Significance of Today

Today, the Spartans play the second biggest game of the past decade.  Only one other game stands ahead: the beatdown at the hands of Alabama in last year's Capital One bowl.  Had they beaten Alabama, the Spartans would have finished 12-1, and they probably would have finished ranked in the top 5 and would have started this year in the top 5.  Oh, a victory in that game would have meant so many things.

But, you can't always get everything you want, and at least the Spartans have another shot at greatness, today.  They face a Wisconsin team that is ranked number 4 in the country and that appears unbeatable.  Few people give the Spartans a chance, many expect a blowout.  As I wrote in my preview, however, MSU has a good chance to win this game.  The Spartans have looked really good this year, even though they have played relatively undisciplined to this point.  They have played so dominantly that the numerous turnovers and penalties only cost them the Notre Dame game.  If they play disciplined today, they have an excellent chance to win this game.

And what would a victory today mean? Well, first, it would propel MSU into the top 10 of the national rankings.  The Spartans would probably jump all the way up to number 10 and considering the teams they would have beaten 3 weeks in a row they would be fully deserving of that ranking. 

More than being a top 10 team in the polls, I think a victory would mean that MSU has become a top 10 program.  That is, MSU could claim that they have become a program that year after year can expect to finish in the top 10 and that could legitimately compete for the national championship.  A victory today would confirm that last season's 11-2 record was no fluke.  A victory today would confirm that Mark Dantonio is an elite coach.  He's not Barry Alvarez, as I suggested a few weeks ago.  A victory would suggest that MSU skipped the Barry Alvarez stage and jumped all the way to the Brett Bielema stage of program building.  If true, then we better start worrying about some SEC school trying to swoop in and steal Dantonio.  Not kidding about that.