(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
The Spartan faithful are no stranger to heartbreak. They have taken it over and over again as they have followed the Michigan State program over the years.
From Braylon Edwards and Michigan in 2004, A monsoon against Notre Dame in 2006, or 2007, when a fumble bounced right up into Mike Hart's tiny little hands.
Fans of the green and white have endured a lot. This season is no different.
A week after a last-second field goal allowed Central Michigan to upset the Spartans on their home turf, Michigan State looked to right the ship in South Bend.
They had won six games in a row at "Spartan Stadium South," and after another in what has become a growing list of mistakes was made last Saturday, a seventh win was not to be had.
As Kirk Cousins' ill-advised throw was picked off by Notre Dame's Kyle McCarthy, Michigan State fans got the ole' sinking feeling yet again.
The Spartans then moved on, trying to jump-start things on the road against what looked to be a possible paper tiger in Wisconsin. Wisconsin, though undefeated, had struggled against some lesser opponents, and had fumbled the ball four times against Wofford the week prior.
It turns out, Wisconsin is pretty good.
In fact, really good when you turn the ball over four times and consistently play out of position.
Michigan State is not in uncharted waters as a program, however, under Mark Dantonio, things were supposed to be different. The "SOS" (Same Old Spartans) mentality had just about been retired after last year's successes. Recruiting was going well and continuing to gain momentum. All while Michigan was floundering.
In fact, coming into the season, Michigan State was picked by the media to finish third in the Big Ten, while the Maize & Blue were in disarray, under NCAA investigation, and quickly becoming a tacky daytime soap opera.
Considering how different the college football world is today, versus the start of the 2009 season, what happened?
Did MSU buy into it's own hype? Maybe.
Did the media overestimate MSU's talent? Probably.
Did everyone underestimate Rich Rodriguez? Absolutely.
And here we stand. The Michigan State-Michigan game is upon us. The 1-3 Spartans are clinging to (even the Pizza! Pizza!) bowl hopes and not taking a drastic step backward as a program, while the resurgent 4-0 Wolverines are riding high with a talented freshman quarterback and thinking about an outside shot at a Big Ten title.
Why Michigan State will win:
While Michigan State would obviously prefer to be coming into this weekend under different circumstances, this weekend couldn't come at a better time for the Spartans.
They will be up for this game like no other, because this game is their season. A win could propel them into Illinois next weekend, a win there and they are back to .500 and all is not lost. To win this weekend, however, a few things have to happen:
1. Pick a quarterback. In my eyes, it has to be Co-Captain Kirk Cousins (Say that three times fast) from what we've seen thus far. Give him all 60 minutes and see what happens. If Michigan's secondary is as bad as advertised, he will pick them apart.
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