Michigan State-Penn State: Underwhelmed With Excitement

So it comes to this. The night before what could be Michigan State's biggest win in...a long time. I've had two weeks to prepare for it, two weeks to write something about it, and two weeks to get really jacked up about it.

Yet, I have nothing.

Rather than eagerly anticipate the possibility of sharing the first Big Ten title in 18 years, and getting that first game of the season insomnia the night before, I am instead pre-resolved to losing this game and moving on to finish with a nice bowl game.

The first problem is that I hate—HATE—road games. Yelling at a television just doesn't get it done for me. I'd be fired up and ready for a game against Florida International if I had my tickets and a tailgate lined up.

But mostly, I have not yet been wrong on a Friday night before a game. When I think they'll win, they win. When I know they'll lose, they lose. There's nothing psychic about this, since guessing based on the pre-game point spreads would have gotten anyone the same result.

If you go back to May, in one of my very first posts, you'll see the whole season predicted thus far to within one game of actual results. The only one I got wrong was Wisconsin, and I had moved that one over to the "win" side of the ledger weeks before the game started.

Otherwise, there was no reason to alter my May prediction during any other game this season. And, as noted, by the night before I was already guessing the outcome correctly in all cases.

In May, I expected to lose to Penn State...and badly. I still do.

Again, there's nothing special about my predictive powers. I blame Mark Dantonio for turning this into a delightfully boring team that gives 110 percent every game. They are predictably good, but not (yet) predictably great, so their 110 percent isn't going to measure up against some others (i.e. Cal, Ohio State, and Penn State).

I am thus a victim of trusting my own realistic expectations. I think that I've already seen the end of this game.

Michigan State doesn't have what it takes to win a share of the Big Ten title this year. But what might keep me awake tonight is thinking that they could very well be the favorite to take it outright next year. A clear majority of the starters will return from a team that (if am joyously wrong) could win 11 games this season.

In 21 years as the biggest of Spartan fans, I've never been as ill-prepared for an earthshaking upset as I am right now. And paradoxically, I've never been so hopeful about their future.

What a great season this has been. I can't believe it's not over yet.

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