Switching to the Hardwood - MSU @ Illinois tonight!

Hello all, I'm back from the long Winter Break where I was without internet access.  I know you all were super pumped after that fantastic showing at the Capital One Bowl so I apologize for not talking about the highlights of that game ...... okay there were no good things about that game.  Guess it's good that I left that alone.  ON TO BASKETBALL!!!

MSU's Kalin Lucas missed last year's visit to Chambana with an ankle injury.  I'm sure he wants a crack at the Illini.

MSU @ Illinois - 7pm on ESPN

Gotta love Big Ten Basketball.  Illinois was a trendy pick to win the conference this year and they are still very much in the race, despite dropping their last two games to Wisconsin and Penn State.  Yes, that same PSU team that beat the Spartans 10 days ago.  The biggest key to this game? Individual matchups.  I'll break down each position.

PG - Demetri McCamey vs. Lucas/Lucious/Appling/Kebler
McCamey is a hell of a player.  He's averaging 16 points a game, can score from anywhere on the floor, and also takes care of the ball extremely well.  On top of that, he's a 4-year starter so he's seen it all.  Solution? Try everything.  Expect a lot of substitutions from Izzo to keep MSU's guards fresh on defense.  Freshman Keith Appling has been stepping up in a big way on the defensive end recently but this will undoubtedly be his biggest test so far.  Lucas and Lucious will both get a shot, however they both give up a couple inches and a lot of weight to McCamey.  McCamey is a solid defender, as well, so this will be the position to watch for the night.

SG - DJ Richardson vs. Lucas/Lucious/Summers
Richardson is a young talent but he's been less than impressive in Big Ten play.  He scored 17 against Iowa a few weeks ago...but c'mon, it's Iowa.  He's mainly a perimeter threat that doesn't drive very often.  It sounds odd, but guarding him will be a welcome break from McCamey for the guards

SF - Bill Cole vs. Summers/Green/Thornton
Cole is pretty big for the 3 spot (6'9") but he just hasn't been productive.  Cole is averaging 6 points and 2 rebounds per game.  The threat comes from his ability to shoot the 3 - he's shooting 43% from behind the arc, which is close to what Summers, Green, Lucas, and Appling shoot from 3.  Green (6'7") has had trouble scoring on the inside against taller players, but Cole is pretty light for his size and could probably be outmuscled by the more robust Draymond.

PF - Mike Davis vs. Roe/Green
Davis is another bright talent for the Illini.  Definitely not a 3-point threat, but he has developed a solid inside game with great footwork and fundamentals.  Delvon Roe matches up with him quite well and has been absolutely dominant on the defensive side of the ball the last few games.  Roe has been pretty quiet on the offensive side, however, but him wearing down Davis on the other end might make it easier for him.  Unless Roe is needed elsewhere...

C - Mike Tisdale vs. Roe/Nix/Sherman/Payne
Tisdale is a 7'1", 250 lb center that has also developed a good post game, similar to Davis.  His length has been a huge problem for the Spartans in the past and it doesn't get any easier this year.  Sherman and Payne have the length to guard him, but both are not nearly as strong or have the experience as the 4th year giant.  Nix could definitely throw his weight around just fine, but he has been in the doghouse with Izzo lately and doesn't have the footwork on the offensive end to be effective.  This situation will probably look more like damage control than an attempt to stop him, so don't tear your hair out if Tisdale scores 15 tonight.

SUMMARY
Illinois is big.  Bigger than the Spartans.  It's going to be tough for the frontcourt of MSU to score points against the Illinois big men so the best way to get out of Chambana with a W is to limit Illinois on the offensive end.  Expect a lot of switching up from Izzo to give different looks on D - if MSU can limit two of Illinois' three big threats (Tisdale, Davis, and McCamey) the game will go pretty smooth.  Go Green!

Take Three

Sorry, couldn't help myself

It'll be back to Orlando for the MSU Spartans to take on the Nick Saban-led Alabama Crimson Tide.  For all my band friends, I believe that would be "Go State, Beat the Tide."  Although many were hoping the BCS would realize MSU is more deserving of a bowl slot over Ohio State, it's hard to see someone turning down a higher payout from the OSU fanbase.  In any case, the Capital One bowl is the best non-BCS bowl out there.  Actually, it's probably better than 2 BCS bowls - expect UConn and VaTech to get blown out in the Fiesta and Orange bowls, respectively.
A brief history lesson for all you kids: Nick Saban was head coach at MSU between 1994-1999.  In 1999, after leading his team to a 9-2 record, Saban suddenly resigned after the last game of the season to take the head coaching job at LSU.  His name was in the media constantly with regards to his job, but several of his players have stated that Coach Saban had said he wasn't going to skip town suddenly....and then he did.  Saban has risen to the top of the coaching food chain, winning a national title at LSU and at Alabama.  Additionally, Mark Dantonio served as the Secondary Coach under Saban - that's where his original MSU ties come from.
I'll put up a solid analysis closer to the bowl, but the one interesting thing to watch will be the Spartan run defense against a very potent rushing attack from Alabama.  2009 Heisman Winner Mark Ingram (from Flint, MI) teams up with the speedy Trent Richardson to create one hell of a ground attack.  Greg Jones and Eric Gordon make up one of the best run-stopping duos in the country, so it'll be one of those unstoppable force vs. unmovable wall kind of games.
The other thing, off the top of my head, is to see what QB will make fewer mistakes.  Kirk Cousins has been banged up recently, but put up fantastic numbers in his final regular season game.  They may not look impressive on paper, but pretty damn good if you consider it was 30 degrees and windy that day.  Alabama's Greg McElroy is 4th in the country in completion percentage and has been very solid all year.  This will easily be the biggest test the revamped MSU secondary has seen all year.

In short, if you're feeling like MSU got snubbed, they did.  The best way to show that is if MSU shows up and wins this game so the pollsters take notice.  An MSU team that went 12-1 and beat Wisconsin and Alabama in the same season will do wonders for the Spartan brand identity and make the team much harder to pass over in years to come.  I hope many of you considering the bowl trip will pull the trigger on a plane ticket!  Also, a large congratulations to the senior class of the Spartan Marching Band that will be going to a 4th bowl game in 4 years - that has happened only one other time in the history of the band.  Enjoy, and Go Green!

Treadwell Interviews for IU Job

MSU Offensive Coordinator Don Treadwell has interviewed for the head coaching vacancy at Indiana University.  IU has been looking at a number of coaches after the firing of Bill Lynch and it's no surprise that Treadwell was on that list.  His name has come up a number of times for MAC job openings in recent years.

This is far from a done deal but it wouldn't be a shock if Treadwell took the job.  However, it should be noted that his son, Blake Treadwell, is currently a Defensive Tackle (and a pretty good one) at MSU currently.  Many speculate he'll stay until his son graduates, but I don't think the younger Treadwell would mind if his dad became a Big Ten Head Coach.  It would also be interesting due to the fact that Indiana becomes a protected rival of Michigan State starting next year.

OC Treadwell did a phenomenal job of heading the team in Dantonio's absence and also in recent recruiting, so whatever decision he makes, he'll be successful.  I would expect Treadwell to wait until after the bowl game to announce if he's leaving - that's a distraction the team does not need.  BEGIN TREADWELL WATCH 2010!!!

BCS-Worthy or Trapped in Orlando?

Happy Friday, everyone.  Students, it is now officially time to stop blowing all your money on booze and actually study for a few weeks.  Studying the college football landscape counts.  It's the last weekend of the regular season, which means conference championship games and upsets.  Almost every year, this weekend causes the BCS to go all out of whack and makes the guys at ESPN shit their pants with excitement.  Let's take a look:

Big Ten
We'll start with the Big Ten, naturally.  As I stated before, very little has changed in the Big Ten picture, BCS-wise.  Wisconsin is still ahead of OSU, who is ahead of MSU by two spots.  By Big Ten rules, Wisconsin would get the Rose Bowl berth, since they hold the highest BCS Ranking.  I'm not sure where that rule originally came from, but we use it because it's written on a giant stone tablet in a reinforced bunker underneath Big Ten headquarters in Chicago.
However, another BCS bowl will certainly pick a Big Ten team as an "at-large" and that selection has no restrictions.  MSU Athletic Director Mark Hollis has been lobbying hard to get MSU to a BCS bowl instead of Ohio State, the effects of which are showing up in the national spotlight.  However, Hollis is fighting an uphill battle, to say the least.  Ohio State has one of the largest fan bases in the country and have always shown up well for their bowl.  MSU's angle, however, is that they have gotten the highest ratings on ABC/ESPN games in the Big Ten (that means $$$$), plus they beat the supposed "best" team in the Big Ten.  The at-large spot will come down to the wire.  If MSU doesn't make the BCS, they will most likely be back in Orlando for the 3rd time in 4 years.

Conference Championships/Rivalry Games
There's some interesting football on the way this weekend.  Oregon (ranked #2) visits rival Oregon State this weekend.  Regardless of rankings, Oregon has normally struggled in Corvallis - between 1997-2007, the Ducks didn't get one win on the Beavers home turf.  I recommend watching that one - Oregon State's fans are absolutely nuts for this game.  SEC Championship puts Auburn up against South Carolina, with the Tigers being an overwhelming favorite.  Auburn has plenty of motivation - they win, they go to the championship game.

Automatic BCS berths are on the line in the ACC and Big 12 Championship games, as well.  Florida State - Virginia Tech and Oklahoma - Nebraska should both be great games.  Finally, feel free to watch UConn at South Florida.  It's hilarious how mediocre the Big East Conference is this year - the same UConn team that got trampled by barely-bowl-eligible Michigan goes to a BCS game if they win.  Make sure you play Yakety Sax at least 4 times during the game.  I promise it will be appropriate.

I'll leave you with my predictions for the Big Ten Conference Bowls.  The selection show is this Sunday at 8pm, I believe, for BCS games.  The rest of the bowls should be online at the same time:

Rose (Pasadena, CA): Wisconsin
Sugar (New Orleans, LA): Ohio State
Capital One (Orlando, FL): Michigan State
Outback Bowl (Tampa, FL): Iowa
Gator Bowl (Jacksonville, FL): Michigan
Insight Bowl (Tempe, AZ): Penn State
Texas Bowl (Houston, TX): Northwestern
TicketCity Bowl (Dallas, TX): Illinois

Now is the winter of our discontent...

Discontent doesn't begin to describe my hatred of the BCS as the regular season of college football expires and the postseason preparation begins.  Wisconsin, Ohio State, and MSU are dead even at the top of the Big Ten standings: 10-1 overall, 6-1 in Big Ten play.  This Saturday is the last game for all 3.  Wisconsin has Northwestern at home, OSU has Michigan at home, and the Spartans head to Happy Valley to take on Penn State.  Here's a quick breakdown about all the tie-breaker nonsense, in case you missed it:

1. If all 3 win, Wisconsin gets the Rose Bowl, OSU goes to a different BCS game, MSU gets nothing special.
This is the most likely scenario.  No team has much success in Camp Randall, very low chance that a floundering Michigan team upsets a strong OSU team in the Shoe.  Wisconsin wins the Rose Bowl tiebreaker because they are highest in the BCS polls.  Great system, right?

2. If one of the three teams stumble, the tie-breakers shift slightly
If OSU loses, MSU wins the new tie-breaker.  If Wisconsin loses, OSU goes.  No reshuffling happens if MSU loses, as they are the lowest down the totem pole currently.

3. On the off chance that all 3 are defeated this weekend, you might as well start praying to whatever god(s)/people/forces of nature you believe in.
In that case, the BCS poll would again determine the Rose Bowl representative, but depending on what team loses worst in the voters eyes, the order of the 3 teams could change.  Too much crazy.


NOW THAT'S OUT OF THE WAY.  Here's what to watch for in the PSU - MSU Matchup.

RUNNING WILD
Both teams had high hopes for their running games early on.  PSU's Evan Royster had earned a lot of buzz before this season as one of the Big Ten's best returning RB's.  However, a restructured offensive line has prevented the talented back from being a force in the PSU offense.  Don't expect that to change much against an MSU front seven that has been well-prepared against the run.  On the other side, MSU's running game looked spectacular in the early season, but the wear and tear of the season has shown itself constantly in the MSU OLine - less holes have opened up and freshman phenom Le'Veon Bell has all but disappeared.  It'll be interesting to see if MSU can get their ground game going.

ALL BANGED UP
Kirk Cousins has been banged up for the back half of the season.  He's taken quite a few hits in the last month of so and it has shown.  The "throwing off the back foot" problem that has led to several bad passes and interceptions are a result of a lingering ankle injury as well as a diminished confidence in his pass protection.  His effort in the Purdue game was nothing short of heroic - he put up fantastic numbers in the second half of that game, despite hardly being able to walk on one leg.  He described his ankle pain as "excruciating" during the game and simply refused to stay out of the game.  It'll be very clear early in the game whether Cousins injuries have subsided a bit, or if he's going to have to turn in another heroic game to get the W.

FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH/TIME TO MOVE ON
Is Joe Pa ever going to leave? He's 84.  The guy WILL die either at practice or at a game.  He announced last week that he will return for the 2011 season, provided his bionic heart/kidneys/liver/legs are still working. Can't say I blame him, I hate the idea of retirement, too.  This game will mark the final installment of the "Land Grant Trophy" battle as the Big Ten moves to divisions next year - MSU and PSU are in separate groups.  PSU has been a nightmare for MSU, so personally, I'm happy to see it go.

There you have it.  Hope you enjoyed Thanksgiving and the time away from work.  Here's the broadcast info for the two games Spartans should watch (sorry, but you're going to have to root for Michigan if you want the Rose Bowl.)  Go Green!

UM at OSU: 12pm, ABC/espn3.com
MSU at PSU: 12pm, ESPN2/espn3.com