One final outing at Spartan Stadium provided warm memories for MSU’s 18 seniors, but few others.

The Spartans downed Minnesota in a solid, yet uninspiring, 14-3 game that served as little more than high-intensity practices for the Buckeyes.

A late November date with Minnesota doesn’t exactly rile up the masses, especially with MSU’s ticket punched to the conference championship.

Sure, the Golden Gophers have been the Big Ten’s Cinderella team, and the resilience of both their players and head coach Jerry Kill is a good story. But in reality, this was a lame duck game blocking the road to the one that truly matters.

Yes, beating Minnesota becomes important if MSU falls next weekend in terms of staying alive for a BCS bowl bid. Head coach Mark Dantonio has stated repeatedly he has no intentions of losing that game, and with an unimpressive showing against Michigan at the same time Saturday, Ohio State no longer appears to be such an overwhelming favorite in Indianapolis.

Finally, all attention can shift to what everyone – fans, players, coaches, media – has been looking forward to: Ohio State.

Credit the MSU leadership for not allowing the team to sleepwalk through Saturday, though. Minnesota is a formidable team, but if the Spartans put forth the necessary effort and focus, beating the Gophers was nearly a certainty.

Throughout the week, Spartan players vehemently denied being distracted by an inevitable championship matchup, and they reinforced their words even if it wasn’t in glorious fashion.

Luckily, that’s in the past. Now we can settle in and anticipate the league’s best offense competing against the league’s (and nation’s) best defense with a bid to the prestigious Rose Bowl on the line.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” senior linebacker Denicos Allen said. “… It’s my last chance I get to play (Ohio State). It’s just a lot, it’s a lot that I’ve got building up for this game. I can’t wait to let it all out.”

After a week of potential distractions, wandering thoughts and light celebrations, it’s time for MSU to put in the work necessary for the celebration it really wants – and that can’t take place in the state of Michigan.

The bitter memory of 2011’s loss to Wisconsin for the Big Ten title in the final minutes still serves as strong motivation for this team.

“It’s got to be the best week of practice we’ve ever had,” senior linebacker Max Bullough said.

Can Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany bump the game up to tomorrow? Let’s get this thing going.

Stephen Brooks is a State News football reporter. Reach him at sbrooks@statenews.com.