Critics are dumping all over Saturday night’s inaugural Big Ten championship game between Michigan State, ranked 13th in the BCS standings, and No. 15 Wisconsin.
Imagine that — the Big Ten’s manhood being questioned. Who knew?
No, it wasn’t a banner year for the conference — on or off the field — and the its first title game in Indianapolis has zero influence on the national championship. Suspicion this week of a “papered house” at Lucas Oil Stadium so a sparsely attended game didn’t embarrass the conference in prime time hasn’t helped.
I also have heard SEC enthusiasts chirping about how many future NFL players will be on the field when top-ranked LSU takes on No. 14 Georgia on Saturday at the Georgia Dome.
Bully for the SEC. I went to the Alabama-LSU game last month in Tuscaloosa, the CBS production of “The Game of the Century.” The tailgates and atmosphere at ‘Bama’s famed quad were great. The game was a dud.
I would take Michigan State’s Kirk Cousins or Wisconsin’s Russell Wilson over any of the three quarterbacks Nick Saban and Les Miles put on the field that night. In a heartbeat.
Old habits die hard. I’m a Big Ten lifer. And I’m eager to take in Saturday’s game for a handful of reasons, the biggest of which is that these teams absolutely deserve to be there. They’re both 10-2. They’re both well-coached, hard-nosed, physical teams.
It’s a rematch of arguably the most entertaining game played anywhere in the country this season, when Michigan State squashed Wisconsin’s national title aspirations with a 37-31 victory Oct. 22 in East Lansing. The Badgers came out of the gate smoking, taking a 14-0 lead into the second quarter, but the Spartans’ attacking defense and special teams play turned the game around with 23 unanswered second-quarter points.
Cousins won it with a Hail Mary touchdown pass to converted quarterback Keith Nichol, but what is most memorable is how Michigan State’s relentless pressure on Wilson frustrated the nation’s leader in passing efficiency.
The Badgers’ offense (No. 1 in the Big Ten) vs. Sparty’s defense (No. 1 in the Big Ten) provides another tasty subplot. Both coordinators reportedly are candidates for the vacant Illinois job.
Wisconsin offensive coordinator Paul Chryst has guided the fourth-highest-scoring unit in the country. Running back Montee Ball (135.2 ypg) was the conference’s rushing champ and is third in the nation, while Wilson, a first-team All-ACC quarterback at North Carolina State before transferring, has dazzled as both a passer and runner.
Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi will have Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas’ eyes on him as he tries to shut down Chryst’s balanced attack. Narduzzi’s Spartans were tops in the conference in total defense (third nationally) and rushing defense and second in scoring defense.
It also is fitting that the Big Ten’s first championship game pits the schools that shared the conference title a year ago. Wisconsin went to the Rose Bowl. Don’t think that hasn’t been mentioned a few times this week in East Lansing.
I know Big Ten football isn’t the best in the country. I get it. But I happen to be a Big Ten loyalist, and I’ve been desirous of a conference title game for years.
It’s perfect that it’s Michigan State and Wisconsin. Fast-forward me to kickoff.
* Kurt Kittner, who quarterbacked Illinois to a conference championship 10 years ago and is the analyst on Illini radio broadcasts, says he prefers a hungry, young assistant to a grizzled veteran with head coaching experience to succeed Ron Zook in Champaign.
Kittner told my radio audience Tuesday morning he also hopes his alma mater moves quickly as several major jobs are open and candidates already are being scooped up (Rich Rodriguez at Arizona, Mike Leach at Washington State). Kittner added that Zook leaves the program in better shape than when he inherited it from Ron Turner.
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* I don’t doubt Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz finds the Arizona State job appealing. What I do question is whether Arizona State officials would find Martz an attractive candidate to succeed Dennis Erickson.
Why replace in-his-60s-and-tired with in-his-60s-and-tired? If Martz lands the Sun Devils job, I’ll swim across the Chicago River in my boxers.
Special contributor Dan McNeil hosts “The McNeil and Spiegel Show” on WSCR-AM 670 weekdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.