The Spartans face Minnesota this week, and this fills me up with mixed feelings. On the one hand, this is supposed to be an easy win, so that means the Spartans should be able to "bounce back" from last week's debacle. On the other hand, this is supposed to be an easy win, so it's one of the those games that won't make Spartan nation feel very good about ourselves. It's like getting your arse kicked by the strongest kid on the playground and then taking it out on the playground weakling. That ain't right. It ain't right if it happens on playgrounds, and it don't feel right when it happens in football.
Sticking with the playground metaphor, haven't we all been witness to the scene where everyone on the playground crowds around to see the "toughy" beat down the weakling, only to see the weakling fight back and give the toughy a bloody nose that sends him running to the school nurse? I know I've witnessed such outcomes -- at least twice. So, does this part of the metaphor apply to MSU vs Minnesota? Probably not.
Actually, if the game was in Minnesota, I might warn the Spartans that they could end up with a bloody nose. But this game is in East Lansing, and while Minnesota may start the game out playing tougher than expected, I expect this game to be over by the third quarter. Minnesota is simply overmatched in terms of athleticism. So, even if they play well most of the game, even if they scheme well most of the game, the Spartans will score enough points on big plays to win this game. But more than that, I think the Gophers won't catch the Spartans off guard like they did Iowa.
I expect MSU's defense to get very close to pitching a shutout. I expect several sacks and few total yards allowed. I expect MSU to run the ball effectively and I expect the passing game to get back on track. The Spartan receivers should be able to get open this week and Cousins should have a big game. The only way MSU loses this game is if the coaches blow it again. In the end, I just want to get this game over with and move on to Iowa, where a Spartan victory would mean many good things.
Prediction: MSU 31 Minnesota 7
The Minnesota Offense is terrible, like beyond terrible. Nearly FAU terrible. Although, I'm not sure anything is quite that bad. I want to call for the shutout, but jeez, how can you EXPECT a shutout. That's just crazy talk.
ReplyDeleteI don't think we cover though, I think we run and run and run and run.
As my tone may reveal, I still haven't gotten over last week's game. I really wish we were playing Iowa right now. A victory over Iowa would really mean something. It would mean we are almost guaranteed to take care of our end of things, and then it's up to Nebraska to lose. A victory over Minnesota means we increase our hopes a little more, before we go blow it in Iowa City. I'm sorry, I just can't seem to shake my cynicism this week.
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