Like Kermit the Frog told us, “it’s not easy being green.” It’s the primary color of both teams playing the primary college football game of the pre-conference. Well, sort of. The Oregon Ducks now have about 1,345 different team colors; because Oregon rolls out a new uniform for just about every drive of every game of every season in their entire history.
For the Michigan State Spartans, as Cotton McKnight would says “It’s time to separate the wheat from the chaff, the men from the boys, the awkwardly feminine from the possibly Canadian.”
MSU has three games circled on their schedule this year 1.) Michigan (every year, but especially this year given the national media’s Harboner) 2.) This one 3.) Ohio State
Their season will be defined by those three games and they must go at least 2-1 in these three for 2015 to be considered a success. The Spartans only lost two games last season, to Ohio State and Oregon, the two teams who played for the national title. This vengeance time part I.
Spread: Oregon Ducks are 3 point underdogs
TV: ABC 7PM Saturday
Oregon Ducks Preview:
This week is indeed weak for college football. This game is the only preview we’ll do because it’s the only one worth previewing, really. Consider this a rock concert you attend that’s billed as “An Evening with…….” No opening act. That’s exactly what this is. It’s the first meeting between two top ten teams this season, and the only other game with two ranked teams this week is #19 Oklahoma at #25 Tennessee.
It is so weird how Oregon State is playing at Michigan the same day! Maybe the Beavers and Ducks can jetpool together.
Royce Freeman and company rolled versus Eastern Washington in week one. Freeman is one of the top overall backs in the nation. QB Vernon Adams Jr. had a very fine debut against his former mates; some of which took really cheap shots on him. Oregon’s defense looked really suspect though, as a lot of those points were not scored in garbage time.
Overall, the Pac 12 North looked awful. Stanford got dominated, Washington had a week to forget and Washington St. needs to go sit in the corner for a long time and think long and hard about what they have done. This game gives Oregon a chance to erase the division’s shameful memories of week one.
Michigan State Spartans Preview:
Thanks Sparty for increasing the career stock of P.J. Fleck. MSU was looking ahead to Oregon, plain and simple. Here’s a detailed look at how although Fleck has his merits, he’s become vastly overrated quite quickly by the national pundits. Still when “Western Michigan” was top ten trending nationally, all night long, it means
a.) the Spartans were on social media in full force during this game
b.) P.J. Fleck is the new flavor of the month or
c.) both of the above
MSU Offensive Tackle Jack Allen said at Big Ten Media Day that Michigan State football players have t-shirts featuring an actual poker chip with the Spartan head logo and the words “Michigan State Strength and Conditioning” on it.
Allen is a projected potential NFL first round draft pick, as his position group mate Jack Conklin, and I asked Allen why scouts might be so high on Conklin, and that’s how this topic came up.
“He’s another guy that has that chip on his shoulder in that no one believed in him when he was coming out of high school,” Allen said of Conklin.
Naturally, I followed up by asking if the proverbial chip on the shoulder is a program thing.
“Yeah I would say so,” he responded before describing the literal chip.
“Actually, we have to wear the same workout shirt for our lifts and there’s a chip printed on your shoulder.”
Synopsis:
Remember, college football has a preseason, just like the NFL does. In college it’s just called “two or three of the four September non-conference games.” Of course, this isn’t one of those contests. It’s a de facto playoff play-in game. The Oregon Ducks have to travel across the country this year, and I say the result will be nothing like last year’s meeting.
Get up! It’s Gameday! (of course, it’s in East Lansing this week)
Score Prediction: MSU 31, Oregon Ducks 27
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is part of the FOX Sports Engage Network. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. He also appears regularly on numerous talk radio stations all across the country. Catch him Tuesdays on KOZN 1620 the Zone.
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