With another top 25 defense joining the schedule (Arizona State) expect another season of close and relatively low scoring games. From worst to first, below are my rankings:

12. Navy: Navy gets the nod over Temple based on timing. When Notre Dame faces Navy in early November they’ll have spent the previous week preparing Air Force’s triple option. Depth is also a concern. By November teams are banged up with injuries and service academies are thin on talent to begin the season. Like Air Force, Navy’s best players wouldn’t crack ND’s two-deep. This makes Navy winning three out of four from 2007-2010 all the more remarkable.

11. Temple: Not much to say about Temple other than it’s nice to have an opening week gimmie. So with the 2013 season less than 100 days out, here are the first weekend games I’ll be watching:

• UNC vs. South Carolina (Thursday night) – South Carolina has really made the opening night game their thing.
• Boise State vs. Washington: Only included because I have a thing for Boise State.
• LSU vs. TCU: LSU should be 10-12 point favorites. Take TCU and thank me later.
• FSU vs. Pitt: Pitt will probably be double digit underdogs as well. Pick ‘em straight-up.
• UGA vs. Clemson: Lots of talent but not a lot of coaching.
• V-Tech vs. Alabama: It’s hard to say the SEC doesn’t play outside their conference when arguably the four best SEC teams have marquee matchups in week one.

10. @Air Force: The real challenge with Air Force will be getting up to play a game at altitude in a small stadium, the week after USC. Did you know Air Force has the second highest elevation of any stadium in college football? The Air Force game will also be the first non-nationally televised ND game since they played at Air Force in 2006. Find a good sportsbar.

9. @Purdue: Trap game. @Purdue is the week after arguably the most important game of the season at Michigan. The ND game means everything for Purdue players and fans. It will most likely be Purdue’s only sell-out and nationally televised game all year.

Purdue’s new head coach is a complete unknown. Regardless, he inherits a team that should have beaten the only two undefeated teams in the FBS in 2012 (Ohio State and Notre Dame). Under Hope, Purdue annually struggled in the recruiting rankings, but turned out a handful of pros along their lines. I think Purdue surprises some folks in 2013, hopefully ND is not one of them.

8. USC: A primetime game vs. USC only being the #8 toughest speaks to the difficulty of ND’s schedule. But ND is due for a blowout win against USC and I sense this is the year. Unless Haden botches the next head coaching hire, USC may never be worse than 2013-2014 as sanctions and bad coaching are not a recipe for college football success.

Of course this could be a Bob Davie/Wayne Fontes type season for Lane Kiffin. A season where USC wins just enough to justify another year. Unless USC can beat ND or UCLA, 7-5 is probably not good enough for USC fans so Kiffin will have to find eight wins on a tough schedule. Don’t bet on it.

7. @Pitt: I like what I’m seeing from Paul Chryst. Turning down the Wisconsin job and kicking your best player off the team sends a message. Chryst is also developing a massive offensive line like he had in Madison which is the right blueprint for a Pennsylvania school. With Penn State more or less on sanctions till the next decade, Chryst can turn Pittsburgh into the dominate college football team in the state.

As for this fall, the timing is good however, with ND coming off two weeks of playing service academies and Pitt coming back from a road trip at Georgia Tech.

6. BYU: Perhaps the most underrated win of 2012 for ND was beating BYU with Golson on the sidelines. In 2012 BYU finished with the #3 ranked defense in the nation. Most of that defense returns including their all-American linebacker. BYU is well coached with a mobile QB who moves the chains. There aren’t a lot of playmakers on offense but BYU stood toe to toe with ND last year so any intimidation factor is gone. This will be a battle.

5. ASU (Cowboys Stadium): Lots of folks are high on Arizona State after Todd Graham went 8-5 in his first season. ASU returns 15 starters, loaded up on JUCOs, and is predicted by many to win the Pac-12 South. ND also gets Arizona State the week after Oklahoma so the letdown factor is in play.

After playing Army, Maryland and Miami in the first three years of the neutral site games, ASU will be the first big test of the so-called “Shamrock series” games.

4. Michigan State: MSU somehow hung onto their defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi so expect another top 10 defense. Last season, State finished with the #4 ranked defense in the land. We didn’t see much from State’s highly touted QB in 2012, but college QB’s traditionally make a big jump between their sophomore and junior years.

MSU plays nobody in their opening three games (Cent. Mich, USF, and Youngstown State) so they’ll come into South Bend highly ranked.

3. @Stanford: Year three is the proving grounds for college football coaches. Thus far, Shaw has exceeded expectations following Harbaugh. Will he continue Stanford’s dominate run or slowly fade like many coaches do starting year three? Shaw exhibits an NFL demeanor on the sidelines and with the bulk of Stanford’s starters now having played exclusively under Shaw, will they bring the same intensity we saw from Harbaugh’s teams?

Expect a more talented but less physical Stanford team than past years. I’d be surprised if this is the top ten showdown most are predicting. As for timing, ND benefits from getting Stanford on the road during Thanksgiving break which means about a third of the crowd will be Irish fans.

2. @Michigan: Michigan regressed in year two under Hoke. Big Blue scored four less points per game than 2011 and gave up three more per game. This concerns me a little bit if I’m a Michigan fan because historically the great coaches see their teams improve from year one to year two.

Saban, Meyer, Stoops, Chip Kelly, Brian Kelly, Jim Harbaugh, Pete Carroll, Lou Holtz all saw their average margin of victory improve in year two. That said, Hoke enjoyed such a successful first season that it was nearly impossible to duplicate the success given the talent level at Michigan. The rule is also far iron clad as Carr’s ’96 squad actually regressed before going undefeated in 1997. And there is no doubt Hoke is recruiting talent that hasn’t been in Ann Arbor since the late 90s.

The timing of this game is ideal for both teams. It will be the first big weekend of the fall, in front of 115,000 fans, it’s what college football is all about. But like Shaw, the question mark about Hoke headed into year three puts them a spot behind…

1. Oklahoma: Coaching and timing are the two reasons for Oklahoma being in the top spot. With a national title and a handful of runner-up finishes, Stoops is by far the most decorated coach ND faces in 2013. Oklahoma also gets a week off before traveling to South Bend, whereas ND comes off a three week stretch of Michigan, Purdue and Michigan State.

Expect a resurgence from Oklahoma in 2013. Blake Bell is a poor man’s Tebow who will win a lot of games over the next two seasons. Oklahoma was humbled in Norman last season and the trip to South Bend will be their first true test of 2013. This should be the toughest game of what appears to be a very difficult schedule.

And in the New Year spirit of fresh starts, we at Sports Squared will look ahead to the 2013 Spartans, while paying only the briefest attention to the trainwreck that was the 2012 season. The Spartans have had a number of big-name departures, the most expected of which were junior linebacker William Gholston and junior running back Le’veon Bell. With the departure of kicker Dan Conroy (senior) and tight end Dion Sims, MSU is losing more than 70% of its offensive points from this season, so needless to say MSU is a big ol’ question mark heading into 2013.

First thing’s first- Offense. Offense was where Michigan State’s season lived and ultimately died this year. Aside from the outstanding play of Bell, the

More of this in 2013?

Spartans were a tragedy on offense. The passing game was nothing short of abysmal, and barely showed signs of improvement, even up through MSU’s victory over TCU in the BW3 bowl. The main question at hand for MSU’s offense is who will be under center when the Spartans kick off against Western Michigan on August 31. Andrew Maxwell was kind of a massive disappointment for a red-shirt junior who’s supposed to have a great skill set- and he can obviously throw the ball far, and well. However, throughout the season his decision-making left something to be desired, and he never really found a rhythm with MSU’s young receiving corps.

On the other hand, red-shirt freshman Connor Cook looked poised and calm when he got reps during MSU’s bowl game- so much so that Coach D. kept him in for the game’s pivotal final drive. This is an area I’m not ready to issue an opinion on yet- I don’t think we should send Maxwell out to pasture, but I do think Cook has shown incredible promise. Whatever happens, I trust MSU’s coaching staff to make the right decision here- like they did when they chose Kirk Cousins as MSU’s starting QB over Keith Nichol.

Another HUGE factor for MSU’s 2013 offense is the offensive line. The lynchpin of success for an O-line is consistency, and MSU couldn’t string together the same starting line up throughout the season. This unit has been troubling for a few years, but showed signs of improvement before being stricken with EVERY INJURY EVER in 2012. Being able to produce a cohesive and effective unit will have a huge effect on MSU’s running game, which will undoubtedly flounder a bit without Bell. Luckily, MSU has Nick Hill waiting in the wings, a back with some experience and great speed.

Despite the departure of William Gholston, and the loss of seniors Johnny Adams and Anthony Rashad White, MSU will return the core of its defensive unit, which was #4 in total defense in 2012. That defense was the also the best in the Big 10, ten spots ahead of #14 Michigan. The defense is packed with young playmakers, and unless something changes soon, ace defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi will also return.

Defense was not the problem for Michigan State in 2012, and it will likely not be the problem in 2013. ESPN’s Big Ten blog has MSU ranked #6 in the conference going into next season, and given the uncertainty surrounding their offense, that seems about right. The bottom line is, for a fan base psyched up on Cousins-to-Cunningham for two years, a few Rose Bowl near-misses and a litany of electrifying trick plays, 2012 was just a big old dude. Nothing exciting happened, except when we beat Wisconsin in Madison (ha!). The Spartans had no good luck, and lost most of their games by an incredibly thin margin.

Long story short, what the Spartans need in 2013 is a little more luck, and a lot more offense. The team will have to look long and hard at who should be getting playing time- even if it means playing younger guys over more experienced vets, because the one HUGE takeaway from this season is that the offense -Lead by Maxwell, throwing to Fowler and Mumphrey, et al. did not work.

The good news is, this is Michigan State, and we’ll always have basketball season.

Nebraska took advantage of [a] Michigan State penalty, beating the Spartans 28-24 when Martinez threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jamal Turner with 6 seconds left Saturday night.

via Nebraska beats Michigan St 28-24 on last-second TD – Yahoo! Sports.

Sportswriters will tell you that Nebraska rallied from a 10-point deficit to win Saturday’s game. That is because, technically, it is true. Michigan State shut out the Huskers in the third quarter, turning a 14-14 halftime tie into a 24-14 lead. But, really, Nebraska, beleaguered, bemusing Nebraska, tracked back from a greater distance.

In the final quarter, the Huskers ranged closer to the abyss, and lounged more satisfyingly in elation, than any Odyssean trireme.

On the first play after the Spartans took that 24-14 lead, just a minute into the fourth quarter, Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez fumbled on a draw to the right. Such a familiar sight. Across the gray, windswept expanse of Nebraska, hearts leaped into throats — into well-worn, heart-shaped throats. Improbably, the ball eluded several Spartan defenders and bounced back into Mr. Martinez’s hands. Or nearly so. Mr. Martinez, for all his calm, cool and collectedness, possessed not enough poise to simply fall on the ball, which continued to roll until it was safely covered by the fat pink arms of a Huskers offensive lineman.

Slowly, gelatinously, hearts slipped back into their normal positions.

“I was like, ‘Wow, someone’s looking out for us,’” [Nebraska receiver Kenny] Bell said.

via Martinez rallies Huskers past Spartans : Latest Husker News.

What Mr. Bell should have said was, Who the heck would look out for us?!

Ten plays later, with Nebraska having driven to the Michigan State 5, Mr. Martinez threw an interception to cornerback Darqueze Dennard. And all those anginic hearts sloshed right back into their throats. They wallowed there, swelling with sclerotic anxiety, as Mr. Dennard returned the ball in a sputtering commotion of poor tackling 96 yards for an apparent touchdown.

For a few moments, the score of the game appeared to be 30-14.

In fact, it turned out to be the play of the game. The Spartans were whistled for an illegal block on the interception return — a call bursting with symbolism in a game with 18 penalties over all. The flag negated the long touchdown and instead pinned Michigan State deep in its own territory.

“I guess you can’t block on defense,” Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi quipped.

via Huskers get just-in-time delivery from Martinez – Omaha.com.

Like that joke probably did on the postgame news conference, the penalty flag seemed to have a debilitating effect on Michigan State. Over the final 11 minutes of the game, the Spartans would manage only 26 yards, 1 first down and 0 points. Meanwhile, Nebraska hearts continued throatward pilgrimages.

The Huskers got the ball back with 9:40 to play and drove 56 yards in six running plays — including a timeout-enhanced conversion of a 4th-and-1. Mr. Martinez cut the deficit to 3 on a 35-yard run. And after the Nebraska defense forced Michigan State to punt once more, the Nebraska offense appeared to be driving for the winning score.

That is, until it failed to convert a 4th-and-10 at the Spartans’ 45 with 3:24 left. That choking sensation in Nebraska throats probably spread to necks in western Iowa and southern South Dakota.

With the ball and a slender lead, though, Michigan State played not to lose. Five running plays later, the Spartans’ punter drove the ball into the end zone, setting Nebraska for a final, Mr.-Taylor-intensive drive.

We got the full Taylor at Spartan Stadium.

via Shatel: Martinez may lack glitz, but respect NU’s gladiator – Omaha.com.

It wouldn’t be a Tom Shatel column without a little innuendo. The Full Taylor sounds like something that costs $10 extra on the shadowy parts of Ninth Avenue, south of Penn Station. What it meant in Lansing on Saturday afternoon was something far more anxiety-filled and shame-inducing.

It is true that Nebraska drove 80 yards in nine plays for the winning score. But at the risk of looking a gift horse in the mouth, consider that four of those nine plays were incomplete passes by Mr. Martinez. A fifth play was a run by Mr. Martinez for no gain. A sixth was a questionable pass-interference penalty against Michigan State that gave Nebraska the ball at the 5.

Nine snaps in a minute and a half, and two-thirds of them end in failure, or nearly so.

But what can you say after all the places this team has been?

I thought Nebraska was dead in the water when Michigan State took a 24-14 lead 40 seconds into the fourth quarter. Thought the same thing Sept. 29 when Wisconsin went up 27-10 early in the third quarter. Thought the same thing Oct. 20 when Northwestern led 28-16 with 8:31 left. So why should anybody be surprised…

via Steven M. Sipple: NU makes you crazy, but you can’t fault its fight : Latest Husker News.

Related articles

• Nebraska stuns Michigan State in final seconds (btn.com)
• Huskers pull off another road miracle (nebraskaradionetwork.com)

Who said there was such a thing as a poor sport or sore loser?

Not in the Big Ten Conference.

Fresh off a loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes, Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi was accusing Urban Meyer and his staff of doctoring game film it was required to send the Spartans.

Narduzzi stated that he complained to the Big Ten, but the Spartans associate athletic director John Lewandowski, athletic director Mark Hollis, and Ohio States athletic director Gene Smith settled the issue between them.

According to the Free Press, Narduzzi said that Ohio State cut out pre-snap shifts and motion before plays on the four game tapes sent to East Lansing.

“We had tape cut off all week, where they changed the tape, I’m not gonna lie to you,” Narduzzi said outside the MSU locker room. “They send you tape and they’ve got it all cut off and you don’t get to see shifts or motions or anything else.”

“A few other teams we talked to that they played, and we compared what they were looking at on tape to what we were looking at,” he said. “We’re like ‘We don’t see any of that. We see it on their tape but not on our tape.’ So that’s something I’m sure the Big Ten office will hopefully take care of.”

Big Ten teams are required to provide game film from games they play.

Head Coach Mark Dantoni declined comment.

The Big Ten did not respond when asked to comment.

Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer said he knew nothing about the video tape issue.

“I don’t know anything about that,” Meyer said after his press conference. “I don’t handle the video. What are they saying?”

 

This is Pat Narduzzi’s defense. Michigan State’s unit was sixth nationally in total defense while leading the Big Ten in total defense, rush defense and interceptions. And if, at the end of any particular tackle, pick, sack or humiliation, the Spartans let you know about it, well, we told you Sapp would have loved this.

“It’s really the same style of defense,” said Narduzzi, the Spartans’ high-motor defensive coordinator, “back when Tommy Tuberville was defensive coordinator with Sapp and all those guys.

Click HERE for the full story CBSSports.com

But in the past decade are we starting to see a shift toward the second year of a coaching tenure as the judgment year?   Nick Saban took Alabama from 7-6 to the BCS in his second season.  Bob Stoops and Jim Tressel went from .500 to undefeated national champs in their second year.

For Brady Hoke, everything fell into place in year one.  Michigan won games they had no business winning (Notre Dame, Virginia Tech), avoided major injuries and their biggest rival was hit with sanctions.  While there isn’t a stat for this, Michigan just seemed to get all the favorable bounces in 2011.  Michigan enters 2012 with arguably more momentum than any program in the nation.  They have possibly the leading contender for the Heisman, are ranked in the top ten and have the #1 ranked recruiting class for 2013.  It’s high times for Michigan fans.

When he was hired, I stated things could go either way for Brady Hoke at Michigan.  I’ve actually spoken with a player of Hoke at Ball State and he said Hoke was brilliance as an X and O guy, but was less confident over whether he could run an enterprise like Michigan football.

Being ranked #7 in most preseason polls, I think Michigan is overrated.  But the mere fact they’re in a position to be overrated is a testament to Hoke.  Given their schedule and the tendency for injuries and breaks to even out, I think Michigan takes a step back this fall and finishes 8-4.  Below is my game-by-game predictions.

Alabama – This could be similar to how LSU/Oregon played out in last year’s season opener with Bama playing the role of LSU.  I applaud Michigan for scheduling this game.  The hype will dominate late  August and if Michigan somehow wins, Robinson has poll position for the Heisman.  I think Bama is too big and physical for Michigan’s lines and Bama wins by two touchdowns.

Air Force – Win or lose, there is going to be a letdown following Alabama.  True with any service academy, Air Force is unconventional and dangerous to play with only a week to prepare. Still, Air Force’s best players could only dream of starting for a program like Michigan.  The talent disparity will be too much and Michigan wins going away in the second half.

Massachusetts – Play all the seniors.

@Notre Dame – For the past three seasons, a scrambling Michigan QB has pulled victory from the jaws of defeat against Notre Dame in the final minute.  If you beat a team that finishes with more total yards you’ve probably gotten some luck.  For three consecutive years, ND has finished with more total yards than Michigan yet  they’re 0-3.  If ND outgains Michigan this fall you’d think the odds would be overwhelmingly in their favor.  ND wins late.

BYE

@Purdue –  Poorly coached and lack of talent is a dangerous combination.  Michigan wins by three touchdowns.

Illinois – If we’ve learned anything from the failed Ron Zook experiment, it’s that it’s good to inherit his players.  Hard to believe, but in 2011, Illinois had four of the top 48 players drafted.  Only Alabama and Stanford had more players taken early.  Illinois’s defense could give Michigan some problems but early in the season with a new coaching staff, you figure they can’t up with Michigan offensively.

Michigan State – This is the most important game of 2012 for Michigan.   Win and they’re in the driver’s seat for Indianapolis.  Lose and Sparty has a five game winning streak against UM and they get closer and closer to equal footing with big brother.  State’s defense just keeps getting tougher under defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi but they won’t have enough to stay up with Robinson.  Michigan by a field goal.

@Nebraska – This will be the primetime game under the lights in Lincoln and it comes a week after a rivalry game against State.  I’m not a big Bo Pelini fan, but Nebraska returns a veteran run oriented offense.  Nebraska turned the ball over five times in 2011, I see Michigan returning the favor in October.  Nebraska by 6.

@Minnesota – It’s hard to understand why Minnesota is not more competitive in football.  Minnesota is a big state with no in-state competition and an attractive downtown campus. Michigan wins easily in a potential inclement weather game.

Northwestern – Northwestern may feature one of the best coached offenses in the nation.  But no matter how well coached a team, you still need athletes on defense.  And Robinson is just too athletic for an underrated and dangerous Northwestern team.  Michigan by 8.

Iowa – Iowa could go either direction in 2012.  Ferentz completely overhauled his coaching staff and has a young team. Probably too young to win in the Big House.  Still, if Michigan is going to get upset, Iowa or Northwestern are probably your best bets.  Michigan by 10.

@Ohio State – The Buckeyes had the 107th ranked offense last season.  Hard to imagine until you realize Braxton Miller was a true freshman.  Urban Meyer will help but even if they jumped 75 teams they’d still not have a top 25 offense.  OSU’s defense should be a top 10 unit and keep them in games.  Too much defense and Braxton Miller makes enough plays to win a low scoring game.

The coaches voted Michigan State at the No. 10 spot in their final poll. The sports writers put the Spartans in the 11th slot in the end-of-season ballot.

Heck, the ESPN Big Ten blog placed MSU in the top spot in its final conference power rankings.

But 2011 was a season of so much more than the numbers — it was about the hunger that fueled the Spartans to such levels. It was about the desire to put roses between their teeth and really get a taste of the roses.

Following a BCS snub in 2010, the Spartans took it on and used it only to make them stronger and drive them. And as the 11-2 Big Ten Championship season in 2010 was the realization of success, 2011 became the validation of the success at Michigan State.

Validation in the form of a Legends Division Championship and an Outback Bowl. And what validation it was.

A defining characteristic of a great team is one that wins all the games it is supposed to, and most of the ones it is not expected to win. This team did that. It was favored to win only seven of its games — and it won 11, going 4-3 in ones it was pegged as the underdog.

Maybe that’s because they never once viewed themselves as the underdog — they expect to win.

They certainly expect to beat Michigan, and they did so again in a 28-14 win in convincing fashion.

No player on the current MSU roster has experienced a loss at the hands of in-state rival Michigan. The seniors leave without having lost to the Wolverines — a spotless 4-0 record.

So for that program down the road that pretends Michigan State cannot exist on their level, well, right now they wish we didn’t exist because they haven’t been able to win in four years.

This time, it was at the hands of the fearsome Spartan defense and its “60 minutes of unnecessary roughness” as Pat Narduzzi so proudly worded it. The defense recorded seven sacks, a week after tallying nine as they won against Ohio State for the first time this millennium.

And just as we have come to expect the memorable, the Spartans have a penchant for the dramatic.

Following up Little Giants, the play of the year in college football in 2010, there was the magic of Rocket. Keith Nichol and his round-a-bout journey to wide receiver at MSU were cemented in Spartan lore as he hauled in a Hail Mary and used every ounce of strength to muscle into the end zone.

It likely was the highlight of the 2011 season in college football, in what most people would call the game of the year.

But right up there is the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game. Kirk Cousins played like a man possessed by the most supreme confidence one can hold as he dissected the Badgers. So often criticized as a player who couldn’t show up for the big games on the biggest stage, he tore apart the Wisconsin defense for the second time this season and connected with B.J. Cunningham on three touchdown passes.

Then, in his final game as a Spartan, Cousins drove down the field against Georgia in the Outback Bowl on a game-tying two-minute drill. They overcame the disappointment of missing out on the Rose Bowl after a few missed opportunities against Wisconsin and an inopportune penalty to knock off the Bulldogs and finally get a bowl win in another dramatic win.

The triple overtime victory finally sealed when Anthony Rashad White blocked a field-goal attempt in the third overtime.

“Sparty on! Michigan State sends its senior class out with a bowl win!” will forever give me chills.

Wrapping up the season with a second consecutive 11-win season, a 22-5 record in the past two, and giving the seniors 37 wins in their four-year career — one of many records they set.

Cousins established himself on top of almost every passing category in Michigan State history, while Cunningham took over most major receiving record. Joel Foreman sits in a tie atop the list of most career starts.

They rewrote the history books through their hunger for more and their work to bring the Michigan State program out of the depths of the John L. Smith era.

This chapter of Michigan State football history brought back the legitimacy of a once-proud program, and restored it to its former self. It restored the reality of the Rose Bowl within its reach. It came close twice — very, very close twice — because of the desire of every individual to put a rose between their teeth.

I would dare to say we won’t see a team quite like this one at Michigan State again. We will see the talent. We will see the success. But there is something extra and special about the team that breaks through and validates a program.

It takes hold of the hearts of fans and it remains in memories always because it grips in ways that cannot be forgotten.

For the seniors who graduated, this season was the cap on a truly remarkable four or five years. Their heart, grit, and determination will linger long after they are gone because it is instilled in the underclassmen.

They leave a legacy of winning and seeing things through behind. They set the bar high and they achieved so much.

For the underclassmen who will be the foundation of the program moving forward, it gives them the motivation to move forward. They hunger for more validation and more success — and they expect to get there.

The taste of roses will leave them with an insatiable desire to do everything in their power to reach Pasadena.

They will taste the roses.

#P4RB2013

(Editor’s Note: I would love any input on what this season meant to any of you. If you want to comment with what it means, I will combine all of those and some tweets I have received into a post with those responses.)

The search finally was completed, and Mark Dantonio was introduced as the new coach at Michigan State.The board of trustees, LouAnna K. Simon and former athletic director Ron Mason spoke about him before giving way for his first press conference as the Spartans head coach.

He spoke on the X’s and O’s, his schemes, his past and every other topic a new football coach is required to talk about in such a moment.

But, within his speech, he listed out five ways he would ask his players and the program to work toward success. He had a roadmap in his mind for them to succeed.

He issued challenges, both on the field and off the field, to the people in the program he had just inherited. Here they are:

1. “I think they’re the cornerstones of who we are as a program, what we’ll try to develop, what I try and develop every day. … I want them first to be good people and make good choices, to be morally correct. I’ll stand up here today and tell you that my faith is very, very important to me. Our players will have an opportunity to express that faith at any time they wish to do so.”

Despite having some ups and downs in his tenure so far, there is no doubt under Dantonio the program is filled with players who display strong character and leadership.

You could focus on Kirk Cousins, but we all know the stories about how he has been a three-time captain — even before he was a starter — and Dantonio recast the ballots to make sure the team meant to vote for him. He was the 2011 Lowe’s Senior Class Award winner and at Michigan State did everything from speaking at Campus Crusade to volunteering at Sparrow Hospital.

You could focus on Arthur Ray Jr. who through all of his surgeries and hardships with cancer has displayed strength and courage and was rewarded this season with the 2011 Discover Orange Bowl Courage Award.

Or even the group of players devoted to visiting sick children in the hospital.

Instead, look at Will Gholston, a player who was much maligned following the Michigan game for his actions, and the way he moved forward and showed through the rest of the season the player, and person, he really is. This is a young man with all the talent in the world and who made a mistake, but recognized it and dealt with consequences.

He manned up and went to shake Michigan coach Brady Hoke’s hand after the game and in the following week of practice, knowing he couldn’t play, volunteered to be on the scout team to help the offense prepare

And a player so excited about being at Michigan State he ran to Spartan Stadium as the Wisconsin game ended to celebrate with his teammates — his family.

2. “Second thing is I want our family to be together. … It’s important that our players’ families come together, they know me, our coaches personally. I want to always be able to reach back to somebody who is important in their life and touch them. .. I think it’s very important, whether you’re a manager, a trainer, a football player, you’re the starter, you’re the ninth guy on the team, the president of the university, you all need to show up with passion, you all need to show up with energy, you need to impact somebody else because that’s a personal choice. So family will be very, very important to us, as well.”

If there is one thing you can call the team in 2011, it was a family. From watching them jumping around on the sideline before overtime in the Outback Bowl to Joel Foreman getting Dantonio to start Ray in his place in the season opener against Youngstown State.

Foreman gave up the start, which would have left him with 50 at season’s end, and the Michigan State career record. Instead, his unselfishness and heart for a teammate, and fellow member of the 2007 recruiting class, led him to give a player who inspired him the thing he treasured most.

It runs deeper, in the week-to-week lives of the athletes and in the spontaneous opportunities to share with one another.

Having dinner as a group of offensive lineman is important for the team and their time together off the field helps them play better on the field, said junior Chris McDonald.

Freshman walk-on wide receiver Takudzwa Kubvoruno tweeted this shortly after Michigan State defeated Georgia in the Outback Bowl: “s/o to my bro @KeithNichol7 for the words of encouragement after the game, wishing him the best in life!”

In a moment and time for Nichol to celebrate his final game as a Spartan, his touchdown reception, spend time with his brother and his family, he had words to offer to a younger player for his future at Michigan State.

Even in the past week, the importance of being there for one’s physical family was evident in the newest Spartan DeAnthony Arnett. Arnett, who transferred back to Michigan from Tennessee, came to Michigan State to be closer to his father who has been suffering from various health issues. He wanted his father to be able to come to see him play and to be there for his family as they go through some hard times.

Then there is Jerel Worthy, who declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft a season early Thursday, wanting to help provide his father with proper medical care after he suffered a stroke in 2010.

“My father is dealing with a lot of issues, and that’s one thing that I want to try to do … helping him out and getting him back to being my father, the person that I’ve grown to know,” Worthy said.

But at the same time, Worthy felt strongly for his Spartan family and would have returned for his senior season had Michigan State lost its bowl game — feeling like he owed it to coach Dantonio and the program.

3. “We need to get bigger, stronger, faster to get to where we want to go. We need to be coached at the highest level. Regardless of where we have to go to find that expertise, football is a cutting edge type of game. … I also think that recruiting ties into that. We need to be able to recruit players that can play at the highest level, players that can play at the highest level. That means players that can play at the next level. That needs to be a goal here. I believe we can do that because the resources and the tradition is here.”

Also this week, Pat Narduzzi continued to be an extremely hot commodity on the coaching market as Texas A&M pursued him heavily to become its new defensive coordinator. There is an obvious reason for this: He knows what he is doing. This year, he coached the fifth-ranked defense in the nation and all eleven starters were named to the All-Big Ten teams in some capacity.

And this success was founded in the players who the staff brought to MSU to play defense the way he likes it: hard-nosed and smash-mouth. The recruits under the Dantonio regime have excelled beyond expectations — except maybe those of the staff itself.

They coached up the players and are constantly helping them reach their potential — so well that two precious assistants now are head coaches elsewhere, Don Treadwell (Miami Ohio) and Dan Enos (Central Michigan).

These coaches recruited tough players, and players who could compete with the very best in college football, which was so well displayed against Georgia on Monday. The Spartans went toe-to-toe with a physical imposing and tough SEC team, and came out victorious.

The individual talents brought together have formed one collective unit of outstanding skill and have achieved greatly as a team and as individuals.

As a result, running back Edwin Baker is headed for the NFL early, while rumors float around about cornerback Johnny Adams opting to do the same. And, of course, Worthy is a possible first-round pick.

4. “The next thing I want our players to do is to graduate. That will have the biggest impact on their lives, more than any professional football contract, for the most part, that will have the biggest impact on their lives. Our academics here will be taken very, very seriously.”

A key part of Worthy declaring himself for the NFL Draft was his desire, and his mother’s desire, for him to finish his degree at Michigan State. He is scheduled to graduate in May with his degree in family community services.

Worthy has vowed to his mother he will have his degree within the next two offseasons, and his mother stressed that Jerel earning his degree will be a priority in which agent they hire to represent him.

In 2011, 13 Michigan State players represented the Spartans on the Academic All-Big Ten team. They had a variety of majors and were from all levels of the program.

Cousins, of course, was the headliner as he earned an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship for being named one of 16 recipients of the National Football Foundation’s scholar-athlete awards.

5. “The last thing went to do, probably the most important to a lot of people that are here, I wear this championship ring very, very few times, but I wear it for a reason. I wear it to symbolize what can happen when you have the resources, when you have the players, and most importantly when you have the commitment. … It happens because of a commitment from the players, a belief in values, a belief in themselves. Once you start doing it, it continues. I believe that that can happen here. I truly believe that or I would not have come.”

If there is anything to take away from the graduating senior class, it is they helped turn around the Michigan State program because they bought into what Dantonio was doing day in and day out. They worked and they worked — and in the end, they accomplished.

Under Dantonio, the Spartans have at least one win against every Big Ten opponent — minus the new arrival, Nebraska.

The Spartans are 4-1 against in-state rival Michigan and 3-2 against Notre Dame.

Oh, and don’t forget the 2010 Big Ten Championship and the 2011 Legends Division Championship.

But don’t make the mistake of thinking the championships are finished. Here are comments made by three of the graduating seniors about the future of the program:

Cousins: “The standard has been set at a higher level and I think that’s a good measurement of our senior class as we leave. This program has been built to last now and it’s going to be built for sustained success.”

Cousins: “Coach Dantonio has recruited talent and character, and it’s evident every day. I’m really proud of our senior class for all it has accomplished, but these guys will go on and do bigger and better things. I don’t doubt that. There’s talent everywhere, guys you don’t even know about yet, and they are getting coached and developed just like we have been.”

Nichol: “Michigan State is only going up. There’s not a dropoff after this year. The rest of the Big Ten might hope so, and even though there are a lot of good players leaving, the talent is getting better year by year. I can see it when I look around. I’m really looking forward to watching Michigan State football continue to progress.”

Trenton Robinson: “To go out there and get this bowl win, and leave on top, and get our young guys ready to keep this elite football going, and to build this program to where it should be is a great feeling.Coach D will be in a Rose Bowl, and they will win a Rose Bowl. I can’t wait to watch them next year.”

A little more than five years ago, the new Michigan State coach drew out his challenges for his players and for the program. He explained how he planned to be successful, and what he would do to get there.

He outlined five specific ways for his players and his program to develop, and its safe to say the keys have been — and continue to be — met with incredible success.

On Nov. 27, 2006, he concluded his introductory press conference with this:

“We’ll take our time. We’ll build this the right way. We’ll develop relationships with recruits. We’ll develop relationships with coaches. We already have strong relationships with a lot of people in Michigan, already have strong relationships throughout the Midwest. We’ll go very slowly and walk very boldly and carry a big stick. That’s where we’re coming from. … Thank you very much. Thrilled to be here.”

It is entirely fair to say: We are thrilled to have Mark Dantonio leading Michigan State.

One thing that is a constant in college football is that every year things change. Coaches leave and new coaches get hired. Players graduate, transfer away, declare or get suspended / removed from the team all the while new athletes are committing or transferring in. It’s a never ending process.

Now that the 2011 season is over and the bowls are all played (for the B1G at least), the big news is the comings and goings.  This post is an overview or summary of what’s happening at Michigan State.

COACHING STAFF

Michigan State has found a long-term head coach in Mark Dantonio and with the improvements to his deal made this year, the thought is that we have a coach for life. Dantonio is an excellent coach, but he is also a stand-up guy. He doesn’t really give anyone any shit, but he certainly doesn’t take any either. He’s been criticized for being to lenient with his players, but I don’t agree. He believes in second chances and that isn’t always going to work out. Anyway, Coach D is now and continues to be The Man at MSU for the foreseeable future.

Pat Narduzzi has gotten a ton of press this year, initially for the awesome Spartan defense he oversees, but later for possible coaching gigs at Illinois, Akron and Texas A&M. The good news is that Coach Narduzzi is staying at State. When the right head coaching job finds him, he’s going to take it, but until then, he’s a lynchpin on the MSU coaching staff.

SENIORS

Eligibility runs out. Guys graduate. These are the facts of life in college football. But this class of seniors are amazing. They grew together as a team and collectively changed the culture at Michigan State football. It’s all about the program now. It’s a family, a band of brothers. You hear this time and time again, and these are the guys that led us there. And along the way they beat Michigan four consecutive times and had back-to-back 11-win seasons. Hats off.

These are the guys we’ll be missing next year:

Todd Anderson – Fullback, Garrett Celek – Tight End, Kirk Cousins – Quarterback, B. J. Cunningham – Wide Receiver, Joel Foreman – Offensive Guard, Brian Linthicum – Tight End, Keshawn Martin – Wide Receiver, Jared McGaha – Offensive Line, Keith Nichol – Wide Receiver, Blake Pacheco – Defensive line, Kevin Pickleman – Nose Tackle, Arthur Ray Jr. – Offensive Guard, Trenton Robinson – Safety, Chris D. Rucker – Wide Receiver, Kyle Seldon – Punter, Adam Setterbo – Fullback, Brad Sontag – Wide Receiver, Jonathan Strayhorn – Defensive Tackle

We’ll see some of these guys playing on Sundays, that for sure. And to all of the graduating seniors, good luck and thank you.

LEAVING EARLY

When your stock is at an all-time high, sometimes you’ve got to sell. That is Jerrell Worthy’s plan. #99 will declare for the NFL draft instead of sticking around for his senior season. I don’t think anyone is going to begrudge #99 for his decision. He said he was 50-50 on going pro before the Outback Bowl, but my gut told me it was more like 90-10. He should go in the first round and he’ll be an asset to whichever team gets him. And don’t forget that badass tattoo of a Spartan stomping a wolverine – that’s a man that is all-in.

This one surprised me a bit: Edwin Baker is going to declare for the NFL draft this year. The Rock didn’t have the season he (or I) was hoping for, but it seems like very odd timing to declare. His stock is in no way at it’s highest, and maybe at it’s lowest. He is fast with a great burst, but he’s not the most elusive and he had some bad fumbles this year. Anyway, good luck to Edwin in the pros.

There is a rumor that Johnny Adams is going to declare. I hope not, he’s a major asset. We’ll see.

TRANSFERS

Thus far, I’ve not heard of anyone transferring away from Michigan State, but we do have one incoming transfer that is pretty exciting. DeAnthony Arnett had 24 catches for 242 yards at Tennessee this year, and is moving to State to be near his family while his Dad is battling with health issues. It’s unclear at this point weather the NCAA will allow him to play in 2012 but he will file for a medical hardship waiver.

SUSPENSIONS

Nothing to report here.

RECRUITING

We will get to this a bit later, maybe after signing day when everything is for real. One thing is for sure though, the momentum MSU has built and the level of play is only going to help us attract better and better talent. Dantonio does a great job of looking behind the ratings and highlight videos to find the guys that have the heart to be Spartans.

Go Green!

Narduzzi was heavily courted by Texas A&M’s new coach Kevin Sumlin to become his DC, and was rumored to offer as much as $750K to try and lure him in.

Athletic director Mark Hollis said this on his twitter, “Providing our student-athletes with the best coaching staff & leaders is my responsibility. Appreciate Coach D and all that he gives to MSU.”

He also added this, “Great to have Coach Narduzzi at MSU. He is ready to be a head coach at a big time program. That will be his next move. He is all Spartan.”

Narduzzi and Mark Dantonio released a statement on msuspartans.com

“I share the same feelings that our players and coaches have that there’s some unfinished business to take care of here. We’re all driven to win the Big Ten Championship and win a Rose Bowl,” Narduzzi said.

The release from Michigan State is available here.

No word on how much Narduzzi will be making at Michigan State with the latest developments. His initial raise was going to bring him to about $300K, but it now could be up closer to $500K.

Good sign from the athletic department after what I wrote earlier today, “Support from President Simon and our BOT has been locked in. We are on the same page in the direction of our Athletic Department.” — Mark Hollis

Reports have surfaced saying Pat Narduzzi was in College Station, Tex., interviewing for the defensive coordinator position at Texas A&M on Thursday.

Billy Luici, of TexAgs.com, first reported it. Narduzzi already has been the hot name on the market for head coaching vacancies in the past month or so, including Illinois, Pitt and Akron. It was rumored he interviewed at all three, but Dantonio said he only interviewed at one school, which turned out to be Akron.

Eventually, Narduzzi elected to stay at Michigan State, or so was the understanding. Turns out he still is listening to offers.

It is entirely understandable to have a coach bolt for a head coaching gig elsewhere, Don Treadwell and Dan Enos already did that, and it even looks good that a program’s coaches become highly sought after. However, if Narduzzi looks at leaving to take the same position at another school, well, that is just plain embarrassing and unacceptable on the part of Michigan State.

If he does head south for the gig at Texas A&M, there are only two possible reasons: the Aggies are joining the SEC, putting him on the top stage especially for defenses, or the dollar signs thrown at him. In this case: Money talks.

Narduzzi currently makes $235,000 as the DC on Mark Dantonio’s staff at Michigan State. Texas A&M reportedly will offer $600,000 but might go as high as $750 to 800K. If this is the case, gulp, we might be in trouble.

If the administration is to preach the Rose Bowl as the goal, and wants to be a perennial power in the Big Ten and even an elite program, it has to start paying out as if it means business. Real business.

It’s time to start backing up the coaches and compensating them accordingly.

Michigan State is 44-22 under Dantonio and with Narduzzi leading the defense. Every single thing this team has accomplished he has been a part of. A Big Ten championship, a Legends Division championship, and a 22-5 record (14-2 Big Ten) in the past two seasons.

Yet in 2011, five head coaches made more than the entire Michigan State coaching staff combined ($3,597,050) — including Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz (who is making out like a bandit at $3,785,000).

Narduzzi coached the defense to a top-five national ranking this season, but doesn’t rank among the top-five highest paid defensive coordinators in the Big Ten conference, even after a raise Dantonio said his assistants will be receiving (which supposedly will put him in the $300K range.)

This is absurd to say someone making that much money is underpaid, but the reality of sports as a business is money spent is an investment.

To invest in Narduzzi to stay, even if it is only for one more year, is sending the message that the Michigan State football program is fully backed by the athletic department and in order to compete at a top level, will pay the people to bring it and keep it there.

As that level is sustained, the football program brings in increased revenue based on its successes and national attention.

The Michigan State athletic department is entirely self-sufficient and receives no state or university funds (in other words, it doesn’t receive any of a student’s tuition), so it relies on private funding (i.e. The Spartan Fund) and revenue it generates from things such as ticket sales.

The football program brought in $45,040,778 in 2010-11, according to this report from businessofcollegesports.com (Check out the chart, it’s quite interesting). Of that revenue, 38.68 percent was invested back into the program and the rest was allocated elsewhere to help fund other sports and the athletic department.

Here is a crazy thought on the allocation of resources, scrap the plan on the new scoreboard for Spartan Stadium — costing a whopping $8 million — and use some of that money to keep Narduzzi, who just so happens to be one of the best recruiters on the staff as well, in green and white.

As nice as physical investments and shiny new gadgets might be, the product put on the field by the Michigan State program is far more important and that is where investments needs to go. The coaches who help challenge, mentor and coach the young Spartan football players are essential to the continued success of the program and need to be treated as such.

Some other potential upgrades — which might include a recruiting room and locker room renovations — would be aimed at improving the program and are directed at building the future of Michigan State football, and that is a much better indication that the athletic department knows it has to spend to compete for recruits and coaches. But that has to start now with Narduzzi, if he seriously would go to Texas A&M for the money, Michigan State has to be willing to pay him to keep him.

The Aggies new coach Kevin Sumlin recognizes Narduzzi’s coaching brilliance, and we already have him and know it better than anyone — other than the teams who faced the ferocious Spartans defense this season.

It’s time for Michigan State to pony up and show Narduzzi the Benjamins, if you will, because the man is among the best in the nation at what he does and the product rang true all season from a Spartans defense unlike any other.

If the administration wants to cash in on success and the money that comes with it, it’s time to put some cash into building toward increased success.

To be taken seriously, it requires spending seriously … Go Green!

(Editor’s Note: All Big Ten salary statistics do not include Northwestern or Penn State, as Northwestern is a private school and such information is not required to be made public, and Pennsylvania law does not require schools to make the information public.)

A note on Mark Hollis from my research

Turns out, athletic director Mark Hollis is the lowest-paid Big Ten AD in base salary, according to this report from the Chicago Tribune and a little digging of my own.

This is insane when you think about it. Hollis is BRILLIANT. He is the marketing genius responsible for the Carrier Classic — which other school’s are picking up as well moving forward, the Cold War hockey game in 2001 at the Big House, and Basketbowl at Ford Field in 2003 against Kentucky.

Oh, and he sticks up for his guys. Check out this piece on how he went to bat for Dantonio, Narduzzi and Will Gholston in the week following the Michigan game this season. Any school would be lucky to have him at the helm of its athletic department.

The Spartans defense is really, really good. And really, really physical. Its physicality will have to be at a high level against Georgia if it wants to do its part in winning the Outback Bowl.

Narduzzi, the king of blitzing, has his work cut out for him against an offense with a solid quarterback and a good pair of running backs. But the strength of this defense all season has been staying true to itself and forcing an offense to change its game plan. Most recently, Wisconsin got away from running the ball in the second and third quarters — as they did in both meetings.

Because the Michigan State defense knows its strengths and plays within itself, the game plan will be the same as it has been — a lot of blitzing and hard hitting.

Georgia offense

The Bulldogs offense is a pro-style offense and runs out of the I-formation as its base, but plenty of shotgun will be featured.

They like to run a lot, which makes sense based on the gargantuan Georgia offensive line — which has been talked about plenty. They average 6-foot-3 and 329 pounds, but they also allow a lot of sacks.

Georgia features a solid stable of running backs, led by SEC freshman of the year Isaiah Crowell and Richard Samuel. Crowell is the scarier back of the two, he has more speed than the bigger Samuel, and runs between the tackles with great cutback ability. He also has the speed to get around the edge, while Samuel mostly runs straight ahead.

Crowell clearly can present problems, but also has a tendency to go down with the first tackler — not reflected well in a highlight reel.

Because of an effective run game, the Bulldogs keep the ball for the majority of the game and consistently run more plays than their opponent. Also, they get the ball back a lot because their defense allows opponents to convert only 29 percent of third-down attempts.

As Narduzzi has noted, it is a quick passing offense. They do not run a tremendous amount of deep routes, and prefer to get the ball out of Murray’s hands quickly. He completes a little less than 60 percent of his passes to a variety of weapons. The scariest is All-American tight end Orson Charles, who is a quick and athletic weapon. Murray looks to him off play-action and down the hashmarks between the safeties most often.

Tavares King, Michael Bennett and Malcolm Mitchell are the leading wide receivers, King leads the team with seven touchdowns. A secondary tight end, Aron White, probably is the number one red zone threat. He has nine receptions, four of which went for touchdowns.

Murray has decent mobility, and Georgia will run some option-reads for him and the Bulldogs also like to run reverses once or twice a game, to Mitchell or King.

Against the run

Georgia is going to run behind its big offensive line and set up the play-action early — because Murray expects to air it out against the Spartans. The advantage Michigan State has is its secondary can effectively play man coverage against its wide receivers.

Oh, and the No. 12 rushing defense in the nation doesn’t hurt either. (Take out a couple games against Montee Ball, and it is a top-five rush defense.)

The Spartans have been great against the run primarily because they get into the backfield well. Jerel Worthy creates pressure and generally takes up two blockers, while getting a good push. This allows players like Will Gholston, Max Bullough, Chris Norman and Denicos Allen to make a lot of plays on the runners. Gholston uses his length to get leverage on blockers, and the three linebackers make a lot of plays on running backs. Opposing backs rarely get into the secondary.

The goal will be no different in this game: Stop the run. The game plan will center around good tackling on Crowell and not letting him break into the secondary, where he can be shifty and make moves.

The size of the offensive line will present a challenge to stop the run game in the Outback Bowl. If that offensive line gets a good push and wins the battle in the trenches, Crowell will have an outstanding game. Narduzzi is no fool, though, he will dial up run blitzes in the gaps between the tackles to plug up running holes.

Bullough and Allen both will be prominent in the schemes to stop the run, which is fitting, because they also will be central in the game plan to stop the Georgia passing attack.

Against the pass

Good news for Michigan State, Murray is somewhat bipolar in his performances. Bad news, when he is hot, he is fantastic and arguably the best quarterback in the SEC.

As mentioned above, the passing game is a quick one, where they try to have Murray to get the ball out quickly. That said, Murray takes plenty of sacks — averaging 26 in the past two seasons. Which plays directly into the strength of the Spartans defense which loves to get after the passer to the tune of 40 sacks — good for seventh in the country.

Michigan State will want to put Murray into third-and-long situations and force him to take more time to throw, giving the defense the chance to really put pressure on him and racks up some sacks — and force mistakes. Murray threw 12 picks this year, and seems to do what Kirk Cousins did a lot of last year with forcing throws.

The losses of Kevin Pickelman and Jonathan Strayhorn will have an impact on the pressure up the middle, but Anthony Rashad White and Micajah Reynolds will do plenty in replacing them. The only question will be if more snaps for Worthy and White will result in them wearing down toward the end of the game. Those three will be essential in plugging up the gaps and fighting off blocks.

Gholston and Marcus Rush will get chances to line up against Justin Anderson, who has struggled against quicker, more athletic defensive ends. Gholston will be an enormous key with his size and length to get by blockers. The more he gets in the backfield, the better the game will go.

Georgia will have to keep a tight end to block and use its fullback in pass protection, as well. Charles will not be used in pass protection as often as his backups, because Murray will look to him frequently. Norman will have his job cut out for him in stopping Charles in the short passing game on out routes, and he will do a good job of wrapping him up. If Charles gets down the seams, it will be up to Isaiah Lewis and Trenton Robinson to cover him. A lot of attention is going to be paid to Charles.

The wide receiving core is reliable and good, but not great and not very scary. Given that Johnny Adams and Darqueze Dennard are tremendous cover corners, they should have a relative lockdown on the wide receivers.

Narduzzi is going to trust his corners and bring pressure on Murray from every conceivable angle, and often. It probably won’t be anything that hasn’t already been seen — A-gap blitzes with Bullough and Allen, corner blitzes with Adams, and Allen blitzing off the edge.

The defense will seek to get into Murray’s face quickly and put him under pressure on nearly every play. Pressure turns into sacks and turnovers … see Oct. 15, 2011 against Michigan.

Overall

The greatest constant on the 2011 edition of the Michigan State has been the defense. It is characterized by its aggressiveness, pressure and physicality. And it will be nothing different against Georgia.

The size up front of Georgia will present a test, but blitzing in the usual manners, the Spartans should put ample pressure on Murray. The defense should win the battle against Georgia and put the team in a very good position to win.

**A Beautiful Day for Football did a bit of a film breakdown of Georgia here. It is worth checking out as it furthers my breakdowns.**

1. Andrew Maxwell will play and get good reps.

Important: Yes. Exciting: Yes. Personally, I am really ready to see Maxwell more. I love Kirk Cousins and the player and leader he is and has been, but Maxwell’s ceiling is higher. That is not a knock on Cousins, but a statement of the talent behind him. Seeing Maxwell get a chance to run the offense — with the starters and in a game situation — will be good for Spartans fans to get a gauge on the player who will take over next season. Also, if anyone remembers this, in the spring game there were times where Keshawn Martin lined up at quarterback and Maxwell at receiver — one play was a pass downfield to Maxwell, the other was a pitch to Maxwell who then throw downfield. Could we see these type of things? Wouldn’t put it past the stoic Mark Dantonio — especially because those plays are not on game film for Georgia to scout.

2. Isaiah Lewis is incredibly mature — beyond his years, and probably mine.

I don’t want to say too much on this right now because I plan on posting something soon about him and why I am so impressed with his reaction to the post-Wisconsin drama.

3. Micajah Reynolds is impressing greatly at defensive tackle.

Good news because if Jerel Worthy does leave, the Spartan defense will need a force in the middle next year. Reynolds supposedly is practicing so well that Pat Narduzzi has all but declared Reynolds isn’t moving back to offense.

4. Tony Lippett is practicing at wide receiver again.

Not a real surprise. MSU is deep in the secondary with a lot of young players. Lippett is a tall target with a lot of athletic ability and speed who is best served making plays offensively. With the graduation of Martin, B.J. Cunningham and Keith Nichol, Lippett factors into MSU’s plans heavily moving forward.

5. The size of the Georgia offensive line and Aaron Murray’s ability to get the ball out quickly concerns Narduzzi.

As it should, they are huge and he is talented. But, I expect MSU to get pressure with Denicos Allen off the edge — who the big blockers cannot keep up with in quickness. Murray getting the ball out quickly, well, that means a little less blitzing might be the recipe in this game…but I cannot see Narduzzi altering that style too much. This MSU defense vs. Georgia offense is something I will go in depth with in the next week or so.

6. Top young players impressing coaches.

This new always is a highlight of bowl practice. Let me remind you, Cunningham was the talk of the 2007 bowl practices.

Quote from Narduzzi from this press release: “And then some of the young guys, again, there’s been a bunch of them. We haven’t had as many of those young day practices as we have in the past because of that championship week. But Lawrence Thomas stands out to me. He’s a big, physical guy that had a chance for at least two days this week to step up and play. He’s physical, gets the defense lined up, tough. He’s done a nice job.

Ed Davis and Darien Harris are going to be three excellent linebackers for us, all three of those guys with LT. That is a good linebacking corps. I think I may have told you back in the fall, I don’t think we missed on one kid on defense last year, so every freshman that came in I could say something about, whether it’s Trae Waynes or R.J. Williamson, is going to be a great safety for us, and both those guys will play a lot for us next year, I can tell you right now.

And then on the defensive line, Damox Knox, every one of them, James Kittredge, Brandon Clemons, Shilique Calhoun, he gets in the other day against the one offense, and he’s in two plays, he gets a sack. He’s going to be a great player for us. So we’ve got a lot of guys here that have showed up, and they show up every day on the scout team. Our offense tells us about it. So we don’t need a bowl practice to find out if those guys are players are not. They do it every day I hope.”

Quote from Dan Roushar from the same release: “Andrew Maxwell and Connor Cook have done some really nice things, you see some really positive things, and I guess they’re younger because they haven’t gotten a lot of work. … A lot of things we would have loved to have had early in the year. Keith Mumphery has had a couple of very good days. He’s shown a lot of improvement and showing confidence, so that’s positive. Nick Hill  has run the ball in there, and that’s been good.

Our offensive line, although we don’t have a lot of healthy bodies, young guys that are working in there, I think Donavon Clark is showing some real positive things. So we’ll continue to kind of watch these guys grow.”

All in all, this is enough to get anyone excited about the future of MSU football — also a good reminder why this recruiting class for 2012 is low in number and very specific to positions requiring a little more depth or attention.

Juwan Caesar had foot surgery Friday to repair a previous injury that had not healed properly.

The 6-foot-4 Caesar , a three-star recruit in 2011 out of Miami Coral Park High School, broke his foot in his senior year and had a cast on it, but the Michigan State medical staff determined it had not healed and required surgery.

A time of recovery is not know, but Caesar should be back well before fall practices, and it probably is safe to assume he will be ready for spring practices.

Here is why this matters:

I don’t know if it’s crazy to say, but he has flashes of B.J. Cunningham in his jumping ability and hands. He also resembles Cunningham in his speed — it takes a few steps to get up to full speed. Either way, this is an exciting player who MSU fans should be very, very excited about.

Ray receives award

Offensive lineman Arthur Ray Jr. has been named the winner of the 2011 Discover Orange Bowl/Football Writers of Association of America Courage Award.

Diagnosed with bone cancer before coming to MSU, Ray went through nine surgeries — including four bone grafts — as well as several sessions of chemotherapy.

The award will be presented Jan. 3 at the Orange Bowl coaches luncheon in Miami, and Ray will be honored again Jan. 4 during the Orange Bowl game. Read more here.

This video from the Big Ten Network also is really good and tells his story.

Narduzzi no longer a candidate at Akron

Rumors had linked defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi to the job opening at Akron, but he has removed himself from consideration according to CBS’s Bruce Feldman. Next problem, Narduzzi now is rumored to have interviewed for the coaching vacancy at Pitt.

Keep crossing your fingers that the right opportunity doesn’t present itself yet, frankly, Mark Dantonio’s staff cannot afford to lose another one of its top recruiters — not to mention a fantastic defensive coordinator.

Besides, the assistant coaches are due to receive raises in early 2012.

Big Ten Network recaps the MSU season

BTN’s Tom Dienhart broke down the 2011 Michigan State football season and its highpoint and lowpoint in this story. Check it out.

Spartans offer two at junior day

Mark Dantonio hosted many top high school juniors Saturday, and at least two left with scholarship offers. Flint Carman Ainsworth running back Gerald Holmes and Avon (Ind.) defensive end Elijah Daniel are the newest members of the 2013 class to receive offers from Michigan State.

Birmingham Brother Rice linebacker Jon Reschke was expected to be in attendance, but did not make it. He already holds an offer.

Football seniors honored at halftime (This is a note from Saturday’s basketball recap)

Mark Dantonio was joined at halftime on the court by some of the senior members of the football team. They were honored for their achievements as the winningest class in school history. Here is a pretty cool photo from the MSU football Twitter account. And here is another.

Not only was this a much deserved move — which frankly should have taken place with students on campus to give these players a proper ovation — but a smart one on Dantonio’s part given the large number of potential recruits at the game (which likely was why it took place Saturday and not when students returned to campus).

At the end of his short speech, Dantonio said, “Go Green. Beat Georgia!”

Basketball moves up in AP Poll

The Spartans men’s basketball team moved up to No. 19 in the polls after its win against Bowling Green. The team previously was ranked No. 21. Michigan stayed at No. 20.

Neitzel sees playing time in first preseason game

Former MSU guard Drew Neitzel played four minutes in the Dallas Mavericks’ loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. He was 0-for-1 from the field. He is a longshot to make the roster, as he is competing with at least two other guards to be Jason Kidd’s backup.

**This will be updated throughout the day**

After defeating Gonzaga on Saturday night, the Michigan State men’s basketball team moved to No. 21 in The Associated Press Top 25, and No. 23 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. The Spartans are off until Saturday, when they face Bowling Green at Breslin Center.

Wood keeps diary for hometown paper

Brandon Wood has been chronicling his times at Michigan State for the Kokomo Perspective. Check out his latest post here.

Green named Big Ten Player of the Week

Draymond Green was named player of the week in the Big Ten after his 34-point showing at Gonzaga. This is the second time he has won the award in his career.

Neitzel, Summers invited to NBA training camps

Former Spartans guard Drew Neitzel signed with the Dallas Mavericks yesterday. Durrell Summers also was in the news as he was invited to the Charlotte Bobcats training camp. Read the story from the Free Press here.

Michigan State hockey downs Michigan in shootout

The No. 15 Spartans hockey team defeated Michigan on Saturday night in a shootout. They played to a 3-3 tie in regulation, but gained an extra point in the standings by winning the shootout. Goalie Drew Palmisano stopped all three Michigan attempts in the shootout, giving the Spartans the win.

Michigan defeated MSU on Friday night in Ann Arbor by a score of 4-3.

Narduzzi sticking around…for now

The Illinois job for which Narduzzi was considered a top candidate went to Toledo’s Tim Beckman — which is a relief for Spartan Nation. But, it is not the last job he will be mentioned as a candidate for, in fact, another already has surfaced. Akron has a head coach vacancy and Narduzzi is said to be a candidate — though he has said there has been no contact between himself and the school. He did say he was recruiting this weekend.

Pickelman, Strayhorn out for Outback Bowl

Defensive tackles Kevin Pickelman and Jonathan Strayhorn are out with injuries for the Outback Bowl. Pickelman had been a starter next to Jerel Worthy all season, and will be missed. This brings a question of depth for the defensive tackle position, as Micajah Reynolds will be the backup behind Worthy and Anthony Rashad White on Jan. 3. This will be something to pay attention to, as Worthy is used to having snaps off every now and then, so keeping him fresh will be key.

McShay breaks down Kirk Cousins and the 2012 quarterback class

In a piece on ESPN.com, Todd McShay evaluated quarterbacks that are graded at a third-round level or higher. Cousins, while at the bottom of the list, was among the seven quarterbacks.

“He has adequate size and arm strength, and Cousins is mechanically sound with outstanding intangibles. However, he’s inconsistent under pressure and lacks elite overall tools. He’s helped his stock with a strong senior season, but his ceiling is not as high as most of the quarterbacks rated above him. ” – Todd McShay

Nichol hearing from scouts, but not as a wide receiver

According to Chris Vannini’s blog Green Thoughts, Keith Nichol has been talked to by scouts about playing defense. Given the transition he made to wide receiver with such ease, this great athlete could probably work hard enough to make it at any position. Also, should be something to pay attention to during bowl practices — maybe Nichol will spend a bit of time on the defensive side.

Dantonio in Ohio, misses presser

Spartan coaches and a few players were made available earlier today to the media…at Outback Steakhouse in Okemos. Amusing, first off. The absence of Dantonio was not entirely surprising, but what he was doing in Ohio is open to speculation. Given that four-star commitment Se’Von Pittman took an official visit to Ohio State this weekend, it is plenty possible that he is meeting with Pittman. It also is just as possible that he is visiting family.

Madaris in East Lansing

Four-star wide receiver Monty Madaris, one of the top targets of the Michigan State staff for its final few scholarship spots, was in East Lansing this weekend. According to his Twitter, he will know by next month where he is headed to play next year.

It has been reported that he interviewed at Illinois — and rumor has it, he is rather interested in the job. Frankly, him leaving is not good news for MSU based on what we saw from the defense this season under his tutelage. Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas has been quoted as saying they wanted to have a new coach in place before its bowl game (Dec. 31, Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl vs. UCLA).

This article from The Daily Illini reports that Narduzzi and Wisconsin offensive coordinator Paul Chryst are the two finalists.

If he leaves, fully expect his replacement to be hired from within — something that Dantonio seems to favor and would make sense in order to keep a defensive system/understanding as in place as possible for a team that gets it, and executes it so well.

2. Jerel Worthy.

The big man in the middle likely will go pro, in my opinion. I hope I am wrong. He probably won’t make this decision for a little while, I suspect until after the bowl game and he has kept his cards close until now, offering little indication of any lean. He has made statements post-Big Ten Championship Game with the phrase “next year” in them, but also says he has not made up his mind yet. But, as a projected first round pick by anyone who matters, Worthy’s last game in the green and white might be the Outback Bowl.

That said, I will join the Izzone members: ONE MORE YEAR!

3. Recruiting.

To put it bluntly, Brady Hoke is cleaning house in his first year at Michigan. Urban Meyer is coming to Ohio State. Mark Dantonio has to compete with both of those coaches for players now. The wonderful thing for MSU fans, and a source of great comfort, is how well he has done the past four years with his classes — and that was without the proven Big Ten success he now has to show recruits. That said, this class is a smaller one for MSU because it only loses 17 seniors (great players, but an amazingly low total). There might be three more scholarship openings, so expect Dantonio and his staff to be very judicious with the players the still have interest in.

Keeping Se’Von Pittman is essential. Meyer is courting him heavily since taking the Buckeyes job.

Monty Madaris, a Scout.com four-star wide receiver from Ohio (Cincinnati Moeller — same high school as Greg Jones and Marcus Rush), is at the top of this list and will be visiting East Lansing on Dec. 10. He also is visiting Michigan and Cincinnati according to Mike Dyer of Cincinnati.com. Amara Darboh, from Des Moines, Iowa, committed to Hoke in the past couple days, and he had an MSU offer on the table, so to pick up Madaris would be a nice catch for Michigan State but I don’t have the best feeling about him coming to East Lansing.

Dantonio has addressed the need for wide receivers well thus far, with Aaron Burbridge, MacGarrett Kings (three-star from Florida who has recently picked up an offer from Georgia and is getting interest from Auburn) and Kyle Kerrick (three-star from Pennsylvania). Adding Madaris would be great, given the losses of B.J Cunningham, Keshawn Martin and Keith Nichol are going to hurt and leave the core of the offense a bit depleted.

The other two names constantly thrown around throughout the fall were running back/linebacker Tevin Coleman (Oak Forest, Ill.) and safety Jordan Diggs (Cape Coral Island Coast HS, Fla.).

Coleman has been on campus a few times now and the Spartans have a good chance of picking up a commitment from the three-star recruit.

Diggs, a four-star All-American, visited for the Indiana game, according to the Detroit Free Press. It has been said that Dantonio wants to add a safety to this class, so Diggs is right at the top of this list for the Spartans wants. Demetrious Cox (Jeannette, Penn.) is the other top safety targeted by Dantonio.

Matt Dorsey from the Free Press broke down the MSU situation well and named some players they remain high on, including Diggs and Cox, a couple of weeks ago.

Moral of the story: Keep Pittman. Get Madaris. Get Coleman. Get Diggs. Get maybe one other player. That’s a wrap on another good recruiting class that continues to solidify and strengthen the program Dantonio is building.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi is the favorite, while Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano and Toledo head coach Tim Beckham are also being considered.

Narduzzi has done an incredible job with the Spartans’ defense this season. Despite losing several key players from last season, the Michigan State defense is tops in the Big Ten and ranks third overall in the country behind only Alabama and LSU. Narduzzi also has a history with Illinois Athletic Director Mike Thomas as the two overlapped at Cincinnati in 2005 and 2006.

Schiano is another interesting candidate. He has been at Rutgers since 2001 and has turned a lowly program into one that regularly appears in bowl games.

Meanwhile, Beckham has overhauled a Toledo program, leading to bowl-eligibility the last two seasons.

Wisconsin offensive coordinator Paul Chryst also figures to be a serious candidate. He’s widely considered as one of the top assistants in the country and has previously been considered for head coaching jobs at Purdue and Pittsburgh. Last year, Texas courted him hard to become the Longhorns’ offensive coordinator, but Chryst chose to stay in Madison.