All doubts end soon when college football bowls are set

He’s the definition of a pocket passer and has led the Spartans to the top of the rankings year in and year out.

By winning his second Big Ten crown in three years – both against previously unbeaten teams – and giving the senior class a record-breaking 43rd career win, Cook and his teammates can turn now their focus to their season-long goal, winning the school’s first outright national title since 1952. “Came up short tonight”. I’d guess Sparty is just fine with that too.

“The effort was there, it just hurts”, Iowa center Austin Blythe said.

For all of the talk about the league’s two best quarterbacks going head-to-head and the proficient offenses, this game had a decidedly old-school flavor.

And for that reason, whatever happens between Michigan State and Alabama on New Year’s Eve in the college football playoff semifinals, Dantonio is one up on Saban.

Those are the negatives, if you chose to view them that way. “I was surprised myself, considering the fact I fumbled a few times (earlier in the season) and nearly fumbled a few times in this game”.

“I’m not afraid to sit up here in front of everybody and say I think we have God’s favor at times”, Dantonio said at his press conference at Spartan Stadium. QB Connor Cook picked up 3 yards with a speed option keeper to set up first-and-goal at the 2.

After three quarters and five field goals, it looked like it was going to be a ho-hum night.

Cook summoned a big throw to Aaron Burbridge for 16 yards on a third-and-8 from the 50, and he kept the ball on an option play on fourth-and-2 from the Iowa 5, muscling for the 2 yards he needed.

A 10-yard holding penalty put Iowa in a second-and-20 situation at its 15-yard line when Beathard found Smith on a post pattern for the go-ahead score.

“I think we have resilience”, said Spartan head coach Mark Dantonio after the victory game. The Spartan defense was holding the Spartans together while the offense struggled. That would change on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Aside from the 85-yard touchdown pass from C.J.

It comes down to willing yourself to make that one extra play, to fight for that one extra yard.

The second half started about the same as the first half ended. “Just a tremendous play”. But Scott wore down the defense, which finally broke down after four consecutive stops from their own 5-yard line or closer.

North Carolina’s Ryan Switzer hauled in his second TD catch of the game with 1:13 left to cut Clemson’s lead to eight and give the Tigers a scare.

“Well, wish it had a different outcome”, Ferentz said. “We’ve been there before and done that”.

Jenkins also said, “The strong presumption is that we will select the next highest CFP ranked team in that conference”.

“As an offensive player, you want to have the ball”, Beathard said. MSU is 11-14 overall in bowl games. But Michigan State hasn’t played for a national championship.

After rushing for 3 yards on 1 carry in the first half, and 30 yards on 7 carries in the third quarter, Scott wasn’t expecting Dantonio to call his number on the final drive.

The Michigan State Spartans proved on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium that it doesn’t have to be pretty, it just has to be effective.

Making plays on the move will be critical for Watson against Eric Striker, Charles Tapper and an Oklahoma pass rush that produced 3.08 sacks per game (fifth-best in the nation). “I think the guys really played hard tonight”, Spartan sophomore linebacker Shane Jones told Today’s U. “They do. They just know how to do it”.

Cook has surprisingly only played in one game where his interceptions exceeded his touchdowns and that was the 2015 game against Maryland in which he was injured and threw his lone interception of the game before exiting.

The rest of the rankings and pairings for the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl will be revealed later Sunday afternoon.

“(We’ll) take this loss, use it to our advantage and learn from it for the next game”, King said.