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In less than 24 hours, Michigan State and Georgia will square off in their second meeting in four years, meeting in the Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium.
Dec 26, 2011; Spartan players run sprints on their first day in Florida in preparation for their bowl game a week later. (Photo Credit: Rey Del Rio)
But beyond being two disappointed 10-3 conference runner-up squads, the Spartans and Bulldogs will serve as ambassadors for the Big Ten and SEC in the latest chapter of the battle between two of the best football conferences in the nation.
By itself this bowl game is big for either team, but on a larger scale it adds to the argument of whether or not the SEC will remain dominant over the Big Ten in the years to come.
Michigan State hasn’t helped the Big Ten’s case over the last four season, losing once to Georgia in the Capital One Bowl and then getting harassed by Alabama one year ago in the same bowl game. But while State and other Big Ten members have struggled to scrape out victories in their matchups with SEC counterparts, the Spartans have steadily emerged as one of the mainstays of the top 25 over the last three seasons. Their current streak of 16 consecutive weeks as a ranked team in the BCS top 25 is a school record. Compiling 21 wins over two seasons currently has MSU tied at no. 9 with the likes of Alabama, Auburn and Oklahoma for the most wins during that stretch.
While many analysts, fans and experts believe the Big Ten to be an overrated conference, the fact remains that five Big Ten teams are currently ranked in the final season standings, equaling the amount of SEC teams on the list.
Now I’m not saying that the Big Ten is better, or even as good as the SEC right now. As you’ve probably heard, this year’s BCS national championship game features two SEC teams in a rematch from earlier this year. But just because the SEC has been the powerhouse of college football in recent memory, doesn’t mean it will stay that way.
Coming full circle, the Outback Bowl will serve as a statement game, not only for two aspiring elite programs, but for two conferences looking for an extra edge over their competition. Michigan State has proved this season, that they have what it takes to win big games, a previously haunting flaw of the green and white. But with wins over Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin, the Spartans showed why they are one of the best teams in the Big Ten and a fair representative of what the conference has to offer.
Led on offense by seniors Kirk Cousins, B.J. Cunningham, Keshawn Martin, Joel Forman and Keith Nichol, Michigan State boasts the kind of veteran leadership it will take to beat a good Georgia defense that held teams to an average of 19.6 points per game during this season.
While the defense is a bit younger than Spartans’ offensive attack, leaders Trenton Robinson, Jerel Worthy and Johnny Adams have helped shape the defense into a game-changing force to be reckoned with.
Georgia provides considerably more athleticism than most of the teams Michigan State has faced this year, with the likes of Isaiah Crowell, Aaron Murray, Orson Charles, and Malcolm Mitchell. But most of Georgia’s talent at the skill positions is still unrefined and inexperienced. Michigan State’s defense is capable of handling the situation.
In a slightly more distressing matter for the Spartans, Cousins is 27 of 50 for 376 yards, 1 TD and 3 interceptions in three career bowl games. But while you might think he would be the key player for Michigan State on Jan. 2, he’ll actually serve as the last piece of the puzzle in this one.
The first step for the Spartans will be to execute on defense. If they can slow down the Georgia offense and keep the game within reach the door will open for MSU’s offense.
The second step will be special teams. Michigan State must win both the field position and momentum battles early on in this one.
Without the score getting out of hand, and consistently starting with good field position, Michigan State will be able to depend more heavily on the run game, which will land squarely on the shoulders of Le’Veon Bell and seek occasional aid from Edwin Baker. If those two and the offensive line can get going early, the passing game will inherently become deadly as it has often shown itself to be this year.
Not having the pressure of playing catch-up or being the main threat on offense, Cousins will then be able to make the plays everyone knows he can.
The stage is set for Michigan State to finally cap off a successful season with a bowl game win. While it isn’t the grand finale that Spartans everywhere had been hoping for, a win over a 3-loss team from the SEC wouldn’t make for a bad ending to this chapter of Spartan history.
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