Their opponent is in a similar situation. Baylor was the first team on the outside looking in of the inaugural College Football Playoff rankings. Four teams got in, and Baylor was No. 5.

Despite both of the schools having more lofty goals at different parts of the season, both head coaches said the Cotton Bowl is no consolation prize. 

"When we saw that we weren't going to be playing in one of the playoff games we looked at the bowl structure and I wanted to go to the Cotton Bowl," Dantonio said after the announcement that MSU would go to North Texas. "I've learned not to worry about the things you can't control."

Briles played in the Cotton Bowl as a member of the 1977 Houston Cougars that defeated Maryland. He said the game has a special importance, especially to people from Texas.

"Growing up a Texas guy, the Cotton Bowl was always a big deal," he said. "It's special going into the  most dynamic stadium in the world."

Changing times

Following the Cotton Bowl defensive coordinator Patt Narduzzi willl end his time as the cornerstone of one of the most dominant defenses in the Big Ten year after year. It was announced that Narduzzi would take over as head coach of the Pittsburgh Panthers following the Cotton Bowl.

Dantonio announced during the week that Harlon Burton and Mike Tressell will serve as co-defensive coordinators next season, but for now Narduzzi remains the vocal leader of a defense that is charged with the task of shutting down an offense that has averaged 48.8 pointers per game (No. 1 in the country) and 581.4 yards per game.

"We talk about finishing in this program," Dantonio said. "And I think that's (Narduzzi's) personality. He wants to finish. He wants to come back here and be an assistant coach, be a defensive coordinator one last time before he embarks on his career as a head coach."

In addition to Narduzzi two prized defenders could be leaving early for the NFL draft. Junior cornerback Trae Waynes and junior defensive end Shilique Calhoun are both projected by many to be first round picks, and will beed to make a decision about if they want to come back to MSU or test the water of the NFL.

"Obviously I think those are our top recruits right now," Dantonio said."I think Trae and Shilique are both happy here, and that's what's most important. After that they'll need to decide what is best for them and their families."

 Stopping Baylor

In their last 29 games Baylor has gone 26-3. MSU has gone 25-3 in that span, and Dantonio said there are more similarities to their programs than just their sparkling record in the past few seasons.

"You look at them and say that they've made it the hard way," he said. "They've changed the culture, they've changed the program. There are a lot of parallels."

Dantonio went as far as to say that Baylor should be in the College Football Playoff.

"You can make a comment that they should be in the playoffs," he said. "After watching all those plays from the 14 games this season and into the 2013 film you can see why they feel that way."

It is being labeled as a matchup of Baylor's speed vs. MSU's power, something that Dantonio said might be oversimplifying.

"I think that's as much a perception things as anything," he said. "It's a little warmer down here, maybe they have a faster stopwatch of a longer ruler or something."

Baylor defensive end Shawn Oakman made the comment thatt he planned on coming at junior quarterback Connor Cook all day long, and that is where the good will took a bit of a nose dive.

Oakman also said he doesn't watch Big Ten football.

"He'll see what Big Ten football is all about come Thursday," Cook said. "That's all I've got to say."

As Thursday approaches Dantonio said he wants his players and staff to soak in the experience of playing in one of the most historic bowl games of the season in one of the premiere stadiums in all of football.

"At the end of the day you're trying to win the bowl game so you're going to do everything possible," he said. "So time sort of slips by when you're at the bowl game, but I think we're ready for this one."