You win or you lose. You live or you die. No silver medals, no bronze trophies, no shades of gray. Just one shade of gold.

Once again, the Spartans will head home empty handed.

During the offseason, MSU fans could draw inspiration from the fact that the team didn’t lose a game by more than a touchdown last season. Certainly, the stat was a measure of improvement for a program that had been skidding for the better half of a decade.

Losing games late in the fourth quarter against Ohio State, Wisconsin and Boston College was acceptable, if not encouraging, because of where MSU stood as a program as recently as 2006.

But after losing so many nail-biters last season, the expectation was that the Spartans would learn from those mistakes and win some of those close games this season. Dantonio’s emphasis during the offseason reflected the sentiment of most fans when he stressed during several press conferences the importance of finishing games.

In the first week of the season, the Spartans had a chance to prove that they’d made the necessary adjustments to put their late game struggles behind them. But they didn’t, and that’s what makes this loss so discouraging.

In roughly four hours, the Spartans showed how very close, yet how very far they are from reaching California’s status as a college football power.

Each team exceeded 400 total yards, committed eight penalties, made game-changing plays defensively, and blocked punts on special teams.

Both teams had sufficient opportunities to win the game, but California — a team that has been there before — did what was necessary to finish on top. In some ways, the outcome was predictable.

When teams like MSU and California square off, more often than not, tradition and history prevail. Despite struggling last year, California has a culture of winning, while MSU doesn’t.

The proof was stitched all over the gridiron during the fourth quarter, when California made all the plays necessary in order to win the game.

Cal quarterback Kevin Riley channeled the Gods who were looking over New York Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning in the Super Bowl when, on a crucial 3rd-and-13, he hit tight end Cameron Morrah for a 26-yard strike despite being dragged to his knees by a gang of MSU defenders in the process.

Backup running back Shane Vereen shook loose for an 81-yard touchdown run to cramp MSU’s momentum after Brett Swenson’s field goal kept the Spartans within a touchdown.

After another MSU touchdown gave the Spartans a pulse, starting running back Jahvid Best shedded defenders to scamper for a first down late in the quarter when MSU desperately needed a stop. The run put MSU on life support.

MSU made plays, but California made plays that mattered.

With just 13 seniors on scholarship, MSU is still a very young team, meaning it could take years before the players gel and develop a genuine confidence in their ability to win close games.

But after last season’s progress, fans believe MSU can win now, I believe MSU can win now, and MSU believes MSU can win now. But under the bright lights of Saturday, believing isn’t reacting, and believing certainly isn’t winning.

Alex Altman is The Game Editor for The State News. He can be reached at altmanal@msu.edu.