His response – “I hope not”.
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C is for Connor and C.J. Cook has 2,730 yards passing with 24 touchdowns and four interceptions; Beathard has 2,354 yards passing with 14 touchdowns and three picks.
D is for Dantonio. They were very well coached, their players played very firm up front on both sides of the ball. The Spartans (11-1, 7-1 Big Ten) are making their third conference title game appearance in five years.
E is for expectations.
Michigan State’s affinity for constantly having a “chip on its shoulder” has been well documented, nearly to a point that’s become humorous.
In the past three seasons, including this one, the Spartans have won 35 games, a Big Ten championship, a Rose Bowl championship and a Cotton Bowl.
F is for Ferentz.
“We kind of got a practice game, so at least it is not totally out of our minds”, said UI head coach Kirk Ferentz.
G is for grouper. And they can get creative when it comes to finding an edge.
H is for Hawkeyes. They have a lot of talent back there. If a few other things break the right way, another Big Ten team might be in the mix.
I is for interceptions.
Compared to those teams, though, Iowa’s schedule wasn’t just soft, it was luxuriant, a frothy warm bath filled with flower petals and scented with precious oils. As in Josey Jewel, the Hawkeyes’ outstanding sophomore linebacker. Late in the game, though, Louisville’s offense struggled to create open shots and its chance to earn a big win slipped away.
K is for King.
CITY | There was a time when Iowa cornerback Desmond King had a Spartan attitude about things.
During this run, he’s climbed up to the top of many records for Michigan State quarterbacks. Kickoff is set for 7:17.
M is for Malik McDowell. Junior Mackenzie MacEachern is a name familiar to Nittany Lions, as last season he scored all three goals in the team’s last meeting en route to a Spartan 3-2 victory. The 6-6, 286-pound sophomore has been one of the focal points on a unit that is among the best in the country. Four of the first six touchdowns for MSU through their first two games were defensive scores, and neither quarterback had a touchdown pass. It was a situation that left head coach Mark Dantonio scratching his head, looking for answers.
O is for opportunity. 4, 5 and 6 this week by The Associated Press and the College Football Playoff committee and their resumes might not make it any easier.
P is for penalties. There’s just no way to be sure without the evidence from the biggest Saturday of the season.
Q is for quality wins.
Stewart Mandel and Bruce Feldman debated Ohio State’s playoff chances on a recent episode of The Audible, the Fox Sports college football podcast. The disappointment of losing to OR and Ohio State, coincidentally, the two finalists for the inaugural College Football Playoff, led to the rally cry for 2015.
R is for running backs. Both teams are equal in the turnover margin, plus 14. The Spartans have been here before.
T is for Twelve.
He did make it onto the field during the 2006 season as part of the defensive line’s second unit and says he got a good number of snaps along with great experiences.
U is for underdog. But now, with the implement of the playoff, the Big Ten title game for the past two years has been more than just a game for the league’s silver trophy.
V is for victory.
With a win, this would be Michigan State’s ninth Big Ten title overall. Michigan State won a program record 13 contests in 2013.
W is for wins.
The new alignment kept Iowa and Michigan State at each other’s throats.
X is for x-factor. The freshman had a five-game point streak heading into last weekend that was broken by the stingy defense of North Dakota.
The storylines can certainly be about how far Michigan State has come under Dantonio. But Iowa shouldn’t be intimidated by this MSU defense.
Y is for young.
Z is for zero.
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Jason Shawley is a Featured Writer for RantSports.com covering Big Ten Football. What we found is when schools come in multiple years, the first year they come, people are really excited and come out in droves and have a wonderful time.
