100th Rose Bowl – #5 Stanford vs. #4 Michigan State

Pasadena, California 1/1/2014

Clear skies, parades, and flowers everywhere may sound like a place of tranquility to most. However, all of the the formalities and pageantry will give way to arguably the most intriguing matchup in this years slate BCS games. Championships often come down to the classic “speed versus power” storyline. Today though, we see a matchup that pits power against power. Both of these teams are nasty, both of these teams place a premium on blocking, both of these teams would rather knock you on your ass and go through you versus going around. With that said, both of these teams demonstrate a level of class and focus that is second to none.

Stanford comes into the game at a respectable 7-2 record. (6-0 versus ranked teams). While the Cardinal did drop two games to Utah and a resurgent USC squad, they also beat teams like Oregon at home, Washington, and a very explosive Brett Hundley lead UCLA Bruins team. Most importantly this team has been to Rose Bowls before so the festivities of the week are much less apt to jade and distract the Cardinal players. Be it the legendary “Beef Bowl” or simply the bright lights of LA it is plain to see that the Cardinal players are focused on the task at hand. That task, is beating one of the most surprisingly dominant teams in recent memory, the Michigan State Spartans.

Sparty rolls into Pasadena riding a 9-game winning streak and boasting a nearly unblemished 12-1 record. The Spartans’ sole loss came at the hands of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish early in the season. Over the course of the media week all of the players and coaches for Michigan State cited that game as the turning point in the season. Early in the year the Spartans offense was laughable at best, however after a few personnel changes the team found their groove and Sparty began to roll. Dominating rivals like the University of Michigan (the alleged “Big Brother” to the Spartans) and an Ohio State Buckeye team that had not lost in almost two years prior to that game. The Spartans have a warrior-esque mentality and even though this trip is new to them, they have no intentions of smelling the roses until they win the battle.

When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, something has to give. Here is my key player matchup and my key unit matchup for the 100th Rose Bowl.

1. Ty Montgomery versus Darqueze Dennard.

– All week long this talk has been about the line of scrimmage and who is going to hit the other team in the mouth the hardest. However with both teams putting such a premium on pounding the rock and stopping the run, there will be times during the game today were they will simply cancel each other out. #7 Ty Montgomery is arguably one of the most dynamic playmakers in the country and acts as the spark plug for the Stanford offense. #31 Darqueze Dennard is the Thorpe award winner (the nation’s best defensive back) and one of the spiritual leaders for the Spartans. Look for these two players to be matched up in every passing situation and on key 3rd downs. If Dennard can keep the speedy 6’2 215lb Junior under control and eliminate splash plays I believe that the Spartans will have no trouble bottling up the Cardinal offense. If Montgomery is able to get loose a few times, it may be difficult for State to keep up.

2. Stanford offensive line and Michigan State front seven.

– These two teams records are very misleading. While MSU has came up in big games and answered every call they have had to make, they boast about having the #1 defense in the nation while only playing a slate of teams who went 70-78. (Insert B1G comments here) The Cardinal, has dropped two games to teams that they could have very easily beaten, but on that same token they handled some of the PAC-12’s most dominant teams. Stanford’s combined opponents record this season is 87-67. So while MSU’s dominance has been undeniable, outside of an overrated Ohio State team they have not really beaten anyone worth mention with the B1G having such a down year. Add to the fact that the Spartans have lost “The Computer” (MLB #40 Max Bullough) to a very untimely suspension just a week before the game. Moreover, Stanford loves to bring in extra lineman to seal the edges on their power run plays. Without Max in the middle to make those adjustments it is going to be up to reserve linebacker #41 Kyler Elsworth and his counterpart #45 Darien Harris to make those calls at the line. If those young men can put their teammates in the right spots at the right time, Michigan State will prove that their #1 Defensive ranking is not a product of weak schedule. If Stanford is able to move the ball early on the ground look for the Cardinal to grind away the clock and the Spartan defense for the remainder of the contest.

My Prediction:

Stanford has been here before and they have reflected that with all of their responses over the past month. Michigan State, has not been here in a very long time and is at the cusp of moving their program to a level that they have not ever been at before. Provided MSU can maintain their defensive consistency without Bullough, I believe that Sparty’s hunger will overcome the Cardinal’s experience. In addition, Darqueze Dennard is not only the best defensive back in the country but he makes a strong case for the best defensive player in the nation. Today he will put all his skills on display and the nation will get a chance to just how dominant this young man is. Sparty’s defense will stumble in the first quarter, but will gain their footing with some adjustments and will shut down the Cardinal’s power attack for the remainder of the contest. Spartans win an exciting one 21-17.

Head Coach Presser Reaction

Los Angeles, California 12/30/2013

This morning the media events featured Michigan State head Coach Mark Dantonio and Stanford Head Coach David Shaw. Coach Shaw did show up fashionably late but eventually showed up and the press, pressed on. Over the coarse of the conference each of the coaches fielded questions from various media outlets, and each one had his own type of story to tell.

Coach D took the podium and the first question he had to field was in regards to the suspension of Captain Max Bullough. “Right now Darien Harris and Kyler Elsworth are the two guys that will play that position. We’ll probably go with Kyler initially, but they’re both going to play” So while the position still sounds unsettled, it is clear that the team is not dwelling on the absence of the man referred to as the “Computer”. Coach D went on to say that the Middle Linebacker position will still function the same as far as making checks at the line “It’s our system. It’s not one individual, It’s our system”

One reporter attempted to draw out the coach by asking him about the Mike Hart comments regarding MSU’s status as the “little brother” in the state of Michigan. Dantonio promptly fired back with a slight grin “No, that really has nothing to do with this today. Next question, please”

When asked about the Big Ten’s lack of bowl game success and the pressures that come with representing the conference in the Granddaddy of them all, Coach went on to say “Our guys have handled this week very, very well…You need to step out there and dream big. Our dreams didn’t end with a championship and coming to the Rose Bowl. We wanted to win it, and that’s our intentions” He then added further that pressure is something you put on yourself, and this team is not focusing on the pressure, they are focused on winning the game for Michigan State and no one else.

Once Coach Shaw finally decided to bless the media with his presence, he was asked about his defensive coordinator Derek Mason and what makes him the coach that he is “I think the sign of any good football coach…is the ability to have a philosophy…and be able to fit that scheme around the players that you have” Coach Mason spoke passionately earlier this week talking about how he finds a way for players to contribute.

Even Shaw was asked questions about the suspension of the Spartan Linebacker, he appeared to share a very similar philosophy to his counterpart “I applaud Coach Dantonio for that because it doesn’t happen everywhere, and there are a lot of places where you get a slap on the wrist and they bench you for a practice then let you play in the game…It’s a sign of who Coach Dantonio is”

Now that all the formalities are done, I am interested to see where the Coaches both go from here. All week long it is a constant drone of “we respect the other team, they are very talented…” Blah. Blah. Blah. While both teams are keeping it professional in the meantime, these are two teams who will smack you in the mouth and ask you if you would like another. The Spartans and Cardinal are at the epicenter of class in college football, but anyone who has played this game knows that when you strap on those pads and walk in between those lines, it is war. Now that the politics are all but over, I cannot wait to see how these two teams go about trying to beat each other.

At the beginning of the week I had MSU winning by 7, after the team pressers I had the Cardinal winning by 10, now that it is all said and done I believe that the Spartans tenacity and hunger will be the thing that gets them the win in Pasadena. Prediction for the game: Spartan Dogs win a close one, 21-17.

Darqueze Dennard @ MSU Media Day

Los Angeles, California 12/29

 

Sparty has not always been at the forefront of the Big Ten and prior to the last 5 years they were nothing more than just another team in s struggling conference of old school teams and playing styles. However throughout the last few years the team has began  building a brand, an identity, and a reputation. The times are changing in East Lansing, MSU is starting to look like they are now the Big Brother in the mitten state.

This mornings media festivities featured the entire team and a select few members of the coaching staffs for both teams. Over 140 players piled in to the LA Hotel and fielded questions from various outlets across the nation. Sparty was the first to arrive and several players were available for interviews. Darqueze Dennard was the first one I spoke with, and we lead off the conversation talking about the Thorpe award and what it means to him and the program. “It was a privilege to be the first one to win it at Michigan State and I think there are going to be more recipients at the school” I then asked him when it was that he felt like he turned the corner and became that “next-level” type of player. “It was the offseason. I put in extra work…I knew that there were plays on the field that I could have made. So I locked in all season, put the work in, put the time in…and I came out every Saturday and played my game”

When a player gets honored with individual awards such as the Maxwell, Thorpe, and the Heisman it is the culmination of a tremendous amount of focus and work. I asked Dennard if this was something that he had set his sights on or if it just happened. “…I was sitting at home last year and the award shows were going on and I was telling coach I wanted to be at the award show and win the award. I made a picture to put in my locker, and I believed and prayed and worked hard and it actually came true.” That constant reminder is what drove him every day to try and improve his game, body, and mind.

At the media event the prior morning, members of the Spartans were asked who was a spiritual leader in the lockerroom. Outside of Max Bullough, Dennard’s name was the unanimous decision. Players spoke about how Dennard really took charge this season and kept beating it into their heads that this season was going to be special, that all the teams they were playing were simply in the way of Sparty achieving it’s goals of a Big Ten championship and a Rose Bowl bid. When I asked him where that mentality came from he responded promptly with ” I think it was the kind of mentality I grew into… I appointed myself for my teammates this year to do that…I felt like it was my honor and being the senior and captain of the team to remind us we can overlook this team, we can’t overlook nobody. Everybody is trying to stop our goal”

That type of leadership is rare when you take Dennard’s unique blend of size, speed, and talent. He is in a class of his own as far as college defenders are concerned and I am a firm believer that whatever team is lucky enough to draft him will have a perennial pro-bowler and a long time captain on their team. Look for Darqueze to make an impact on sundays right out of the gate.