What State Needs to Do to Catch That School In Ann Arbor
Opinion Piece

Nich Wolak

All hell broke loose in the rivalry between “that school in Ann Arbor” and Michigan State after a Saturday, Nov. 4 post-game news conference. Earlier that day “that school in Ann Arbor” had come back from a ten-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat Michigan State University 28-14. When University of Michigan's Senior running back and captain Mike “I think I’m so damn smart” Hart got to the microphone, he ran his mouth saying, “I was just laughing, I thought it was funny. They got excited. Sometimes you get your little brother excited when you're playing basketball, and you let him get the lead, and then you come back and take it back."
     
It wasn’t long before it seemed as if everyone was talking about Hart’s comments. He was discussed on every ESPN show and “Facebook” groups, supporting or bashing him, were popping up left and right. This was the most publicity that the rivalry between “That School In Ann Arbor” and MSU had gotten in a long time; and it was for something that happened off the field, rather than on it. These reactions seem to give into the notion that what Hart said was true. If the rivals were equals than why was the game receiving so much more attention than in years past?
     
Do I believe that Hart was arrogant enough to have had a chuckle when his team was down?  Yes I do, but I don’t think that the rest of his teammates, or the fan base of “that school In Ann Arbor,” was so relaxed when Michigan State was in control of the game.

That being said, right now Michigan State is the equivalent of “that school in Ann Arbor’s” little brother.  State has gone to four bowl games over the last 10 seasons, which is the same number of BCS bowls  “that school in Ann Arbor” has gone to in that time span. In head to head matchups over the last 10 seasons “that school in Ann Arbor” leads the series eight games to two (and as you probably remember the 2001 Michigan State win was steeped in controversy). It should also be noted that the stakes were usually much higher and the rewards far less for “that school in Ann Arbor” during these contests.

This rivalry, with a six-game difference between the teams, has been less competitive over the last 10 seasons than the majority of those in college football. Some rivalries that have been more competitive recently  include: Florida (5) vs. Florida State (5), Oklahoma (6) vs. Texas (4), Auburn (6) vs. Alabama (4), Oregon State (6) vs. Oregon (4),  Florida (6) vs. Tennessee (4), USC (6) vs. Cal (4), Ohio State (7) vs. University of Michigan (3), USC (7) vs. Notre Dame (3), Georgia (7) vs. Georgia Tech (3), and Oklahoma (7) vs. Oklahoma State (3).

The nation’s sports pundits also seemed to agree that Michigan State was “that school in Ann Arbor’s” little brother. Steward Mandel, who does a weekly college football mailbag for Sports Illustrated had this to say when asked what he made of the Mark Dantonio-Mike Hart spat: “…What Hart said is basically true - Michigan does view Michigan State as its "little brother," just as Oklahoma does Oklahoma State, Oregon does Oregon State, etc…. I wish Dantonio nothing but the best of luck, but realistically, he's fighting a losing battle. Michigan is Michigan. The Wolverines are always going to carry more cachet both in that state and nationally. The Spartans are certainly capable of rising up and beating them, even having a better season from time to time, but the two programs are never going to be long-term equals.”

Mandel is right in saying that right now Michigan State is viewed as “that school in Ann Arbor”’s little brother (I don’t know why he called them Michigan), but he is way off base in carving the two schools' current roles in stone.  There are two examples that come to mind which make his response seem less credible.

His first mistake is including Oregon-Oregon State as different-aged siblings - if you scroll up a little bit on your screen you will notice that Oregon State, not Oregon, has won six of the rivalry’s last ten meetings.

So why did Mandel consider Oregon to be the older brother and not Oregon State? It mainly has to do with the aura of the program. Oregon has Autzen Stadium (which is considered one of college football’s best venues) and a bajillion different jersey combos (it’s because Nike co-founder and former CEO Phil Knight is alumni). Likewise, “that school in Ann Arbor” has winged helmets and The Big House. If the Spartans do become more competitive, it will still be difficult to get an appropriate amount of publicity because of those things and it will take even longer to rid themselves of their little brother reputation.

The second mistake is stating that the two programs will never be equals. Saying that as a prediction is fine, but saying it as a statement is very dangerous. Auburn University was once thought of as the University of Alabama’s little brother. Going into the 1982 college football season Alabama had won 11 national titles to Auburns 1. They also had a nine-game winning streak over Auburn and had won 16 of the school’s last 20 meetings. That year was former Auburn running back, Bo Jackson’s, freshman year. Being an Alabama native, he had been recruited by both schools.  On one of his visits to Tuscaloosa (home of the University of Alabama), an assistant coach told him, “You’ll never beat us if you go there.” This was, of course, in reference to Auburn. Jackson ended up at Auburn, and in his freshman year (1982), he scored the winning touchdown against Alabama.

From that season on, Auburn has led the series 15 games to 11 and has become one of the country’s top-notch programs. Hardly anyone at the time thought the turnaround would have been possible, but sometimes it just takes the right player to get things going...or the right coach.

Michigan State had a nice 2007 season, going 7-6 with a trip to the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando. It was a step in the right direction in Coach Mark Dantonio’s first season, but he won’t be satisfied until his program is on par with “that school in Ann Arbor.”

Dantonio has been hyping the rivalry with both his actions and words. This includes one of his responses to Mikes Hart’s comments on the day after, Nov. 5: “Whether they want to mock us or not, they can say what they want, I saw them on the sidelines. If they don't consider this a rivalry, they looked pretty scared. I didn't see anybody laughing. This is not over, it will never be over, this is just starting."

The coach hit the issue on the head. The rivalry is just starting…to get serious. It will take a while before non-State fans take it seriously, though. Here are five things Michigan State should do to speed up the process (in no particular order):

1. Follow the Leader
At every home MSU football game, I would watch the sportsmanship commercial featuring basketball coach Tom Izzo and football coach Mark Dantonio. Each time I would notice how happy Izzo looked and how intimidating Dantonio was. He definitely scared me, but I was even more afraid for those students around me who were shouting expletives. I would often wonder if they had just seen the same thing on the jumbotron as I had.

The commercial illustrates Dantonio beautifully. He is a no-nonsense, hard-nosed, defensive-minded coach, with a pedigree and a track record to back up what he is about.  He worked under two of the most renowned coaches in the college football ranks: Nick Saban, who is the last MSU coach to have not been fired, and Jim Tressel, who has a 6-1 record against “that school in Ann Arbor” since taking over at Ohio State (some might say that they are the equivalent of “that school in Ann Arbor’s big brother, or maybe Ohio State players prefer the term “daddy”).

As secondary coach under Saban and later Bobby Williams, Dantoinio helped State to finish in the top 25 in pass defense three times, one of which was a 10th-place finish. The Buckeyes won the 2002 national championship with Dantonio as their Defensive Coordinator. He led a unit that finished second in the nation in scoring defense and third in rushing defense. He also had a winning record as head coach at Cincinnatti, a place where people supposedly didn’t care about college football. The Spartan players need to continue to buy into him and what he stands for more and more. If they do that many of the team’s major problems, such as not being able to win close games, legal issues and academic issues will become relatively minor.

2. Take Advantage of “That School in Ann Arbor’s” Current State of Affairs
That school in Ann Arbor was already losing recruits before now because of the firing and retiring rumors that plagued its former coach, Lloyd Carr. According to rivals.com, eight out of Michigan’s (the state, not the school) top 10 players from the 2007 class, went out to an out-of-state school to play football. The remaining two split the rivalry: one went to MSU, and one went to “that school in Ann Arbor” (if John L. Smith hadn’t been fired it is likely that quarterback Keith Nichol would have stuck with his verbal commitment to the Spartans, giving them one more top 10 in-state recruit than “that school in Ann Arbor”). So far in 2008, “that school in Ann Arbor” has four verbal commitments from those top 10 in-state recruits, and Michigan State has three.

The recruiting situation could very well change, especially considering the retirement of Coach Carr, the firing of nearly all his assistants (which are sometimes more vital in recruiting than head coaches) and the hiring of Rich Rodriguez.

On top of having to fight harder for in-state recruits, Rodriguez will have to replace a boatload of talent. “That school in Ann Arbor” will be losing their quarterback (Chad Henne), halfback (Mike Hart), second-best wide receiver (Adrian Arrington), two best offensive linemen (Jake Long and Adam Kraus), best linebacker (Shawn Crable), safeties (Brandent Englemon and Jamar Adams), and possibly their best defensive tackle (Terrance Taylor) and wide receiver (Mario Manningham).

The guy who was supposed to take over the Quarterback position from Chad Henne, Ryan Mallett decided to transfer because of the team’s upcoming switch to the spread offense. Mallett isn’t very athletic, and while not all spreads require an athletic quarterback (like Purdue’s for instance), Rodriguez’s successful spread formations at the D-1 level have always come with an athletic, mobile quarterback who could scramble. As offensive coordinator at Tulane, he had Shaun King, as o-coordinator at Clemson, he had Woodrow Dantzler, and as head coach at West Virginia, he had Pat White.

Now “that school in Ann Arbor” is putting all its effort into getting mobile QB Terrelle Pryor, who is also a highly recruited basketball player (but I doubt even he could resurrect their basketball program). If he doesn’t sign with “that school in Ann Arbor, they will be left with no choice but to start one of their un-athletic quarterbacks, switch one of their players who played QB in high school back, or run a different offense that Coach Rodriguez won’t feel comfortable with. MSU should re-try their hand at obtaining Pryor. He recently added Duke to his list, so it shouldn’t be too hard to spark his interest again.

3. Polish up the Secondary
     
Michigan State finished fourth in the Big Ten in passing defense, which is a testament to the secondary. The group was a deep one with Kendell Davis-Clark, Travis Key, Chris L. Rucker, Nehemiah Warrick, Ross Weaver, Otis Wiley and T.J. Williams all getting significant playing time. That depth, however, created problems in crunch time because no one on the field was that much better than the guy on the bench. Feeling pressure to perform causes mistakes, and mistakes at the cornerback and safety spot have greater consequences than at most other positions.  During the second half and overtime State fell from fourth to seventh in the Big Ten in passing defense. This could be seen in losses like the one against “that school in Ann Arbor,” where long pass completions and making defenders miss tackles seemed as easy as taking candy away from a baby.

With Nehemiah Warrick and Travis Key running out of eligibility, and T.J. Williams being dismissed from the team, there will be an opportunity for the four remaining players to cement themselves as the starters, and gain more confidence. Not helping the Spartans pass coverage is the running out of eligibility of outside linebacker Sir Darean Adams. He was a converted safety, and his replacement, Greg Jones, is a converted defensive end. The Spartans lost their games by an average of a mere 5.17 points, and quite often (like in the game against “that school in Ann Arbor), the secondary made the difference.

4. Keep a Running Back Duo, Preferably a Thunder and Lightning One
One of the latest trends in both college and pro football is to regularly use two or more running backs. The best running back in the pros (LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers) and the college game (Darren McFadden of the Arkansas Razorbacks), both have extremely talented backups in Michael Turner and Felix Jones. Their teams have found that the starters are even more effective with a gifted backup to help carry the load.

Michigan State bought into the two-back system this past season with Javon Ringer and Jehu Caulcrick and it paid dividends. The Spartans finished second in the Big Ten in rushing offense after Illinois and 25th overall. While the two back system is no longer rare, thunder and lightning versions of it are. Caulcrick outweighs Ringer by 55 pound; this weight difference gives them different running styles and allows them to play off each other. Neither one of them would have been as effective, this past season, without the other.

Ringer, the starter, was primarily used on long drives and outside runs. Caulcrick, the backup, was primarily used in short yardage and goal line situations. Jehu’s power and determination, complimented Javon’s speed and moves brilliantly. Michigan State wasn’t the only school to have success with a thunder-lightning backfield; Texas A & M (first in the Big 12, 13th overall), LSU (third in the SEC, 24th overall), Ohio State (third in the
Big Ten, 27th overall), and Kansas (third in the Big 12, 28th overall) all had success employing their own version.

With Caulcrick graduating, the chances of having a thunder-lightning backfield are slim. It will be interesting to see how effective Lightning (Ringer) will be without Thunder (Caulcrick). It is possible that 215-pound sophomore Brandon Denson, 223-pound freshmen Ashton Leggett, or a recruit could emerge as a power-back; but in all likelihood the second leading carry-getter next season will be 202-pound sophomore, A.J. Jimmerson. If he gets a significant amount of carries next season, State will still be considered to have a two-back system, just a normal one. It is important for the Spartan coaches to remember how effective a thunder-lightning two-back system can be when recruiting running backs.

5. Get a Running Quarterback
Everybody has a weakness, even Superman has Kryptonite. “That school in Ann Arbor’s” weakness is exactly what they are now trying to find: an athletic, mobile, scrambling quarterback. Even in some of their victories, athletic quarterbacks have kept the score close enough that fans were left biting their nails. Indiana (yeah Indiana, you read it right) nearly pulled off an upset in 1999, losing 31-34. Their quarterback, Antwaan Randle-El (who switched to wide receiver in the pros), was 19 of 34 passing for 290 yards and four touchdowns; he also ran for 31 yards.

In a 2004 37-45 Michigan State loss, Drew Stanton managed to go 10 of 13 passing for 95 yards and have 12 rushes for 80 yards and a touchdown. These stats were despite the fact that he was splitting time that game with Damon Dowdell. In a 2005 25-27 squeaker, Penn State Quarterback Michael Robinson was 19 of 34 for 239 yards, and ran for 67 yards and two touchdowns. These impressive feats resulted in losses, but the athletic ability of the opposing team’s quarterback allowed them to stay in the game, despite having less overall talent than “that school in Ann Arbor.”

If you think the stats from the above-mentioned athletic quarterbacks are impressive, wait until you see the ones from those who actually led their teams to victory against “that school in Ann Arbor.” Donovan McNabb is the earliest ancestor in this family of athletic quarterbacks. In a 1998 38-28 Syracuse victory he was 21 of 27 for 233 yards and three touchdowns; he also rushed for 75 yards and a score.

Former Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith destroyed “that school in Ann Arbor” not once, not twice, but three times. In a 37-21 2004 victory, he was 13 of 23 for 241 yards and two touchdowns; he also had 18 rushes for 145 yards and a touchdown. The Buckeyes won 25-21 in 2005; Smith was 27 of 37 passing for 300 yards and a score, his rushing got him 37 yards, and another score. When “that school in Ann Arbor” and the Buckeyes met in 2006, it was for a spot in the BCS title game. Troy Smith didn’t disappoint in this one either, he was 29 of 41 passing for 316 and four touchdowns, and he had 17 yards on the ground.

Former Texas quarterback Vince Young torched “that school in Ann Arbor” in the 2005 Rose bowl, leading his team to a 38-37 victory.  He was 16 of 28 passing for 180 yards passing with a touchdown. Those passing numbersaren’t that impressive, but they didn’t have to be. He had 21 carries for 201 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. This performance led perfectly into his Heisman-winning next season.

Running quarterbacks spoiled the beginning of “that school in Ann Arbor’s” 2007 season. In a historic 34-32 upset, Appalachian State quarterback Armanti Edwards was 17 of 23 passing for 227 yards; he also had 17 rushes for 78 yards and a touchdown. Oregon’s Dennis Dixon just added salt to the wound. In a 39-17 thrashing of “that school in Ann Arbor” he was 16 of 25 for 292 yards passing and three scores. On the ground he had 16 carries for 95 yards and a touchdown; his performance gave “that school in Ann Arbor” two season-opening losses.

For whatever reason, “that school in Ann Arbor” can’t handle a scrambling quarterback. Numbers don’t lie, and the numbers here most definitely point to “that school in Ann Arbor” struggling to slow down these types of quarterbacks. It would be in Michigan State’s best interest to get a quarterback recruit or  transfer, with qualities similar to those of the quarterbacks listed above, as soon as possible.

Questions or Comments? Email Nich Wolak at wolaknic@msu.edu