Winning the 2008 Old Spice Classic (or making the final) would be a huge boost and great experience for this young MSU basketball team. How so?
"Half of this year's Old Spice Classic teams have reached the final four in this decade alone..."
Teams include:
- Gonzaga
- Maryland
- Tennessee
- MSU
- Oklahoma State
- Siena
- Wichita State
- Georgetown
For a quick overview check here.
Game 1 - Tennessee/Siena (Thursday 12p)
Game 2 - Wichita/Georgetown (Thursday 2p)
Game 3 - MSU/Maryland (Thursday 7 pm ESPN2)
Game 4 - Oklahoma St/Gonzaga (Thursday 9p)
Round 2: MSU will play the winner/loser of the OkSt/Gonzaga game Friday Nov. 28. Should MSU win round one they play again at 5:30p on ESPN. Should they lose round one they play at 8:00p on ESPNU (known as ESPN U don't get it).
Round 3: If MSU loses round 1 and wins round 2 they move on to play Sunday Nov. 30 at 12:30p on ESPNU. If MSU wins round 1 and wins round 2 they play in the championship game at 7:30p on ESPN2.
The field is excellent and should provide a great high intensity, mini March Madness opportunity for the Spartans to get ready for the regular season. I like our chances in these quick turnaround games and Maryland is not the defensive (or explosive) team they were last year. The early Bracketology has Maryland on the outside looking in; not one of the top 64 teams in the land. They have tough point guard play and always seem to scrap, but shouldn't hold up for a full game of running and banging.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Afterthoughts
Since I was out of town most of the week last week I didn't have a chance to give my thoughts on the Purdue game. I was cautiously optimistic, wondering mostly how MSU would contain the newly promoted scrambling Purdue QB. Turns out there wasn't much to worry about, as the linebackers made good reads (mostly) and his throws lacked touch. Although on the money, most came with too much zip for a 40 degree game. Like catching a brick.
Kory Sheets still impresses me as a running back and only reinforces that this is probably the deepest running back field in B10's recent history. Sheets (Purdue), Sutton (Northwestern), Wells (OSU), Greene (Iowa), Hill (Wisconsin), Royster (Penn State) and Ringer are all very, very good backs. I believe that Ringer, Sutton, and Sheets are the best simply based upon the lines they play behind. Iowa has the best O Line in the conference, with Ohio State and Wisconsin not far behind. Its like the argument that Emmitt Smith is better than Barry Sanders. 1. Its BS, and 2. Barry had no offensive line. None. Ringer has a line, but its not nearly as dominant as some of the others in the conference. That said, the Big Ten has the best overall backs in the country, top to bottom.
For every good B10 running back there is an equally crappy QB. Who is the best QB in the conference? No, really, who is it? I certainly don't know. I would have said Bacher (NU) or Painter (Purdue) coming into the year. Now it might actually be Pryor (OSU) or Weber (Minny). That's pretty sad. The Big12 has a lock on best QB conference. I would guess that 5 play on Sundays. I would also bet that 2, maybe 3 get taken in the first round of the draft this year.
Calling Otis Wiley. Where are you? 4 INT's through 3 games. 4 INT's through 11 games. He's been battling injuries but man, what a let down. I hope the plan is to have 3 against Penn State.
I quick bit of love for Joe Tiller from Purdue. Although I have no regrets in beating him it is sad to see an innovator, champion, and all around pretty good guy go. Plus he talked shit about Rich Rodriguez's recruiting tactics earlier this year. I'll be sending him a Christmas card.
Penn State's loss to Iowa hurt MSU's chances of going to the Rose Bowl (around 2% chance now*). I really was not that surprised since I maintain that Iowa's lines (O and D) were the best we saw this year in conference. It showed on Saturday. Now unless Illinois and Ron Crook Zook or ummmmm beat OSU, we are on the outside looking in. Is that bad? Maybe not. Remember what USC did to Ohio State? That could be us, only worse.
The bye week is a good thing. Ringer gets healthy. Dell/Curry/White/Cunningham/anyotherreceiverswehave get healthy. Hoyer...does something. We put in some schemes, tricks, blitz packages and then maybe MSU can beat PSU. Maybe.
DP -- Sorry about your boys. In the 4th quarter I realized that your prayers were being cancelled out by the counter prayers of 1000's of angry, bitter, red headed step children (literally) at BC. Hey, you've still got Navy, right? Streaks have to start somewhere**. (this would be a good time to think about Will Ferrell's "we're goin' streakin!" line)
* Our remaining 2% chance of making the Rose Bowl is based partly on the unlikely event that ummm beats OSU. I will not be rooting for such an event to occur, but neither will I be rooting for OSU.
** Notre Dame's 43 game win streak (against one opponent, Navy) ended last season w/ a 3 overtime loss to Navy in South Bend. It was the longest such win streak in history. The lyrics to the cult classic "In the Navy" were rewritten to include, along with "sailing the seven seas," "you can beat Notre Dame." Coach Weiss was seen in the stands after the game picking out random passersby and saying "we want you, we want you, we want you as a new recruit." The Village People were not available for comment.
Kory Sheets still impresses me as a running back and only reinforces that this is probably the deepest running back field in B10's recent history. Sheets (Purdue), Sutton (Northwestern), Wells (OSU), Greene (Iowa), Hill (Wisconsin), Royster (Penn State) and Ringer are all very, very good backs. I believe that Ringer, Sutton, and Sheets are the best simply based upon the lines they play behind. Iowa has the best O Line in the conference, with Ohio State and Wisconsin not far behind. Its like the argument that Emmitt Smith is better than Barry Sanders. 1. Its BS, and 2. Barry had no offensive line. None. Ringer has a line, but its not nearly as dominant as some of the others in the conference. That said, the Big Ten has the best overall backs in the country, top to bottom.
For every good B10 running back there is an equally crappy QB. Who is the best QB in the conference? No, really, who is it? I certainly don't know. I would have said Bacher (NU) or Painter (Purdue) coming into the year. Now it might actually be Pryor (OSU) or Weber (Minny). That's pretty sad. The Big12 has a lock on best QB conference. I would guess that 5 play on Sundays. I would also bet that 2, maybe 3 get taken in the first round of the draft this year.
Calling Otis Wiley. Where are you? 4 INT's through 3 games. 4 INT's through 11 games. He's been battling injuries but man, what a let down. I hope the plan is to have 3 against Penn State.
I quick bit of love for Joe Tiller from Purdue. Although I have no regrets in beating him it is sad to see an innovator, champion, and all around pretty good guy go. Plus he talked shit about Rich Rodriguez's recruiting tactics earlier this year. I'll be sending him a Christmas card.
Penn State's loss to Iowa hurt MSU's chances of going to the Rose Bowl (around 2% chance now*). I really was not that surprised since I maintain that Iowa's lines (O and D) were the best we saw this year in conference. It showed on Saturday. Now unless Illinois and Ron Crook Zook or ummmmm beat OSU, we are on the outside looking in. Is that bad? Maybe not. Remember what USC did to Ohio State? That could be us, only worse.
The bye week is a good thing. Ringer gets healthy. Dell/Curry/White/Cunningham/anyotherreceiverswehave get healthy. Hoyer...does something. We put in some schemes, tricks, blitz packages and then maybe MSU can beat PSU. Maybe.
DP -- Sorry about your boys. In the 4th quarter I realized that your prayers were being cancelled out by the counter prayers of 1000's of angry, bitter, red headed step children (literally) at BC. Hey, you've still got Navy, right? Streaks have to start somewhere**. (this would be a good time to think about Will Ferrell's "we're goin' streakin!" line)
* Our remaining 2% chance of making the Rose Bowl is based partly on the unlikely event that ummm beats OSU. I will not be rooting for such an event to occur, but neither will I be rooting for OSU.
** Notre Dame's 43 game win streak (against one opponent, Navy) ended last season w/ a 3 overtime loss to Navy in South Bend. It was the longest such win streak in history. The lyrics to the cult classic "In the Navy" were rewritten to include, along with "sailing the seven seas," "you can beat Notre Dame." Coach Weiss was seen in the stands after the game picking out random passersby and saying "we want you, we want you, we want you as a new recruit." The Village People were not available for comment.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Looking Back
Could it have been a better Saturday? Sorry DP, I'm going to have to say no.
First I got my bar results. If I passed everyone must have passed. Don't go committing any crimes just yet though.
Second MSU did just enough to win their game Saturday, improving to 8-2 on the season. Other than that start to finish debacle against Ohio State Dantonio's Spartans haven't lost a game by more than 7 points. Period. Last year it translated to many close losses. That continued to a 7 point loss against Cal to start this season. It looks like they've found out how to do just enough.
Third, the university of missagain lost to Purdue. Purdue isn't very good.
Fourth and largely off the radar screen for Spartan fans, Texas lost to Texas Tech in a shootout. Texas was #1 coming into the game. Alabama (and Nick $aban) was #2. Penn State was #3 and just outside the national title game. Since the B10 is down this season Penn State needed to win out and have something more happen, like a loss by one of the top 2.
Why do we care? If MSU can take care of Purdue next week, get healthy in the bye week, and give Hoyer a consistency transplant (and all of his receivers save White hand transplants) the season ending Land Grant showdown (we were founded first, by the way) means a lot more. Not only will the game decide the B10 champion (should MSU somehow win we own the tie-breaker) but it will also determine if PSU goes to the national championship game. There is also an outside chance, should Alabama lose before then, that PSU is #1.
First I got my bar results. If I passed everyone must have passed. Don't go committing any crimes just yet though.
Second MSU did just enough to win their game Saturday, improving to 8-2 on the season. Other than that start to finish debacle against Ohio State Dantonio's Spartans haven't lost a game by more than 7 points. Period. Last year it translated to many close losses. That continued to a 7 point loss against Cal to start this season. It looks like they've found out how to do just enough.
Third, the university of missagain lost to Purdue. Purdue isn't very good.
Fourth and largely off the radar screen for Spartan fans, Texas lost to Texas Tech in a shootout. Texas was #1 coming into the game. Alabama (and Nick $aban) was #2. Penn State was #3 and just outside the national title game. Since the B10 is down this season Penn State needed to win out and have something more happen, like a loss by one of the top 2.
Why do we care? If MSU can take care of Purdue next week, get healthy in the bye week, and give Hoyer a consistency transplant (and all of his receivers save White hand transplants) the season ending Land Grant showdown (we were founded first, by the way) means a lot more. Not only will the game decide the B10 champion (should MSU somehow win we own the tie-breaker) but it will also determine if PSU goes to the national championship game. There is also an outside chance, should Alabama lose before then, that PSU is #1.
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