Preview of Outback Bowl: MSU vs Georgia

We are now mere days away from seeing the Spartans play the Georgia Bulldogs in the Outback Bowl, and I can hardly wait.  This should be one of the most exciting bowl games of the season.  We're looking at two teams that are pretty evenly matched, and we're looking at two talented and well-coached teams.

Offensively, these teams are pretty even.  Georgia is ranked 32nd in term of total offense, averaging 32.2 points per game.  MSU is ranked 38th in the country, averaging 30.8 points per game.  Georgia is also ranked 32nd in the country in rushing offense, averaging 172.7 yards per game; while MSU is ranked 65th in the country, averaging 142.9 yards per game.  Georgia is ranked 35th in the country in passing, averaging 241.2 yards per game; while MSU is ranked 33rd in the country in passing, averaging 247.5 yards per game.

Defensively, these teams are also pretty even.  Georgia has the country's 17th ranked defense, while MSU has the 9th ranked defense.  Georgia's run defense is ranked 17th, allowing 103.4 yards per game; while MSU's run defense is ranked 18th, allowing 104.3 yards per game.  Georgia's passing defense is ranked 11th, allowing 165.1 yards per game; while MSU's passing defense is ranked 14th, allowing 168.4 yards per game.

Of course, these rankings don't tell the whole story.  These teams are playing in different conferences, so perhaps their stats cannot be validly compared.  MSU fans also know that over the last 5 games, MSU's running game and total offense have vastly improved.  Indeed, MSU put up 39 points on Wisconsin (which has one of the top defenses in the country) in the B1G championship game.  MSU fans also know that the Spartans' defensive numbers would look better if MSU had not played Wisconsin's top 4 offense twice this season.  On the other hand, surely there are things Georgia fans know that I don't know.  Surely they've seen their team play better than the way they played against LSU -- the one game I saw Georgia play this year.

So what's the takeaway?  Basically, it is that: it's hard to predict the outcome of this game.  In fact, I can't do much more than go with gut instincts on this one  -- there's just too much uncertainty.  If MSU was playing any Big Ten team this week, I would actually say the probabilities are clearly on the Spartans' side.  But Georgia is a top-tier SEC team that could be better than any Big Ten team, or at least it is no worse than the Big Ten's top 2 teams.  In fact, this game really should tell us a lot about where the Spartans are as a program.  If MSU can beat Georgia, I think that it will be a very good indication that MSU has become a top 10 program.  If MSU loses it's fifth bowl game in a row, it clearly shows that MSU has a lot farther to go than I thought.

So what do my guts say?  Well, they say that MSU is an excellent team that can compete with the best of the SEC teams -- save perhaps Alabama and LSU.  I think MSU has the advantage at key positions (particularly quarterback) and thus will win this game -- but it will be a thriller, not unlike the B1G championship.

Final prediction: MSU 37  Georgia 34

A Look at Next Year: Defensive Backs

Today, I will take a look at next year’s defensive backs.  Like most units, this unit should be pretty solid next year. 

5              Johnny Adams         CB            5-11         175          JR            Akron, Ohio - Buchtel

12            Dana Dixon              CB            6-2           170          SO           Detroit, Mich. - Renaissance

32            Mitchell White        CB            5-11         180          JR            Livonia, Mich. - Stevenson

33            Jeremy Langford     CB            5-11         205          RS FR      Wayne, Mich. - John Glenn

31            Darqueze Dennard  CB            5-11         185          SO           Dry Branch, Ga. - Twiggs County

36            Arjen Colquhoun     CB            6-0           187          FR            Windsor, Ontario - 

15            Trae Waynes           CB            6-0           165          FR            Kenosha, Wis. - Bradford

14            Tony Lippett            CB/WR    6-2           189          RS FR      Detroit, Mich. - Crockett

35            Chris Laneaux          DB           5-11         180          FR            Kalamazoo, Mich. - Portage Northern

39            Trenton Robinson   S              5-10         195          SR            Bay City, Mich. - Bay City Central

6              Mylan Hicks            S              5-11         191          RS FR      Detroit, Mich. - Renaissance

9              Isaiah Lewis            S              5-10         195          SO           Indianapolis, Ind. - Ben Davis

23            Jairus Jones             S              6-1           209          SO           Tampa, Fla. - Wharton

26            RJ Williamson         S              5-10         182          FR            Middletown, Ohio - Dunbar

27            Kurtis Drummond   S              6-1           196          RS FR      Masury, Ohio – Hubbard

As we can see from the list above, the only significant losses for next year are senior safety Trenton Robinson and Tony Lippett, who will be making the permanent move to wide receiver.  Make no mistake about it, Robinson will be a significant loss.  He was an excellent safety and the leader of the secondary, and he should have a decent shot at getting drafted in the NFL draft.  Nevertheless, the Spartans are bringing back all their starters at the remaining positions and they should have some pretty solid depth at defensive back. 

Isaiah Lewis will be back at strong safety.  Of course, Lewis took part in some heartbreaking plays this year, but overall, I thought he played pretty well.  As a junior, I think he will take another step towards solidness.  I expect him to become about as solid as Trenton Robinson was this year – can’t complain about that.  Apart from Lewis, the Spartans will also return all three of their backup safeties:  Dana Dixon, Jairus Jones, and Kurtis Drummond.  Dixon and Jones will be juniors, and Drummond will be a sophomore.  The Spartans also have guys who were once decent recruits.  Guys like Mylan Hicks and RJ Williamson.  Hopefully, at least one of these guys or one of the other backups will emerge as a star next year.  The Spartans are also in the running for some elite safety recruits in the class of 2012: Demetrious Cox and Jordan Diggs.  Both of these guys seem outstanding enough to earn some playing time as freshmen.  Hopefully the Spartans will get at least one of them to commit. 

As for cornerbacks, starters Johnny Adams and Darqueze Dennard will both be back next year.  Both played very well this year and both should be even better next year.  In fact, these two have the potential to be two of the Spartan’s best corners in recent memory.  The Spartans will also be returning backups Mitchell White and Jeremy Langford.  I cannot say that I recall seeing much of Langford, but White played well the few moments I can remember him playing.  The Spartans also have some interesting 2011 recruits who I suspect will step up and challenge for playing time next year.  Arjen Colquhoun and Trae Waynes are both big and both have under 4.4 speed.  The Spartans will also be bringing in two sound-looking prospects: Jermaine Edmondson and Ezra Robinson.  Both of these guys are rated as 3-star recruits, and they are both big and fast corners.  I don’t expect them to play much next year, but if there are injuries, these guys should provide decent depth.  You hate to see freshmen cornerbacks playing because they often get burned by more experienced wide receivers.  Still, if freshmen are going to play anywhere, it’s more frequently at the cornerback position.

A Look at Next Year: Linebackers

Been busy traveling around the Midwest, so posts will be more limited over the next 10 days.

Here I take a look at the linebacker situation for next year.  The bottom line is that Spartans are all set at linebacker for next year.  In fact, the Spartans should have one of the strongest linebacking units in the Big Ten and perhaps the country. 

49            TyQuan Hammock   LB            6-0           230          SO           Fort Wayne, Ind. - Bishop Luers

8              Lawrence Thomas   LB            6-3           275          FR            Detroit, Mich. - Renaissance

10            Chris Norman          LB            6-1           227          JR            Detroit, Mich. - Renaissance

42            Ty Hamilton            LB            6-0           230          RS FR      Fenton, Mich. - Fenton

41            Kyler Elsworth         LB            6-1           215          SO           Goodrich, Mich. - Goodrich

19            Danny Folino           LB            5-9           195          SO           Okemos, Mich. - East Lansing

43            Ed Davis                  LB          6-3           215          FR            Detroit, Mich. - Southeastern

40            Max Bullough          LB            6-3           245          SO           Traverse City, Mich. - St. Francis

48            Pat Rhomberg         LB            6-0           218          FR            Columbus, Ohio - Bishop Watterson

28            Denicos Allen          LB            5-10         220          SO           Hamilton, Ohio - Hamilton

47            Jeremy Gainer        LB            6-1           228          SO           Detroit, Mich. - Clarenceville

50            Steve Gardiner        LB            6-1           222          JR            Dublin, Ohio - Coffman

34            Taiwan Jones          LB            6-3           234          FR            New Baltimore, Mich. - Anchor Bay

45            Darien Harris          LB            6-0           206          FR            Silver Spring, Md. - DeMatha Catholic

As we can see in the list above, the Spartans have all their starters coming back.  And this is no mediocre group of starters.  Max Bullough and Denicos Allen will be back as juniors and I expect them to be two of the top linebackers in the Big Ten.  These guys are already stars, but they should be even better next year.  Chris Norman will be back as a senior.  He played well at times this year, but he really has yet to live up to his full potential.  He came in as a 4-star recruit and this year he was slowed down by injuries.  I’m hoping he becomes a breakout player in 2012.  If he does take that next step towards stardom, the Spartans could have one of the best linebacking units in the whole country.

The depth at linebacker is also outstanding.  The Spartans have several young players who look certain to become stars.  For starters, they have 5-star freshman Lawrence Thomas, who is as big as a defensive end but has the speed to play linebacker.  He could eventually move to defensive end, but the early signs are that the Spartans want to keep him at linebacker.  Another high-rated recruit is freshman Ed Davis.  He was a 4-star recruit who has shown good speed and explosiveness.  Sophomore Kyler Elsworth was once a walk-on, but he has played well enough to earn a scholarship and some playing time (when Norman was injured).  The Spartan coaches like Elsworth, so I expect big things out of him in the next few years.  Other guys with playing experience include TyQuan Hammock, Taiwan Jones, and Steve Gardiner. 

Finally, the Spartans are also bringing in some well-regarded recruits next year.  They are bringing in Bullough’s brother, Riley Bullough, and 4-star recruit Jamal Lyles, who is considered an athletic freak that could also play defensive end.  The Spartans are also in the running for David Perkins, who they consider to be a bigger version of Denicos Allen.  Lyles and Allen are so athletically outstanding that it would be no surprise to see them earn some playing time next year.  Riley Bullough comes from a football family and so he may have enough understanding of the game to also earn some playing time next year – remember that his brother, Max Bullough, played as a freshman.

So the takeaway is that the Spartans are loaded at linebacker -- so loaded, in fact, that they could be one of the best linebacking units in the country.  The only problem I could foresee with this unit is with injuries, but even then, the Spartans would need to lose like 3 guys in order to suffer a significant decline. 

Ohio State Finally Punished

I'm not one to post about other schools' business, but the NCAA finally punishing Ohio State for the various infractions they committed last year is kind of relevant to MSU.  According to ESPN:

"The penalties from the NCAA's infractions committee include a one-year bowl ban, nine lost scholarships during the next three years (three per year) and two years of probation. Former Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel also received a show-cause penalty from the NCAA, which makes any school that hires Tressel subject to penalties unless it proves why it should escape sanctions."

That doesn't seem all that severe to me, so I don't think it will have much direct influence on things like MSU's recruiting.  It might allow MSU to get maybe one more additional 4-star recruit per year (guys like Se'Von Pittman) than they otherwise would have.  But I'm sure Urban Meyer and OSU will find some way around these sanctions.  Where there might be more indirect influence is with perceptions.  Perhaps recruits will perceive that OSU is being punished more severely than it is, and so some recruits might think harder about going to a more stable place like MSU.  Man, if only these sanctions had come out a couple of weeks ago.  Maybe a guy like Pittman would have stayed committed to MSU.  Guess we'll never know for sure.

A Look at Next Year: Defensive Line

Continuing with a look at next year series, today I focus on the defensive line.  This unit has me a little worried, but before I talk about the concerns, let me focus on the strengths.

As we can see from the list below, the strength of the defensive line, for years to come, will be the defensive ends.  The Spartans are not graduating any defensive ends.  In fact, they are rather young at the position. 

44 Marcus Rush              DE       6-2          250         RS FR     

52 Denzel Drone             DE       6-2          262         SO          

93 Damon Knox             DE       6-4          274         FR           

55 Corey Freeman         DE       6-2          250         JR           

94 Taylor Calero            DE       6-3          245         RS FR     

91 Tyler Hoover             DE       6-7          290         JR           

92 Joel Heath                 DE       6-5          270         FR           

89 Shilique Calhoun       DE        6-4          220         FR           

2   William Gholston       DE         6-7          280         SO          

The Spartans will be bringing back their two emerging stars, Marcus Rush and William Gholston.  Barring injury, both of these guys should be even better next year.   The Spartans will also be bringing back some solid backups, including: Denzel Drone, Damon Knox, Corey Freeman, Taylor Calero, Tyler Hoover, Joel Heath, and Shilique Calhoun.  Joel Heath was the highest rated recruit (Scout gave him 4 stars), but all of these guys were well-regarded as recruits.  The Spartans also have a couple of other guys who could play defensive end: guys like 5-star recruit, Lawrence Thomas, and 2012 recruit Jamal Lyles.  It’s probably better to keep these guys at linebacker, but they could excel at defensive end if needed.

Now to defensive tackle.  This position actually has the potential to be the strongest position on the team next year . . . if Jerel Worthy comes back.  To me, Anthony Rashad White is a clone of Worthy, and I would love to see those two playing next to each other as seniors next year.  But if Worthy leaves, the Spartans will see a considerable decline at the interior of the defensive line and they will face some serious depth issues.    

81  James Kittredge               DL       6-4          270         SO          

69  Blake Pacheco                DL        6-1          264         SR           

87  Brandon Clemons            DL        6-3          262         FR           

99  Jerel Worthy                   DT        6-3          310         JR           

57  Johnathan Strayhorn        DT        6-0          272         SR           

56  Matt Ramondo                DT        6-5          328         FR           

65  Doug Curtis                     DT       6-2          250         JR           

97  Mark Scarpinato             DT       6-3          270         FR           

96  Kevin Pickelman             NT       6-4          288         SR           

58  Jordan Sanders               NT        6-1          288         RS FR     

98  Anthony Rashad White   NT        6-2          316         JR           

As we can see in the list above, the Spartans are already losing starter Kevin Pickelman and major contributor, Johnathan Strayhorn.  So if Worthy leaves, they will be losing their top 3 players at the interior of the defensive line.  As I mentioned, I think that White will step up and play well next year.  But apart from White, there isn’t anyone with much experience.  There is a lot of youth, which may help explain why so many of these guys are significantly underweight. 

The Spartans did recruit 3 defensive tackles in 2011 (Ramondo, Scarpinato, and Clemons) – perhaps that’s why they don’t appear to be going after any DTs in the 2012 recruiting class.  I get the sense that if the Spartans are going to have depth at DT, these are the guys they are going to have to rely on.  All of these guys were 3-star recruits and it’s not unheard of for redshirt freshmen to make big contributions (see Marcus Rush); but I hate to have to rely on chance here.  We don’t know if these guys will be able to add the proper weight and strength, and whether they’ll be able to handle the pressure. 

So the upshot is that the defensive line is all set at defensive end but uncertain at defensive tackle.  If Worthy comes back, the D-line will be strongest it’s been in a long, long time (since perhaps the days of Bubba Smith).  If not, then the Spartans will have to hope that several young guys emerge quickly.  I’d rather not have to rely on hope, so please, Jerel, come back for your senior year.  

A National Championship in 2013?

Leonidas (Leo) has been looking at how strong the various units will be next year, so I thought I'd look ahead to 2013.  Trust me, there's good reason to do this.  You see, if certain players live up to our expectations and if certain things break our way, then 2013 could be the best shot MSU has of winning a national championship under Mark Dantonio.

First off, lets look at the passing game. As Leo recently pointed out, Andrew Maxwell has the potential to be better than Cousins, by his senior year. That's saying something, considering the standards set by Cousins. The few times I've seen him play, Maxwell reminds me a lot of Andrew Luck. He is athletic, accurate, and shows a strong arm. In my mind, the only thing that could keep him from becoming a star is his decision making.  We did not see enough of him to know how he will handle good defenses.  We'll have to wait and see on that, but in the last decade, most of our quarterbacks (Stanton, Hoyer, Cousins) eventually turn out to be pretty good by their senior year.  If Maxwell develops the same way, MSU's passing game should be at it's peak in 2013.

Now what could really make the passing game more explosive than ever is the emergence of guys like Tony Lippett and Aaron Burbidge (and maybe guys like Monty Madaris and Kenny Lawler, if they commit). Those receivers should be pretty good by 2013.  Throw in the fact that Dion Sims will be a senior at tight end, and MSU's passing game looks like it should be unstoppable.

The 2013 passing game should be helped by the fact that the running game will also be peaking.  As Leo has pointed out, the offensive line is extremely deep next year and it seems that it could be even deeper for 2013. Three of this year's starters will be back for 2013 (Travis Jackson, Skyler Burkland, and Dan France).  The Spartans will also give a year of experience to the guard who replaces Joel Foreman.  They will only have to break in one new guard, the guy who replaces Chris McDonald.  By then, they should have lots of guys with at least some playing experience.  As for running backs, if Le'Veon Bell stays for his senoir year, he should become one of the Big Ten's most dominant running backs -- maybe as good as Wisconsin's Montee Ball? I thought Bell looked sensational against Wisconsin in the big ten championship game. Especially if the offensive line countinues to improve I have strong reason to believe that the run game could be one of the best we've seen at MSU.  Don't forget that MSU has great depth at running back, just in case Bell were to get injured.

With respect to defense, the Spartans have good depth along the defensive line. It's likely that William Gholston will be playing on Sundays by 2013.  But who knows, maybe he'll think twice, if he also recognizes that the Spartans will be in a position to make a run at the national championship.  Even if Gholston does not come back, the Spartans should still be pretty strong up front. The 2011 recruiting class brought two excellent defensive end prospects: 5-star recruit Lawerence Thomas and 4-star recruit Joel Heath. Marcus Rush will be in his senior year and should be playing very well. 4 star recruit Jamal Lyles is coming in as a OLB but with his size he could switch to defensive end.  The Spartans also recruited three defensive tackles in 2011, and they have a good history of developing defensive tackles.  So I expect this position to be as good as ever in 2013.

The linebacker position in my eyes has been a key component in the spartan defense. Ever since the Greg Jones era, Max Bullough and Denicos Allen have done a great job with keeping the tradition of strong linebackers going. Allen and Bullough will be senoirs in 2013 and can be expected to have explosive years. If Jamal Lyles stays at linebacker I am sure his great althleticism will definetly have a great impact. The linebacking core should be one of the strongest and deepest we've ever had.

Finally, the secondary should be pretty strong. Two of this year's starters will be seniors in 2013: cornerback Darqueze Dennard and safety Isaiah Lewis.  The Spartans have also recruited five 3-star cornerbacks in the 2012 and 2011 recruiting classes, and they have a good history of developing good cornerbacks.  So I anticipate that we'll have a solid secondary in 2013.

There you go folks. As long as MSU isn't rocked with a huge scandal or something, I think the 2013 squad could become one of the the greatest in Spartan history. If Mark Dantonio is going to win a national championship at MSU, his best chance will come in 2013.

Short Recruiting Note: Kenny Lawler

I've been hearing enough about Kenny Lawler, a wide receiver out of California, that I've decided to post something about him.  He was once committed to Arizona State, but they recently made a coaching change and he consequently decided to go back on the recruiting market.  According to Rivals, he has a top 2 of MSU and California, but something interesting is happening.  It looks like California may be full at wide receiver.  They have as many as 4 wide receivers committed, including one that they just picked up today.  That has to improve the Spartans' chances of landing Lawler, and that would not be a bad thing.  Take a look at some of his highlights:

This guy looks like a bigger version of Keyshawn Martin.  He's 6'3" and he plays with a lot of speed.  Boy, if Lawler were to commit to the Spartans, he and Nick Tompkins (running back recruit for 2012) and Aaron Burbridge would add a lot of speed to the Spartans.  Suddenly, Spartan nation may have to start chanting "pound, Green, pound...and fly, too, if you want."

Anyway, he hasn't committed yet, and Rivals could be wrong about his top two schools, or California may actually take 5 receivers.  So we'll have to wait and see.  But at least the Spartans look to be in a good situation with at least 2 excellent receivers: Lawler and Monty Madaris.

Update: 247 is reporting that Lawler has set a date for an official visit to MSU.  That is great, because this is one of the potential recruits I'm most excited about!

A Look at Next Year: Running Backs

So far, I have looked at what our receivers, quarterbacks, and offensive line should look like in 2012 (you can find those reviews in the "Topics" box to the left, under "A Look at Next Year"). So here, I'm going to finish off the offense by looking at the running backs -- quick note: I'm going to have to look at the receivers again when recruiting is over. 

Folks, I don't have to tell most of you that the Spartans are “suffering” an embarrassment of riches at running back. The Spartans are returning all their running backs, including Le'Veon Bell, Edwin Baker, Larry Caper, and Nick Hill. Any one of these guys could start for any other Big Ten team, but at MSU, they have to share the carries. 

Bell may turn out to be the best of the lot. He is big and strong, but he also possesses great vision and surprising shiftiness. This year he ran for 900 yards and averaged 5.5 yards per carry. I'm fully expecting him to surpass those number next year, by a wide margin. 

Baker needs to redeem himself after this year, and I think he will. After running for 1200 yards as a sophomore, he set a goal to rush for 2000 yards this year, as a junior. He didn't even come close. He ran for 655 yards, averaging 4.0 yards per carry. And he fumbled so often that he was replaced by Bell for long stretches. I hope he comes back angry, because Baker is a first-rate talent that could light the Big Ten on fire, if he just gets his cards in order. 

Caper is a solid backup who won’t get a chance to do much unless there are injuries. He only ran for 116 yards, averaging 3.9 yards per carry. There’s always talk about him being the third-down back who can catch passes coming out of the back field, but I just didn’t see much of him this year. He’s simply a victim of how deep MSU is at running back. He was good his freshman year, so we know he can play if he is needed. So at least he offers good depth. 

Nick Hill is another victim of MSU’s depth at running back. He was only able to carry the ball 29 times this year (for 118 yards), and I’m afraid he won’t get much of an opportunity next year, unless there are injuries. He has become an excellent kick returner, and when he carries the ball he does look explosive. Like Caper, he’s there to provide good depth, if the Spartans need it. 

The Spartans also have an exciting recruit named Nick Tompkins coming in at running back next year. He has some of the most exciting highlight videos I’ve ever seen, due in large part to his speed. He may get to play his freshman year, just because he is so incredibly fast. He is undersized, so he won’t play a lot, until he adds more weight; but I could see him getting used to run some reverses or other trick plays. Anyway, here is some of his video.

Were it not for the fact that they are losing senior fullback Todd Anderson, I would unhesitatingly declare the running backs to be the Spartans' strongest unit for MSU. But Anderson was a behemoth of a fullback (6'2" 265 lbs), who did an outstanding job this year. Nonetheless, Anderson is the only significant loss and fullbacks are traditionally easier to replace than most other positions. In fact, Anderson himself was new to the position this year, having converted from defensive end. The Spartans have several fullbacks returning next year, including Anderson's backup, redshirt freshman Niko Palazeti. And who knows, maybe they will convert another lineman into a full time fullback.

So add up the strength of the running backs with that of the offensive line and you have the makings of an elite running game, next year. The only thing that could slow down the running game next year is the weakness of the passing game. If Andrew Maxwell falters, defenses will simply line up to stop the run. Even if they do that, I think the running game will be strong enough to rack up some yards; but it would be nice if Maxwell could make their jobs a little easier by just doing an adequate job, himself. He doesn’t have to be senior-year Kirk Cousins. If he plays as well as junior-year Kirk Cousins, this offense could be explosive.

Thoughts about MSU's Talent and Recruiting

Well folks our recruiting class recently took a big blow as 4-star recruit Se'Von Pittman decommitted and went to that villainous Ohio State. Well I am here to point out some interesting facts that might make you feel slightly better about the future.

First off, for all of you that think Michigan and OSU are going to dominate the big ten from here on out with their top ten recruiting classes I'd like you to look at teams like Florida and Texas that are absolutely stacked with five and four star recruits.  Florida managed a total of six wins this year and Texas was destroyed by RG3 and Baylor. So top recruiting classes don't always translate into successful teams.

Next off, take a deep breath and consider that MSU is great at uncovering diamonds-in-the-rough and or developing talent. Take a look at some of MSU's previous recruiting classes on Scout.com. Look at some of the big name players this year and look at how they were once rated. Jerel Worthy was a 2-star recruit, Trenton Robinson was a 2-star, Keshawn Martin 2-star, Cousins was a 2-star, Cunningham a 3-star, LeVeon Bell a 2-star, Denicos Allen (2-star), Kevin Pikelman (2-star), and Joel Foreman (2-star). Clearly, Michigan State has done very well with lower-rated recruits. Dantonio and MSU have developed all of these guys into NFL-level players and that is a big part of why MSU is now a consistent contender for the Big Ten Championship.

If you are still worried about the number of stars recruits are given, then consider that since 2007 (Dantonio's first recruiting class) recruiting classes have gotten better and better each year. Last year, MSU had no 2-star recruits in the class, and it looks like this year's class will also not have any 2-star recruits.

So, let's take a deep breath and put everything into perspective.  MSU already has lots of good talent and I trust they will continue to bring in and develop excellent talent.

Sad Recruiting Note

Looks like MSU just lost its top-rated recruit.  Defensive end Se'Von Pittman just switched his commitment from MSU to Ohio State.  Urban Meyer!!!!!!!!!! (shakes fist)

Not gonna lie, that one hurts.  I went from dreaming about Pittman and Adolphus Washington terrorizing quarterbacks on behalf of MSU, to now dreading facing them when MSU plays OSU.  The only good news is that MSU is set at defensive end for next year -- with William Gholston, Marcus Rush, and Lawrence Thomas.  Still, Pittman was supposed to take over once Gholston leaves for the NFL after next year.

Now, MSU needs to find another defensive end, and perhaps if they can pry Kisima Jagne away from Colorado my headache will suddenly go away.  As I've written before, Jagne is a 3-star recruit with all the physical tools to become great.  He has expressed interest in visiting MSU, even after committing to Colorado.  So there is a chance.  But I hate few things more than going from certainty to chance.

A Look at Next Year: Offensive Line

So my original post on next year’s offensive line was accidentally deleted when I tried to fix some things.  Blogger has some seriously upsetting bugs.  Anyway, here’s a much less ambitious look at the Spartans’ offensive line next year.

Here’s a list of all current offensive linemen.

66           Jack Allen               C            6-1          291         FR            Hinsdale, Ill. - Hinsdale Central

63           Travis Jackson        C            6-3          275         RS FR      New Albany, Ohio - St. Francis DeSales

68           Ethan Ruhland        C            6-5          290         JR            Lake Orion, Mich. - Lake Orion

64           Blake Treadwell      C/OG    6-3          295         JR            East Lansing, Mich. - East Lansing

71           John Deyo               OG        6-6          300         JR            Battle Creek, Mich. - Gull Lake

67           Joel Foreman          OG        6-4          315         SR            Highland, Mich. - Milford

53           Kyle Lints                 OG        6-3          275         FR            Traverse City, Mich. - St. Francis

62           Chris McDonald      OG        6-5          300         JR            Sterling Heights, Mich. - Henry Ford II

73           Arthur Ray Jr.          OG        6-3          299         SR            Chicago, Ill. - Mount Carmel

76           Donavon Clark        OL         6-3          294         FR            Cincinnati, Ohio - Finneytown

69           Shawn Kamm          OL         6-7          310         RS FR      Saginaw, Mich. - Nouvel Catholic Central

72           Nate Klatt                 OL         6-4          290         SO           Clinton, Ohio - Northwest

54           Connor Kruse         OL         6-5          300         RS FR      Lowell, Mich. - Lowell

75           Jared McGaha         OL         6-6          298         SR            Powell, Tenn. - Powell

70           Skyler Burkland      OT         6-7          305         RS FR      Sunbury, Ohio - Big Walnut

73           Henry Conway        OT         6-6          318         SO           Shaker Heights, Ohio - Shaker Heights

65           Michael Dennis      OT         6-7          307         RS FR      Carey, Ohio - Carey

51           Fou Fonoti               OT         6-4          300         JR            Lakewood, Calif. - Cerritos College

59           Dan France              OT         6-6          315         SO           North Royalton, Ohio - North Royalton

60           Micajah Reynolds  OT          6-5          320         SO           Lansing, Mich. – Sexton

As we can see, the Spartans have 19 o-linemen and they are only graduating 3 of them.  That means the Spartans should have excellent talent and depth for next year.  The coaches must think so, too, because they have so far only recruited 3 offensive linemen in the class of 2012, and I don’t expect them to recruit any others -- except perhaps if a 5-star like Jordan Diamond expressed interest in becoming a Spartan (more on that in a later post).

Every position along the offensive line looks to be in good shape.  One of the strongest should be center.  Next year, Travis Jackson will be back.  He has the chance to be a really good center, especially if he gets a little bigger and stronger.  He will be backed up by Blake Treadwell and Jack Allen.  Don’t be surprised to see Allen emerge as the next Travis Jackson.  Anyway, the center position is talented, deep, and young.  The Spartans are set there for next year and beyond.

The Spartans are also set at right tackle.  Fou Fonoti and Skyler Burkland will be back and they will wage an epic battle for the starting spot.  On the one hand, you hate to see two great players battle for a starting spot because it means one of them won’t get to start.  On the other hand, it means MSU is talented and deep at right tackle.

At left tackle the Spartans are not as strong as at right tackle, but they should still be solid.  Current starter, Dan France, will be back.  This year, France made a frustrating but ultimately successful transition from defensive lineman to left tackle.  His backup, Micajah Reynolds will also be back and will also be a junior.  If both France and Reynolds go down or falter, don’t be surprised to see Fonoti move over, or hopefully, we will see one of the other young tackles emerge – perhaps someone like Michael Dennis.  So the position should be talented and experienced. 

At right guard, the Spartans should be all set, again.  Chris McDonald will be a senior and looks set to start for his third year at the position.  He should provide great skill and leadership.  His backup, Ethan Ruhland will also be back as a senior.

Left guard will be the position of greatest concern.  The Spartans are losing All Big Ten guard, Joel Foreman.  His skill and leadership will without doubt be missed.  But the Spartans will have as many as 9 guys vying for the position, including Ruhland, Treadwell, and Donovan Clark.  Clark is probably the highest-rated of all the guard recruits, but he will only be a redshirt freshman.  Clark was a 4-star recruit and recruiting sites raved about his run-blocking.  Thus, left guard is the position of least certainty.  MSU will have talented players ready to take over, but they will be relatively inexperienced.

The upshot, then, is that MSU will have one of the best o-lines in the Big Ten.  That fact should turn MSU’s running game from one of the worst (statistically) in the Big Ten, this year, to one of the best, next year.   All of that should also ease Andrew Maxwell’s takeover of the QB position.  One last exciting point that I want to make is that the o-line will probably be peaking in 2013.  Le’Veon Bell, Maxwell and the receivers should also be peaking at that time.  So if the Spartans are ever going to make a run at the national championship under Dantonio, it will be in 2013.

A Look at Next Year: Quarterbacks

This season isn't over yet, but I can't help but start thinking about next year.  I'm excited about what MSU football has become and where it's going.  Each year he's been here, Mark Dantonio has made MSU stronger and stronger, to the point where they now look like a legitimate top 10 team in the nation.  Sure they lost in the Big Ten Championship final, but in that game you could see the flashes of brilliance that make you believe in this program.  Now, having said that, next year the Spartans will likely take a step back.  Actually, the defense may not drop off at all (more on that in a later article) and parts of the offense will be better (more on that later), but some critical pieces will simply have to go through growing pains: namely, the receivers and quarterbacks.  I have already talked about the receivers (and I will revisit them when the recruiting season is over), so here I want to focus on the quarterbacks.

People, the bottom line is that the quarterback position is solid, but it will, nevertheless, take a step back.  Kirk Cousins, for all the frustrating moments he had, was spectacular.  You cannot ask for much more of a college quarterback.  As is often the case with college quarterbacks, you don't appreciate how good a guy was until the next guy takes over.  There will be a noticeable drop-off, not so much because Andrew Maxwell (the likely starter for next year) is bad, but because Cousins was so good in his final season.

Maxwell is going to be a good quarterback, perhaps even better than Cousins, by the time he becomes a senior.  But as a junior, as a first time full time quarterback, I think he will struggle -- especially against the good defenses.  Fortunately, Maxwell won't have to carry the offens, the way Cousins had to this year when the O-line was struggling.  Maxwell will actually get to have a junior season more like Brian Hoyer's, who had the luxury of handing the ball off to Javon Ringer.  The Spartans' running game will be strong next year (more on that later), so all Maxwell has to do is play well enough to keep the defenses from stacking the box.

I wanted to post some video of Maxwell, because the little we've seen of him is encouraging.  Unfortunately, there isn't much of relevance out there except perhaps this clip reminding us that he was a highly regarded recruit (perhaps MSU's highest rated quarterback recruit in recent memory).  The few times I saw him this year, I was impressed with his accuracy and mobility.  His decision making wasn't really tested, and that's really what will determine how successful he will be next year.  We will just have to wait and see how that goes.  Maybe we'll get a good sense of it during the Spring game.

As for other quarterbacks, I hate to say it but if Maxwell goes down, the season could be lost.  We have some excellent young prospects but they're all so young  -- freshmen or redshirt freshmen.  I just can't see MSU doing well if one them has to take over.  Having said that, we have reason to be excited about the future as these guys develop.

First, let's take a look at Freshman Connor Cook.  Coming out of high school, Cook was not that highly rated.  Scout gave him 2 stars and Rivals gave him 3 stars.  But to me, his highlight clips look impressive.

He has excellent height and athleticism, and a pretty strong arm.  He also shows good accuracy -- though, of course, this is a highlight video.  Cook will only be a reshirt freshman next year, so I don't expect him to contribute much next year -- man I hope he doesn't have to.  But you can see that by the time Maxwell moves on, MSU should be in a position to just re-load at the quarterback position.

The Spartans also have another solid quarterback recruit scheduled to come in next year: Tyler O'Connor.  He is rated as a 3-star recruit by most recruiting sites, though 247 gives him 4 stars.   He has good size, mobility, and a strong arm.  In his highlight videos he also looks a little more polished than Cook.

I like how he does a little extra to sell various fakes.  At times he also reminds me of Keith Nichol, kind of a mobile gunslinger.  I wouldn't expect O'Connor to contribute much next year, unless MSU is absolutely devastated by injuries.  But, nonetheless, he looks like an excellent prospect.

MSU also has a couple of walk-ons who may be able to contribute.  There is freshman Tommy Vento, who actually has some pretty good video.

Vento had a pretty nice career in high school, but you can see that he doesn't quite have the tools the other top prospects have, and consequently, he didn't get much attention from the recruiting sites.  Of course, there are many examples in college football of walk-ons who have gone on to win the starting job.  So it's possible that he could one day become an important player at MSU.  Shoot, judging from his video, I'd say that if he works hard he has a chance to give the other guys a run for their money.

Finally, there is Peter Badovinac who transferred from Drake.  He will be a senior next year and he is about the same size as Kirk Cousins (in fact, it seems the coaches like QBs with Cousins' dimensions).  There's really not much info on Badovinac: no videos, he wasn't rated by recruiting sites, not much in the way of stats.  I can't see him contributing much, just because, if Maxwell goes down, I would imagine the coaches would want to give the younger guys a chance to develop -- unless, he somehow emerges in the Spring as a solid second option that can win games for the Spartans.

So the upshot for quarterback next year is that MSU is breaking in a new, junior quarterback.  That will certainly present some difficulties, especially since MSU will also be breaking in new starting receivers.  On the other hand, Maxwell should be the most naturally talented junior quarterback that MSU has ever had to break in, and he will likely benefit from a very strong running game.  We'll have to wait and see what unfolds, but I wouldn't be surprised if the passing game gets off to slow start next year and then becomes quite strong by the end of the season.  So that's what it comes down to: the talent at quarterback and receiver may actually be the best MSU has ever had, but the inexperience will keep it from reaching its full potential until about the last month of the season.

More Recruiting Notes

I felt the urge to create a more complete list of recruits targeted by MSU, in part because I keep hearing news about various guys that MSU has strong interest in and who also have a strong interest in MSU.  So here's some info on four more potential recruits. 

- Ryan Watson. A 4-star offensive guard / defensive end from Maryland. Not sure what MSU is recruiting him to play, but Scout seems to be impressed with him as a guard, saying "he is a punishing, technically sound, tenacious drive blocker." MSU is competing with three other schools for his services (Penn State, Purdue, and Pittsburgh). So our chances seem good, except that we may run out of spots before he commits.

- Kisima Jagne.  A 3-star defensive end from Arizona.  Scout is very impressed with him, saying he is "as good looking a prospect from a physical standpoint as you will find. Big, strong and has the length coveted by every college coach."  He may be taking an official visit to MSU, so that's favorable.

- JP Holtz. A 4-star tight end recruit from Pennsylvania. Decommitted from Penn State and has shown some interest in the Spartans. The Spartans already have 2 tight ends committed for the class of 2012, so I don't expect him to end up in East Lansing. But I suppose there's always a possibility.

- Trae Clark. A 3-star defensive tackle from Ohio. It once seemed that his chances of becoming a Spartan were good, but now things seem to be up in the air.

Remember, the Spartans only have 2 or 3 spots left to fill, which means that the Spartans will end up missing out on several great recruits that might have come to East Lansing if only they had the space for them.    At any rate, I think Montee Madaris is the most important recruit that they have to get, since he fills a critical need.  After that, I think Tevin Coleman will commit soon.  And that would leave one last spot, which I would be happy to see taken by any of the names I've mentioned.  David Perkins might be my top choice, but I would be ecstatic with Diggs, Cox, Bradley, Watson, or Jagne.  Man, if only they had at least 5 spots left to fill. 

Recruiting Notes

I know the big news is that MSU is going to the Outback Bowl to face Georgia, and I know that many people are disappointed with that outcome.  I'll write up something more extensive on that at a later time, but for now I'll just note that it should be a great game -- perhaps as exciting as the Big Ten Championship Game.  Both teams are good and they should be pretty evenly matched.

Anyway, at the moment I'm more concerned with recruiting.  The main news is that the Spartans are pretty close to resolving their biggest talent concern for next year.  As I have written before, the Spartans biggest concern for next year (apart from breaking in a new quarterback) is the weakness of the wide receiver unit.  They are losing their top 3 receivers from this year (Martin, Cunningham, and Nichol) and they don't appear to have anyone capable of filling their shoes.  Well, the latest news is that the Spartans are looking strong with Ohio wide receiver, Monty Madaris.  According to 247:

"The Spartans are leaving no stone unturned in their bid to land WR Monty Madaris and probably don’t have to worry about a major competitor in their bid to land the talented wide receiver."

Madaris is considered to be a 4-star recruit by all recruiting sites, and is generally regarded as one of the top 50 wide receivers in the nation.  Madaris is scheduled to take an official visit to East Lansing, and hopefully that means that a commitment will be coming soon.  

So if Madaris commits -- and with Tony Lippett expected to move to wide receiver full time next year, and hopefully with Bennie Fowler getting healthy and taking a step up, and with Aaron Burbridge (a top 10 receiver in the country) committing to the Spartans -- the wide receiver position might turn out to be fine next year.  I wouldn't be surprised if this unit starts slowly next year and then finishes really strong.

Apart from Madaris, the Spartans are also serious contenders for Illinois athlete, Tevin Coleman, and Indiana line backer, David Perkins.  Coleman is mainly considered a running back, but he is being considered for multiple positions.  He has visited MSU 3 times, and according to 247, Coleman has a top 3 of MSU, Indiana, and Georgia Tech.  So there is good chance that he will choose the Spartans.  Perkins decommitted from Notre Dame and now appears to have the Spartans at the top of his list (according to 247).  There's talk that Perkins could become the next Denicos Allen . . . wouldn't that be nice?

The Spartans also seem to really want to bring in a safety and they have their eye on 3 of them: Jordan Diggs (Florida), Demetrious Cox (Pennsylvannia), and Bam Bradley (Ohio).  Diggs would be a huge acquisition, but consequently, he is also the least likely to come to East Lansing.  Bradley may be the most likely of the three to choose the Spartans, though he does have an offer from Ohio State.  So in the end, all 3 of these guys may end up going elsewhere.

There are several other recruits of interest to the Spartans, but I think these are their top priorities.  The Spartans only have about 2 (maybe 3) spots left to fill, so I suspect they will wrap up the class with a couple of the names mentioned above.

Let's Appreciate What We Have

The Big Ten Championship Game (BTCG) was a blow to the stomach, but ladies and gentlemen, let's clear our minds for a moment to appreciate what a great season this has been and how lucky we are as Spartan fans.  The Spartan players and coaches had their ups and downs this season, but in the end, the body of work they delivered for our pleasure was remarkable.  We don't have a perfect program (who does?), but we do have a program that has achieved heights not seen in East Lansing, in many, many years. 

Let me start with the coaches.  Spartan nation, we are blessed.  Mark Dantonio is truly an elite coach.  In just 5 years, he has taken a program that could not even win 50% of its games and turned it into a program that now consistently contends for the Big Ten title.  And folks, this is just the start.  I am convinced that he will take MSU to the point where we are consistently able to compete for national championships.  As for the coordinators, I had my share of complaints with their play calling throughout the year, but at the end of the regular season I can honestly say that Pat Narduzzi and Dan Roushar exceeded expectations.  I felt like they called a masterful game in the BTCG.  I hope to see both of them back next year.

As for the players, I hate to single out any of them for praise because this whole team deserves to be celebrated.  But since I don't have time to write about all of them (perhaps in a few months I will), I will mention a few that stood out in the BTCG and who will be leaving or are likely to be leaving after this year.  I will also mention Le'Veon Bell because he just stood out too much.   

Kirk Cousins -- learned so much throughout the year and learned to stay cool under pressure.  In the Notre Dame game I thought he was exposed as a quarterback that was too nervous to be really good.  But in the BTCG he really looked like an NFL quarterback.  He showed great poise and accuracy.  In one of my first posts I predicted that he would become a first-round talent.  His performance in the BTCG made me believe that he still could do that.  I expect him to impress the scouts at the NFL combines.

B.J. Cunningham -- played like a wide receiver that will be taken in the first 3 rounds all year long.  In the BTCG he played his best, perhaps 2nd round good.

Keyshawn Martin -- was inconsistent most of the year, but in the BTCG he looked like a 2nd round talent.

Jerel Worthy -- led by example in the BTCG and looked every bit like a player that deserves to be taken in the top 15 of the NFL draft.

Trenton Robinson -- made big hit after big hit in the BTCG.  He may not go in the first 3 rounds but I think he will be drafted.

Le'Veon Bell -- have you ever seen anyone run with as much heart and power as Bell ran with in the BTCG?  This guy is a superstar in the making.  MSU's O-line will improve next year and Bell will become a household name next year.

In the future, I will write a post about guys that are coming back next year and what next year will look like for the Spartans.  For now, let's just appreciate the great talents that have donned the Spartan uniform.  And let's appreciate that none of these guys was a rated particularly high by any recruiting sites.  Appreciate that MSU does a great job of discovering and developing talent.

Thoughts on Big Ten Championship Game: Wisconsin Cheated!

I shouldn't write with a broken heart.  I should spend the night screaming into my pillow before I write another word.  But ahh...I can't stop myself.

There are so many things wrong with what happened today.  Yes, several Spartans made key mistakes -- none more key than running into the kicker -- but I can't fault the players and coaches.  What they did today (mistakes and all) was good enough to win the Big Ten.  So why aren't our guys running around with roses in their mouths?  One simple fact, folks: Russell Wilson.

The bottom line is that Wisconsin could not have done what it did today if they had been forced to rely on the talent that was "legitimately" recruited, not this free-agency bull crap that is developing in college football.  Last year was Wisconsin's year.  They had their senior quarterback, they made their run...and they squandered their Rose Bowl opportunity.  This year, they were supposed to struggle to break in a new quarterback, they were supposed to take a step back--just like everybody else has to, just like MSU will have to next year.

The Spartans were the ones with a senior quarterback and stout defense.  This was our year.  Our guys were flying all over the field and playing their hearts out, but it wasn't quite enough to overcome this corrupt system.  Wilson was too much of a ringer.

Oh well, too late now, I guess, and nobody is going to do anything about it anyway.  Nobody is even going to act like there's anything wrong with what just happened.  Ahhhh!  I'd better go to bed before I really get myself in trouble.

Preview of Big Ten Championship Game

"The board is set, the pieces are moving.  We come to it at last, the great battle of our time."  --Tolkien

Folks, here we are.  The Spartans are mere days away from playing Wisconsin for the Big Ten Championship.  It feels surreal in a way.  Did I honestly expect the Spartans to do this well, to get this far?  OK, in one of my very first posts on this blog I offered a very optimistic look at the Spartans' chances for a national championship.  I basically predicted they would win every game, including the Big Ten Championship game, and they would head off to compete for that national championship.  But that post was clearly a little tongue-in-cheek -- OK, a lot tongue-in-cheek -- I mean, as a Spartan slappy I expected the Spartans to do well this season, but even I didn't expect things to go as well as they did.  If someone had put a gun to my head and asked to give a realistic prediction of the Spartans' record, I would have said something more like 9-3, and maybe if my life really depended on it I would have said 8-4. But the Big Ten turned out to be weaker than expected and the Spartans stronger than expected.

So here we are, taking on the team that was supposed to be the best in the Big Ten, a team loaded with 2 offensive superstars (Russell Wilson and Montee Ball), a team that is supposed to get its revenge on the Spartans.  Few are giving the Spartans a chance, but here comes my slappy self ready to say that, folks, the Spartans will win this game.  Actually, if you held a gun to my head I would say that the 2 teams are nearly evenly matched and that if these guys played a hundred times MSU would win 51 of them and Wisconsin would win 49 of them.  I mean, just look at this nice statistical summary by A Beautiful Day for Football that shows you how evenly these two teams are matched.

And then if you still kept the gun to my head and asked if that's my final answer, I would say:

"no, wait! The Spartans are getting Will Gholston for this game.  He was suspended the first time these two teams met because he got too physical against Michigan.  This guy is a game changer, and maybe he'll come out really motivated because he wasn't able to play in that first game.  Gholston has to be worth a few wins, so let me change my answer and say that if these two teams played 100 times, MSU would win 57 of them."

And then if you still kept the gun to my head and asked if that's my final answer, I would say: 

"no, wait!  The Spartan O-line must have improved since the first time these two teams met, more so than any other unit on both teams.  That is to say, Wisconsin can't possibly have a unit that has improved as much as our O-line has.  That has to count for something.  So if these two teams played 100 times, MSU would win 60 of them."

 And then if you still kept the gun to my head and asked if that's my final answer, I would say: 

 "no, wait a minute!  Since their first meeting, has one coaching staff improved significantly more than the other?  You would have to say that MSU's actually has because they were breaking in a new offensive coordinator this year who at times looked like he was in way over his head.  And yet, they were able to defeat Wisconsin, and since that game, Dan Roushar has actually gotten much better.  That has to count for a  few games, so that makes me say that if these two teams played 100 times, MSU would win 63 of them."

And then if you still kept the gun to my head and asked if that's my final answer, I would say:

"yes, that's my final answer, because all other factors will affect both teams to about the same degree.  Both teams will be on the road.  Both teams have many players that are playing really well at this point.  Both teams seem to have recovered from most major injuries.  So, yes, that's my final answer.  Michigan State is in a position to win almost 2 out every 3 meetings with Wisconsin."

And then if you still kept the gun to my head and asked for a final score prediction, I would say:

"Wisconsin will get its points, but the Spartan defense will slow them down.  The Spartans will also get their points, but they too will be slowed down by Wisconsin's solid D.  In the end, however, the Spartans just score a little more: MSU 31  Wisconsin 27