I think the Nebraska game confirmed the full arrival of MSU's next big challenge: complacency. We saw that the Oregon game was not a fluke, that this team has a hard time finishing games. And I think a lot of that has to do with complacency.
Don't blame the players and coaches. Clearly, the rest of Spartan Nation is also infected. The fans who left early felt it. I felt it. My stress levels were way down at the start of the 4th quarter. I just could not imagine how Nebraska could get back into this one. And yet, they came within inches of giving the Spartans what would have been one of the worst losses...ever!
And lest you think it's easy to get rid of complacency, ask yourself this: "aren't you already anticipating an easy MSU victory over Purdue?" I am. I can't get myself pumped up. And if I can't get myself pumped up, I imagine the coaches and players are having a more difficult time than usual.
I guess when you're climbing to the top, it's easier to stay hungry, to want to prove yourself. When you get to the top, you really start to believe that all you have to do is show up. It doesn't help when you look so dominant through 3 quarters. Through 3 quarters, we have seen that this team is a championship team. But once you take that foot off the gas, it looks like MSU is really struggling to get that foot back on the gas.
I don't know how you deal with complacency, but the Spartans must find some answers quickly. In the short term, it could cost them a game that they should win this season. In the long run, complacency is likely to get worse as MSU's recruiting continues to improve.
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