Shout out to these guys...

So I'll leave it to the rest of the media and blogosphere to praise guys like Connor Cook and Shilique Calhoun. Here I want to praise some guys that haven't received much attention but that seem set to make critical contributions the rest of the way.

I'll start with the guy who impressed me most in the Indiana game, and that would be Arjen Colquhoun. This guy started the season giving opposing receivers 10-yard cushions and now he is starting to flash some Trae Waynes type of abilities. He's fast and has developed some stickiness. He still has work to do, and maybe the Indiana game was just a flash in the pan, but if he continues to progress, don't be surprised if he gets noticed by NFL scouts by the end of the season.

I've praised Gerald Holmes before ... and I'll bring him up again. He is getting close to looking like the go-to back. He still has work to do, but I still see him as the most decisive of the backs, and he seems to also have the best vision. If the O-line can start to more consistently open some holes, I think Holmes could take off in the remainder of the season.

Jermaine Edmondson is making some contributions, particularly as a guy who's being asked to blitz and play zone coverage. It would be a great stroke of luck for MSU, if Edmondson could begin to make Colquhoun-like contributions at corner or safety -- he's been looking like a safety to me.

When Benny McGowan moved to center, the O-line seemed to function a little better. He deserves credit for his versatility.

I saw Joel Heath making some plays, and if he can continue to do so the remainder of the season, this D-line could indeed become one of the best in MSU history.

Moving guys around

I believe I saw Montae Nicholson make another critical mistake and I'm starting to wonder if the Spartan coaches shouldn't start thinking about moving him to wide receiver. Perhaps not this season, since depth is such a concern, but certainly for next year. I don't know that he has the aggressiveness to be a safety, but he definitely has the tools to be an elite receiver. The Spartans will be very thin at receiver next year, so a switch of this kind could be beneficial to all.

I'd like to see Demetrious Cox playing safety. In my mind, he's one of the top safeties in the conference, but he doesn't quite have the stickiness to be a top cornerback, at this point. At the same time, while I love what the freshmen safeties are doing, having 2 of them back there is a concern. Hopefully, Hicks will return soon, and that will allow Cox to stay at safety.

At my signal...unleash hell

The Spartans are wounded and Michigan looks strong. But I watched each of their games this week and I saw that the Spartans can match up well with Michigan, and that the Spartans are close to putting it all together. They need to be sharp, intense, and ready to stop the inside trap -- Harbaugh's favorite play, it seems. And they have to do it for 4 quarters!

It's time to take this season to the next level. It's time to unleash hell!

Hope There's a Reasonable Explanation for the Conservate Play Calling

OK folks, one way to look at an ugly win (apart from just taking it and being grateful) is to consider that many variables affect the way coaches prepare for games. For example, coaches have to be worried about revealing too much as they get ready for the really important games. The coaches don't want to show UM and OSU too much, and that's why they significantly limit their playbook in games that should be easier to win.

I hope that something like that is what's going on here, because this game was almost lost by the coaching staff. It appears that the coaches decided that they could win this game with just a power running game. They were right to some extent (the Spartans were running the ball pretty well), but they weren't completely, and it almost cost them.

It's tough to accept decisions like that because the Spartans have their most talented passing game in...perhaps ever: a senior quarterback that may get drafted in the first round, 4 senior receivers, and talented tight ends. They should not be struggling in the passing game, they should not be nervous about their passing game. That's why I'm guessing that the coaches are saving their passing plays for another game.

If so, they should be careful. They should be wary of getting themselves upset, and they don't want their passing game to be out of game day practice. Those guys need some reps.

Other thoughts

The secondary continues to struggle. Nicholson is not showing the aggressiveness he needs to be an effective safety, and Hicks struggled in one on one coverage. At least Colquhoun seems to be making progress. He did struggle, but he has shown improvement. I see the makings of effective secondary, but Williamson will have to get healthy, Cox will probably have to take over Nicholson, and Hicks and Colquhoun will have to continue getting better each week.

Injuries. I love the resilience of the o-line, but folks, MSU has nearly stretched its depth to the limit. I can't see them going far, if they don't get Conklin and Keiler back, and or if Machado doesn't improve in a hurry.