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Michigan State Football: Spartans can beat Michigan, and here's why
Michigan State football has a great opportunity to avenge its season and spoil Michigan’s dreams and the Spartans are closer than many believe.
A 2-5 Michigan State football team can beat 7-0 Michigan team. Yes, I am in my right mind. I am not a MSU homer, but a realist.
On twitter recently, a Michigan fan mentioned that the Wolverines would win 100-0. It was not only a ridiculous statement, but also played to the desperation of Michigan to beat MSU. Yes, it is true. It’s the reason message boards and comment sections on MLive are loaded with haters towards MSU struggles as well as why Kyle Kalis was giddy about the record.
Michigan is a good team, however, they are unable to live up to the hype that is crowned upon them. My prediction already is that Michigan will overlook this MSU team. Why? That’s just Michigan.
MSU could have beaten Wisconsin, Maryland and, yes, even Indiana. If it had everyone on the same page, would be looking at this team differently. The common denominator in those games was turnovers and penalties — the inability to get off on 3rd downs as well.
However, Michigan State squandered opportunities in those games. The score is 13-6 and MSU is driving and in Badger territory when LJ Scott fumbles. The Badgers pick it up and return it for a touchdown — big momentum swing. Jake Hartbarger fumbles a punt and the Badgers are in the red zone. Boom, they score again. Now the game looks like Wisconsin blew out the Spartans, but in reality it was only two costly plays that determined that game. That’s college football.
The Spartans are one sack away from escaping like Ohio State escaped from the pesky Hoosiers. Michigan State shot itself in the foot against Maryland. MSU is close and is a pretty decent team playing a bunch of freshmen. They will be dangerous next year for sure, but this is this 2016 and Michigan fans are chomping at the bit for this game because of last year and the muffed punt.
The Spartans are getting better each week even though it has not shown up in the win column yet, it will. The Michigan game might be the week that it does.
All MSU needs to do is calm down. They need to follow the advice of Aaron Rodgers and just RELAX. As a former high school football coach, I can write that playing uptight has been an issue that has compounded for this team. The mental game has been a struggle for the green and white. They just need to be loose and free Saturday and if they do they will play their best all season.
Uptight players, who have something to lose, like the Wolverines do not perform well. Personally, I believe the Spartans played like that in Ann Arbor last year. Michigan in that game played loose as if they had nothing on the line.
Mark Dantonio has said that it is different being the hunted verses the hunter. On Saturday, Michigan is the hunted and a loose Spartan team will perform well.
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