2008 Big Ten Football discussion

[SNIPER26]

Originally Posted by brutus2002

If you don't think MSU will be better you are fooling yourself. MSU loses some talented players but they will also lose some baggage. The quicker some of them John L. Smith players graduate the better for Dantonio&co. MSU did not lose a game this year by more than 7 points IIRC. They should have beaten Michigan and BC off the top of my head. Dantonio will have them playing better this year.

Once again, who cares if they should have? They didn't. They don't give bonus points for almost-wins. You're sounding as bad as Domer fans after Bush pushed Leinart in. It doesn't matter if you almost won, it only matters if you won. Most of the Michigan/OSU games recently have been close, do we get bonus points for almost winning?

[MD Buckeye]

Originally Posted by SNIPER26

Once again, who cares if they should have? They didn't. They don't give bonus points for almost-wins. You're sounding as bad as Domer fans after Bush pushed Leinart in. It doesn't matter if you almost won, it only matters if you won. Most of the Michigan/OSU games recently have been close, do we get bonus points for almost winning?

Who cares?

[ZoWhite]

Originally Posted by SNIPER26

Once again, who cares if they should have? They didn't. They don't give bonus points for almost-wins. You're sounding as bad as Domer fans after Bush pushed Leinart in. It doesn't matter if you almost won, it only matters if you won. Most of the Michigan/OSU games recently have been close, do we get bonus points for almost winning?

Reading comprehension. His point was that MSU had enough to stick close with a ton of teams that they lost to. So if they improve in some areas, those close losses will easily turn into wins.

Hoyer is still solid, gonna be a Senior this year. Ringer is back, with a ton of depth behind him. Mark Dell was just a freshman last year and B.J. Cunningham (Who Dantonio says would have started had he not redshirted) is gonna be on the field. Deon Curry was no slouch either and he will be a Senior this year. Offensive line takes a hit in terms of depth, but we return 3 starters. We'll be "good enough" at that spot.

All but one DT is back. You'll begin to see more and more of the duo inside that I've been waiting for....Jeremiah and Wilson. Both are strong as can be and made huge strides through their freshaman seasons. We'll be better at DT. Hard to replace Baldwin and Saint-Dic, but dont forget about All-Big East Trevor Anderson. Spartan fans are hoping for the long awaited breakout of Brandon Long and hoping that stud freshman Tyler Hoover can step in right away. Tackles are better, Ends are a step down.

We're better at LB. We lose Kaleb Thornhill, bring everyone else back. Greg Jones and Eric Gordon are studs, the question is who fills out the 3rd spot. We brought in four linebackers this year though, so I'm sure one will be solid there.

We bring back every cornerback. Plus Johnny Adams will work into the rotation and Chris Rucker (Our best CB as a freshman last year) will be back from injury. A bit worse off at safety, but Wiley is still back there.

6 or 7 wins in 2008. 8 or 9 in 2009, and I think we compete for a Big Ten Title in 2010.

[HailToMichigan]

Originally Posted by brutus2002

If you don't think MSU will be better you are fooling yourself. MSU loses some talented players but they will also lose some baggage. The quicker some of them John L. Smith players graduate the better for Dantonio&co. MSU did not lose a game this year by more than 7 points IIRC. They should have beaten Michigan and BC off the top of my head. Dantonio will have them playing better this year.

True, but misleading. Two of those close losses were to absolutely brutal teams - Iowa, Northwestern. Those are really the games you ought to figure they "should have won," especially since they were OT losses.

[SNIPER26]

Originally Posted by ZoWhite

Spartan fans are hoping for the long awaited breakout of Brandon Long and hoping that stud freshman Tyler Hoover can step in right away. Tackles are better, Ends are a step down.

3* freshmen are studs now? Mmmmmmmk?

Anyways, I suppose we shall see. For a team that hasn't won an outright Big 10 title since the year I was born, Sparty sure does seem confident.

[HailToMichigan]

Originally Posted by SNIPER26

3* freshmen are studs now? Mmmmmmmk?

Anyways, I suppose we shall see. For a team that hasn't won an outright Big 10 title since the year I was born, Sparty sure does seem confident.

"We shall see" is pretty much the attitude I'm taking with Sparty this year. I grant that Dantonio seems more competent than either Bobby Williams or JLS. (I laughed at the JLS hire. MSU needed discipline, BAD. Smith's Louisville teams were consistently among the most penalized in the country. Doomed from the start.) But they've got to prove themselves and accomplish something before I'll accept them as a legit threat, either now or in the future, to go the Rose Bowl or establish an honest year-to-year challenge to beat Michigan.

[ZoWhite]

Originally Posted by SNIPER26

3* freshmen are studs now? Mmmmmmmk?

Anyways, I suppose we shall see. For a team that hasn't won an outright Big 10 title since the year I was born, Sparty sure does seem confident.

Yes. If those 3* freshmen have offers from Michigan and multiple BCS schools, yes. Regardless, Hoover was a 4* and had a fabulous season but was moved down for seemingly no reason (Other than probably he commited early).

Please explain to me how hoping for 6 wins is so confident. Thanks. You "wolvie" fans love to throw in as many hidden cheapshots as possible.

[ZoWhite]

Originally Posted by HailToMichigan

True, but misleading. Two of those close losses were to absolutely brutal teams - Iowa, Northwestern. Those are really the games you ought to figure they "should have won," especially since they were OT losses.

We also shouldnt have been close at all with Wisconsin or OSU. I don't see your point.

Regardless, I don't see how losing to Iowa and Northwestern would make it misleading. My point was that with more experience and an extra year under Dantonio, they would be ready to close more games. How does the fact that two of the close losses were to NU and Iowa change that?

[billmac91]

It sure does seem easy to dismiss Dantonio as a Michigan fan. Not saying he's going to take over the Big 10 or dominate Michigan, but there's a reason the Cincinnati job became desirable. I also think as good as Brian Kelly is, Dantonio left them in terrific shape.

I am worried as an OSU fan that Dantonio is at MSU. Not because he will out-recruit us, but because his teams will steal one every now and then. They absolutely will be more fundamental and disciplined in the upcoming years

You guys can take him lightly if you want, I know Tressel will not.

[Coqui]

Originally Pos