10 Reasons to Hate Michigan State

By Jimmy Longo on November 10, 2017 at 7:25 pm
Sam Hubbard
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Sparty comes to town for a banger Saturday afternoon. Let's ride early with 10 reasons to hate Michigan State.

10. Joe Bachie's Comments

During press interviews this week leading up the game, Ohio-born linebacker Joe Bachie said about the Spartans' feelings in regard to Ohio State, "It's that thing where we don't like them, and we don't really care if they like us or not."

Well here's this thing, Joe. Ohio State leads the all time series 30-15. That's a clip of two-thirds of all contests between the two teams. Ohio State has two times the national championships than that of the Spartans. 7-0 in Heisman winners, 127 more NFL draft picks and 496 more weeks ranked in the AP Poll. 

The Spartans may not like Ohio State — that's fine. That's a right. They'll prepare for you, but in the grand scheme of things you'll always be second fiddle to Michigan per tradition. Ohio State just doesn't care about you. 

9. Nick Saban and the 1998 game

Before Nick Saban was getting trounced in the national semifinals by the Buckeyes in 2014, he ruined a perfect season during the John Cooper era as the coach of Michigan State. Ohio State game into the 1998 game against Michigan State ranked No. 1 behind Joe Germaine at quarterback and as four-touchdown favorites against the unranked Spartans. Should have been a doozy of a win, no?

No, apparently.

In retrospect, it's crazy how bitter that loss was to blow a two-touchdown lead late in the game, only scoring seven points in the second half and considering Michigan State would finish the season 6-6 under Saban.

Here are some highlights from that game just in case you wanted to rekindle the old bitter flame.

8. Mark dantonio

I hate Michigan State because it requires me to have some kind of disdain for Mark Dantonio. But if we're being real, I hate how much I love the man that never smiles and has a Moana song as his ringtone.

He lead the Ohio State defense to a second overall in scoring defense and third overall in rushing defense during the 2002 national championship season. In 2003 the Buckeyes have the ninth overall defense, thanks to leadership of Dantonio.

If things ever go haywire and Dantonio has another disaster year like 2016 (I don't think he will), I'd love for Urban to bring him back as a rental defensive coordinator, although I doubt that would ever happen.

7. The Grass at Spartan Stadium

I'd get Spartan Stadium's reliance on natural grass as their playing surface if it added to the overall picture of the stadium. But it doesn't. Ryan Field at Northwestern is an example that does. Michigan State having natural grass as their playing surface just adds to the level of annoyance that comes from the program.

It's those things that create noon home games in the rain that give the Spartans a real home-field advantage. Added how the seats within the stadium sit above the football field slightly, the whole atmosphere is kind of a headache.

6. East Lansing is located within this state called Michigan

Though Buckeye fans might hate Michigan State's little brother a little more, Michigan State still lives within state lines and deserves to be treated as such.

SING IT WITH ME:

WE DON'T GIVE A DAMN
FOR THE WHOLE STATE OF MICHIGAN
WE DON'T GIVE A DAMN
FOR THE WHOLE STATE OF MICHIGAN

WE'RE FROM OHIO
O-H
WE'RE FROM OHIO
AYE-OH

5. Msu takes low-ranked Ohio players and makes them studs

The large majority of players on Michigan State's roster hail from the great state of Michigan. In second place with 28 players is the state of Ohio — and Ohio players have a large impact.

Now this isn't to say that the Buckeyes don't have formidable athletes, I'm just saying hate Michigan State for taking athletes and giving them chances that the Buckeyes didn't. It's as much the Buckeyes fault as it is the advantage of the Spartans, but alas.

I for one would love to have Chris Frey at the heart of the Ohio State defense. The local kid with a ton of swagger who was overlooked and now eats peoples' souls; Ohio State had a better version of that model. His name was Darron Lee.

Better yet, 10 of the 22 starters on Michigan State's defense hail from Ohio. Per the latest depth chart, 75% of the Spartan secondary's starters, all of the starting linebackers, the starting running back, the starting fullback, the starting right tackle and the starting punter all played their high school football within Ohio limits.

4. Dan Gilbert

Step into my office, Cavaliers fans. Need any more reason to want to run through a brick wall off a Four Loko Frost? If/when LeBron dusts Cleveland again this summer and you've got Dan Gilbert to blame, you know who else you can throw the shade at? Michigan State.

Before getting a law degree from Wayne State University and starting his prolific real estate career and starting Quicken Loans, Gilbert traipsed the East Lansing campus pondering what he would do to Ohio and its basketball faithful over the next several years before LeBron finally brought home a title to the city of Cleveland.

3. The Windmill Kicker with 20 career misses

Remember the year that the very good running back wasn't fed the ball enough and Ohio State lost in an upset? No, not the Iowa game from last week, we're talking about the Michigan State game from 2015. 

If you'll recall, the Ohio State offense was fairly garbage that rainy night in the Shoe, but the Buckeyes had a chance to win the game at the end. That is, until Michigan State's kicker shows up, nails a (insert) yarder and then windmills salt all over the field and up into C deck.

So if you need any more reason to hate Michigan State heading into Saturday's noon kickoff, how about it be that the windmilling kicker who buried the 2015 season for the Buckeyes only had a career field goal percentage of 73.7%.

2. Draymond Green

Need I say more?

Whether you're an Ohio State fan who dealt with the antics of Green for four seasons in the Big Ten, a Cavaliers fan who has dealt with Green during the three NBA Finals between the Cavs or you just genuinely despise the guy, Ohio fans are used to the show that comes with the talent.

And Draymond Green is a dirty basketball player who craves giving swift kicks to the nuts and acting — really badly. 

lil boi
the kick is up and it's good

1. Connor Cook Patti-caking archie griffin's hand

After former Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook won the MVP of the Big Ten Championship in 2015, he looked at the hand of the only two-time Heisman winner, effectively said, "No grandma, I don't want any of your delicious cookies. Buzz off." and then took his trophy leaving Archie Griffin in the dust.

Nothing says I love myself more than failing to recognize Archie Griffin after the team you defeat in the Big Ten Championship Game is Iowa.

It was an incredibly insulting considering Griffin is one of the greatest college football players of all time and the greatest Buckeye football player of all time. He repeatedly apologized afterwords but the actions of Cook in the moment always seem to reemerge when the two teams come to square off since.

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