College Football BCS National Championship Cinderella: Michigan State Spartans

When the first official BCS rankings came out two weeks ago, the Michigan State Spartans were ranked seventh, which at the time was their highest in school history since the inception of the BCS back in 1998.

This week, Sparty is ranked fifth with an 8-0 record and their best start since 1966. But even with the recognition of beating the likes of Michigan, Wisconsin and Northwestern of the Big 10, they still are NOT favored over Iowa this week.

Now even though they average almost 35 points per game, it has not appeared that they really "light up" the score board. They have been very consistent on offense, whether it be on the ground or through the air.

A much more mature Kirk Cousins has not made mistakes like he did a year ago, now throwing for nearly 2000 yards, 14 TDs and only four picks through eight games.

Also, they can attack you in various ways on the ground with Edwin Baker and Le'Veon Bell, each averaging almost seven yards per carry in a well-balanced offense (221 pass attempts to 291 carries).

Defensively they rank tied for fifth in total interceptions (13) and 18th in points per game (17.9). In giving up almost 18 points per game means that it may take them a series or two to become accustomed to the offense they are facing.

And, in every game this season except one (Northern Colorado), they have given up points in the first quarter. But as the games went on, they were able to make adjustments and cause turnovers.

Through eight games they have only given up 79 second-half/overtime points. That's an average of just under 10 points per second half. This also means that they are also very effective with their blitz packages. So even though they may not always blitz, when they do, they have a lot of success as the game wears on.

Maybe they should blitz more in the first half. Just a thought.

Currently, they are the final undefeated team in the Big 10, and in addition to that, have played a very favorable schedule. To point out however, if you look at the scores of the teams they played, they never really dominated except against then-No. 18-ranked Michigan in the Big House.

And despite being a slight underdog, Sparty managed to beat Wisconsin at home in arguably their most important win of the season to date. Then dodging defeat in what was considered to be a trap game against an overachieving Northwestern team was clutch, as they rallied off 21 fourth-quarter points for a 35-27 win.

Rewind back to Week Three, and we see a premonition of what the Spartans have shown through eight weeks of play. The fake field goal call on the final play of the home game against Notre Dame.

Regardless of what the critics say about the call, it was the correct decision. Their kicker (who was rather inexperienced) had only attempted one lone field goal in all of 2009, and in 2010, the Spartans had yet to play a nationally recognized opponent until Notre Dame.

The kick would have been from 46 yards, the second longest attempt of his short career. Also it had four different aspects of college football drama: 1. It would have been for the game; 2. At home (which creates the immediate pressure of peers, media, fans and family); 3. Against a rival, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Battle for the Megaphone); and 4. Down by three in overtime. That's a quadruple whammy!

After winning that game and seeing how the Spartans have played thus far, a run at the national championship seems imperative, as well as very comparable to that of the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2002.

Take a look at what got the Buckeyes there: 1. They had a favorable schedule (home vs No. 7 Washington St.; No. 10 Penn St., and No. 11 Michigan). 2. They won close games on the road against inferior teams (at Cincinnati 23-19, at Wisconsin 19-14, at Purdue 10-6, and at Illinois 23-16 in overtime).

And remember the game against Purdue? Craig Krenzel completed a TD pass to Michael Jenkins on a 4th-and-1 with less than two minutes to go in the game. 

One final thing to ponder would be the health status of head coach Mark Dantonio. With everything the old ball coach has been through the past two months and the fact that Sparty was unranked to start the season (unranked until after Week Three), it almost seems to good to be true for Cinderella to go to the ball. But as college football fans, we know better, and drama is the only way we all feel comfortable.

It has been deja vu with the 2010 Michigan State Spartans in comparison to the 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes. The only test remaining is a date with the No. 18-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes the day before Halloween in Iowa City, Iowa. After that, a potential trap game in Happy Valley vs Penn State as the regular-season finale.