<p>I don't get it. Cousins rant about Michigan being chosen over MSU makes no sense. MSU was not ranked in the top 14 in the final BCS poll to even be considered for an at-large BCS bowl. The Spartans lost two games by an average of 20 points (to teams we beat by an average of 16 points), which put them at a fair #13 entering the Big 10 championship game, where they lost to the #15 team in the nation. MSU should have known that it was in a do or die situation. If they lost, they should have known that they would drop out of the top 14 and would therefore no longer be eligible for an at-large bid.</p>
<p>Under most circumstances, I would feel bad for MSU, but given how dirty they played, purposely aiming to harm Denard all game long, I think they got what they deserved.</p>
<p>Alexandre, you must not know Sparty as well as thought you did. The reaction from East Lansing was completely expected and is a bit humorous. What bothers them the most is not that they lost the Championship game and missed out on the BCS bowl bid but that it was Michigan that secured the at-large BCS spot. Sparty has a huge chip on its shoulders when it comes to the Wolverines - thus the genesis of the famous “Little Brother” comment. It probably also gives rise to the dirty play you refer to.</p>
<p>The football program at State has improved considerably under Dantonio and they are a formidable opponent. They played a great game on Saturday night and probably would have won the trip to Pasadena if not for a highly questionable decision by the coach late in the game. I think the Michigan players said it right that the would have happily traded their position “on the couch” for a chance to play for the Rose Bowl even if it put a BCS bid at risk.</p>
<p>That’s because our little brothers are stupid. They actually thought they deserved a BCS bid despite losing to Wisconsin. “I feel like we deserve (a BCS bid),” Spartans receiver B.J. Cunningham said. “We earned it, we got to the championship game and we beat Michigan.” There is no autobid for the #2 team in the B1G. And no BCS bowl will take little brother over the teams ahead of them in the BCS rank.</p>
<p>If little brother wants to blame somebody, blame the B1G championship game, not the BCS. Under the old system, little brother would be going to the Rose Bowl as the team with the best conference record.</p>
<p>p.s. Alex, There is a word missing in the title of this thread.</p>
<p>romanigypsyeyes, I deleted a post because it was clearly written by a person who has no understanding of college football and has blind hatred for Michigan.</p>
<p>The purpose of this thread is to try and understand MSU’s misgivings about why Michigan was chosen as an at-large BCS team and MSU was not. Ending the season with 3 losses and being ranked out of the top 14 in the BCS poll automatically disqualified MSU.</p>
<p>Hopefully, we can play Vtech like we played Nebraska where we made few mistakes against a very good team. If we do this we should win this bowl. Other games, even the ones we won, have not gone as well. We had made some signifcant mistakes against Ohio making the game very close. I kinda felt like it shouldn’t have been close. We should have beat Ohio St. by 15 to 20 points. It was an exciting season though.</p>
<p>As a neutral party I can represent one version of the MSU position … one of the major complaints I have is that teams that do not win their conference can play in the championship game (e.g. Alabama) and teams that don’t even win their division of their conference can be picked for a BCS bowl over the winner of that same division (e.g., Michigan over MSU for example). Personally, I think the system is nuts … essentially, in the end, it was to Michigan’s advantage to not play in the championship game and to have MSU in the game (and lose) … and system that rewards teams for not making their championship game needs adjusting.</p>
<p>I agree that the system is nuts, but this is totally to be expected. The complaining is uncontrollable, nobody even acknowledges what a good game it was, there were hateful statuses, and they think they are significantly better than Wisconsin and Michigan. I’ve even heard that the Big Ten Championship game should be abolished because its unfair. Oh yeah, did i mention i LIVE IN EAST LANSING. =] both my parents went to wisconsin and michigan is my top choice, clearly, I’m ecstatic to be living in this town today!</p>
<p>“Oh yeah, did i mention i LIVE IN EAST LANSING. =] both my parents went to wisconsin and michigan is my top choice, clearly, I’m ecstatic to be living in this town today!”</p>
<p>And really, Alexandre? You can’t understand why we’re upset? Because if it hadn’t been for the championship game, we would be going to the Rose Bowl. Now we’re not even going to a BCS bowl game because of a questionable loss (the calls by the refs at the end, especially the catch that was ruled out of bounds despite the fact that he was in, and a questionable push into the kicker even though he probably shouldn’t have been going towards him anyway) and you really wonder why we’re upset? Somehow, I doubt you really wonder why we’re upset. </p>
<p>In what reality would it be BETTER for a team to NOT make it to their championship game? Of course we’re upset. You would be, too (and we wouldn’t wonder why).</p>
<p>roman - I understand where you are coming from and may even feel the same in your position. But, going into the championship game did you think that MSU could lose, even in triple OT, and go to a BCS? If not, would you really have rather foregone the opportunity to go to the Rose Bowl?</p>
<p>^ No. I didn’t think the loser had a shot at a BCS bowl which is why so many of us are upset. Few of us are upset directly AT Michigan, we’re upset by the fact that U of M is going to a BCS bowl simply because they didn’t go to the Championship game. The average Spartan is NOT upset at Michigan (no matter what people on here might think)- we’re upset by the fact that Michigan is ranked ahead of us simply because we lost the Championship game. It’s at the BCS ranking system, not at Michigan directly. I’m glad we got to play in the Championship game (even if it cost us the Rose Bowl), but it shouldn’t be an either/or thing. It’s just a screwed up ranking system. </p>
<p>The only Michigan people that I’m upset with are the ones who chose this opportunity to rub it in our faces that they’re going above us. You would be upset at that too. As of now, I will still cheer for Michigan the same as I do for them every game (except of course when they play State). I was a Michigan fan for far longer than I have been a State fan and I have a very close cousin that goes there and is an athlete (water polo haha) so of course I will cheer for them.</p>
<p>Roman, I can understand why you’re mad, and it’s completely justified. It kind of sucks that you had to put your BCS bowl game chances on the line by playing in the championship game. But this is just willful ignorance on your part:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The receiver was very clearly out of bounds. He landed with his foot on the line. Not only that, but he bobbled the pass when he landed. Questionable push? He ran into the kicker, plain and simple.</p>
That’s not true. Had MSU won the championship game, litte brother would go to the Rose, and Michigan would still be picked for the Sugar. In fact, little brother winning in that game would have benefited Michigan’s computer ranking.</p>
<p>
That’s not what the computer says. Michigan’s BCS computer rank avg was .4000, compared to little brother’s .1700. It’s not even close.</p>
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