For the 2011 Spartans they went out this season and turned those dreams into one step from reality as they played themselves into making history winning the first Legends Division crown and playing the Wisconsin Badgers in the inaugural Big Ten Conference Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Michigan State realized a dream to play in the conference’s first title game, but the icing on the cake would have been winning the nationally televised game and earning its first trip to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Ca since 1988.
Instead, at the end of a staggering and unbelievable game, the Spartans saw their Rose Bowl dreams dissipated, after Wisconsin’s remarkable, end of game comeback 42-39 victory in the inaugural Big Ten Championship.
The Badgers (11-2) will now play in the Rose Bowl and the Spartans (10-3) narrowly missing out on the BCS game, will play in the Outback Bowl in Orlando, Florida where they will contest Georgia on January 2nd.
Michigan State beat the Michigan Wolverines in conference play but now must standby and watch their rival get invited to the $17 million payout BCS Sugar Bowl, while the Spartans will settle for the $3.5 million Outback Bowl.
“We understand why certain programs are picked at certain places,” Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis said. “You don’t beg for respect, you earn it.”
No doubt Michigan State did not do the things it needed to win or earn that fabulous game. They appeared more athletic, seemed to have a better overall team and an excellent mix of senior starters, but they lost.
Cruising the Indianapolis downtown area I saw firsthand Michigan State’s fan enthusiasm and hoped for dream of returning to the Rose Bowl.
For Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio, who led his team in the 2010 season to a school record eleven wins earning a three-way share of its first Big Ten title since 1990, but again narrowly missing out on a BCS Bowl Game, it was another hard pill to swallow.
“This was a very difficult football game, but great football game,” Dantonio said in the post game press conference. “I thought both football teams showed a tremendous amount of maturity and toughness in terms of battling back. We started a little bit slow, cameback. But it is very difficult, the way it all went down at the end of the game, but we’ll rise again.”
Said Spartan quarterback Kirk Cousins: “It’s tough. Came close
two years in a row. It’s tough.”
Concurred receiver B.J. Cunningham: “Like Kirk said, it’s tough. We played hard, a great game, Wisconsin played a good game. We just didn’t come up with it in the end. That’s it.”
The Spartans had beaten the Badgers, 37-31, earlier this season in East Lansing on a last-second Hail Mary pass. So, Wisconsin returned the favor. After Michigan State extended its lead to 39-34 on a field goal, Wisconsin with a little more than three minutes remaining in the game implemented its own Hail Mary on fourth-and-6.
Badger quarterback Russell Wilson tossed a 36-yard prayer and Jeff Duckworth latched onto it for the game winning score.
But the Spartans had one more shot with 1:37 left, but a roughing-the-punter penalty by Isaiah Lewis basically ended the game, negating a Keshawn Martin apparent game winning punt return to the two yard line for the Spartans.
I’m look at the punt return and saying, “Yeah,” but then I see a yellow hanky. My emotions ran the gauntlet and I waited for the call and it went against the Spartans.
“I think we are a BCS worthy team,” Dantonio exclaimed, “but you’ve got to get the votes to do that. This game could have went either way and it will be an instant classic. But at the same time you have to be able to look at things, deal with the problems that you have and keep moving forward. I think that’s part of life. Our seniors put a lot into this and they had very high hopes. We had
them on the ropes, but i
n the second half Wilson found guys off the broken plays and his ability to create.”
n the second half Wilson found guys off the broken plays and his ability to create.”