Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Seek Program Win At Ohio State
9/28/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 28, 2011
By Steve Grinczel, Online Columnist
Michigan State has won a so-called "program game" every season since 2007. Such victories validate the structural integrity of the operation and verify the direction in which it's headed.
Program wins serve notice to prospects, opponents and conference brethren that a team, typically one that's rebuilding or undergoing a major transition, can compete with the best foes in the league, is capable of winning the championship and eventually be involved in the national discussion. They often come in games a team isn't expected to win or against a traditionally renowned opponent.
In '07, MSU notched its first program win under Coach Mark Dantonio when it came back to beat Penn State in the final game of the regular season. The 35-31 victory ended a streak of three losing seasons and buffed up the Spartans' bowl credibility.
The following season, Michigan State beat Michigan, 35-21, in Ann Arbor. Although the Wolverines were far from great that season and ended up with a losing record, the Spartans beat their archrival in Michigan Stadium for the first time since 1990 and established dominance over a program that represented the gold standard in the conference and the country for decades.
The Spartans were in regroup mode in '09, but their 26-20 overtime victory over No. 22-ranked Michigan gave the program back-to-back victories over the Wolverines for the first time since 1965-67.
Last season, MSU staked its claim to a share of the Big Ten title by beating No. 11, and eventual co-champ, Wisconsin, defeating Michigan for the third-straight season and whipping Penn State in State College for the first time since the Nittany Lions joined the conference in '93.
The more success a program gets, however, the fewer opportunities it has to produce program wins. If the Michigan State basketball team beats North Carolina, for example, it's no longer considered a program win because Tom Izzo's program has established itself as member of the Tar Heels' peer group.
The more successful the MSU football team becomes, the fewer opportunities it will have to play in - or require - program games. That said, another will come the Spartans' way on Saturday when they visit Columbus to play Ohio State for the 40th time.
There are various reasons Michigan State could make a significant statement in this game even if the 3-1 Buckeyes are unranked, missing suspended personnel and being guided by an interim head coach, Luke Fickell, who's a close friend of Dantonio.
Dantonio-coached MSU teams have defeated every Big Ten opponent at least once except Ohio State. The Buckeyes have won or shared seven of the last nine conference championships. The Spartans have lost their last seven games against the Buckeyes and haven't won in Ohio Stadium since 1998 when they shocked college football with a 28-24 victory over the nation's top-ranked team.
The milestone a win would represent for Dantonio's program is reflected in the extraordinary way he's approaching this game. Every player on the team has been declared off-limits to the media for the first time since he took over.
"I do feel like this time is the time we have to ask for that," Dantonio said. "I'm not trying to be difficult. It's just what I feel is best right now for our football team. It maybe allows them to go to another place and relax a little bit and not have to deal with (media), because one story usually prompts another story."
Every effort is being made to ensure that the Spartans, especially the 24 from Ohio, are in the proper frame of mind - Dantonio doesn't want anyone stressing over even a well-intended comment that appears in the press.
"I think it's very important that we go down there with the mind-set to win and do all the things we have to for 2011 for this football season," Dantonio said. "Obviously, every game's like that. But when you look at the program in general, and you look at the future of the program, this is the only football team we have not beaten in this conference in the years we've been here.
"It's one thing we haven't gotten done yet, so from a program standpoint it is important. You have to point toward those things and say, `Hey, we can beat anybody in this conference, and we can measure up with anybody in this conference.' That's been the goal here since we've come - to measure up against anybody in this conference at any time."
Maybe last season's win at Penn State will rank higher on Dantonio's coaching list because it clinched a share of MSU's first Big Ten title in 20 years, but the impact a win over the Buckeyes would have on various program, and even personal, levels can't be overstated.
"You want to do the things that have to be done to try to make a statement," said Dantonio, who grew up in Zanesville, Ohio.
It's fair to say that Ohio State gets the lion's share of top talent produced in Ohio. Those who end up at Michigan State have generally been underrated, undervalued or overlooked more often than not by the Buckeyes program.
Spartans linebackers coach Mike Tressel, who is the nephew of former OSU head coach Jim Tressel and the son of Buckeyes running backs coach Dick Tressel, may have provided the best insight on how a victory would impact the MSU program and why this game is especially important.
Having so many Spartans from Ohio, "will be a good thing, knowing our kids," Tressel said. "Possibly in the past, we had a lot of Ohio kids that thought, `Ya know, I wasn't quite as good as those guys that end up going to Ohio State,'" Tressel said. "I think we have a lot of Ohio kids now who feel like we can go in there and win this ballgame.
"I think it will work out well because of the mentality of our Ohio kids."
As Dantonio said, it's all about measuring up.
