Five takeaways from No. 5 MSU’s victory against Penn State

Michigan State has essentially been in playoff mode for almost a month, so there’s no sense in changing things now. The Spartans also kept the Land-Grant Trophy with their most lopsided win in a series with Penn State that started in 1914. Then came the blowout of Penn State on Senior Day to set up the meeting with unbeaten Iowa in Indianapolis on Saturday.

Michigan State will play in the Big Ten title game for the third time in five seasons. But Elliott apologized “37 or 38 times”, by Meyer’s count, though the coach said they were not necessary to maintain their tight relationship. “We’ll do what we do”.

MI entered the game with the Big Ten’s top rushing defense at 79.5 yards per game and was ranked fourth nationally. Elliott has 3,812 yards with at least one bowl game to play.

Recent wins at Ohio State and against the Nittany Lions have made Michigan State a slight favorite. “But I’m sure they have similar thoughts that go through their head that we’ve had”.

The Pac-12 is a little more cut and dry, as if Stanford loses to USC in the conference title game, the Buckeyes would surely be ranked ahead of the four-loss Trojans. “We expect the same”. As it fights as one for respectability in the non-conference, or as its power dynamics shift on a week-to-week basis in October and November, we’ll follow the narrative to give you a better idea of where Northwestern fits into the 14-team puzzle. The Spartans won a heart-stopper in 2008.

It was 41-16 in the fourth when Malik McDowell intercepted a pass that had bounced off fellow defensive lineman Shilique Calhoun.

Tweaking the coaching assignments appeared to help the offense.

“We needed touchdowns and not field goals”, Butt said.

“Absolutely, we will”, Dantonio said. “They’re going to play the full 60, and they’ll take it into overtime if they have to”.

Penn State defensive end Carl Nassib was on the field for the first two plays before exiting. MI still lost to its two biggest rivals in very different fashion.

No matter how surprising it may be to see Iowa in the title game, it’s not a disservice to the job Kirk Ferentz has done with his team in what may be his finest coaching job of his remarkable career. “They’re very tough to run and throw against, and I think that’s kind of been a cornerstone of their program”. “He really came into his own in that Iowa game, the first time he had played good football against great competition”.

“They’re undefeated. They’re 12-0”, Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook said.

“So in theory, that’s what we’re trying to do, too”. “But no matter what happens, it wont diminish what both teams have accomplished.” A win could even put the Hawkeyes into a rematch with Oklahoma and Bob Stoops, a star for the Hawkeyes in the early 80s.

Michigan State’s potholes could have damaged any team on this Big Ten title game journey.

After a season full of injuries and uncertainty, the Spartans feel it’s all coming together. “We’re not there right now”. “I wouldn’t want to do anything to hurt this university, my brothers and this football team”. “We came out and executed”.

“At this point, we’ve gotten up off the mat after Nebraska”.

Barrett said the biggest difference he noticed was that the Buckeyes could play faster with the new arrangement.