I woke up on Sunday morning thinking about what I had witnessed the evening before at Spartan Stadium and realized it would be easy to write how the season is lost. That all of the goals are off the table. And MSU can simply pack it in until next fall. But that’s not the case.
MSU (7-2 overall, 4-1 Big Ten) entered the prime time matchup with Ohio State looking to truly throw its name into the national conversation. With a win, the Spartans would have had firm grip on the Big Ten East Division and all but guaranteed its third trip to Indianapolis in the last four years.
Even bigger than that, a win over the Buckeyes would have been that much-needed marquee win for the Spartans’ College Football Playoff resume.
But as senior offensive lineman Travis Jackson said after the Spartans’ 49-37 defeat, all of that is would have, could have, should have.
The Big Ten championship is all but lost now for MSU. A berth in the inaugural College Football Playoff is officially dead. The two goals this team had planned from day one are no longer attainable.
But the season, as a whole, is not lost. MSU still has a lot to play for.
MSU has three regular season games left on its schedule, all of which heavily favor the Spartans. With that being said, MSU should finish the season 10-2. That would mark head coach Mark Dantonio’s fourth time with a double digit win total over the last five seasons.
Before Dantonio took over in 2007, MSU recorded only two seasons that saw 10 or more wins, with the last coming in 1999 under Nick Saban. That in and of itself is something Spartans should let sink in.
Dantonio has built a winning program in East Lansing, and with consistent winning comes lofty expectations. This season’s expectation was taking that next step — playing for a national championship. So with that goal officially ruled out, it’s understandable why the fans of Spartan nation are going to feel the sting of this one for a while. God only knows how long.
But when that sting goes away, if you aren’t oblivious to what Dantonio has created at MSU and how far this program has come then you’ll be happy with a 10-2 finish. You’ll be happy with a non-playoff New Year’s Day bowl game. And you’ll surely be happy you’re a Spartan, and not associated with that dumpster fire down the road in Ann Arbor.
I’ve been told by family and older relatives that this generation of Spartans doesn’t know how good they have it. And they’re right. Because not too long ago, the man leading the Spartan ship was more known for slapping himself than winning football games. It might sting right now, but in the end I’m sure Spartans will be happy with another 10 win season and New Year’s Day bowl game. It certainly beats the past.
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