Spartans win Big Ten with 22-play drive

Those teams will be No. 5 Michigan State – which claimed a spot with its 16-13 victory over No. 4 Iowa at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday night – No. 1 Clemson, No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Oklahoma. It was not precisely a stirring, spectacular performance by both team, all field objectives & missed field objectives & punts until Iowa came up with one very huge play early within the fourth quarter to take the direct – after which it modified again when the Spartans came up with a gritty drive to win it within the last moments: 22 plays, 82 yards & a touchdown with 27 seconds left.

It ended with the Spartans snapping six running plays inside the Hawkeyes’ 10-yard line, consuming precious time before punching in the game-winning score on a 1-yard run on third down by LJ Scott. Beathard to Tevaun Smith just seconds into the start of the fourth quarter to make it a 13-9 game. With the game on the line and needing a touchdown, the Spartans drove the ball down the field on a 22-play, 9-mintue drive to clinch a berth in the College Football Playoff.

Michigan State (12-1) beat previously undefeated Iowa on Saturday night for the Big Ten championship and to earn its playoff spot. Iowa was too dogged and beleaguered to do anything about it, and now Michigan State is off to the College Football Playoff. Alabama is the only team that also played in the first four-team playoff last season, but lost 42-35 to eventual national champion Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl. “Things aren’t going so well, we keep playing, as evidenced really by the football game in general”. “Just made sure we did everything we could on defense to make sure they didn’t have any productive plays”.

The Spartans stopped Iowa’s last-second attempt to score, and hung on to win the Big Ten Championship.

Rose Bowl management committee chair Scott Jenkins told The Gazette on Monday that the bowl is working under the “strong presumption” that it will pick the school that’s ranked highest in the final CFP poll if the Big Ten lands a final four team.

When push comes to shove, football’s a game of inches, right? “Our football team knows how to win”.

“It’s just tough because losing a game like that when it’s that close, it’s hard to handle”, Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard said. (We) said in the locker room now, it’s probably true, we probably learned more about teamwork from our players this year than we taught them.

“The Spartans are in because after being kept out of the end zone the entire game, they finally reached it thanks to a little finesse, one terrific throw and catch — and a whole lot of brute force”.

Going into the game, Iowa was No. 4 in the College Football Ranking, with Michigan State No. 5.

Connor Cook, the game’s MVP, was 16 of 32 for 191 yards with one interception and no touchdowns. The Spartans’ four-game bowl winning streak matches the longest in Big Ten history, and is the longest active streak in the FBS.

“We wanted to come back and win a championship”, Cook said.

“Well, wish it had a different outcome”, Ferentz said.

“We want to win it all”, MSU senior linebacker Darien Harris said, “and we think we have a good chance to do that”.