By Jimmy L. Wilson, Jr.“I’m glad that basketball season is here, so I can ignore the football team”, has been the refrain for Michigan State alumni and fans many times. That is not the case this year. With the football team playing well, and the basketball team starting a season with national championship aspirations, Spartan eyes have to be smiling. Here is a quick look at things for both teams.
The Spartan football team that looked like it would struggle to be good early in the season, is three games from playing for an opportunity to go to the Rose Bowl. They have trips to Nebraska and Northwestern, then a home game against Minnesota. After their dominant win over in-state rival Michigan, all they have to do is handle their business in those games, and they will meet Ohio State in Indianapolis for the conference championship.
For a team that started the season with a struggling offense, this has been a great surprise to many. The defense has been special, and in the conversation for the best in the country all season. Now that the offense is starting to improve, though they still have plenty of room to do so, things are looking up. A season that some felt would go downhill after the loss to Notre Dame looks to have potential to be an all-time great one.
Meanwhile, the basketball team, which is ranked number two in the country, has started their season. They won their first game by forty-two points an over-matched McNesse State team. By the time you read this, they will have played a game against the number one ranked Kentucky Wildcats. That will be a big early season test.
The Spartans have a talented, experienced team that should be able to navigate the tough non-conference schedule Once they finish that, they will enter play in the always tough B1G (Big Ten) conference. Michigan, Ohio State, and Indiana among others will make things tough for the Spartans. This should be a very exciting season, and if things go as expected end with a trip to Arlington, Texas for the Final Four.
As a Spartan fan, that has lived through many years where the start of the basketball season meant the end of my attention span for the football team, these next couple of months will be fun. Hopefully the football team will continue their quality play, and the basketball team will get off to a great start. Either way it goes, this is the type of thing that would be great for the Spartans to continue year after year. The Spartans being watchable in football in November, and an early season contender in basketball would be great for the University and their fans.
Enjoy the ride Spartan fans. This writer certainly plans on doing so.
I’m Jimmy L. Wilson, Jr., and I approve this message. .
This was printed in the November 17, 2013 – November 30, 2013 Edition
