When the No. 11 MSU football team’s seniors committed to be Spartans, they were a group of humble two- and three-star recruits who jumped at the chance to play Big Ten football.
Now, they’re the winningest class in MSU program history with a long list of accomplishments, including having back-to-back undefeated home seasons in their fight to defend their 2010 Big Ten championship and securing a bid to the inaugural conference championship game Dec. 3.
“They’re doing great things,” head coach Mark Dantonio said.
“They’re doing things that haven’t been done in a long time here, and they’re doing things that need to be done for the first time in this modern era of football in the new Big Ten Conference.”
Earning the highest two-year record in program history, the seniors have 20 wins during the last two seasons, with the most recent victory against Indiana on Saturday, where MSU (9-2 overall, 6-1 Big Ten) won 55-3.
With just four losses in both seasons combined, they were able to break the 2010 class’ record for most wins and now have 35 total.
Additionally, MSU’s win along with No. 17 Michigan’s win over No. 22 Nebraska this weekend left the Spartans as Legends Division Champions.
Senior wide receiver B.J. Cunningham said the Spartans’ seniors were sent out in the best possible way in their final game in Spartan Stadium.
Cunningham — along with seniors quarterback Kirk Cousins, safety Trenton Robinson and left guard Joel Foreman — said the dominating win was the perfect way to cap off a 14-game home winning streak — the longest since the 1950-53 teams had 19 games.
“Being undefeated two years in a row at home is big,” Cunningham said.
“(Our) seniors last year — credit them for helping getting us through that and the seniors this year for getting undefeated in the woodshed.”
The Spartans will either face No. 15 Wisconsin or No. 20 Penn State in the Big Ten championship game, and they’ll have a chance not only to defend their 2010 championship, but also could be outright champions, unlike last year.
Because MSU finished last year with 11 wins, the team had high expectations for itself, and through 11 games this season it has lived up to them.
“Basically, only one out of every 10 teams that have had success previously can repeat,” Dantonio said.
Since training camp, the Spartans have held a Pasadena-or-bust mentality, aiming for a bid to the Rose Bowl with a conference championship.
Ignoring arguments that expectations were too high and 2010 was merely a fluke year for MSU, Dantonio said championships are discussed among players and coaches on a daily basis because they know they’re capable of maintaining their goals.
They’re exactly where they wanted to be at the beginning of the season with two games remaining and a chance to make the Rose Bowl a third.
“Once you accomplish a goal, it’s always hard to repeat it,” senior wide receiver Keshawn Martin said.
“But we just come out every game and just fight hard and just play hard. Right now, we’re in a good position with all of our goals ahead of us … but you’ve just got to keep fighting and keep grinding.”
The Spartans’ seniors certainly have made the most of their time at MSU, and although their goals are well within reach, Dantonio’s not taking his foot off the gas.
Cousins recalled his class’ ambitions early in their Spartan careers, knowing they would have to face four- and five-star recruits to win.
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They haven’t achieved all their goals, but they’re on the right track and set up for success.
“It feels great to play in the very first Big Ten championship game,” Martin said.
“But it’ll feel even better if we win that game.”
