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Drew Sharp: Michigan State created its own misfortune in loss to Nebraska | Drew Sharp | Detroit Free Press | freep.com
EAST LANSING -- If you're going to cheer the memorable last-second victories with the cute nicknames, then don't cry when the magic dries up and the football scales balance in the other direction.
Michigan State created its own misfortune this season.
Spare me the nonsense about how the officials robbed them again. Here's a novel thought, Sparty? Try not putting yourself in a position where you're potentially at the mercy of a questionable ruling.
Or how about attempting to perform like a decent, functional team, something in hilariously short supply in the Big Ten this season?
It's comical that the Spartans' 28-24 late-second loss to Nebraska will be remembered more for two controversial fourth-quarter penalties -- a personal foul call that negated an MSU interception returned for a touchdown and a pass interference call in the end zone that set up the Cornhuskers' game-winning score with 6 seconds remaining.
"I don't know what the problem was," defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi said. "But I guess you are not allowed to block on defense. You can only block on offense. Players play. Coaches coach. Officials try to officiate the best they can. I guess they saw it that way. From the booth, I didn't see it that way."
His attempt at sarcasm might result in a call from the Big Ten office this week (collect, of course). The league should also inform Narduzzi that a similar defiance on a Nebraska fourth down and 10 with less than a minute remaining and the Cornhuskers in frantic scramble mode, and the game would have ended with the Spartans celebrating like they accomplished something of note.
Even if the Spartans had won, what would they have expected? Praise for an offense that finally scored 24 points at home? Would they have merited a pat on the back for avoiding a three-game home losing streak?
This effort would have meant something a month earlier when their season still meant something. But the Spartans' only purpose for resuming a season formally deemed irrelevant is throwing a wrench into an already discombobulated crawl to the Big Ten championship.
The Big Ten has devolved beyond a comical mess.
Its top-two teams aren't eligible for the postseason, leaving the remaining dregs wallowing in the slop and slime. The one with least amount of filth and film will place victorious stems in their mouths in Indianapolis a month from now, earning the privilege of having Oregon disembowel them on New Year's Day.
I doubt that the Tournament of Roses actually will permit roses to be presented to the eventual Big Ten "champion."
The Spartans' attempt at recouping something lost might appear noble at its core, but when looking at it from the necessary broader perspective, it's the equivalent of making a pile of garbage smell just a tad better.
It's still garbage.
They're 5-5, looking at a bowl worthy of its own flea dip with one more win. Six wins would qualify them for a bowl only in one of eight Big Ten-affiliated games.
"You have to move forward," said quarterback Andrew Maxwell. "I feel like I say that after all our close losses that come down to the end. As painful as it is, as heartbreaking as it is, it doesn't end the season."
Au contraire.
There were vast pockets of empty seats at Spartan Stadium, a reflection of how many supporters justifiably bailed on this team. They announced the attendance at 73,522, but it certainly looked as though several thousand who bought tickets thought there was a more enjoyable way of spending a late November afternoon -- like having a voluntary colonoscopy.
But this is what happens when you raise expectations incredibly high. The fall when you fail to meet those expectations is incredibly far.
Take notes, Michigan State.
This is the price for wanting to dine at the grown-ups' table. Don't expect kudos for displaying late fight when the battle was long over. What's the rallying cry for the remainder of the season? To prove that they're the best five-loss team in the country?
Who cares?
The Spartans now head for a bye week.
Bye is the appropriate word for this season.
Good-bye and good riddance.
EAST LANSING -- If you're going to cheer the memorable last-second victories with the cute nicknames, then don't cry when the magic dries up and the football scales balance in the other direction.
Michigan State created its own misfortune this season.
Spare me the nonsense about how the officials robbed them again. Here's a novel thought, Sparty? Try not putting yourself in a position where you're potentially at the mercy of a questionable ruling.
Or how about attempting to perform like a decent, functional team, something in hilariously short supply in the Big Ten this season?
It's comical that the Spartans' 28-24 late-second loss to Nebraska will be remembered more for two controversial fourth-quarter penalties -- a personal foul call that negated an MSU interception returned for a touchdown and a pass interference call in the end zone that set up the Cornhuskers' game-winning score with 6 seconds remaining.
"I don't know what the problem was," defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi said. "But I guess you are not allowed to block on defense. You can only block on offense. Players play. Coaches coach. Officials try to officiate the best they can. I guess they saw it that way. From the booth, I didn't see it that way."
His attempt at sarcasm might result in a call from the Big Ten office this week (collect, of course). The league should also inform Narduzzi that a similar defiance on a Nebraska fourth down and 10 with less than a minute remaining and the Cornhuskers in frantic scramble mode, and the game would have ended with the Spartans celebrating like they accomplished something of note.
Even if the Spartans had won, what would they have expected? Praise for an offense that finally scored 24 points at home? Would they have merited a pat on the back for avoiding a three-game home losing streak?
This effort would have meant something a month earlier when their season still meant something. But the Spartans' only purpose for resuming a season formally deemed irrelevant is throwing a wrench into an already discombobulated crawl to the Big Ten championship.
The Big Ten has devolved beyond a comical mess.
Its top-two teams aren't eligible for the postseason, leaving the remaining dregs wallowing in the slop and slime. The one with least amount of filth and film will place victorious stems in their mouths in Indianapolis a month from now, earning the privilege of having Oregon disembowel them on New Year's Day.
I doubt that the Tournament of Roses actually will permit roses to be presented to the eventual Big Ten "champion."
The Spartans' attempt at recouping something lost might appear noble at its core, but when looking at it from the necessary broader perspective, it's the equivalent of making a pile of garbage smell just a tad better.
It's still garbage.
They're 5-5, looking at a bowl worthy of its own flea dip with one more win. Six wins would qualify them for a bowl only in one of eight Big Ten-affiliated games.
"You have to move forward," said quarterback Andrew Maxwell. "I feel like I say that after all our close losses that come down to the end. As painful as it is, as heartbreaking as it is, it doesn't end the season."
Au contraire.
There were vast pockets of empty seats at Spartan Stadium, a reflection of how many supporters justifiably bailed on this team. They announced the attendance at 73,522, but it certainly looked as though several thousand who bought tickets thought there was a more enjoyable way of spending a late November afternoon -- like having a voluntary colonoscopy.
But this is what happens when you raise expectations incredibly high. The fall when you fail to meet those expectations is incredibly far.
Take notes, Michigan State.
This is the price for wanting to dine at the grown-ups' table. Don't expect kudos for displaying late fight when the battle was long over. What's the rallying cry for the remainder of the season? To prove that they're the best five-loss team in the country?
Who cares?
The Spartans now head for a bye week.
Bye is the appropriate word for this season.
Good-bye and good riddance.
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This would be journalistic suicide if you wrote something like this in Nebraska about Nebraska.
oooo b1g 10.
