MSU vs. Michigan: Three Things To Watch

Michigan State faces off against interstate rival the Michigan Wolverines this weekend. Here are three things to watch in this game.

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The most intense week in the Michigan State football season is here. The Spartan Dawgs face off against interstate rival, the Michigan Wolverines at the Big House on Saturday, Nov. 16. Michigan is playing its best football so far and Michigan State is at an all-time low in the Mark Dantonio era.

Here are three things to watch in this game:

Gridiron Warfare

This game is going to be gritty and grimy. Both teams absolutely loathe one another. Mark Dantonio referred to Jim Harbaugh as “intense” earlier this week. Michigan DB Ambry Thomas said this game decides who is the big brother and who is the little sister. Personally, I’m not a fan of his rhetoric, but, it points to the intensity of this rivalry game.

Both the players and fans are heavily invested in this game’s outcome. Both teams are going to lay it all on the line. What else does MSU have to play for this year? The Michigan rivalry game is the last chance for the Spartans to salvage any positive sentiments for this season. On the other hand, the Wolverines want to make a statement against Michigan State.

The QB Battle

Shea Patterson and Brian Lewerke are the Spiderman meme in which two Spidermen point at one another. They are one in the same. Both are athletic QB’s that put their heads down and run while also having a pretty strong throwing arm. Note, both QB’s suffer from the same issue: inaccuracy.

Through nine games, Lewerke has thrown for 2,102 yards and 12 touchdowns with a 55.7 completion percentage. On the other hand, Patterson has thrown for 1,773 yards and 12 touchdowns with a 57.2 completion percentage. What’s the difference? Lewerke has thrown three more interceptions than Patterson. The QB matchup is pretty even. Whoever plays better will lead their team to victory.

Michigan State’s Receiver Core

Mark Dantonio recently revealed that TE Matt Dotson is out for the remainder of the season with a torn Achilles. Michigan State is still without WR Darrell Stewart as well. These are two huge holes in their receiver core. So far, Stewart has tallied up 694 yards on only 47 receptions along with four touchdowns to boot. He has been a quintessential part of the Spartan’s offense.

Note, Michigan State sees the return of sophomore WR CJ Hayes. Hayes is back after an injury kept him out for a few weeks. Luckily, I think Hayes can easily replace Stewart. All the while, Cody White has stepped up big time in the past few games. Look for both White & Hayes to have a big game if MSU has a chance to win.

Tune in at 12 P.M. this Saturday on Fox to catch this game. Cheer on the Spartans, they certainly need it.

Stay locked on SpartansWire for more coverage to come.

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Locked On Spartans Podcast: Mark Dantonio must hate Jim Harbaugh

Let’s start getting excited for a rivalry game!

Wil Hunter and Matt Sheehan talk about Michigan State vs. Michigan. Does Mark Dantonio secretly hate Jim Harbaugh? He must. Then, will we be seeing Joey Hauser this season?! Plus, the sharps are betting MSU early . . . again.

You can find the episode on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

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Michigan coach suspended after player’s father burned opposing letter jacket

Greg Baur, the head coach at Macomb Dakota High School, was suspended from the team’s playoff game after a player’s parent lit a letter jacket from an opposing school on fire in the locker room.

Correction/clarification: The headline on this article has been revised to remove any implication that the coach allowed a parent to burn a jacket on school grounds. The article also has been updated to correct the location of the burning, which occurred outside the team’s locker room.

With his Macomb (Mich.) Dakota High School program kicking off against Chippewa Valley (Mich.) on Nov. 1, Dakota coach Greg Baur was looking for an upset playoff win. He got one, but then an unexpected celebration outside the team locker room left him suspended for the team’s second-round playoff game last Friday.

As reported by Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ and the Macomb Daily, Baur was suspended after the father of one of his players burned a Chippewa Valley letter jacket outside the team’s locker room on school property. The scene was meant to celebrate the team’s victory, but also drew consternation from school officials and others who claimed it left the players at too great a risk.

“A Dakota parent chose to burn his letter jacket on Dakota property,” Chippewa Valley Schools Superintendent Ron Roberts told Macomb Daily. “He soaked and doused it with Tiki torch fuel and when the players got off the bus, he encouraged them to gather around and watch it burn. I consider that to be an unsafe situation.

“The district’s investigation determined that although the Dakota coaches did not have prior knowledge of the actions taken by the parent, once the coaches were aware, they did not take steps the district expects of its coaches to ensure student safety.”

Because the incident was deemed to expose an unsafe environment, Baur was handed a one-game suspension … which just happened to overlap with the team’s second-round playoff appearance. That game — a 38-35 loss to Sterling Heights (Mich.) Stevenson High on Nov. 8 — left some wondering if the result might have been different had Baur been allowed to coach in the game. Meanwhile, the father who burned the jacket has since come forward to take full responsibility for the jacket burning and asked others, including Baur, to be released from responsibility.

That in turn led to a change.org petition calling for players and coaches who were blamed in the incident to be exonerated. While more than 1,100 signed the petition, school officials still insist they have no interest in releasing Baur and others from responsibility for the dangerous locker room moment. Here was Roberts’ response to those calls:

“It is our belief that the situation was not handled properly. The coaching staff had the responsibility to move the kids away from this. This is about a lack of adult leadership.”

Michigan State vs. Michigan: Five most important Spartan players

Michigan State and Michigan face off yet again this weekend. Here are the five most important Spartan players in this interstate game.

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Michigan week is here. The Spartans travel to Michigan Stadium this Saturday (Noon, FOX) to play against the No. 14 Wolverines. As always, there is so much riding on this game. Most importantly, Michigan State football fans’ pride. Michigan comes into this game on a hot streak. The Spartans need to execute perfectly to win.

Here are the five most important players for MSU in this game:

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Latest CFP Rankings: 10 Thoughts

Georgia is rated over Alabama. Does anyone in their right mind actually think Georgia is a better football team outside of Athens?

The latest College Football Playoff rankings came out Tuesday night as much drama surrounded how far Alabama would fall after losing at home to LSU, if LSU would jump previously No.1 Ohio State and how far Minnesota would rise after upsetting previously No. 4 Penn State this weekend.

Well, the wait is over and the committee’s new rankings are out and they go as follows:

25. Appalachian State
24. Kansas State
23. Navy
22. Oklahoma State
21. Boise State
20. Iowa
19. Texas
18. Memphis
17. Cincinnati
16. Notre Dame
15. Michigan
14. Wisconsin
13. Baylor
12. Auburn
11. Florida
10. Oklahoma
9. Penn State
8. Minnesota
7. Utah
6. Oregon
5. Alabama
4. Georgia
3. Clemson
2. Ohio State
1. LSU

My initial ten thoughts immediately upon release:

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Locked On Spartans Podcast: It’s Michigan Week?

Wil Hunter and Matt Sheehan talk about the death of Charles Rogers. Then they get into the general lack of buzz around Michigan State vs. Michigan and Ambry Thomas’ comments to the media about MSU. …

Wil Hunter and Matt Sheehan talk about the death of Charles Rogers. Then they get into the general lack of buzz around Michigan State vs. Michigan and Ambry Thomas’ comments to the media about MSU.

You can find the episode on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

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Top recruiting battles headed into basketball’s Early Signing Period

From Blue Blood battles to mid-majors trying to steal five-stars, we take a look at the top recruiting battles headed in to the Early Signing Period.

Months before elite college basketball programs duel on the hardwood they duke-it-out in high school gyms and in the living rooms of the top high school basketball players trying to lure them to their school.

From Duke and Clemson’s 11th hour battle for Zion Williamson to North Carolina’s fight with Oregon and others to land Cole Anthony, the recruiting trail has seen tumultuous battles over the years.

Recruiting: 2020 Chosen 25 Basketball Recruiting Rankings

Here’s a look at the top down-to-the-wire battles in college basketball recruiting for the 2020 class.

Prolific Prep (California) guard Jalen Green (Photo: Rick Managan)

Jalen Green
School: Prolific Prep (Napa, California)
Position: Combo Guard
Height/Weight: 6-5/180
Considering: Auburn, Memphis, Oregon, Fresno State, USC

The Buzz: Green originally said that he would make his announcement on Christmas Day, but now he’s reportedly planning to hold off until after his season ends. Green, ranked No. 3 in the Chosen 25, has already taken visits to each of his five schools and is receiving the full-court press not just from the coaches, but committed recruits at each school. Sharife Cooper, an Auburn commit who is ranked No. 2 in the Chosen 25, told USA Today Sports he “is coming hard” after Green.

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