Jeff Riger: Top 3 Questions After Spartans Big Ten Championship Game Loss!
All of the area is still buzzing about what happened Saturday night in Indy at the Big Ten Championship game. By now you know that Michigan State lost to Wisconsin 42-39, and on a "running into the punter" call no less. After the game the phone lines were alive with questions about the game, who now gets to go to a BCS Bowl and how the loss affects the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry that is always rabid? So below I decided to ask my top 3 questions that popped into my head after the game and MSU Head Man Mark Dantonio has an answer for all three.
But I do warn you, as the coach's answers might not be as satisfying as you or I might have been hoping for.
3. How is Isaiah Lewis dealing with the aftermath of the Big Ten Championship game?
Of course Lewis was the player that was called for the "running into the punter" penalty that essentially ended any chance of Michigan State going to the Rose Bowl. The sophomore could have also been called for a similar penalty earlier in the game and he was one of the defenders that failed to break up a 4th and 6th pass from Russell Wilson to Jeff Duckworth in the 4th quarter that could have won the contest for MSU. Well, Dantonio at the Outback Bowl teleconference was asked about Lewis and how he is dealing with such a devastating blow?
Dantonio responded "as far as Isaiah is concerned, first of all he is an outstanding football player and we would not be to where we are at right now without his great plays. Without great risks, there are no great rewards and he got bumped into him (Wisconsin punter Brad Nortman) or whatever and the guy makes the call, can't do anything about that. Isaiah has played very well for us and that football game did not come down to just one play."
2. How does Dantonio feel about Michigan getting to go to a BCS Bowl game instead of the Spartans who beat the Wolverines during the regular season?
Sparty fans everywhere are disgusted with the fact that Michigan earned a berth in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans against Virginia Tech while Michigan State is forced to settle for playing in the Outback Bowl against Georgia in Tampa Bay. It was no secret that if MSU lost on Saturday, even though they beat Michigan in the regular season that this exact scenario would play out. Many Spartans before the game claimed they didn't care about a possible scenario like the above because a chance to play for a championship was the bigger prize and they were right. However now that they lost, the Green and White are changing their tunes. So what does the coach think about it?
Dantonio exclaimed "well I concern myself first of all with Michigan State, so I have no comment." I told you that some of his answers were not very satisfying! However it would have been nice if he would have gave some form of response instead of ducking it with the "no comment" card.
1. How does Dantonio feel that some coaches around the country ranked the Spartans as low as #23rd in the coach's poll?
Looking at the final ranking in the USA Today Coaches Poll, it definitely does not excite any Spartans that some coaches around the country voted MSU as low as 23rd. Furthermore, it probably doesn't help the Spartans mood to find out that Michigan overall outranks Michigan State in the final tallies. The Wolverines, who did not play in the championship game and again lost to MSU, were voted the 12th best team in the country while MSU was voted into the 13th spot.
When Dantonio was asked about he replied "It is what it is, all I can tell you if we would have won the game (championship game) and I thought we had an opportunity to win the game, you know we would have been in the Rose Bowl and probably in the top ten. But that's how life is; it hangs by a thread sometimes. We got to deal with it, we have to learn from it, you know football should teach you how to deal with that by getting knocked down and getting up, that old adage. The only thing we can do about it is play well on January 2nd and try to improve ourselves."
Did I cover the most important questions? If not what did I leave out?
