In this past month, the Spartans defeated Ohio State for the first time at Ohio Stadium since 1998.

They took out a top-11 team in Michigan, doing so for the fourth consecutive year and ending U-M quarterback Denard Robinson’s Heisman campaign. And defeated then-No.4 and then-unbeaten Wisconsin in memorable fashion (to say the least).

“You take the good with the bad,” senior quarterback Kirk Cousins said. “We had a great month. It didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but like I said, it’s about how we respond. … People remember how you finish.”

With the loss Saturday, the Spartans find themselves in a difficult situation. Had they won, MSU would have been in the driver’s seat with games left against Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana and Northwestern — the Big Ten’s bottom teams.

Instead, it’s Nebraska who controls its own destiny. If the Cornhuskers drop one of their remaining games and MSU wins out, they would make the Big Ten championship game.

The Spartans need help, but as MSU head coach Mark Dantonio said after Saturday’s loss, they still can accomplish what they set out to do before the season started.

“All of our goals remain in front of us,” Dantonio said. “I guess there’s a four-way tie for first place or whatever it is right now. But our goals remain in tact.”

Back to reality
After a game against Wisconsin which MSU didn’t have a single penalty, the Spartans snapped back to their usual penalty-happy selves.

Against Nebraska, they racked up nine penalties for 90 yards, and many of them came at crucial times. Senior safety Trenton Robinson said the penalties resulted in the defense not being able to get off the field, which directly resulted in the loss.

“We just didn’t make plays on third down and get off the field,” Robinson said. “We had costly penalties. Third downs and second downs to get them moving and (give them) first downs. You can’t win games like that.”

After the Michigan game, senior guard and captain Joel Foreman said the first drive of the second half is the most important of the game. On Saturday, Nebraska treated their first drive as such, whereas the Spartans offense flopped.

The Huskers took the ball 80 yards in 14 plays, chewing up 5:33 and scoring a touchdown.
MSU countered with a 7-play drive for 23 yards. The Spartans used all of 3:23 minutes of the clock, and it was the only time they touched the ball in the quarter.

“They’re going to make some plays, but you to get off the field on third down,” Dantonio said. “Got to get our offense the ball. We had one drive in the third quarter.”