Spartan Seasons 2008: Dantonio's Moment of Silence

Before dissecting the solid performance against Northwestern and launching into my weekly look forward to the many big games ahead, I need to stop and note that recent events cry out for a change of longstanding Michigan State tradition.

The anticipated disemboweling of the Wolverines at the hands of Penn State begins at 4:30 this Saturday. As the Ohio State visit to East Lansing kicks off an hour earlier, it is possible that the halftime announcements at Spartan Stadium will include a lopsided update from Happy Valley that causes the assembled Buckeyes and Spartans to put aside their differences for a few moments of common merriment.

While the cultural norm in these instances has for decades been laughter, cheers, and high fives, the world has changed. With potentially MANY future opportunities of this sort, the situation now calls for more dignity. More respect.

Last year, following the Appalachian State upset, Coach Dantonio pointed the way. The new standard for Michigan mockery should be a moment of silence.

From here on, every time it is announced that the Wolverines are behind, I propose that the crowd should make their statement with exaggerated index finger to lips, telling one another to hush up and properly honor the ineptitude.

A stadium full of Ohio State and Michigan State fans this Saturday is the perfect opportunity to start it all off.

With that aside, I turn briefly to the Northwestern game.

Unlike previous games, I am devoid of serious nitpicking here. This was a solid performance against a decent team. The continued improvement of the backups in the defensive secondary has been terrific. The receivers held on to the ball, Hoyer played well, Ringer did his thing, etc.

A desire to explain my theory about the Munchausen Wolverines precluded a timely and elaborate post-game analysis. But also, there just wasn’t much to say. They did EXACTLY what I thought they should on the road against Northwestern.

I expected a shootout to the final gun and instead got a calm and quietly commanding performance by Michigan State. They showed themselves as ready for Ohio State as anyone had any reason to expect.

I have been thinking 7-5 or 8-4 as the final regular season mark since the beginning of this weekly look. So far, I’ve not been surprised by the winner of each game. This week, there’s the chance to change everything.

Ohio State: 45 percent chance of W (originally 30 percent)

Last week, I said a 40 percent chance of Michigan State winning. As noted above, I started the season thinking 30 percent. Instead, Penn State has become the team that I thought Ohio State would be. Make no mistake, the Buckeyes are still very good, and I expect the Spartans to lose.

But the earth is shifting under the Big Ten.

If they improve as much between Northwestern and this game as they did between Iowa and Northwestern, then Michigan State can certainly win this game. If Ohio State plays as mediocre as they did against Purdue, USC, and Ohio, then they can just as certainly lose.

Terrelle Pryor is very good, but very raw. That will probably cost his team a game yet this year, and I think it’s possible that Michigan State’s defense can force him to make mistakes.

This is a no-lose situation for the Spartans. Few expect them to win, but the situation sets up that they could. Doing so would alter everybody’s assumptions about how far this program has come. An otherwise pleasant season would take a turn toward the truly special.

This is a huge test.

@ Michigan: 55 percent chance of W (originally toss-up)

What’s left to be said here?

This has gone from “rivalry game” to “trap game.”

The only reason this doesn’t go to 70 percent or higher is because I’m worried that a pumped-up Spartan team will be looking past the Wolverines and toward the bigger games left on their schedule.

If there were a “Western” or a “Central” in front of the word “Michigan,” then I’d call this a toss-up.

Wisconsin: 55 percent chance of W (originally 45 percent)

I’ve been creeping this prediction up all year. Wisconsin is another team that has not lived up to expectations. A lot still depends upon whether I’m correct about the two preceding games, but I’m stunned to say that I now believe Michigan State could be the third-best team in the conference and is probably just slightly better than Wisconsin.

Purdue: 70 percent chance of W (originally 65 percent)

In the first installment of this weekly prediction, I pronounced my disdain for the quality of Purdue and their supposed Heisman-worthy QB, Curtis Painter. Nothing has changed, except the occasional benching of Sir Heisman so his backup can provide “spark.”

Michigan State soundly beat a better Purdue in West Lafayette last year. The Spartans are better, Purdue is worse, and this is the final home game for Hoyer, Ringer, and a host of other great guys who are so far providing one of my favorite all-time MSU seasons.

They’ve never had a serious letdown while being coached by Dantonio, and I don’t expect one here.

@ Penn State: 30 percent chance of W (originally same)

I just noticed today that Michigan State gets a bye week before this game. That provides a faint ray of hope through the dark gloom that I expect this game to be.