First off, before I get into the point, NXE launches tomorrow for the 360. Impressions on it tomorrow.
Now, for those of you outside of America, it might be best to disregard this, but we’ll see if it makes any sense. But it’s time to give my opinion on something I find very perplexing in college football in the state of Michigan.
The top few teams in the Big Ten conference – Penn State, Ohio State, and Michigan State – all have one loss in the division with one game left to play in the season. The team that wins the division, tiebreakers included, goes to the Rose Bowl game, which is one of the top four games to play in after the season, not counting the national championship game. These four games are called the BCS bowls and they carry a lot of prestige in college football.
The University of Michigan has had an abysmal season. It’s true, it’s been very difficult to watch our team at times. On Saturday, the end the year with the school’s main rival Ohio State. OSU is a very strong team again this year and we haven’t beaten them since 2003. While Michigan State is a significant rival, being in-state and all, Ohio State is the major game on the calendar and the U-M/OSU rivalry has been ranked as one of the top rivalries in ALL OF SPORTS.
Michigan State hates U-M’s guts. They are often seen as the “second banana” and it really bothers them. However, they have had a strong year and their coach Mark D’Antonio deserves all the credit in the world. He has brought respect back to their football program and they are now focused on beating Penn State in the last game of the season.
So here’s how things can break down:
MSU at PSU
and
U-M at OSU
If PSU beats MSU, they go to the Rose Bowl automatically.
If MSU beats PSU (would be a significant upset), a couple situations are possible:
– If OSU beats U-M, OSU and MSU are co-champions, but OSU has the tiebreaker because of their matchup earlier in the year in which OSU put the beatdown on MSU.
– If U-M beats OSU (highly unlikely), MSU GOES TO THE ROSE BOWL as Big Ten champions, their first BCS bowl ever.
Now, this news story broke today.
I totally understand Mark D’Antonio wanting to focus his attention on his game and controlling his own destiny, but you could just STAY NEUTRAL in the U-M/OSU matchup. I also can understand NOT rooting for hated rival Michigan, but to actually say “Go Bucks,” referring to Ohio State? This means that Michigan State’s coach is ROOTING TO NOT GO TO THE ROSE BOWL.
Does this make any sense? For a coach to make a decision that not only goes against the best wishes of his program, but to put it on the fact that “ohhhh, my friends and family will disown meeee”? It’s a selfish, “dick” move which put what he wants in front of the university’s goals. Mark D’Antonio has done some great things for Michigan State University, but WOW, this is not even CLOSE to one of them.
Meanwhile, it will likely be a tough Saturday to swallow as a Wolverine student. Yeesh.
