Two days in a row for the old Tedmiester
Dantonio has big things on his mind
Win over Oregon has MSU in the national title spotlight
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio is not one to beat his chest. Not literally, anyway. But minutes after his team played an exciting and clean game — one turnover, two penalties — in beating Oregon 31-28 Saturday night, he took a little shot at his neighbors to the east. And then he looked ahead. “This was the place to be in this state today,” he said. “Spartan Stadium was rocking. It was a great atmosphere. It had it all. The game delivered.” And … “In my mind, this was a steppingstone game,” he said. “This is a game that pays dividends at the end of the season.” Yes, if Michigan State were to finish 11-1 with a close loss at top-ranked Ohio State on Nov. 21, they’d have a strong case to make the four-team playoff. Chew on that, SEC fans. Between now and then, Michigan State’s toughest games are at Michigan on Oct. 17 and at Nebraska three weeks after. If Michigan State and Ohio State stay unblemished until Nov. 21, that clash will go down as the biggest Big Ten game since the 1 vs. 2 showdown between Michigan and Ohio State in 2006. The Spartans moved from No. 5 to No. 4 in the AP poll and received the only two first-place votes that did not go to Ohio State. But the only opinions that matter belong to the members of the playoff selection committee, whose first rankings will be released Nov. 3. He’s the one: Michigan tailback De’Veon Smith knows who butters his bread. “Shout-out to my offensive line,” he said. “They made some huge holes that a bus could drive through.” Smith powered through them to the tune of 126 rushing yards, part of a 225-yard attack against Oregon State. Coach Jim Harbaugh said the linemen also spoke up for Smith. “They were commenting on the sideline, ‘Hey, De’Veon’s really running hard, he’s making people miss, he’s running through contact,’ ”Harbaugh said. “That inspires them.” Smith emerged from a full-house backfield in camp to emerge as Michigan’s top dog. He gets criticized for lacking vision, but the 228-pound junior tries to make up for it with toughness. As ABC/ESPN analyst Chris Spiel-man put it: “That dude runs with bad intentions.”
The final word: Harbaugh on Michigan’s formula for success: “Everyone does a little, and it adds up to a lot.” tgreenstein@tribpub.com Twitter @TeddyGreenstein
Dantonio has big things on his mind
Win over Oregon has MSU in the national title spotlight
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio is not one to beat his chest. Not literally, anyway. But minutes after his team played an exciting and clean game — one turnover, two penalties — in beating Oregon 31-28 Saturday night, he took a little shot at his neighbors to the east. And then he looked ahead. “This was the place to be in this state today,” he said. “Spartan Stadium was rocking. It was a great atmosphere. It had it all. The game delivered.” And … “In my mind, this was a steppingstone game,” he said. “This is a game that pays dividends at the end of the season.” Yes, if Michigan State were to finish 11-1 with a close loss at top-ranked Ohio State on Nov. 21, they’d have a strong case to make the four-team playoff. Chew on that, SEC fans. Between now and then, Michigan State’s toughest games are at Michigan on Oct. 17 and at Nebraska three weeks after. If Michigan State and Ohio State stay unblemished until Nov. 21, that clash will go down as the biggest Big Ten game since the 1 vs. 2 showdown between Michigan and Ohio State in 2006. The Spartans moved from No. 5 to No. 4 in the AP poll and received the only two first-place votes that did not go to Ohio State. But the only opinions that matter belong to the members of the playoff selection committee, whose first rankings will be released Nov. 3. He’s the one: Michigan tailback De’Veon Smith knows who butters his bread. “Shout-out to my offensive line,” he said. “They made some huge holes that a bus could drive through.” Smith powered through them to the tune of 126 rushing yards, part of a 225-yard attack against Oregon State. Coach Jim Harbaugh said the linemen also spoke up for Smith. “They were commenting on the sideline, ‘Hey, De’Veon’s really running hard, he’s making people miss, he’s running through contact,’ ”Harbaugh said. “That inspires them.” Smith emerged from a full-house backfield in camp to emerge as Michigan’s top dog. He gets criticized for lacking vision, but the 228-pound junior tries to make up for it with toughness. As ABC/ESPN analyst Chris Spiel-man put it: “That dude runs with bad intentions.”
The final word: Harbaugh on Michigan’s formula for success: “Everyone does a little, and it adds up to a lot.” tgreenstein@tribpub.com Twitter @TeddyGreenstein
