Quote:I don't know if they're just building hype, but the local radio stations here in Grand Rapids are predicting WMU to be tough, a definite MSU win, but should be a game going into the 4th.
I dunno about that. MSU is not going to overlook us. Granted, it's the first game, we're going to be pumped, but we're going to be nervous too. Tons o hype built up for this. Nekton, #brocoach, RTB -- first time hosting a Big-Name team from our own backyard... and MSU is going to be Big Dog not in the midwest, but across the country, and they all know that they're walking into a mid-major hornets nest. It's Easier to get pumped up for a 1st game for a mid-major when it's against a team not too far from your back yard and they're not a no-namer (like EMU). Us getting too pumped up could easily help us shoot ourselves in the foot like Barney Fife, to create a hole early, where the closest we come to is about 17-21 pts after that, with the lead most the game an extra TD on top of that gap.
That's my biggest fear -- that we trip over ourselves and aren't mentally on-point for such a big dance in our own backyard, notably in the passing game (which ends up closing the gap on our running game that wouldn't be big to begin with, which then keeps our D on the field and requires MSU not to have to be efficient). Or special teams muffing it up. Stuff like that.
Quote:Even with "good" teams against mediocre MSU squads and RichRod/Hoke dud teams, we seem to underperform and get waxed. We save our best stuff for out of state teams, it seems.
Yeah, we do usually Suck It against big-name teams (ND, UM, MSU, VA-Tech). BUT, 2 years ago in our PJ-opener in East Lansing as you point out in our 1-11 season and MSU Rose Bowl champs, we did have a relatively close game (but MSU *sucked* on O early in the season figuring themselves out; but we sucked more comparatively). And in the mid-2000s we had about as close a game too, in a year that we sucked.
Against VA-Tech at home we stuffed their running game early but they adjusted and our no-O-Broncos couldn't do anything, but it was a battle for a quarter and a half.
However, we didn't get stomped by (a rebuilding/rebooting) VA-Tech last year, and we beat Iowa (2000, 2007), and play Illinois tough and won one year. And beat Virginia one year as well.
We can compete. We need MSU's O (starting anew in RB) to take a while to get adjusted early on to help us get comfy... our special teams to be unshaken & sound, our running game to have a little wiggle room at least (not 1 to -3 yards on almost every run) after kickoff, and Terrell + WRs to be on point. If that happens, we will have a watchable game for a good while... and who knows? Maybe even a bar-fight mid-way 2nd half...! The key is us performing sound, unfazed by hype, on point... and MSU making more mistakes, getting adjusted to things, and us acting like it's our 3rd game of the season while they acting like it's their 1st game after staying up a little too late.