Don't Forget About Big Ten's 'Third Wheel' in the Race for the Conference Title
As he approaches the end of his first decade in East Lansing, Mark Dantonio's program has come to be defined not by the championships it's won, the pipeline to the pros it's built or even its remarkable record against its rivals.
Despite having won two of the past three Big Ten championships and coming off an appearance in the College Football Playoff, when college football fans think of Michigan State these days, what they think of isn't its laundry list of on-field accolades, but rather an internet meme.
#DISRESPEKT
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Do one search of the hashtag on Twitter, and no shortage of Spartans-themed social media posts are sure to pop up. The origin of the unofficial MSU mantra stems from an on-field incident against Michigan in 2014, but its recent history includes—but isn't limited to—the misspelling of Dantonio's name (he's often confused with NBA coach Mike D'Antoni), Derrick Henry's mistaking Michigan State for Michigan leading into last year's playoff and the plummeting draft stock of quarterback Connor Cook.
It's rooted in realism, but dripping with sarcasm—Michigan State allies and antagonizers alike pointing out even the tiniest of perceived slights against the Spartans. And despite the best efforts of the MSU faithful, the running joke likely won't be slowing down anytime soon.
At least not with a 2016 season underway where Ohio State entered as the Big Ten favorite, while Michigan served as the league's most talked about team throughout the offseason. Factor in all the returning talent at Iowa, and Michigan State finds itself in the rare position of being both the conference's defending champion, as well as a league afterthought, picked to finish third in its division in a preseason Cleveland.com poll.
"In some ways, you do feel disrespected," admitted linebacker Riley Bullough. "On the other hand, what can you do about it? People are going to say what they're going to say. That's why we're football players and those people are doing their jobs. It's just different. We just look forward to each week, going out and doing what we can do."
At this point, even the media is beginning to catch on to its own habit of looking past a program that at 36-5 has compiled the fourth-best record in college football in the past three years.
"There's no question people are overlooking Michigan State," ESPN analyst and former Michigan quarterback Brian Griese told Bleacher Report. "They won 11 games four out of the last five years. They've been there."
The question is, can the Spartans stay there?
And if they can, will we be kicking ourselves for "disrespekting" Michigan State once again at year's end?
At least as far as this year is concerned, selling the Spartans short makes more sense than it has in years past. No team in college football is the same from one year to the next, but with Cook, leading receiver Aaron Burbridge, center Jack Allen, first-round left tackle Jack Conklin and three-time All-Big Ten defensive end Shilique Calhoun no longer in East Lansing, Michigan State isn't just replacing key contributors—it's replacing the bulk of its identity from the past three seasons.
"Not that they aren't going to be a good team, but you can see why some people are saying, 'Well, we really gotta wait and see on Michigan State,'" Big Ten Network analyst and former Minnesota coach Glen Mason told Bleacher Report. "The previous few years, they didn't get the respect they were due, but you kind of see it this year because they really lost a lot of players these past few years."
The biggest question mark for the Spartans comes at quarterback, where Cook had become Michigan State's all-time winningest player at the position and set school records for touchdown passes, passing yards and total offense in his three seasons as a starter. But as opposed to other schools—such as Michigan—starting from scratch with a new signal-caller, the Spartans possess both a clear and experienced successor to Cook in fifth-year senior Tyler O'Connor, who started in place for an injured Cook in MSU's season-defining road win over Ohio State last November.
"Tyler is a good leader. He always has been. He's taken that aspect of our program, and it really doesn't start now—it sort of started in February," Dantonio said during the early portion of the Spartans' fall camp. "He's not a guy that all of a sudden is just here. He's played, and he's been heavily involved in our offense. I think he's done that. He's done a nice job with that."
Elsewhere on the Michigan State depth chart, the answers aren't as apparent. But if the past decade has been any indication, the talent will be abundant nonetheless.
While the benefit of the doubt seems to have been extended to Ohio State despite the Buckeyes dealing with similar—if not, more glaring—departures, the Spartans still find themselves in a position of having to prove themselves. Yet when it comes to developing pro-level players, few in the league are doing so on a more consistent basis than Dantonio, whose 19 draftees in the past five years rank second in the Big Ten behind Ohio State.
What's more, as opposed to past years, when the Spartans were turning 3-star prospects such as Darqueze Dennard, Trae Waynes and Le'Veon Bell into NFL draft picks, Michigan State's roster is now stocked full of 4- and 5-star players—not that Dantonio's acumen for evaluating talent has ever been in doubt.
"The recruiting rankings are a preseason ranking, but what they do in their college careers and where they get drafted is how they should really be ranked," says 247Sports director of recruiting Steve Wiltfong. "What Michigan State was perceived to be recruiting was incorrect, because they've recruited as well as anyone in the league, aside from Ohio State."
More importantly, Dantonio has developed a track record of knowing—and getting exactly—what he's looking for.
"They find guys that fit their scheme as well as anybody, and they coach them up," Wiltfong said. "That's the thing. You may sign a good recruiting class, but did you sign the right guys for what you like to run on Saturdays?"
The Spartans clearly have, which has helped carry out succession plans at particular positions on a yearly basis. Take, for instance, the continuity Michigan State has maintained at wide receiver, where R.J. Shelton is expected to seamlessly succeed Burbridge (85 receptions, 1,258 yards and seven touchdowns in 2015), who did the same in place of Tony Lippett a year ago.
Be it at corner, on the defensive line, linebacker or elsewhere on offense, the Spartans have found plenty of recent success replacing accomplished players.
"We lose good players every year, just like every other program. But it seems that when the time comes, as a senior, you have to play your best football, our seniors have their best years," Dantonio said. "We've got guys poised for that. Again, we've established a culture."
Only it's not just inexperience Michigan State's counting on in the coming year.
Junior Malik McDowell—a former 5-star prospect—is already one of the best defensive linemen in all of college football. The running back stable of L.J. Scott, Gerald Holmes and Madre London should only get better from a season ago. Safeties Demetrious Cox and Montae Nicholson might make for the best tandem at their position in the Big Ten, if not the entire country.
Even on an offensive line replacing its top two players from a season ago, center Brian Allen and tackle Kodi Kieler should bring some much-needed stability.
"They've got a ton of talent returning, especially in the secondary," Griese said. "I fully anticipate that Michigan State will be in the race in the East [division] until the end."
If the Spartans can do that, a favorable schedule could be a big reason why.
While playing in the Big Ten East is a chore in and of itself, Michigan State's three toughest conference games—against Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio State—will each come in East Lansing. It shouldn't take long, either, to see what these Spartans are made of, with a Week 3 date against Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, looming. Even then, Michigan State could benefit from a bye the week prior.
Of course, there is cause for concern as well.
Aside from the inexperience that clouds the Spartans depth chart, Michigan State is coming off a season where it ranked fourth in the nation in turnover margin (plus-14) and compiled a 6-1 record in one-score games—both of which serve as signs luck may have played a significant role in the team's 11-1 regular-season record. One wrong bounce on a flukey last-second play that secured a win against Michigan, and the Spartans' outlook could wind up a whole lot different.
To make matters worse, the Wolverines should only be improved in their second season under head coach Jim Harbaugh, while for all Ohio State is also replacing, the Buckeyes bring back the Big Ten's best quarterback in J.T. Barrett. It's also worth noting the last time Michigan State went through an overhaul like the one it's facing, the transition wasn't so seamless, with the Spartans struggling to a 7-6 record in 2012—the year after quarterback Kirk Cousins ended his college career in East Lansing.
When comparing rosters, the Spartans don't need to be better than the Buckeyes or Wolverines—they just need to be good enough to beat them. And considering Michigan State has won two of its last three showdowns with Ohio State and seven of its last eight meetings with Michigan, that certainly seems feasible.
Even after an unimpressive 28-13 win over Furman to start the season and heading into Saturday's showdown with Notre Dame, until further notice, the Spartans deserve to be considered the class of the Big Ten. Two league championships in three years speaks for itself, as does 11 wins in five of the last six seasons.
Yet when it comes to Michigan State's own conference, its rivals remain more highly publicized, putting the Spartans in a position where they once again have something to prove.
Whether that qualifies as #DISRESPEKT will be determined in the coming months, but at this point, there's no downplaying Michigan State's sustained success under Dantonio's watch. Doubt the Spartans all you want—in fact, they'd prefer you do.
"I guess you got to get used to it at some point," tight end Josiah Price said with a laugh. "It's a position we've been in before. We've been told that before, and we've come out and won it. We're not worried."
Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten lead writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod.
Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand. Recruiting and class ratings courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings.
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