Pat Caputo: It's Michigan State, Not Michigan, Which Has Earned The Respect
It has been difficult for Michigan State's football program to attain respect.
Normally, the Spartans are projected to be in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten.
Not so bad, but not so good, either. And it has usually played out that way.
Michigan, on the other hand, has had no such problems in the preseason.
If anything, most years, the preseason projections have overrated the Wolverines.
Entering the 2011 season, however, the two programs have essentially flip-flopped.
It's the Spartans who are getting more respect. A lot more. And it isn't just based on projections, but the recent past.
It was Michigan State that was 11-1 last regular season, sharing in its first Big Ten title since 1990. It's the Spartans who have won the Michigan-Michigan State game the last three years.
