Saturday is EVERYTHING

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When it's "backyard brawl" week in Michigan, inevitably the question most heard on sports talk radio is "who needs it more?"  The answer to that is simple this season...Michigan.  Rodriguez's opening act in 2008 was a disaster at 3-9, last year's collapse after a 4-0 start was a dagger to the heart, and this year's 5-0 start needs it's validation in the defeat of a secondary rival, our little brother.  A win on Saturday and Michigan really is back.  Back in a bowl, 6-0 for the first time since 2006, and in a position to contend for a Big Ten title.  A loss and it's Harbaugh time unless we beat the Sweatervest.

Michigan State, win or lose, will still be Michigan State.  People are pointing to their soft schedule following the Michigan game, and the fact that they don't play Ohio State this season, saying that Michigan State will be in the driver's seat to challenge OSU for the title.  Right.  I'm sure this is the year that they don't shit the bed.  Win or lose on Saturday, I promise you that they will lose one of their next two games after Michigan (vs. Illinois, at Northwestern), and possibly both.  Sparty is Sparty, and neither Greg Jones nor Dantonio's chest stint are going to will them into being something they are not.

They are stupid.

Way Back Wednesday "Never Forgets"

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It was 2001, I had a field pass, and Michigan State got an extra second of clock time to make their miracle pass play happen to defeat the Wolverines.  We parked in this beautiful wooded lot, and had a grand ol' time before the game.  After the game, we did bad things...so many bad things that the lot in question no longer parks people on gamedays in East Lansing.

The flashback pictures are here:

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Foreward

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The last couple of seasons have taken the edge off of my ability to hate. It's hard to pick on your rivals when they're beating you, it's even harder when everybody is beating you. So I went into this season focusing my efforts inward. What's wrong with my team? What does my team need to do to be relevant again?  How do we get back to 8-4, so we can move forward to 13-0?

They've taken it step by step...game by game.  And with each step, the doubters only added doubts.  First UCONN is good, then we beat UCONN, so now UCONN sucks.  Somehow our Notre Dame win (on the road) wasn't nearly as impressive as MSU's (home, overtime, fake field goal).  The UMASS win was treated as a loss.  The Bowling Green win was brushed off.  And Indiana, despite having the #11 passing offense in the country BEFORE the Michigan game, is still considered Indiana.

But why can't the sum be greater than its parts?

I had an epiphany during the Indiana game on Saturday as I sat amongst the Michigan fans in Memorial Stadium (which was not sold out):  As long as teams don't figure out a way to score more than one touchdown in a single drive, we're going to be alright.  I mean, Indiana basically scored every time.  They put up astronomical offensive numbers.  It's impossible for it to be any worse.  I guess they could have scored faster, but then we would just have gotten the ball more.  Basically what I'm saying is that when it comes to offenses playing our defense, Indiana = UMASS = Florida = the 1999 St. Louis Rams.  So bring it on Big Ten.  You are all so lucky that our defense is super super shitty.  Because if it was just shitty, we'd be polishing that crystal football in January.  By my calculations, we've got two years to figure out how to put together a shitty defense, and when we do, you're all screwed.

And this just in....you might be screwed anyway.