response 25 of 78:

Oct 26 01:09 UTC 2003

Michigan State is the only undefeated team in the Big Ten, yes.  
They're 4-0.  They did lose a nonconference game to Louisiana Tech.

They play Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Penn State.  It doesn't 
seem likely they'll run the table on those teams.  Penn State is bad 
but the other three are very good, nationally ranked teams.  
However... they have the opportunity to go to the Rose Bowl if they do 
win all their games, or even three of the four.  That would be very 
satisfying; they were not expected to go to any bowl game this year 
after going 4-8 last year and bringing in a new coach.

response 27 of 78:

Oct 26 03:45 UTC 2003

Well, yeah, the Orange Bowl would be better this year.  I, however, 
would be very much satisfied with the Rose Bowl.

response 29 of 78:

Oct 28 03:29 UTC 2003

MSU fans quit whining about the factors that went against them and 
helped with their loss after a week or two.

Michigan fans may *never* forget the 26-24 loss to MSU in 2001.  
However, they had no trouble getting over the two bad turnover calls 
at the end of the game that gave them an unearned victory over Iowa 
that same year.  (Remember?  The Big Ten apologized for the 
officiating for that game?  Of course you don't...)

I am looking forward to *this* weekend's game.  Neither team was 
expected to be where they are.  Michigan was expected to be crowding 
the top of the Top 25, and be 8-0 at this point.  Instead they're #13 
in the country (according to the BCS) with a 6-2 record.  Michigan 
State was supposed to be 3-5 or worse, but instead they're 7-1 and 
ranked #10.  It may make for a wonferful game.

I'll say this... if Michigan plays like they did against Purdue, 
they'll blow Michigan State right out of Spartan Stadium.  They would 
have beaten anyone that day.  That was an amazing game.

I don't expect that to happen.  I expect a close game.  Because of 
their superior defense against the running game, solid special teams, 
better quarterback, and home field advantage, I expect the Spartans to 
win.

response 31 of 78:

Oct 29 03:45 UTC 2003

I don't spend a lot of time complaining about referee errors.  I enjoy 
the game of college football.  I am enjoying looking forward to this 
weekend's game much more, just now, than I am enjoying the win two 
years ago, or MSU's 4 wins in their last 5 home games against U-M.

I'm anticipating a Spartan victory.  The team that ran the ball better 
has won 35 of the last 37 games -- and U-M is not going to be 
successful running the ball against Michigan State this year.  
Turnovers mean a lot, and State hasn't given up the ball in the Big 
Ten season this year.  Not once.  They've taken the ball away 11 times 
and given it up 0 times.

Heh.  Selective statistics will build up a team.  Actually, I'm 
expecting a close, hard-fought game.

Michigan and Michigan State have played common opponents Indiana (S), 
Iowa (S), Minnesota (S) and Notre Dame (M).  (M or S is which school 
did better against each common opponent.)

I think this game is going to be a lot of fun for everyone.  At this 
point, I couldn't be happier about it.  Sunday morning... we will see.

response 33 of 78:

Oct 30 14:50 UTC 2003

Michigan State has a poor running game by Big Ten standards, they're 
tenth in the conference with an average of 103 yards per game.  
Michigan is 5th in the Big Ten, averaging 143.2 yards per game.

However, Lloyd Carr, coach of U-M lives by the running game, and John 
L. Smith, MSU's coach, does not.  MSU wants to pass the ball anyway.

Michigan was pretty much forced to go to the passing game for their 
win over Minnesota, when the running game was ineffective.  Minnesota 
wasn't prepared for it and let a big 4th quarter lead slip away from 
them.  Michigan State will be better prepared for what happens when 
Michigan can't run the ball.

Michigan played against a passing offense last weekend, Purdue, and 
succeeded by swarming (and flustering) the QB.  Kyle Orton said, after 
the game, he never got the chance to throw the ball long.  I don't 
believe MSU's QB, Jeff Smoker, is going to get flustered.  I think if 
Michigan blitzes MSU like they did Purdue, then Smoker will drop a 
short pass to somebody.  If they don't blitz, Smoker will have time to 
find an open receiver -- and he's got the most accurate arm in the Big 
Ten.  (70% completions in the Big Ten.)  I don't think Michigan has an 
answer for a QB as good as Smoker.

I think MSU is also vulnerable to a strong passing offense.  If 
Michigan throws the ball well, as they do sometimes and don't do other 
times, then this could be a high scoring game for both sides, and 
unpredictable.

In a close game, MSU has the advantage because their kicking game is 
better.  They punt for 10 yards per attempt more than Michigan.  They 
trust their field goal kicker.  Dave Rayner is accurate from almost 50 
yards out.  Michigan does not trust their kickers, especially with 
long kicks.

Michigan does have a better running game.  If they can run the ball, 
they'll probably win.

Michigan State is also prone to penalties.  If the Spartans give up a 
lot of penalty yards, that could be a factor.

response 35 of 78:

Oct 30 22:14 UTC 2003

A few years ago, a few nights before the Michigan-MSU game, someone
painted green S's all over the diag on the center of Michigan's campus. 
Since then, every year, the guys from Theta Chi bring their couches and
their foozball table to the diag and camp out for several days before
the game. This morning I saw one of them polishing the 'M' with a can of
Brasso.

response 37 of 78:

Nov 2 14:32 UTC 2003

Luckily for the Spartans, it is just a football game. ;)

response 39 of 78:

Nov 3 04:06 UTC 2003

(I was surprised at how often and how well U-M [specifically Perry] was
able to run the ball.  I also was surprised at how often the Spartan
receivers simply dropped passes, just like they did in the early season.)

response 41 of 78:

Nov 4 01:40 UTC 2003

After going 9-34 over the last four years, Eastern Michigan football head
coach Jeff Woodruff was releived of his duties and EMU Assistant Head
Coach/Running Backs Coach Al Lavan was named Interim Head Coach.

http://www.emich.edu/goeagles/football/2003/Releases/woodyrelieved.pdf

EMU has three games remaining in their schedule including next weeks game
against the University of Central Florida (12 Noon kickoff) which is to be
televised as the MAC game of the week on Fox SportsNet Detroit and fox
SportsNet Ohio.

response 43 of 78:

Nov 4 22:58 UTC 2003

Of course letting the coach stay on will affect recruiting.  Opinions are
already being formed by recruits.  They are going to want to know early on
who the new coach will be.

response 45 of 78:

Nov 5 01:46 UTC 2003

Hopefully not four years in a row though.

The recruiting issue is one that AD Dave Diles mentioned.

response 47 of 78:

Nov 5 04:14 UTC 2003

I feel bad for him, he's really a nice guy from everything I've read and seen,
but I would really like to see more than one win a season.

(wow, if you would have told me 15 years ago that in 15 years I'd be writing
*anything* about football I would have laughed)

response 49 of 78:

Nov 6 21:31 UTC 2003

When the head football coach (college) is fired during the season, it is
almost *never* the case that the new, permanent head coach (for the next
season etc.) is known right at that time.  The interim guy is almost always
one of the assistants.  So knowing who the next coach is going to be is not
an issue for potential recruits - it is certainly not known at the time of
the firing.  The only way the firing could help recruiting is if the coach
is "so bad" that the school is demonstrating to the potential recruits that
they won't have to put up with him, and getting that message out there sooner.

Witness the MSU situation last season...