Eleven Warriors

Msu

I have no problem with Sparty, they hate scUM almost as much as we do. Go Sparty.

MSU. We generally need to be pulling for the Big 10 guys. The conference has been defaced enough. A stronger Big 10 yields a stronger Buckeye team. 

I agree^^^

MSU.

Boise. I don't really cheer for other Big Ten squads anymore after venom their fans unleashed toward our program when some kids sold their own possessions for tattoos. I hope BSU absolutely clobbers MSU just as I hope Alabama absolutely curb stomps Michigan on Saturday. I root for Ohio State to win, and pretty much everybody else to lose.

Not to mention in the case of MSU, Dantonio and Narduzzi's crybaby antics back in February make me want to see them have an epic failure of a year.

I agree^.  After Boise has come out and beat Georgia LY in their opener, it would be nice to see MSU come out and stomp them. With Sparty's defense and Bell running the ball they should win. It will be interesting to see how Maxwell and these new WR's react on a big stage. I know they got De'Anthony Arnett from Tennessee, who's fast as hell in the slot. Sims will be the go to guy at TE.  Should be a very good game.

I want MSUs only loss to be to us. Makes us look better, and keeps UM out of Rose Bowl contention

I hate Boise State. Im so sick of them playing the teams that we consider cupcakes all season and being in the national title conversation. I hope they get destroyed.

Yes. They played one good opponent. They had to win one game and then the rest was a cakewalk. Im not saying they werent good but they shouldnt have been so highly ranked. 

Sparty gets the win.

Woodysglasses: I would say that most people on this thread are picking MSU to win, not wanting them to win. As for Dantonio, he's the same guy as he was at Ohio State, barring a heart attack and more gray hair.

Just b/c a B1G team beats us doesn't necessarily mean I hate them, and I don't see Sparty fans being more arrogant.  That team is finally winning on a consistent basis, and they have reason to start bragging about their team.  Sparty plays some badass defense, along with an always solid running game.  I for one like Sparty a lot, hope they do well all season, and kick BSU's ass. ( I like BSU as well).

I like MSU, when they are not playing us. So I hoping they mop the floor with Boise.... I don't like Boise all that much...

I think returning starters in college football is overrated..seems like a lot of teams lose a ton of good players/starters, and don't miss a beat. 

No, the only way to turn the perception around is to have competent teams capable of winning those games.  Is Michigan State that team?  I don't know, but me wanting them to win or not has nothing to do with that.  That's kind of my point.  I'm not cheering for them to win, because I don't like them, but me cheering for them or not has absolutely nothing to do with the outcome of that game against Boise.

When the B1G starts spending money on good coaches who can recruit,and actually have a good staff capable of coaching players up, then they'll have a rise to success.  Until then, they are going to continue to struggle against good teams out of conference. Even then, I still won't cheer for B1G teams and it still won't matter who I want to win.

I don't even think Sparty will score 17.

My thought about it is, if Ohio State has 1 loss or goes undefeated, they'll be in the top 4.  Now that they have a conference title game too, that will give them one more game to wow the selection commitee.  Get to the final four, and win, and it really doesn't matter what outside perception of the rest of the B1G is. 

Different Era but no one ever questioned FSU's legitmacy when they were destroying the weak ACC and blasting non conference teams in bowl games and OOC games early on.  Ohio State's worth is based on what Ohio State does, not whether or not MSU beat Boise, or Minnesota can beat ASU or something like that.  I know those games all count for strength of schedule, but 1 loss Ohio State that is the champion of the B1G will not be left out of a final four, and a case could be made that 2 loss Ohio State with a B1G title has a good shot at going. 

Ohio State in the "playoffs" means 2 things huge ratings, and people who are willing to travel.  A selection comittee knows that and it will be a factor folks.  It always is a factor in college football.

I always pull for coach Dan (Except for when they play us).

Like i said I think how many starters you return is overrated..1st year starters blow up and have great seasons every year..anyways we'll see. I don't think Sparty will have a cake walk with Boise. I can't remember the last time someone beat Boise easily?

There would never be upsets in college football if your logic was always true.

1st year starters blow up and have great seasons every year

And therein lies another advantage for Sparty. The 2009-2011 classes for Sparty were three of the highest ranked classes they've ever pulled in since rankings began. The 2009 class was ranked 17th by rivals, which means these guys are all redshirt juniors or seniors now. And it's starting to show. From the reports coming out of East Lansing, a couple young receivers have been stepping up to fill the void created by Cunningham and Martin. One of them had 10 receptions for 171 yards in Sparty's scrimmage last week against MSU's first string D. The offensive line only gave up 1 sack (probably to Gholston, no doubt). This is going to be a good team.

Good posts Talbert, agree 100%.

Last year I was called a closet Badger fan for saying Wisconsin would be really, really good (I said they were good enough to go undefeated in the regular season and play in the BCS Championship game. We were 30 seconds and two Hail Marys away from seeing that actually happen). This year, I say Sparty is going to be very, very good and I get called a closet Spartans fan.

No sir, I'm an Ohio State fan (and not just a fan, but a proud alumnus and alumni association member as well). I just happen to be an objective Buckeye fan, and I call them as I see them: Sparty is going to be very tough.

I hear ya Jason. Sorry if I overreacted. Many mistake my objectivity for some sort of Buckeye hate, and I can get a little sensitive because I've been called a "fake ass Buckeye" by some in the past, just because I'm objective.

Is it FOOTBAWWW SEASON yet?

I do think a loss of experience is a big deal.  It all depends on what you are replacing the guys who exited with.  Does Boise have some guys who have been in the system a while they'll plug in or do they have a bunch of freshman?  Those are things I don't know.  Losing Moore sucks, but at they replacing him with a guy who has talent and has been with their team a while or a true freshman or a guy like Bauserman?

@Fido:  I was trying to be tongue and cheek.  I always want Michigan to lose and always have, in the past, that has led me to be quite disappointed a lot!  Thing is they had competent coaching and recruited great talent.  They hadn't dont that the during DickRod's days and so they sucked.  I personally don't want to have the SEC mentality of If 1 wins we all win.  I don't like at all.  I tell my UK friends all the time, I only cheer for 1 team, not 12.  I would hate to think Ohio State would win the National title and the crowd would be cheering B-1-G, B-1-G much like the crowd did with the S-E-C chant when Bama and Auburn won titles. 

Just a reminder, that this charming expression of free speech on a billboard in the state up north was brought to you by your neighborhood Spartan alumni:

In any event, an early-season Boise State loss usually aovids a lot of late-season fretting about what if they beat Nevada in Reno, and go 12-0? 

Because really, who needs that sort of distraction?

@Colin same. South stands A deck for OOC games and somehow got stuck in C-deck (9C) for the B1G games, how that happens to a junior is beyond me. 

I'd have to think MSU will win, but maybe not by as much as 17 since BSU actually does turn out decent teams.  I think BSU will lose a lot just because of Moore.

That being said, most people aren't sure if he'll make an NFL team or get cut for the practice squad (noodle for an arm comments, passes deflected left and right due to his size, etc.).  Moore was a good/great college QB, but he'll need a few years to get NFL ready.

Going back to "wanting" B1G teams to win non-conference games versus hoping they fall flat on their face, I guess I don't understand the argument. 

Do we not want Ohio State to play for national championships?  Does national perception not play into whether or not you end up playing for national championships?  Does conference strength not play a part in the perception of your team and then how relevant your team is to the national championship discussion?

I don't want to see Nebrask or MSU or Wisconsin get national accolades or pats on the back instead of Ohio State, but how can you not want them to do well out of conference?  All it does is improve the outlook on the conference, and therefore the perception of OSU (IF the Buckeyes are able to run through the B1G).

I think it's important for the B1G to start trending up this year in order to put themselves more in the national discussion next year, when it really counts for Ohio State.  The only way to do that is to win a few marquee OOC games, and do well overall in the bowl season.

Now, in saying that... I hope Alabama sends Michigan back to the stone ages for a reality check.  Sometimes national perception doesn't matter quite so much that I begin rooting for TTUN.

Old Columbustown, a 1 loss or undefeated Ohio State team are going to be in the running for the National Title.  They'll likely be in the BCS title game and they'll definitely make the new "final four" when that comes about.  Perception is important, but so is the power a team has to fill stadiums.  The selection committee will take that into consideration, if the decision is between a 2nd tier program and Ohio State, the committee will go with Ohio State EVERY TIME.  They already do it for BCS bowls.  There have been a couple of times where other programs probably were more deserving of a BCS bowl than Ohio State, yet Ohio State got the nod.  Why? They put butts in seats and eyeballs tuning into TVs. 

So whether the B1G is on par with the SEC or not, in my opinion is irrelevant.  If Ohio State gets their work done, they'll be a part of whatever championship format there is out there.  Only time it would be marginal is if they have 2 losses, but how many years have 2 loss teams been in the top 2 or top 4 anyway?

@BTAlbert25

Sure, I agree that if you match up an undefeated or 1 loss OSU team against a second tier program, of course Ohio State would be selected.  But let's be honest, that is not what the discussion is going to be when it comes down to selecting those top four teams.  It's going to be teams from the SEC, PAC 12, Big 12, possibly an undefeated ACC or Big East team, and then Ohio State.

An undefeated Ohio State - yes, they will make it into the playoff.  But how often does a team really run the table?  More often than not, there is at least a stumble along the way.  A one or two-loss OSU team - it would then depend on the strength of their schedule compared to that of those other power conference teams.  If the B1G hasn't yet changed the perception of the conference, you better believe it's going to be hard for them to get in compared to teams from "stronger" conferences with similar records.

A perceived "strong" B1G does nothing but help Ohio State.  It helps their recruiting, it helps their strength of schedule, and it helps their national perception.  A weak B1G does none of the above.  And that, to me, could cause problems when the new playoff format comes out.