It’s the biggest Michigan State football game since 1966. That’s about all you need to say in hyping and introducing this one. In the first 114 years of Michigan State football they haven’t had as many 11 win seasons as they’ve had in the past five. This game will give Mark Dantonio a chance to show that Michigan State football is on par with Tom Izzo with Michigan State basketball.
It’s currently the Golden Age of athletics in East Lansing, but a football national title would go nicely in Mark Hollis’ collection; to accompany the basketball national title from 2000.
TV: ESPN December 31st, 8 pm EST
SPREAD: Michigan State football are 10 point underdogs! Just like in the 2013 Big Ten Championship game versus Ohio State.
Odds to win national championship: ‘Bama 1-1, MSU 13-2, Oklahoma 2-1, Clemson 11-2
Commentators: Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Heather Cox, and Tom Rinaldi will call the game on ESPN, with Kenneth Garay and Alex Pombo on ESPN Deportes/ESPN2 and Brad Sham, Danny Kanell, and Ian Fitzsimmons on ESPN Radio.
This bowl season is truly testing the validity of a theory that’s been prevalent within the sport of college football for decades.
College football playoff obstructionists held this idea for many years- “a playoff would make the other bowls less interesting/meaningful/worthwhile.”
We’ll see about that. ESPN is certainly doing their part with an obnoxious, cannibalistic marketing strategy for the final four.
https://twitter.com/PaulMBanks/status/681588118810705921
Yes, Bristol has really ramped up the over-bearing self-promotion and cross-promotion with the college football playoff (Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl) commercials. They are incessant, and they’re cannibalizing their own interests by doing this because ESPN also owns the broadcast rights to pretty much every other bowl game.
The WWL never shuts up about the playoff bowls. Once in a great while they hype up the New Year’s Six. They almost never mention any other bowl games. That’s a good for Michigan State football fans and fans of the final four teams.
Anyway, here are five things to be on the lookout for when watching the Cotton Bowl
- MSU chip on their shoulder
When Sports Illustrated got Dantonio’s first name wrong on the cover last week, it did little more than just further reinforce two strong beliefs we all have. The first is that SI is a publication that peaked decades ago and if it weren’t for Kate Upton, they wouldn’t even be producing in print anymore. The second is just giving Michigan St. yet another “they disrespected us” chip on their shoulder.
That’s the natural state/default setting for Spartans fans, and it’s also the state of mind that inspires them the most.
2. Connor Cook fitness/health
He wasn’t himself in the Big ten title game. He/the coaching staff etc. lied about his health leading up to the Ohio State game. Have all the media opps and press conferences in the world leading up to the Cotton Bowl, but the truth will not come out. Dantonio and Cook (24 TD, 5 INTs) are going to guard the truth about the QB’s health with their lives.
3. Coach Sponsored Content
If you’re apathetic or on the fence in this one, become a Michigan State football fan, if only for a night, to root against Nick Saban. Any shred of likability that he still had was destroyed by his turning a press conference into native advertising/sponsored content.
“This bottle….blah blah blah.”
4. How Kirby Smart balances his roles as Georgia Head Coach and Alabama Defensive Coordinator
ESPN commentator Todd Blackledge on this topic:
“I think Nick is really good about, this is the time when you focus on us, and in the evening if you need to do stuff for your new job and recruiting and your staff, you have time and an office and an opportunity to work both.”
“It’s not ideal, but I think Nick and the people at Alabama probably manage that as well if not better than anybody else.”
5. How Michigan State football contains Derrick Henry
Mark Ingram to Trent Richardson to Eddie Lacy to Derrick Henry. The very recent tradition of superlative Alabama Crimson Tide running backs continues. We did a SWOT Analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) of Henry, and his game. Read that here.
Prediction: Michigan State football 23, Alabama 19
For some reason, MSU really excels in the underdog role. They have won four straight bowl games and six straight neutral site games. I’m going out on a limb and picking the Spartan Dawgs again!
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and sometimes writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. The website is also featured on News Now.
Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye. He also appears regularly on numerous television and radio talk shows all across the country. Catch him Tuesdays on KOZN 1620 The Zone.
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