You’ve got to hand it to sports media. No one does a better job not bothering with reality in search of clicks and attention that fits their agenda, which is clicks and attention.
So as an annual rite of summer and fall, Michigan State football isn’t being talked about much, mostly because they don’t garner clicks and attention. They do, however, seem to be garnering wins whether or not anyone is noticing.
This isn’t to slam the more media-covered programs like Ohio State and Michigan. Their coaches are probably a bit publicly flashier (any footage of Mark Dantonio running shirtless in slacks at recruiting events, please FWD to me. Or actually, don’t.), and the programs more historically successful with larger national fan bases, but seemingly when it gets down to the brass tacks of things, MSU is doing just fine carrying on with them in the wins column these days.
MSU has averaged an astonishing 12 wins a season the last three campaigns, and if you take out 2012 when they went 7-6, they’ve won at least 11 games every season since 2010 and have either been first or second in the conference in each of those seasons.
No matter the media (lack of) attention, though. MSU is gaining whatever long-coveted respect is needed from a national standpoint to those that matter. The Spartans will replace a metric ton of talent along the offensive line, break in a new starting quarterback, and have key losses to replace on defense as well … yet the Spartans were ranked number 11 in the Amway Coaches Poll last week.
If the Spartans are to continue their rugged trend of squashing critics who think that eventually, the weight at the top of the Big Ten East will lead them to slide a bit down the mountain, this will end up being one of their more impressive go-arounds at doing it.
Tyler O’Connor or Damion Terry will end up getting the lion’s share of the snaps and honestly, the drop off shouldn’t be so dramatic in spite of how good Connor Cook was that quarterback play will be the fly in the ointment of any expectations not met come the fall. The future is bright as well there.
Running back is set as well, which is seemingly a rite of passage there anymore. Wide receiver will be an issue, though MSU seemingly has gotten by annually with guys that mostly fly under the radar but make the plays when they have to. Still, it’s tough to figure out where the success will come from when the top leading receiver (R.J. Shelton) is the only one on the roster with more than seven catches.
Any keeping of that 11th ranking, though, and any more 11-win seasons will lie mostly where MSU traditionally butters its bread … on defense. The linebacking group is especially stingy, led by Riley Bullough. The secondary will get a boost from Vayante Copeland in particular if the injury bug goes ahead and gets swatted.
And lastly, that schedule … MSU gets both of the more click-loving teams … Michigan and Ohio State … in East Lansing. While that’s not necessarily an automatic harbinger of wins, it certainly doesn’t hurt as you’re growing a young team with high expectations to have your toughest tilts in the friendly confines.
The reality, though, for MSU is that this is what the program is, overshadowed eternally by shinier objects with bigger fan bases to gain more clicks. If the last three years, including one where they made the CFB Playoffs are any indication, even winning isn’t going to whole scale change that.
But that’s okay. The media doesn’t decide who wins, who gets recruits, and who wins games. They just push the narrative they want, and it’s one much less dangerous in sports than in something like politics. So let them do their thing. Instead of thinking, “what will it take to get MSU less ignored?” it might be more apropos to say, “who cares?”
Prediction: the Spartans will be good again, and for the most part, the MSM in the sports world will only haphazardly take notice. Wins are better than clicks, anyhow, and disrespect is one of the most powerful motivators in all of anything, life or sports. Usually, that well gets tapped after so much success, but if you get lucky, you can dip your bucket in and still get a healthy fill.
