Tag: msu spartans

BetMGM: Michigan opens as giant favorites over rival MSU

Michigan football opens as giant favorites over the in-state rival Spartans.

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Remember the days when Michigan football was either an underdog to rival Michigan State, or it was slight favorite? Well, those days are clearly gone.

1-0 Michigan impressed greatly on Saturday in primetime, while MSU lost its opening foray of the 2020 season to traditional Big Ten bottom-feeder Rutgers after turning the ball over seven times. Not to mention, the last time the two rivals faced off, the Wolverines annihilated the Spartans, 44-10. So, when it comes to Saturday’s rivalry tilt, the powers that be in Las Vegas see more of the same.

BetMGM released their opening odds for this week in college football, and the maize and blue open as giant 25.5 point favorites over the Spartans. Additionally, the money line is huge for the Wolverines, with Michigan sitting at +1150. The over/under is set similar to last week’s game against Minnesota, at a conservative 53.5.

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Kickoff for the two teams will take place on Saturday at noon EDT and will be broadcast nationally on FOX.

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Former Michigan DT takes shot at MSU after Spartans loss to Rutgers

After Rutgers beat Michigan State on Saturday, a former Wolverines DT had to take a shot at the Spartans.

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You can take the player out of the rivalry, but you can’t take the rivalry out of the player.

In case you missed it, Michigan State went down, 38-27, to lowly Rutgers, in its season opener on Saturday in East Lansing. While that’s embarrassing in its own right, we knew that Mel Tucker would have a difficult time finding wins in his first year.

One player who came up big for the Scarlet Knights was none other than defensive tackle Michael Dwumfour, who transferred for his fifth-year to Greg Schiano’s squad in Piscataway. And after having spent four years in Ann Arbor, he’s still harboring some resentment towards the Spartans.

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Dwumfour had 5 tackles, including one for loss in Rutgers’ first Big Ten win since its 2017 win over Maryland. In his personal career, Dwumfour has only lost to MSU once, also in 2017 — meaning he has a 4-1 record over his now personal rival.

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Michigan football vs. MSU time, channel announced

What time and channel the Wolverines and the Spartans will play in Big Ten Week Two.

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While Michigan football is assuredly looking forward to the season opener on Saturday against Minnesota, we know know when the upcoming in-state tilt between the Wolverines and Spartans will be.

Michigan and rival Michigan State will meet for the second-consecutive year in Ann Arbor, as the Big Ten restructured the schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With Mel Tucker bringing the Spartans to The Big House for the first time, despite playing in front of a limited crowd with only family of the players, he’ll at least see the maize and blue early — not only in the season, but also in the day.

The battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy will take place on Halloween, with kickoff starting at noon EDT and the game will be broadcast on FOX, it was announced on Monday morning.

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WATCH: Former Spartan and Kenosha native Trae Waynes discusses Jacob Blake shooting

Waynes has been critical of the police shooting the unarmed Blake in the back seven times.

Former Michigan State star defensive back Trae Waynes has been very outspoken in the aftermath of a police officer shooting Jacob Blake, an unarmed black man, seven times in the back in Kenosha, Wisoconsin. Waynes hails from Kenosha and has been tweeting about the incident over the past few days.

On Friday Waynes made an appearance on Big Ten Network to discuss the shooting and ensuing protests with BTN’s Rick Pizzo.

Waynes is currently with the Cincinnati Bengals but is projected to be out for much of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle.

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Michigan State football’s Dominique Long on Campbell Trophy watchlist

Long is one of the name’s to keep an eye on for the “Academic Heisman”

There might not be Big Ten football this fall, but that doesn’t mean we can totally ignore WATCHLIST SZN.

Michigan State senior defensive back Dominique Long has been added to the Campbell Trophy watchlist.

The Campbell Trophy is a trophy awarded by the National Football Foundation that is given to the American college football player with the best combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance.

The award is also widely known as the “Academic Heisman.”

The following is from a Michigan State University release:

“A mechanical engineering major, Long has compiled a 3.61 grade-point average entering his senior year. The two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and three-year letterwinner has played in 37 games during his career with 38 tackles, one pass break-up and one blocked punt.

As a junior in 2019, Long was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team and received MSU’s Downtown Coaches Club Award for most outstanding player on special teams. He had a career-high 16 tackles (13 solo, 3 assists), one pass break-up and one blocked punt in seeing action in all 13 games, including a team-best 12 tackles on special teams (four kickoff, eight punt).

Michigan State has had three Campbell Trophy finalists in the past nine years (Kirk Cousins, Max Bullough, Mike Sadler) and eight semifinalists (Cousins, Bullough, Sadler, Jack Allen, Josiah Price, Brian Allen, Khari Willis, and Cole Chewins.”

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Cassius Winston, Xavier Tillman Sr. both second-round picks in latest Ringer NBA mock draft

The Ringer has both Spartans going between picks No. 39 and No. 44.

With the NBA Draft Lottery in the books we are in the heat of the 2020 NBA Draft mock draft season.

Michigan State’s Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman Sr. are both listed as second-round picks in the latest Ringer NBA mock draft. Winston is slotted in at No. 39 while Tillman is at No. 44.

Winston’s strengths are listed as feel for the game, perimeter shooting, and playmaking. His player comps are Kyle Lowry and Yogi Ferrel. Each player in the Ringer draft guide has player blurbs and Winston’s reads, “Gritty, unselfish point guard who plays winning basketball and made progress each season as a scorer.”

As for Tillman, his strengths are feel for the game, playmaking, interior scoring and off-ball defense. His player comps are PJ Tucker and Horace Grant–certainly two good names to be associated with. His blurb reads, “Winning player who can easily pair with star shot creators because of his playmaking and versatility.”

The Ringer draft guide has much more information about each player, including detailed breakdowns of their games and is definitely worth checking out.

The 2020 NBA Draft is set for October 16.

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Michigan State now crystal ball favorites for two four-star New Jersey prospects

MSU is the heavy favorite for Audric Estime and Geno VanDeMark

Michigan State football is starting to pick up some momentum on the recruiting trail.

On Sunday the Spartans picked up a commitment from three-star defensive end prospect Alex Okelo out of Nashville–the first Tennessee recruit for the program since 2007.

Now MSU has become an overwhelming favorite for two four-star teammates out of New Jersey–Audric Estime and Geno VanDeMark. The two both visited East Lansing on their own last weekend and have hinted that their recruitments could be winding down. With that the crystal ball predictions have all come in for Michigan State and the previous predictions for Rutgers have gone by the wayside. Prior to just a few weeks ago both Estime and VanDeMark were predicted to stay at home and join Greg Schiano’s staff in Piscataway.

On Rivals both players are now overwhelmingly picked to go green with their commitments. Estime, the No. 205 player in the class of 2021 for Rivals, is predicted by 12 of 17 predictors to choose MSU. All 12 of the MSU predictions have come more recently than the last Rutgers prediction, which was on June 12. Since then five publishers have flipped their pick from the Scarlett Knights to the Spartans. It’s even more overwhelming for VanDeMark with 13 of 16 predictions going to MSU over Rutgers. The last Rutgers pick on him was put in on April 2 and since then five publishers have flipped from Rutgers to MSU.

Neither prospect has set a decision date yet, but news could be coming relatively soon. Both have said they’re finalizing their decisions and many in the recruiting world think they could be committed to MSU before the calendar turns to September.

Michigan State’s 2021 recruiting class currently ranks No. 73 in the country and No. 13 in the Big Ten.

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Big Ten football parents hold peaceful protest at conference offices

Around 30 parents of Big Ten football players hold a protest outside of the Big Ten offices.

Parents of football players in the Big Ten made their way to the conference’s offices in Chicago Friday morning to voice their displeasure with the postponement of this fall’s football season.

According to multiple media members on the scene about 30 parents of football players met up outside the currently closed Big Ten offices outside of Chicago to protest. Some held signs and some gave speeches demanding transparency from the conference and commissioner Kevin Warren regarding the decision to postpone the fall season.

Some parents held signs that read, “We want to play.”

The Big Ten announced last Tuesday that the conference wouldn’t be playing football this fall. A number of parent associations responded to the announcement with displeasure, sending letters to the commissioner and organizing this protest. Warren released an open letter earlier this week in response to protest from players, coaches, and parents saying that the decision to postpone the fall season was final and would not be revisited.

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Former Spartan Trae Waynes to miss extended time after pec surgery

Waynes suffered a torn pectoral muscle in practice last week.

Former Michigan State star Trae Waynes is having a rough start to his year with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Waynes underwent surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle he suffered at the start of training camp. He is expected to miss significant time, but hasn’t been ruled out for the season.

“We’ll let that process play out,” coach Zac Taylor told Bengals media after practice on Monday.

Waynes signed a three-year deal with Cincinnati this offseason after spending the first five years of his career in Minnesota.

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