Outback Bowl Prediction

I don’t see the Outback Bowl turning out well for Michigan.

I don’t see this game being terribly lopsided, but I think the Michigan offense will have problems moving the ball against a strong and speedy defense like South Carolina.

Defensively, I think Michigan can keep South Carolina in check, but the Gamecocks will still find a way to score enough points to win.

South Carolina doesn’t quite have the same defensive talent that Alabama has, but it’s not far off. Devin Gardner will have to have a tremendous performance for Michigan to win, and I just don’t think he’s ready to carve up this defense quite yet.

Denard Robinson has struggled running against tough defenses like this, and I don’t think he is going to have that much of an impact when the Wolverines call his number.

If Michigan is to win, it will probably take a defensive or special teams touchdown, and you can’t really expect those to happen.

In the end, I see Connor Shaw making enough big throws to set up a few touchdowns and a few field goals, while Michigan will be clawing for everything it can get on offense.

Prediction: South Carolina 20, Michigan 10

Keys to victory for Michigan against South Carolina

Michigan returns to the football field coming up on Tuesday afternoon. Here are my keys to victory for the Wolverines against South Carolina in the Outback Bowl.

Mix it up with Denard – In the loss to Ohio State, Michigan became far too predictable on offense when Denard Robinson was on the field. The Wolverines didn’t have Robinson throw a single pass, which allowed the Buckeyes to stack the box when he was on the field. If Robinson is going to take any snaps at quarterback, he has to make a few throws throughout the game to keep the South Carolina defense honest. Michigan is much more likely to break a big play if the Gamecocks have to respect that Robinson could run or throw each time he touches the ball.

Keep Devin/Denard clean – The Michigan offensive line will be tested by an impressive front line for the South Carolina defense. If Michigan is going to be able to move the ball, the offensive line has to win the line of scrimmage and keep Devin Gardner and Denard Robinson from being sacked. The Gamecocks have an impressive 40 sacks this season, led by stud sophomore defensive end, Jadeveon Clowney, who has 13. If South Carolina is able to consistently get into the backfield, it is going to be a long day for the Michigan quarterbacks and the Wolverine fans.

Create turnovers – This South Carolina defense is good. The Gamecocks are only giving up 17.4 points and 312 yards per game, and that is with a SEC schedule. Michigan probably isn’t going to find a lot of consistent success on offense. The Wolverines can’t expect to drive the field 80 yards each time it needs a score. That means the Michigan defense will need to find a way to create turnovers. South Carolina has been pretty good at not turning the ball over, as it has just 19 for the season. Michigan also hasn’t been great at creating turnovers, as the Wolverines have only 17 for the year. But Michigan has to find a way to make South Carolina cough the ball up, especially when the Gamecocks are in their territory. One key turnover could decide this game.

Thoughts on MSU's 17-16 win over TCU

It was almost like two different games were played on Saturday night.

In the first half, Michigan State looked like it didn’t have any business being in a bowl game to begin with. The offense was as bad as it has been all season and the defense was giving up a number of big plays, which allowed TCU to score 13 points.

But, in true Spartan fashion this season, MSU found a way to make the game interesting.

Connor Cook led the Spartans on a 90-yard TD drive that saw a creative pass play from Le’Veon Bell on third down. Then, a big gift on a muffed punt by the Horned Frogs led to an easy touchdown run for Bell from four yards out. Those scoring drives gave the Spartans an improbable lead.

But, again in 2012 MSU fashion, TCU managed to respond with a mildly-successful drive that led to a 53-yard field from Jaden Oberkrom that just avoided hitting the left upright, putting TCU ahead, 16-14, late in the game.

Mark Dantonio again turned to redshirt freshman Connor Cook to lead the offense in response, and he did, hitting a pair of key passes to open the drive before Le’Veon Bell did the rest of the work to setup Dan Conroy for a 47-yard field goal that turned out to be the game-winner.

As ugly as MSU played, a win is a win. Bowl wins are important for the program and Saturday night’s victory puts a positive end to a disappointing season. It still doesn’t make this season a success for the Spartans, but the team and coaches showed some heart by finding a way to win that game.

Clearly many of the issues during the season, especially on offense, still were an issue in this game. Throwing short of the sticks on third down was the most noticeable one. Some blame goes to Andrew Maxwell, some goes to the receivers.

Regardless of who was to blame, it is clear that Michigan State knew Cook needed an opportunity to play in a big game, and he played as well as you could expect him to given his experience and the circumstances.

You would have to think Cook may have the edge on Maxwell heading into spring ball. Maxwell was as bad as he has been all season, going just 6 for 16 for 28 yards. We will see how he responds to this game in the offseason, but even he has to realize that his title as starting quarterback is in jeopardy.

If Saturday was Bell’s last game as a Spartan, he left it all on the field. He again shouldered the physical load, carrying 32 times for 145 yards. There weren’t many holes for him throughout the game, but he did what he could to move the offense forward.

If Saturday’s game did anything, it made the offseason for the Spartans very interesting, and it all starts with who is going to be on the roster come the fall.

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Prediction

Michigan State returns to the football field Saturday night to face TCU in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl.

This game is actually quite meaningful for both teams, as each has had a disappointing year, and a bowl victory would put a little positive spin to it heading into spring football for the 2013 season.

I expect the game to be low scoring, like most Michigan State games. Both teams are stronger on defense than they are on offense and I suspect neither offense will come out with a completely different look that the opposing team wasn’t ready for.

With MSU’s defense banged up a little bit in the secondary, as Johnny Adams may not play due to turf toe, that opens the door for TCU to be aggressive in the passing game. The Spartans will need to get pressure on TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin and not allow the Horned Frogs to develop deep passing plays.

I don’t expect Le’Veon Bell to be able to take over the game. He should be about as fresh as he can be, but the Spartans still have issues on the offensive line. The game will ride on Andrew Maxwell’s arm, and I thought he was regressing as the season went on. I don’t know that a month of preparation will do enough to make Maxwell into an improved quarterback. He will get his chance to win the game in the fourth quarter, as he has had in most games all season, but I see him coming up short again.

Prediction: TCU 16, Michigan State 13

Keys to victory for MSU in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl

This Saturday night, Michigan State finally gets back on the football field for the 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl against TCU.

Here are a few keys to the game for the Spartans:

- Get off the field on third down – TCU led the Big 12 in time of possession advantage this season, but was not that successful on third downs, converting just 34.1 percent. The Horned Frogs like to be aggressive on first and second down, but they are facing the toughest defense they have seen all season. Michigan State will get TCU into third-down situations and the Spartans will need to make stops on those third downs to get the ball back in the hands of the offense. If TCU is able to sustain drives, it will give the Spartan offense limited opportunities to succeed. Given MSU’s offense hasn’t had that high of a success rate, limited possessions don’t bode well for it.

- Don’t play into TCU’s hands – The Horned Frogs have one of the top rushing defenses in the nation, allowing just 103.9 yards per game on the ground. I know Le’Veon Bell is MSU’s workhorse, but if the running game isn’t establishing itself early, the Spartans need to air things out. TCU has 21 interceptions on the season, but they have given up 228 yards per game through the air. Michigan State should be able to find some holes in the secondary if Andrew Maxwell can make good throws and the receivers can catch the ball. With a month of preparation for this game, you would hope Dan Roushar has installed some creative passing plays to beat the Horned Frogs.

- Make the kicks – In a game like this, with two solid defenses meeting up, any chance for both teams to put points on the board will be key. Neither team has had a reliable kicking game, as TCU kicker Jaden Oberkrom is 19 of 27 on field goal attempts this season. Oberkrom has missed four field goals from the 30-39 range and one from the 20-29 range. MSU kicker Dan Conroy went 22 for 31 on his field goal attempts this season, missed four form 30-39 yards and five from 40-49 yards. Conroy missed at least one field goal in nine of MSU’s 12 games this season. He needs to be on his game on Saturday night with points at a premium. Four of MSU’s six losses came by three points or less, and Conroy missed a field goal in three of those four losses.

My Christmas wish

It’s Christmas time and I want to start by wishing everyone a happy holiday. I hope you are getting a chance to enjoy some good food with your families, and maybe even getting that Christmas wish of yours.

I have already had a great holiday, but to be festive, I thought I would share my wish for the holidays, and it relates to the MSU-Michigan rivalry.

My wish is that the rivalry hits a new level in 2013.

In the ideal world, I would like to see both football teams and both basketball teams playing at their highest levels, with both contending for national recognition and Big Ten titles.

Whether you are on the side of the Spartans, or the side of the Wolverines, the games between these two teams are so much better when they mean something.

Some of the greatest games in the history of this rivalry are when both teams are ranked and battling it out on the football field or basketball court.

In football, Michigan State had a nice run over the past few seasons, but Michigan was in a funk.

This season, the Wolverines were still solid, but a little disappointing. Michigan State was a complete disaster. This year’s game between the two had no real meaning when it came to competing for a Big Ten title.

It would be nice in upcoming years to have this game mean a lot, with both teams possibly being unbeaten. It makes the game that more passionate and emotional. It brings out the best (or worst, depending on how you look at it) of both fan bases.

In basketball, we might be there already. Michigan looks like a legit national title contender and MSU is strong, but a little inconsistent. By the end of the season, both could be primed for a run in the NCAA Tournament. Their meetings on the court this season should also be very competitive and feature great environments, and they could also determine who wins the Big Ten title.

I mean, how great would it be to see the Spartans and Wolverines tipoff in the championship of the Big Ten Tournament with a possible 1 or 2 seed on the line in the Big Dance?

I know Michigan fans say Ohio State is their biggest rival, and that is fine. I won’t argue that. But, as a neutral party to both, it is a lot better when both teams are flourishing and worrying about each other.

Parker's decision not too surprsing

Jabari Parker seemed to be most Michigan State fans’ favorite player before he had even committed to be a Spartan.

MSU was really hoping and counting on Parker to suit up in the green and white next season, but he instead opted for the “Yankees” of college basketball, Duke.

Parker made his commitment to the Blue Devils on national television on Thursday, changing the landscape of what Michigan State will look like next season.

In hindsight, the decision is not all that surprising.

Michigan State hasn’t been known to be a real hot spot for potential one-and-done recruits, which Parker is.

Tom Izzo has spoken out in the past about his dislike for the one-and-done rule and his only notable one-and-done player was Zach Randolph, who didn’t exactly flourish in his single season with the Spartans, averaging 10.8 points and 6.7 rebounds.

Izzo also isn’t known for being real lenient on his freshmen. He rides them, he challenges them and he also isn’t afraid to bench them for lengthy periods of time.

That isn’t to say Mike Krzyzewski doesn’t do much of the same, but he has had a better track record with one-and-done players as of late, including Kyrie Irving and Austin Rivers.

Izzo seems to embrace the challenge of developing players over a number of years. He has produced a number of talented stars that have translated to the NBA, but many have stayed at least three years in the program.

You also can’t forget that Duke is Duke. No matter what Michigan State has accomplished under Izzo, the Blue Devils still are largely considered the top program in the nation and have been for more than two decades.

It will be interesting to see how Michigan State bounces back from this recruiting loss. The Spartans weren’t able to make certain moves or get commitments from other players as they awaited Parker’s decision. It was a risk vs. reward situation, and the Spartans came out on the wrong end.