The Spartans have been making their bed for the past 10 weeks, and Saturday night, they were forced to sleep in it.
I could almost hear Purdue, Rutgers and University of Michigan pat the pillow and say ‘go on, lay your head, you earned this sleep.’
The Spartans would have liked to have proven them wrong, keeping their eyes open and pulling the all-nighter of an undefeated season. But when it is all said and done, the trip to Lincoln, Neb. was just one loss. The 39-38 upset could have come at the feet of any of the aforementioned teams.
So maybe MSU had this game coming, because sometimes performance is better after a good night’s rest.
After all, you do have to be asleep to see your dreams. And with the pressure of an unbeaten daydream put to rest, the Spartans’ real dreams can now begin their rise.
It’s not over as long as MSU wins the remainder of its games. First up is Maryland (2-7) at home. Then comes Ohio State (9-0) on the road in Columbus, followed by Penn State (7-3) at Spartan Stadium. Should the Spartans prevail in the East division, an undefeated Iowa team could await them in the Big Ten championship game.
In 2014, after 10 weeks of play, the Spartans were ranked eighth in the College Football Playoff rankings and the Buckeyes were ranked 14th. OSU went on to win the matchup, and put together a late-season resume good enough to make it into the four-team playoff.
The Spartans’ national title hopes now face a similar path to the 2014 Buckeyes’, though the playoff committee might respect the MSU loss to Nebraska less than they did the Buckeyes’ loss to Virginia Tech. With help from a few November upsets, MSU could still advance to the playoffs.
In all reality, whether the Spartans won or lost in Lincoln, a Week 12 win in Columbus was the key in order for the Spartans to make the four-team cut. Big Ten followers have known this since the start of the season, and the MSU-OSU matchup will still be as important as previously anticipated.
I’m not denying that this one stings, because it does, and it doesn’t help that the loss can be chalked up to a questionably reviewed touchdown.
The 2015 MSU football team’s goals are still very much alive, though, and this loss might prompt the Spartans to play like the team they were expected to be all along.
