Michigan Tuesday: Welcoming Michigan State to the Reality of Roses

If you live in Ohio, you hate the state of Michigan even if you're not a sports fan.   That's just the culture in the Buckeye State.  Some people won't even do business in Michigan because it's Michigan.  It is a pretty narrow view of reality, especially when it could potentially be costing you and your family a better living. 

Michigan State's program is just the opposite.  The best analogy I give for the Spartans is a golfing one.  I am sure many of you have heard the term "sandbagger."  If you haven't, it describes a golfer who "inflates" his scores so his handicap is higher then it should be.  So for example, a 15-handicap might really be a seven-handicap golfer, meaning he gets eight shots in a match that he shouldn't.

If you play golf, there are also guys who are just the opposite.  There are guys who are really 15-handicaps but cut a few shots off each round and end up being a seven just so they can brag having a single-digit handicap, even though they lose every time they play another good player.  They just blame it on playing bad, the weather or whatever excuse they can come up with.  This guy is the Michigan State football program. 

Michigan State opened up its spring practice yesterday, and Mark Dantonio did his regular "spring" press conference.  

"Now we begin to prepare for the Rose Bowl," Dantonio said Monday. "That's where we're at. I think the foundation has been laid. We've had enough success to go into every game thinking we're going to win, or at least these are the things we have to do to be able to win."

Really?  Didn't MSU (similar to Michigan as well) get embarrassed by an SEC opponent earlier this year?  Wasn't the score 49-7?  I think setting goals is good, and the Rose Bowl goal is probably where the bar should be set for the Spartans every spring, but going Rex Ryan in March is going a bit too far, especially when MSU has had a number of off-field issues:

• Potential violations and suspension of an MSU Booster Club.
• The reinstatement of Dion Sims, who pleaded guilty in September to receiving and concealing stolen property.
• The February arrests of TE Brian Linthicum and linebacker Max Bullough, who both will miss the first two days of spring practice. Yes, two days.

This is why I love Michigan State.  Like Mike Hart coined years ago, they are the "little brother" who loves to talk and sometimes puts together a couple of wins on the golf course, the basketball driveway or the football field for three straight instate wins.

The problem is that MSU just can't get out of its way when it comes to getting in trouble and talking smack after Alabama used the Spartans as its scout team.   Yes, MSU had an 11-win season (didn't play Ohio State) and played decent football at times, but the Spartans should go take care of their business off the field and fix the problems on the field before they start talking about roses of any color.