Spartans Invade Dallas; Resume Preparation For Cotton Bowl
12/26/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Steve Grinczel, MSUSpartans.com Online Columnist | @GrinzOnGreen
DALLAS - The skies over north Texas were gray, the temperature outside was a very football-like 60 degrees and Michigan State senior guard and co-captain Travis Jackson was wearing the cowboy hat he borrowed from head coach Mark Dantonio.
The Spartans had barely arrived Friday to resume their preparation to play Baylor in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium, but Jackson was off to a flying start toward what Dantonio hopes will be a "life experience" for each of his players during the trip.
"It's really exciting to come down to Texas because you know, Texas is all about football," Jackson told a small media gathering in a ballroom at the Hilton Anatole Hotel. "The hospitality here has been second to none so far and getting to play in Cowboy stadium is going to be a great experience.
"You add a great opponent like Baylor and it just makes for a great way to end your season. We have a week to enjoy it, but we have to get ready for the game. We've got to remember that we have to compete big-time against Baylor."
Michigan State (10-2), ranked eighth in the final College Football Playoff poll, sees playing the No. 5 Bears (11-1) in the expansive and state-of-the-art home of the NFL Dallas Cowboys on New Year's Day as an opportunity to raise its national profile. Baylor was the last team eliminated from consideration for the new four-team playoff that will decide the National Championship.
While bowl trips are primarily seen as a reward for a successful season, the Spartans will be getting in the mood to play football, you know, in football country, when they aren't bowling and playing laser tag (Saturday), signing autographs and attending a Dallas Mavericks games (Sunday), visiting sick kids at the Scottish Rite Hospital and going to the Six Flags Over Texas amusement park (Monday).
"It's really about the memories you make with your teammates throughout the events you're doing and the time you're able to spend with them because this is your last time going through practice with this group of guys," said All-America senior free safety Kurtis Drummond. "It's definitely mostly business, but we'll know when to have fun.
"And obviously, coming out with a W makes for the best memory."
There is no shortage of cachet for the Spartans in the Cotton Bowl.
This will mark the first matchup of Associated Press Top-10 teams - MSU is seventh and Baylor is fourth - in 20 years. The Spartans are looking to extend their school-record bowl win streak to four and they'll be playing their final game with defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi, who on Friday was named the new head coach at Pittsburgh.
During his introductory press conference, Narduzzi said he would coach MSU's defense one last time against Baylor "because it's unfinished business."
Meantime, Dantonio's name will be added to the list of legends who have coached in the Cotton Bowl including: Bear Bryant of Alabama and Kentucky, Tom Osborne of Nebraska, Darrell Royal of Texas and Ara Parseghian of Notre Dame.
"The tradition here is unique," Dantonio said. "It's got a national reputation, there have been great coaches here and great players have played in this game. To have Michigan State down here and be part of this venue is very exciting for us. After we had lost our second football game, it was something we needed to try to become - one of those (New Year's Six) Power 6 football teams.
"I think we've been able to do that, so the next step is winning. The tone is; it's time to get back to business. The tone is focus, attention to detail and all those different things that go with winning. We want to have a great time and make a life experience like we have with every other bowl game, but at the same time, I think we understand the challenge that lies ahead of us.
"When you go to games like this, you want to make life experiences for your players. For every coach and every player that's here, we want this to be the best they've ever been a part of."
Jackson, who is fully recovered from an ankle injury, is looking forward to carrying out a full agenda.
"They've got a lot of great things planned for us," he said. "You just kind of take it in. I want to get into the culture and really enjoy it, and get some barbeque food.
"You really start to enjoy every practice and every moment. You start to enjoy the team that we have, the 2014 team, because this is the last time we get to play together. Being a part of Coach D's program over these past five years has been really special, so I'm going to savor every moment down here."
With that, Dantonio retrieved his cowboy hat and put it on.
