasons with just about every conceivable type of game and finish. The trend continued last year with a 48-41 OT offensive blitz that still has fans in East Lansing smarting. If there was any question about that, what you're about to read will substantiate the hangover is still very much alive.

In 2008, the Cats host Michigan State in the Big Ten home opener on October 11 (our 2nd Big Ten game of the year) and it is a game that fans from both teams likely feel is of the "should win and MUST win" variety. Scott took some time to shed some Green light on the Sparty perspective of this critical match-up.

Truth be told Mark Dantonio makes Michigan State very likable in my estimation. Michigan State has always been one of those programs that is easy to root against from a Northwestern perspective, but I believe Dantonio brings a buttoned-up approach to a program that has had some skeptical leadership until his arrival. There seems to be a trend forming with the level of angst on Big Ten opponent guest bloggers, so let me know what you think. Away we go...

LTP: Sparty returns to Evanston this year smarting from a tough shootout loss last year. It appears as though Michigan State has some major chemistry challenges with both lines. What is the take on the replacements for Saint-Dic and Baldwin on "D"?

ES: Chemistry is job #1 on the interior on both sides of the ball. Defense -- The Big Green can use one of your molecular biologists to clone Sackmaster Saint-Dic... however, the defensive line might do better than projected. In steps Trevor Anderson, a holdover from Dantonio's days at Cincinnati. He left Cincy after leading the Bearcats in sacks as a freshman and sat out last year per NCAA rules. Brandon Long, a senior with plenty of experience, has been a "sleepmaster"... he had two sacks last year but if he plays to potential (he needs an electrode to the tail), there shouldn't be much of a drop off. Justin Kershaw and Oren Wilson also fill the defensive interior -- they both played in all 13 games last year, with Kershaw the better of the pair with 34 tackles. There is plenty of experience and depth, but it ain't Ohio State.

The offensive line has all upper classmen, three seniors and two juniors, and all have plenty of experience. The Big 'O', Roland Martin (6-5, 325), was the biggest catch (literally and figuratively) for the Cowboy Clown (John L.), he is the Big Green anchor at guard. He's laying off the pizza thank God. But, the staff feel Jesse Miller, the other senior at tackle, is the best lineman on the team. Joined by junior center Joel Nitchman, this trio has years of starting game expereince. These three make the starting O-line 50% returned from last year, with Nitchman splitting time at center last year with oft-injured John Masters. Rocco Cirroni sounds like a New York Mafia king, but he's really from Ohio -- we don't know much about him or his Italian mob. At the other spot, Mike Bacon backed up by Brendan Moss has good experience and depth. We'll be alright here, too.

LTP: What are Spartans expecting from the offense this year considering both Hoyer and Ringer back, but there are some heavy losses with Devin Thomas, Kellen Davis and Jehuu Caulcrick?

ES: What do you mean - we're gonna run the ball all over you. Andrew Hawken looks solid at FB, but the more we can give the ball to Ringer, the better. The coaching staff no longer has any excuses to try and outsmart themselves, a la the OT debacle vs Northwestern last year. Just give the goddam pigskin to Ringer and block for him.

Hoyer -- two more choke jobs like the two biggest games last year vs. Yellow Bellies and in the Bowl Game, and he'll have a posse after him so fast, he'll be strung up before you can say, "Go U Northwestern." Otherwise, he was fairly efficient for the most part. Who gives a crap about the receiving corps; just hand the ball to Ringer. Did you read that Tread (MSU Off Coordinator Don Treadwell)? JUST HAND THE BALL TO RINGER DAMMIT!!!!

LTP: What are expectations in general in Year 2 of Dantonio?

ES:

Expectations are for improvement. That means, regular season 8-4/4-4 including a pounding of Richie Rich's Yellow Bellies in that hole in the wall of a town, Ann Arbor. Rationale: Last year, we were 7-6, with every loss decided by a TD or less. Heartbreaking, last minute brain-fart losses to Northwestern, Wisconsin, Iowa, and the Yellow Bellies were frustrating and could have made an amazing 10-3 season. The Champs Bowl game loss to Boston College and the Yellow Belly disaster both belong to Brian Hoyer, who played like he was on quaaludes and couldn't hit the broadside of a barn.

LTP: What do you like or not like about the match-up in Evanston this year? What gives you reason to believe you'll win this one and are most fans circling this as a win on the schedule?

ES: The ES doesn't like that MSU is playing Northwestern. That's a guaranteed loss. Any Spartan fan circling this as a WIN is an idiot. This has LOSS written all over it. Best part is Chicago and being able to hang out at the Gin Mill, a.k.a. East Lansing West.

LTP: Perhaps it was simply pain of the moment, but you seem to carry the "loss to Northwestern is inexcusable" card. Considering the series has been essentially a draw since 1995, what will it take for that perception to go away?

ES: Any loss to Northwestern is inexcusable, except for a loss in SAT scores or US News & World Report rankings of Industrial Engineering schools. It ain't advisable to spot a team 38 points (and still win), not to mention the next year play boneheaded late in an overtime loss by not handing the ball to your best player. MSU outsmarts itself against everyone, but especially against Northwestern. We're a clinic in late minute suicides.

Seriously, the point is that if The Big Green Machine and its $1.6 million coach want to be a part of the Big Ten elite (or even upper tier), than it needs to beat Northwestern. What makes it inexcusable is for MSU to be competitive against all top tier teams in the Big Ten, and then lose to a team that loses to Duke (ed note: ouch!). Excuse my while I clean up my vomit.

LTP: What concerns you about the NU offense this season?

ES: The spread. It's a gimmicky piece-of-sh*t offense (ed note: really now? In 2000 maybe gimmicky, by 2008 it is borderline standard) that just so happens to work when you play against a secondary that says "huh?" when you tell them to bump and run, and against a secondary that has yet to learn how to turn around and knock the ball away on a long pass. My grandma can be quarterback for Northwestern and my 9-year old daughter its slot back and the spread would work (ed note: OK, ES, NOW you're losing credibility, I'm sensing a severe case of spread jealousy going on). I don't care who runs it, it blows chunks, yet every now and then, it works.

LTP: Alrighty then, at least we know how you feel! Tell us why we should be scared heading into this matchup? Javon Ringer's spiteful vengence? Walk-on WR Blair White? Cincinnati DE transfer Trevor Anderson? Give us the skinny on why your hopeful on this match-up.

ES: JAVON RINGER. With a decent offensive line and 30+ carries per game this year, this speed burner WILL KICK YOUR ASS. Be afraid; be VERY AFRAID. Blair "Butterfingers" White? He reminds me of Renaldo Nehemiah -- lightning fast, but can't catch... he belongs on a track. Get his lanky ass off the field.

LTP: OK then...any concern about the date of the game - a potential "overlook factor" - Ohio State and Michigan loom the two weeks after we play you.

ES: Exactly; BIG TIME CONCERN. We have 5 months 'til we play this game, and every Spartan fan acknowledges this game has overlook written all over it. Northwestern will beat Sparty, then we'll turn around and beat top-ranked Ohio State at home the next week, and then get into Ann Arbor to stomp on Richie Rich's spread-assed piece of sh*t Yellow Belly team. Typical Michigan State football... and another reason why such a loss would be deemed "inexcusable." It is up to the Doctor, Mark Dantonio, to cure this particular "consistently inconsistent" ailment that affects Michigan State like no other.
Bottom line: I hope you scheduled MSU for your homecoming (ed: after your thoughts, I wish we had too!)

LTP: Scott, thanks for your time. We'd love to have you back once the season begins - hopefully we can ignite the same fire and perhaps even get a bulletin board quote out of you! I've got a hunch, with the right setup we'll get one.

Big Ten Network Kudos
I'm on a Big Ten Network kick this week as they kept me awake until midnight last night with a replay of the 2000 Northwestern-Michigan game. The condensed game, featuring completely collapsed time between plays to almost nothing, was a joy to watch. They sprinkled in a few interviews from Zak Kustok and Dave Eanet along with some local beat writers from both teams to add some color, but the pure joy of listening to Brent Musberger ramp up his hyperbole as the game wore on and knowing THIS time it was not hyperbole, but the truth, had me grinning from ear to ear.

There were so many little things that I learned by watching the game. I had forgotten that Michigan had posted two shutouts in a row prior to the game and that they had not been scored on in the first quarter - all season. Yet, the Cats put up 7 on the first drive. I forgot how sick David Terell was in that game and how Harold Blackmon was left in man coverage all day. I forgot about the 4th quarter "woulda-been-game-winning-TD" Teddy Johnson scored that was called back because of an ineligible man downfield penalty. That play setup the Damien's dropped ball. Plus all the little things - like the stats - along the way that just make your eyes pop out...at one point they flashed a stat about total points scored on Michigan all season - 110 - and then flashed "Northwestern points today - 46". After watching it, there were so many points in the game where the momentum had swung so far to Michigan you thought we were finished, but the resiliency of that team, the athleticism of the offensive line, it is simply something everyone must have on their permanent TIVO spot.