Iceland12
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Here's to them not being able to. 
EAST LANSING — The Twitter headline from Mark Dantonio’s news conference Tuesday would be something like: “Dantonio overlooks Minnesota, concedes defeat against Ohio State, campaigns against Wisconsin for BCS at-large bid.”
The reality: Late in that news conference, the Michigan State coach was asked about his team’s BCS at-large hopes — which would only be a story line with a win Saturday over the Gophers and a loss to the Buckeyes in the Big Ten title game — and he indulged for a moment by saying he would campaign in that situation. He mentioned three times in the same answer that Minnesota is the focus.
Asked about a BCS at-large bid two days earlier, Dantonio said: “We don’t intend to take second place in the conference.”
Much of the discussion Tuesday was about the 18 seniors No. 11 MSU (10-1, 7-0 Big Ten) is honoring before the game and Dantonio’s hope that fans will show up on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend to help send them off. Athletic director Mark Hollis said Tuesday that Orange Bowl officials will be at the game, and that the turnout will be noted.
Add it all up, and it’s hard to imagine a week with more potential distractions for a football team. The Spartans know they’ll be playing OSU for a Rose Bowl bid Dec. 7 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and people already are talking about various scenarios that might happen after that game..
The Gophers (8-3, 4-3) have been one of the best stories of the Big Ten season and will be playing for their shot at a New Year’s Day bowl.
“Minnesota is an outstanding football team, I believe,” Dantonio said. “They have a chance to win nine games, coming here for their last football game. They have experience. They have toughness, I think, that coach (Jerry) Kill has brought that to that football program.”
Kill has been limited by an ongoing problem with epileptic seizures and will coach Saturday from the box, as he has done for most of the season, with defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys serving as acting head coach on the sideline. That hasn’t stopped Minnesota from winning eight games for the first time since 2003 under Glen Mason, with a vastly improved defense spearheaded by tackle Ra’Shede Hageman. The Gophers allowed 380 points in Kill’s first year, 321 in his second and 254 this season.
They play hard on defense,” Dantonio said of the Gophers. “They’re going to press you on defense. Hageman, No. 99, is a force. I think their secondary is very good. They run very well, tackle well, play man coverage, linebackers will attack you downhill. They’ll pressure the quarterback.”..
EAST LANSING — The Twitter headline from Mark Dantonio’s news conference Tuesday would be something like: “Dantonio overlooks Minnesota, concedes defeat against Ohio State, campaigns against Wisconsin for BCS at-large bid.”
The reality: Late in that news conference, the Michigan State coach was asked about his team’s BCS at-large hopes — which would only be a story line with a win Saturday over the Gophers and a loss to the Buckeyes in the Big Ten title game — and he indulged for a moment by saying he would campaign in that situation. He mentioned three times in the same answer that Minnesota is the focus.
Asked about a BCS at-large bid two days earlier, Dantonio said: “We don’t intend to take second place in the conference.”
Much of the discussion Tuesday was about the 18 seniors No. 11 MSU (10-1, 7-0 Big Ten) is honoring before the game and Dantonio’s hope that fans will show up on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend to help send them off. Athletic director Mark Hollis said Tuesday that Orange Bowl officials will be at the game, and that the turnout will be noted.
Add it all up, and it’s hard to imagine a week with more potential distractions for a football team. The Spartans know they’ll be playing OSU for a Rose Bowl bid Dec. 7 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and people already are talking about various scenarios that might happen after that game..
The Gophers (8-3, 4-3) have been one of the best stories of the Big Ten season and will be playing for their shot at a New Year’s Day bowl.
“Minnesota is an outstanding football team, I believe,” Dantonio said. “They have a chance to win nine games, coming here for their last football game. They have experience. They have toughness, I think, that coach (Jerry) Kill has brought that to that football program.”
Kill has been limited by an ongoing problem with epileptic seizures and will coach Saturday from the box, as he has done for most of the season, with defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys serving as acting head coach on the sideline. That hasn’t stopped Minnesota from winning eight games for the first time since 2003 under Glen Mason, with a vastly improved defense spearheaded by tackle Ra’Shede Hageman. The Gophers allowed 380 points in Kill’s first year, 321 in his second and 254 this season.
They play hard on defense,” Dantonio said of the Gophers. “They’re going to press you on defense. Hageman, No. 99, is a force. I think their secondary is very good. They run very well, tackle well, play man coverage, linebackers will attack you downhill. They’ll pressure the quarterback.”..