It's All In For Michigan... State That Is

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.

2. Get healthy up front. The offensive line has played well in spurts, but has been patchwork all year long. Injuries to Joel Foreman and Joel Nitchman most notably have hurt any chance of cohesiveness.

3. Put your best players on the field. Chris L. Rucker is a good cornerback. He had a rough time in South Bend, but he needs to be the starter this weekend. He will bounce back. Freshman Chris Norman has been compared to Greg Jones over and over again by Dantonio. Greg Jones saw extensive time as a freshman, not because of his vast knowledge of the defensive playbook, but because he made plays. I would think the same logic applies here.

Why Michigan will win:

I know I already commented about the play of Michigan's secondary, but the Spartan DBs haven't fared any better. If Forcier is as good on the road as he is at home, he will have open receivers. Here are some more keys to Wolverine success:

1. Run the football. Michigan State's best chance to win is by scoring a lot of points. Keeping them off the field will go a long ways toward a win on Saturday.

2. Spread 'em out. The Spartans have struggled mightily against the spread offense. Well, now it's time for the originator of the offense to have some fun and really turn it up a notch. Look for some gadget plays from Rodriguez.

3. Score early and often. Home field advantage is a lot bigger of a deal if the home crowd is into the game. Getting off to a hot start will deflate the MSU fanbase and will help Tate Forcier acclimate much quicker.

What's actually going to happen? That's a great question. See you all Saturday in Spartan Stadium.