Grantland: Today the Ducks, Tomorrow the World: Michigan State Puts Its Playoff Cred to the Test vs. Oregon

By now, Michigan State fans should be well acquainted with that feeling beyond the quarterback position: Although the Spartans won 11 games or more in four out of five seasons from 2010 to 2014 and won major bowl games each of the past two years, they haven’t quite managed to acquire the aura of a perennially elite program. In 2013, skeptics derided the schedule, which didn’t feature a single notable victim until postseason upsets over then–no. 2 Ohio State (in the Big Ten championship game) and then–no. 5 Stanford (in the Rose Bowl); though the Spartans finished no. 3, they didn’t make their first appearance in the polls until after Halloween, two-thirds of the way through the regular season. Last year, pollsters showed considerably more respect, with MSU opening at no. 8 in the AP poll and never falling below no. 13, but the Spartans were unable to capitalize thanks to double-digit losses at the hands of Oregon early and Ohio State late, the two teams that would play in the national championship game. Again, MSU failed to topple a top-shelf opponent until the postseason, in a come-from-behind, 42-41 triumph over Baylor in the Cotton Bowl.

Early in the 2013 season, the offense remained a laughingstock sans Bell, accounting for fewer touchdowns against FBS opponents in the month of September (3) than the far more capable MSU defense (4). By November, though, Cook had permanently relegated 2012 starter Andrew Maxwell to the bench, and Michigan State had begun its rapid climb into the national consciousness.

Grantland: Today the Ducks, Tomorrow the World: Michigan State Puts Its Playoff Cred to the Test vs. Oregon

steveschneider wrote:" they haven’t quite managed to acquire the aura of a perennially elite program. In 2013, skeptics derided the schedule, which didn’t feature a single notable victim until postseason upsets over then–no. 2 Ohio State (in the Big Ten championship game"

How come Ohio State can have a tissue paper soft schedule this year and dodge the same criticisms?

Giant Moose wrote:

Grantland: Today the Ducks, Tomorrow the World: Michigan State Puts Its Playoff Cred to the Test vs. Oregon

Wait, the game is today???!?!?!?!

Floyd Robertson wrote:I thought that was a pretty fair assessment except when it came to pointing out the points-allowed differential between non-ranked vs. ranked teams.



I would love to see the evidence that all teams don't display that tendency when playing ranked teams, especially the top 10 teams the likes of Ohio State, Baylor and Oregon.

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:I didn't think that article was very flattering. It's definitely fair to point out that our defense had a hard time stopping some of the best offenses of the past decade. It's true. I kind of felt like the article slighted Cook a bit more than deserved, though. Underhanded compliments followed by critiques.

AnomanderRake wrote:

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:I didn't think that article was very flattering. It's definitely fair to point out that our defense had a hard time stopping some of the best offenses of the past decade. It's true. I kind of felt like the article slighted Cook a bit more than deserved, though. Underhanded compliments followed by critiques.

The article wasn't intended to be flattering. It's a well written critical thinking piece, he provided a lot of sensible statistics and insight, and basically said this is our chance to prove ourselves after falling short.

Herbie Green wrote:Why does the 2013 win over OSU always seem to get ignored? That team was 12-0 and #2 in the country.

Herbie Green wrote:Why does the 2013 win over OSU always seem to get ignored? That team was 12-0 and #2 in the country.