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 When Mark Dantonio was hired as Michigan State's new Head Coach prior to this, the 2007 College Football season, he let it be known that one of his team's games meant more than the rest. This game carried enough significance in Dantonio's eyes to install a clock in the Spartans' practice facility, counting down the exact time, right down to the second, until kickoff of the 2007 Michigan-Michigan State football game. Well, the clock is nearly finished counting, as the two rivals prepare to square off on Saturday afternoon in East Lansing.
When Mark Dantonio was hired as Michigan State's new Head Coach prior
to this, the 2007 College Football season, he let it be known that one
of his team's games meant more than the rest. This game carried enough
significance in Dantonio's eyes to install a clock in the Spartans'
practice facility, counting down the exact time, right down to the
second, until kickoff of the 2007 Michigan-Michigan State football
game. Well, the clock is nearly finished counting, as the two rivals
prepare to square off on Saturday afternoon in East Lansing.
The Spartans' 2007 season has been fairly unimpressive after what can be characterized as a nice start. After opening the year 4-0 with wins against UAB, Pitt, Bowling Green, and Notre Dame, they've slipped into a 1-4 funk with tough losses at home to Northwestern, and on the road at Iowa. The record doesn't show it, but I think MSU is a very solid football team. Brian Hoyer has done far more than what could have been expected in the preseason in filling Drew Stanton's shoes. Jehuu Caulcrick and Javon Ringer give the Spartans a heck of a running game, and Devin Thomas is flat out scary at Wideout with 5 touchdowns and 17.8 yards per catch. Not to mention that Dantonio is a real coach. I'm not a Michigan State fan. Not at all, but the Spartan faithful did nothing to deserve John L. Smith. Everyone should have known what was coming when John L announced to his Louisville Cardinals at halftime of the GMAC Bowl that he was bolting for East Lansing. Add that to the laundry list of in-game shenanigans and the laughable way he acted off the field. Mark Dantonio isn't like that. Dantonio will represent MSU with class, and he's going to build that program into something to keep an eye on. Even if it isn't this year, MSU will have something to cheer about in the near future. As a Wolverine fan, Dantonio scares me.
I really don't think that the season opener for the University of Michigan needs to be relived. It was bad enough the first time, and now whenever Pontiac feels the need to play a commercial, they torture me with Thom Brennamen's call of Jason Gingell's last second field goal being blocked by Appalachian State. Couple that with the 39-7 beat-down that Oregon laid on Michigan at the Big House just a week after the Appalachian State game, and the skies were pretty dark for the Wolverines after an 0-2 start. Fans were calling for Lloyd Carr's job. Chad Henne, the senior Quarterback who has led Michigan to a pair of Rose Bowls, was cheered for when he went down with an injury. At Home. Then something happened. Michigan ran into a team that wasn't bigger, wasn't faster, and was just flat-out worse than them. Now, Michigan takes a seven game winning streak into Spartan Stadium. Chad Henne and Mike Hart are expected to play after sitting out 1 and 2 weeks respectively.
Former Wolverines say that this rivalry is more intense, more spit-and-blood, tooth-and-nail than even that with Ohio State. This is the game for Spartans. This is their Ohio State. Just ask Mark Dantonio. The game itself should be close. Michigan State's period of futility seems like it's nearly over, and they're hungry. The last time MSU prevailed was the Spartan Bob game, which oddly lasted about 60.02 minutes in regulation. Strange how that works. The Spartans are also looking to possibly become bowl-eligible, which may be possible with just one more win. Michigan is looking to continue their current hot streak as they start the toughest part of their schedule. After the rivalry with MSU, the Wolverines travel to Wisconsin, and then finish out the year at Home against Ohio State.
It's always a big deal when Michigan plays Michigan State. If you ask me, I think that MSU will struggle with the pressure that Dantonio's obsession with Michigan will put on them, and Michigan keeps it going all the way into the Big House on November 17th when the Buckeyes come to town.
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