AT&T Stadium
Dallas, Texas
As we come to the close of another wild bowl season, the good folks down in Texas will get to see the #8 ranked Michigan State Spartans and the #5 ranked Baylor Bears.
Michigan State came into the season riding the momentum from last years historic Rose Bowl win over Standford. The Spartans only faltered twice this season, accumulating a record of 10-2 with the only two losses coming to teams that are now in the inaugural College football playoff. (Oregon & Ohio State) This is a team in a state of flux though, with defensive coordinator and team motivator Patt Narduzzi accepting a head coaching position at Pitt. When asked why he stayed to coach this game instead of recruiting for his new team he simply said “ we’ve (Coach Dantionio and himself) have built something here…what kind of man would I be if I just left…these are my guys, in a week I’ll have new guys but these will be my guys forever”
Baylor comes into the game with a slightly better record as they only dropped one game on the season to West Virginia back in October. Since then, the Bears have been on a tear as they have averaged 48.6 points per game and held those opponents to only 25.8 points per game over that span. Baylor’s signature win on the season though, was the week prior to their loss where they handed the TCU Horned Frogs their only loss of the season by a score of 61-58. TCU dominated their bowl game as they trounced the formerly #1 ranked Ole Miss Rebels and senior QB Bo Wallace by a score of 42-3.
Both of these teams have been on the rise and are fighting for every scrap of respect they can get. MSU always plays with a chip on their shoulder, and Baylor knows they were one win away from representing the BIG 12 in the playoff. Had there been a conference championship game, TCU or Baylor could have very well been the 4th team.
In a clash of styles, Coach Art Briles won’t have to travel far to put his high-tempo offense on display for the Texas faithful who made the trip. Meanwhile, the Spartans are coming into the game with an opposite approach. Michigan State is your traditional hard-nosed, run the ball, play defense and control the clock style of team.
For Baylor to win, they need to come out fast, score quick, and get Michigan State out of their comfort zone. The Spartans can and will air it out if they need to though, as Connor Cook has showed that he is capable of making the big play if need be. For the Spartans to win, they need to hit this team in the mouth and make their offense as inefficient as possible. A few long scoring drives by the Spartans could throw off Baylor’s tempo but, regardless of what happens the Spartans are going to need to score to come out on top in this one. If you are expecting a defensive battle from these teams, you may need to look elsewhere.
Key defensive players:
Baylor: Shawn Oakman – the freakish athlete was a projected top pick in the NFL draft before this game and announced this week that he will be returning for his senior year. Oakman (6-9 280lbs) was nominated for All-America, Bednarik, Nagurski, Lombardi, and the Hendricks awards as he racked up 46 tackles, 9 sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss, 3 forced fumbles, 3 recoveries and he has batted 3 pass down at the line. All week at media days he made it clear he thinks he is going to slide right past the Michigan State offensive line. If he gets loose today, don’t be surprised if Connor Cook is unable to finish the game.
Michigan State: Shilique Calhoun – aptly nicknamed “the freak”, Calhoun is the best defensive lineman in this game and arguably the best player on the best defense in the country. Calhoun is smaller than Oakman as he measures in at 6’5 and 256 pounds but he makes up for that with his tenacity and skill. Calhoun is a two time All-American, a Bednarik and Lombardi semifinalist as well as a two-time first team All-B1G selection and the 2013 B1G defensive player of the year. Over the course of this season Calhoun has 37 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss and one fumble recovery.
Key offensive players:
Baylor: Bryce Petty – this offense and team go where Petty goes. If the young man from Midlothian, Texas can get this Baylor team off to a fast start and force MSU to play a faster paced game, do not be shocked if he walks away with a victory and Cotton Bowl MVP award. The senior quarterback has been an All-American, Heisman, Maxwell, Manning, Camp, O’Brian, and Big 12 player of the year candidate while accruing 25 TDs, 2,893 yards and a pass efficiency rating of 153.0 despite missing two games. Over his career, he’s got 7,233 yards, 58 TDs and only 8 interceptions in two years as a starter.
Connor Cook – formerly an Elite 11 roommate of Petty’s, he is the less shiny of the two QBs in today’s game. With that said, Connor Cook is no slouch. He’s got a big arm, moxy, and a team that has rallied around him without hesitation. Cook has just enough attitude to get back up and keep swinging even if the Baylor defensive line gets ahold him. He will have to make plays through the air to win this game, he’s got the tools to do it but it will be a matter of him matching the pace of his old buddy Petty.
Prediction:
Now that bowl season is under way, the BIG 12 has made it clear that they can compete with whoever they go up against. See: TCU in the Peach Bowl. The Bears are going to get up early and force the Spartans to chase them for the first half, watch for MSU to flip the switch at halftime and force a turnover or two to get them back into the game as there are few better gameplanners and motivators than Dantiono and Narduzzi. When MSU plays with emotion, and there will be loads of it with this game being the final one with that core group of players, nobody can slow them down. Spartans rebound in second half and pull out a close one, 48-45.
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