Michigan State set for Big Ten Championship game

Mark Dantonio’s decision to give Cook the job over established starter Andrew Maxwell in 2013 was the key coaching move in an MSU run of 35 wins in 39 games since the start of that season, with one more expected to put the Spartans in the College Football Playoff. The Hawkeyes will prove they’re no fluke, but Cook’s big-game experience will be the difference.

UNC has to jump No. 7 Stanford and No. 6 Ohio State to get into the top 4. Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State earned multiple selections to the offensive All-Big Ten first teams. The victor will hoist a trophy and continue their pursuit of a bigger one.

The Michigan State and Iowa coaches are in Indianapolis to win a Big Ten championship.

“When I was at Youngstown State, I couldn’t have told you who was going to the Rose Bowl”, Dantonio said on Tuesday. “This is still goal number one for us”.

The 2014 ACC player of the year said Friday he received the diagnosis of stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma on Thanksgiving and has tumors in his neck and chest.

Will Michigan State’s experience propel the Spartans? “So everything we do, recruiting, everything points in this direction to be able to play for a Big Ten Championship with the hope that leads us to other things, great things down the line”.

During this run, he’s climbed up to the top of many records for Michigan State quarterbacks. Iowa is 9-3 against the spread in its last 12 games against Michigan State. That could be one of the advantages they have over the Hawkeyes. But a mistake by Cook could be costly, as Iowa has 17 interceptions on the season.

This Iowa team is so good at who it wants to be. While the quarterback matchup – Michigan State’s Connor Cook and Iowa’s C.J. Beathard – is intriguing and certainly will play a role, this game will come down to who is tougher in the trenches. They’ll face a Spartans team that is much weaker last year’s squad. If he throws two interceptions or more, the Hawkeyes will have a good chance of staying undefeated. Iowa will have its chances late, but MSU will hold. The only loss for Michigan State was an early season hiccup of 1-point to Nebraska. The No. 4 Hawkeyes are 12-0 for the first time in school history and 8-0 in the league for the first time since 2002, when Ferentz won national coach of the year honors. Those rushing stats go along with his 2,354 yards passing and 14 touchdowns. There’s also the “Taps and Touchdowns” event at Pan Am Plaza. By season’s end, the Hawkeyes have positioned themselves as a potential College Football Playoff team thanks to their 12-0 SU record. Although he has sustained injuries, Beathard has not missed a game this season.

“Things get decided on the field”.

Both teams have capable kickers. But I think Connor Cook and Michigan State are two touchdowns better.

Michigan State had a football season filled with the drama of close finishes and injuries, only recently returning key players to health and winning games decisively.

Kirk Ferentz knew it would take a major turnaround to get the Iowa Hawkeyes back to where they wanted to be. Koehn has made 13 of his 17 attempts this season.