Sometimes, great minds think alike.
I came up with the theme for this week's recap sometime Saturday night or Sunday morning. I once again decided to go with a 20th century music reference (you're welcome). I was maybe 2/3 of the way through my first draft on Sunday when I saw that @jacobcotsonika put out an article with a similar theme: MSU blew an opportunity this weekend. Today, it seems as thought Coach Smith made similar comments as well.
So, yeah. That all checks out. MSU should have beaten Michigan this weekend, but they didn't get it done. It's frustrating, but at the end of the day, this loss is not hitting me as hard as others in the rivalry have.
I am not talking about last year, though. Michigan fans love to use the "49-0" on twitter, but I don't think I am in the minority when I say that I couldn't care less about that game. MSU was a rudderless, broken team facing a bunch of known cheaters. Who cares? In no time, that score is just the line in a Wikipedia article. But Michigan's crimes will continue to live in infamy. Other losses were way worse to swallow.
But back to this year's game.
As I wrote, this game simply mattered more to the Wolverines than it did to the Spartans. I don't think that any "motivation gap" changed the outcome, but the fact is that MSU is currently over-achieving and ahead of schedule. Michigan is bad underachieving to the point that the sky is falling. A loss to MSU would very likely have set them on a path to a 5-7 record and no bowl. It would have been a disaster. Now, both teams are on track for a 6-6 record. That is still a disaster for Michigan and it is still a bit better than expected for MSU.
I am not saying that 6-6 is awesome, but based on where both teams were 10 months ago, MSU is still coming out WAY on top based on expectations, and happiness is in general the difference between reality and expectation. Would MSU's bowl at 7-5 or 8-4 really been that much "better" than at 7-5 or 6-6? Not really. But Michigan not making a bowl? That would have been hilarious.
The most fun outcome that I can see for the end of the season is for MSU to steal a win over Indiana or Illinois to finish at 7-5. Michigan is likely headed for 6-6 unless they pull a major upset. In that scenario, I can just see the Wolverines working the phones and begging the Guaranteed Rate Bowl to take them over MSU to avoid the "embarrassment" of playing in the old Motor City Bowl in Detroit. That would be even funnier.
Anyway, please enjoy this week's edition of Against All Odds.
michiganstate.rivals.com
I came up with the theme for this week's recap sometime Saturday night or Sunday morning. I once again decided to go with a 20th century music reference (you're welcome). I was maybe 2/3 of the way through my first draft on Sunday when I saw that @jacobcotsonika put out an article with a similar theme: MSU blew an opportunity this weekend. Today, it seems as thought Coach Smith made similar comments as well.
So, yeah. That all checks out. MSU should have beaten Michigan this weekend, but they didn't get it done. It's frustrating, but at the end of the day, this loss is not hitting me as hard as others in the rivalry have.
I am not talking about last year, though. Michigan fans love to use the "49-0" on twitter, but I don't think I am in the minority when I say that I couldn't care less about that game. MSU was a rudderless, broken team facing a bunch of known cheaters. Who cares? In no time, that score is just the line in a Wikipedia article. But Michigan's crimes will continue to live in infamy. Other losses were way worse to swallow.
But back to this year's game.
As I wrote, this game simply mattered more to the Wolverines than it did to the Spartans. I don't think that any "motivation gap" changed the outcome, but the fact is that MSU is currently over-achieving and ahead of schedule. Michigan is bad underachieving to the point that the sky is falling. A loss to MSU would very likely have set them on a path to a 5-7 record and no bowl. It would have been a disaster. Now, both teams are on track for a 6-6 record. That is still a disaster for Michigan and it is still a bit better than expected for MSU.
I am not saying that 6-6 is awesome, but based on where both teams were 10 months ago, MSU is still coming out WAY on top based on expectations, and happiness is in general the difference between reality and expectation. Would MSU's bowl at 7-5 or 8-4 really been that much "better" than at 7-5 or 6-6? Not really. But Michigan not making a bowl? That would have been hilarious.
The most fun outcome that I can see for the end of the season is for MSU to steal a win over Indiana or Illinois to finish at 7-5. Michigan is likely headed for 6-6 unless they pull a major upset. In that scenario, I can just see the Wolverines working the phones and begging the Guaranteed Rate Bowl to take them over MSU to avoid the "embarrassment" of playing in the old Motor City Bowl in Detroit. That would be even funnier.
Anyway, please enjoy this week's edition of Against All Odds.
Dr. Green and White Against All Odds, Week Nine: Opportunities
MSU did not have the brains and brawn needed for the upset. But did our advice help you to made lots of money?
