Wolverines ink deal to come back to Nike

*Insert comical gag on Nike Just Do It slogan*

Things like this are what we talk about in the dog days. Too early to talk pre-season predictions, the Harbaugh tape is wearing thin and stuck on replay, and well this is the only way to keep college football conversation going. On Monday afternoon, the University of Michigan announced they are replacing the three stripes with the swoosh. Opting out of extending their contract with Adidas, one worth $82 million over ten years, Michigan inked a deal with Nike. No financial specifics were released at the time of the announcement, leaving speculation about the enormity of the deal. Michigan and Nike plan to release the information formally within the next week. All that is currently known about the deal is that Nike will outfit Michigan varsity athletes beginning in August 2016 through 2027. With Notre Dame agreeing to a reported 10 year $90 million deal with Under Armour, there is a belief Michigan's deal will hover precisely above or below the Fighting Irish's deal. Rumors also revealed to the media are the probability the deal will be the largest for Nike.

Michigan's royalty gains off licensing their name and likeness to Adidas and other apparel manufacturers currently place them within the top five of schools involved with the College Licensing Company, in terms of sales. Even with Adidas, whose popularity among the nation sits substantially lower than Nike's, Michigan's sales figures reiterated the notion it's name is the reason it sells, not the company who produces their products. Still further, the Nike name should increase the already high numbers Michigan apparel produces. Which is perhaps while the deal is so appealing to the "giants" of the world. Even while swimming in mediocrity for the better part of seven years, Michigan's name continues to sell, and sell well. Much like Notre Dame, no matter the product put out onto the field any given Saturday, it's the name and all it's former glory continues to sell merchandise. Nike is a business, it doesn't matter who represents them on the field, (they outfit a fair amount of average football teams, college and pro) as long as they control the market in their respective field. Think about it this way, Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon, and Florida State were college football's first ever playoff teams. Who are they sponsored by? Nike. All the eye's watching the three games -and there were many- saw teams adorned in Nike uniforms. Nike gloves, cleats, socks, arm sleeves, tape, eye paint, etc all emblazoned with the swoosh. Advertising works, and Nike plays the game better than anyone. Adding Michigan will only increase their sales, and increase Michigan's enough where they'll vie for a spot in the top three in licensing royalties. The deal makes sense for both sides from a money standpoint.

From any other standpoint, the play on the field has nothing to do with who sponsors the jerseys. Many athletes will tell you they favor Nike over Adidas or any other brand, unless that brand is paying them money in endorsements, because of the style Nike brings to their apparel. The Nike brand cannot guarantee wins. Of the 8 teams who played in the Big Ten Championship games, the brands used have been split in half. Both Adidas and Nike have represented four times, with an Adidas team, Wisconsin, winning the championship twice, more than the other schools. So if we're talking wins, Adidas should be the go to. No switch from one company to another is going to solve any of a school's athletic problems. In a tradition rich school, whose previous brand deal was with Nike before the switch to Adidas, a question begs to be answered. Why switch from Nike in the first place? Under Lloyd Carr the Wolverines amassed a record of 64-24 while wearing Nike. Under Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke the Wolverines were 46-42 while donning Adidas. While the aforementioned sentence could be used to solidify a case to switch to Nike, any fan who processes information at a higher level than fifth grader will know the mediocrity of Hoke's and Rodriguez's tenure stems from the abysmal coaching both men employed. If the switch to Adidas was the pay day Michigan was going to receive, the argument that Dave Brandon saw Michigan as a business and ran it as so, absolutely becomes clear. So for the first time in seven or so odd years, Michigan did something right.

Nike is far and away the best brand in sports. To compare the two companies is to compare off brand cereals. Sure they'll both get the job done, one will taste better and look better, the one is obvious here. The switch to Nike for Michigan, is a deal that will benefit both sides of the table, obviously. It's a no-brain-er, and as soon as the rumors began to circulate, we all knew this day was coming. They did have to go through a process however, even if the process was ridiculously unnecessary. Michigan listened to it's fan base and athletes this time. "We want Nike." Now they have it. Hackett's version of Michigan looks far better than Brandon's already. Cheers to you Nike and Michigan, cheers to you.

College Football Kickoff Countdown: 55 Days

MSU DT Devyn Salmon screams only 55 days 'til kickoff! Pictured (bottom photo) as well is the 1955-56 MSU team that went 9-1 and won the Rose Bowl.

College Football Kickoff Countdown: 81 Days

MSU TE Matt Sokol holds the Cotton Bowl Championship Trophy! Only 81 days til the Spartans can get back on the hunt!

College Football Kickoff Countdown: 90 Days

Michigan vs Michigan State 1990. MSU won the game but both would finish as Big Ten Co-Champions. Only 90 days til kickoff!

College Football Kickoff Countdown: 91 Days

Former MSU DT Tyler Hoover let's you know we're nearing the end of the 90s and getting closer to kickoff

College Football Kickoff Countdown: 92 Days

Only 92 days until college football, here's Michigan DE/TE Keith Heitzman to let you know 

Dantonio Quietly Building; Stays Usual Course

You'll have to excuse Mark Dantonio if he shys away from the spotlight; it's just not his style. He prefers the calm and quiet and that's just how he's building Michigan State. While you won't find Dantonio as a regular on the front pages or on national magazine covers he is making waves to be noticed. Dantonio has silently built MSU's best football recruiting class in recent memory and it is expected to expand. The 2016 class is heading for a consensus top ten finish with a chance to crack the top five; up there with the likes of Alabama and Ohio State. It's new territory for the Spartans, but do not expect the new position to be fumbled. Nor can it be labeled as a fluke.

First things first, Dantonio knows what he is doing when it comes to selling Michigan State as the place elite athletes want to spent their next four years. With 53 victories in the past five years, two Big Ten titles, four straight bowl victories which include wins over Georgia, TCU, Stanford in the Rose Bowl and Baylor in the Cotton Bowl, and two straight top five finishes, Dantonio has amassed the winningest five year stretch in school history. The program sells itself at home, nationally, and in the region. Michigan State for the first time in a long time is competing for recruits with Alabama and is luring Ohio natives away from Ohio State. With Dantonio selling winning and results the five-star highly touted recruits are signing at an ever faster pace. While this may be new territory for the Spartans, Dantonio handles it with a confident business like swagger that sets Michigan State apart. Dantonio has a long history of recruiting players with chips on their shoulders, ones who have been spurned by the big names or whose talents have undervalued. With five stars wanting to play for MSU, Dantonio has had to be cautious with who he offers scholarships. 

Dantonio and his staff have developed the three stars such as Kirk Cousins, and Le'veon Bell into five stars and they now have the chance to develop the five stars into their full potential. Dantonio has gone about recruiting the way he always has. He goes after the guys with character, the ones who have the chips on their shoulder, and want to prove something on a national stage. It's no different with the new five stars. Just as you won't find Dantonio out in the news for some crazy antics, you won't find any of these recruits creating waves that have negative impacts on the program. This is a reflection of the kind of program Dantonio has been trying to build since his beginning with Michigan State. Dantonio knows how to build and his plan is starting to come to full fruition. He has repeatedly said he is trying to bring Michigan State into national prominence and he has done it his way. There is no flashy touting of tradition or the best facilities, the one thing he sells is results. The program again speaks for itself. 

There are no signs that Dantonio is slowing dow either. A common question often raised is how the SPartans will fare without defensive coordinator and now Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi. Again, Dantonio knows exactly what he is doing. If the prgram was to fall into dismay and be battered without it's defensive captain, Dantonio could've easily gone to the athletic department and asked for money. He has earned the right and proved his football smarts and leaderships over and over again. If Narduzzi leaving would be detrimental, Dantonio would not have allowed him to leave. If Dantonio is not worried, Spartan fans should not be as well. This again speaks to Dantonio's program. Promotion within is a sustainable way to insure success for the future and Dantonio is going along as planned. Any notion that the Spartans will crumble or fall is laughable and can be countered by where the program stands currently. It will continue to go up as long as Dantonio goes about his business as he always does; building quietly on the foundation he set long ago. 

College Football Kickoff Countdown: 93 Days

Former MSU OG/DT Blake Treadwell 

College Football Kickoff Countdown

How this countdown clock will work is simple. We'll find pictures of famous Michigan and Michigan State football players wearing the number that coincides with the day until kickoff. If the last two numbers of a significant to the team and it's history we'll post that as well. We'll alternate the days so that both teams are represented. However if a notable player's jersey comes up from either team we'll add that photo too no matter whose day it is as a bonus. (You're Welcome.) Since there are only 94 days until Michigan opens it's season on Thursday, September 3, 2015 at Utah we'll start off with with the Wolverines. 

Though he's a little cropped, here's Michigan sophomore TE Ian Bunting to start our kickoff

Back to Business

It's been almost four months now since the last time anything appeared on this site, unless something unexpected and strange from the internet realm graced the site. But I doubt that based on the amount of traffic this website receives. Thank you though to those that do view this site, especially during this past hibernation. It is time to awaken from this sleep and no longer lay dormant. Football season is only 94 days : 22 hours : 30 minutes : 54 seconds away (at time of this being typed) but who is counting. (We are.) The best time of the year, Christmas of the sports world, is coming soon and we might as well get ready. In preparation for the sophomore year of the College Football Playoff, and the 109th year of the NCAA we'll be bringing as much coverage of Michigan and Michigan State Football and football antics as we can. Of course besides the coverage of two, we'll provide commentary on anything relevant happening in the college football world. So stay tuned for daily articles, weekly commentary, and unique coverage of the Spartans and Wolverines.

- Stephen

A PSA on Recruiting

The day after Ohio State hoisted the College Football Playoff trophy began America's break from college football. While no games will be played again until late August, and spring games won't be televised until April, the mania never seems to just lay down and rest. Perhaps the worst day of preseason hype is upon us tomorrow. Yes, National Signing Day 2015 is tomorrow.

This day every year brings thousands of football recruits a joy, and excitement never felt before as they sign their lives away to a university for the next four years. Their lives drastically change even before the ink has a chance to dry. Now they live under three sets of laws. Federal, State, and now the NCAA. Not only do they have the pressure of keeping their scholarship and making it onto the playing field, they now draw the close eye and ire of millions of college football fans. This PSA isn't a reminder or warning for the recruits, it's an open letter to the millions of fans who live and die by there school and do so vicariously through the recruits.

In it's simplest form, on a pie chart of season success, recruiting is the piece marked less than or equal to 10. Yes, 10% give or take a few percentage points, is all that recruiting makes up on the journey to a national title. Sorry to break it to the millions of fans but the recruits signing today do not matter. Yet. The five star recruit that just signed with your team, may break his leg. Injuries are common in college athletics. That highly touted four star may very well not make grades. Those other top recruits may never pan out. College football is a different playground from high school ball. It's filled with new rules, and new bullies. Almost every recruit has the same skill set, recruits in Alabama are not much different than recruits in Ohio. The difference is how will they develop, and how will they adapt to college football and college life? That difference comes down to coaching.

Coaches must place recruits in positions to be successful. Developing players, and placing them in positions to achieve their full potential will bring overall team success. Just because a four star recruit is a four star in high school, does not guarantee he'll be a four star in college. Recruiting is important, but not as important as chemistry, potential, work ethic, and development. So please do not go crazy about how many recruits signed with your team, or your teams recruiting class rankings.

Paying attention to all the recruiting nonsense on  ESPN is just another money draw for them. ESPN plays to the hearts and minds of the college football maniac. Allowing the recruits to pick their futures and hosting All-America games is just another way for ESPN and other companies to gain huge sums of money off the backs of thousands of players who will never see a penny of the revenue made. Please don't try and persuade recruits through social media. At any age you look dumb. I doubt many of the recruits share the same passion for your school as you do. "Frankly my dear, they don't give a damn." - Rhett Butler (Shout out to all the real Gone With the Wind fans) Many of the recruits frankly flip flop between rival schools and that should be a red flag to anyone as a fan. Recruiting doesn't matter if the sum of the parts does not equal success. Avoid National Signing Day, but if you choose to pay attention, don't take your anger out on the kids. This is amateur sports. Do not live vicariously through it.

Penn State: The Wins Debate

The NCAA announced that the 112 wins vacated by Penn State in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky Scandal are to be restored making the late Joe Paterno again the winning-est head football coach of all time with 409 victories. The stripping of the 112 wins pitted the sports world on two sides of a divide. Either the NCAA was justified in stripping the wins of a program and coach that valued football  over the well being and care of the children or the NCAA was mistaken for stripping the wins of hundreds of players who had no knowledge of the events going on behind the scenes in their own facilities.

Frankly the restoration of the wins only opens the debate and the rage of the scandal but the vacating of wins in the first place was not practical. No illegal competitive advantage was afforded Penn State, therefore by that logic Penn State should not have to void any wins that occurred on the football field. But this is all the about the players. While the players had no knowledge of any of the utterly evil and despicable acts of Jerry Sandusky, they cannot be punished; it'd be equivalent to punishing the child for the father's transgressions. 112 wins stripped of the hundreds of players who played during those games is rather a blemish on the NCAA. The players fought hard for those victories and not one of them had a clue of the atrocities occurring in their own showers. However, football staff did know about the acts of Jerry Sandusky and failed to report such incidents. Paterno himself knew of such incidents and failed to do much about them.

The negligence and incompetence at the top of Penn State football should speak volumes to Americans when it comes to sports and moral conviction. Not only did staff at Penn State fail to protect children from Sandusky, they simply cast it off as "not a Penn State issue." Perhaps they had "better" things to worry about; like winning a Big Ten game. In the grand scheme of things winning football games does not matter. This a sport after all. However, this problem is not on all of Penn State. It falls on men at the top of Penn State who failed to take any action whatsoever. A few "good" men had their their reputations tarnished and with good reason. Not only is not taking action against a man who endangered the well being of children inexcusable it's borderline evil. Taking away the wins was an empty effort that put the blame on all who went to Penn State, when under further examination it was the men placed in charge of the institution who are to be blamed. Paterno was a hell of  a coach who did everything right except one thing. This one thing happens to outweigh and right or wrong will outweigh all the things Paterno has accomplished because of swift action by the NCAA. Maybe he was a man who got caught up in the glory of football. His record for most wins shouldn't have been taken from him, this wasn't a matter of football, it was a matter of morals. Morals were forgotten here, it's not a Penn State culture problem, it's a Penn State leadership problem. Paterno failed here and those wins should come with an asterisk. He did everything right on the field, he didn't off.

Big Ten Relevancy

America's oldest conference began in 1896 and in the present day you'd think the most experience would lead to the most success but it has not. In today's world, it's all about what have you done lately. Welcome to the now Big Ten Conference. You've joined the big boys. Finally on a national stage you didn't cower from the bad boys in the south and let them bask in their untouched eight year dominance. Seven titles by the SEC, and one by Florida State, who is a southern team just in the ACC. Southern football dominance is all that has been talked about for eight years. Eight years of the Big Ten, Pac-12, Big 12, etc being ripped because they can't compete with SEC speed and SEC defense. It's also been eight years of the same chorus of berating the Big Ten. The Big Ten isn't this, the Big Ten can't do this, yada, yada, yada. Finally, three teams ended that, and  restored credibility to the Big Ten.

The Big Ten owes a sincerest thanks to Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Ohio State. Not only did the Spartans, Badgers, and Buckeyes beat a combination of two SEC teams, and a Big 12 team, they beat them on a national stage on the biggest day of the college bowl season. New Year's Day felt like New Year's Day again. Huge, intriguing match-ups throughout the day culminated with a new perception of the Big Ten. First the Badgers downed last years runner-up, Auburn, in OT. Big Ten takes one from the SEC. Next, MSU took the Cotton Bowl right out of Baylor's bear hands. (Yes, bear hands). Big Ten steals a game from the Big 12. Then, on the big stage in the second playoff game of the night, Ohio State, took down #1 Alabama in a convincing victory. Two games taken from the SEC. Any question about whether the Big Ten was capable of keeping up with the big bad south was vanquished. The SEC West lost four bowl games on New Year's Day. Yes the same SEC West conference some pundits had three of its members joining the playoffs. Yes, three of the four slots in the new college football playoff were to be occupied by teams of the SEC West. Why?, you may ask? Well because SEC football is the best and baddest brand of football in the land. Seven years of domination would bring you to that conclusion. But in those seven years, only four of the SEC's fourteen teams one a national championship. Four SEC schools combined for seven national titles.

The SEC was really dominated by four teams with six other teams being above-average and four other teams being average but also losing to "lesser" opponents. By lesser opponents I mean, anyone outside of the SEC, because if you ain't one of us then you don't count. Florida State ended that reign over college football, and the Big Ten furthered the Seminoles attack. The Big Ten took down some of the nation's elite and
restored the dignity it once held. No doubt the
SEC is great football, but now everyone is catching up. The SEC was merely the first to start the system every other program is following and those programs are beating the SEC at their own game.

The Big Ten gained some national respect but now it's all about keeping it. Remember it's not how you start but how you finish that matters. MSU is the only team that has played the two teams in the national title game. I guess you could say the National Championship runs through East Lansing and Big Ten country. The Big Ten still has a while to go but now it has key wins on the national stage, three of the top ten college coaches in America, and a new sense of pride about it's football product. Go do something with it.

2015 Cotton Bowl: The MSU Enigma

As the old saying goes, "Adversity doesn't build character, it reveals it." No saying, proverb, or maxim could hold truer for the 2015 Cotton Bowl. Michigan State was long gone, MIA, dead, buried, and non-existent from the second quarter until just after half-way through the third quarter. The Spartans were resurrected  by the book of Dantonio and showed a resiliency they've embodied all year. Down twenty points in the fourth quarter the Spartans battled all the way back to beat Baylor 42-41, in a game that will go down in Spartan lore.

Two games come to mind while thinking about that game. Two high scoring losses, to two elite teams. The storyline was the same as the Oregon and Ohio State games. High powered opposing offense, secondary plays weak for Spartans, and the offense goes bipolar. Those two games, were the epitome of Spartan football in 2014. In 2014 the Spartans would have lost. A bad false start, incomplete pass, or turnover would have stopped the Spartan's comeback. But 2015 is not 2014. The calendar flipped and it was a new year. The Spartans left the losing to elites in 2014. In 2015, they finished the job.

Down and out early to Bryce Petty, the Spartans again found themselves being torched by a fast offense and a cannon of an arm. It looked and felt as those games felt. 41-21 in the fourth quarter the D was still giving up yards through the air. But a stop here and two touchdowns later it's 41-35. If resilience is to be defining word of the game we must use it to describe the man that lead the charge. Connor Cook threw a pick, driving, down two touchdown, and he forgot about all of it. Next possession he leads MSU down 60 yards to come within a touchdown. A huge blocked kick sets up the winning play and then, Cook delivers the final blow on an 81 yard drive with one swift motion and a strike to Kieth Mumphery. 42-41.

Cook was jittery and off his game after the first quarter and the offense broke down occasionally. However, he was the hero at the end. It's not how you start, it's about how you finish. And Cook finished. The kid is a winner and he was calm and collected at the end on that final drive. As the clock ran out the joy and elation that illuminated his face was inspiring. A man that has conquered top teams now in his two bowl starts.

Michigan State has now won four straight bowl games, lead but eventually lost to the nations top two teams this year, beat two top ten teams in bowl games the past two years, and will finish in the top ten for the second straight year. Michigan State has proved they can compete, while not dominant, they still won and that's the only thing that will. The W in the win column is all that matters. A win is a win and always will be. Games can be broken down, over analyzed, and talked about, but all that matters is the W. That's what MSU walks away with. A W and new hope and brighter tomorrow in the college football world.

MSU Cotton Bowl: Help Wanted

Baylor 24, Michigan State 14

As the clock hits zero at Jerry's World in the Cotton Bowl, the story line for the Spartans is the same as it has been in big games. The offense was hot to start, then frozen. The defense brought up third downs but couldn't get Baylor off the field, they get tired and boom it's 24-14 Baylor at half.

This game was to be about adjustments. Both teams have great high powered offenses capable of competing against any defense. Which defense to respond and adjust first would be the one that came out on top in the first half. Michigan State's first drive was the eighth opening drive this season that went for a touchdown. The D brought third down on Baylor multiple times on the Bears ensuing possession but it proved to be for naught as Petty delivered a 49 yard strike and we were all tied. Michigan State drove all the way down the field again and scored on the ground again. Petty and Baylor responded with a beautiful double pass on the next possession and  we were tied at 14-14. Baylor went on to score another touchdown on a Petty QB sneak and then added a field goal at the end of the half to make it 24-14 in favor of Baylor.

The Spartans have run into this conundrum twice this season. This game looks exactly like the Ohio State game. MSU dominated on offense early but after those scores has not mustered much and has gone away from pounding the ball on the ground. MSU to win this game has to get the ball back to Langford and pound the ball. Michigan State needs to wear Baylor down with the ground atatck and as soon as Baylor begins to stop it, MSU will need to go over the top on play action. Picking up third downs will be huge.

Baylor's pass offense has been explosive and has taken advantage of MSU's weak secondary. Baylor's receivers are too quick. Michigan State has to force Baylor to run. If they don't it'll get uglier and uglier.

2015 Cotton Bowl Preview

January 1, 2014 was an unprecedented day in Spartan lore. As the boys in green and white stepped onto manicured grass at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, they left their mark on Spartan Nation for years to come. One year later the eighth-ranked Spartans have a chance to leave another mark. While the Cotton Bowl is not the Rose Bowl nor the College Football Playoff, the Spartans have the opportunity to show they are among the nation's best teams. A showdown with the Bears of Baylor in Arlington, Texas today can provide another example of why the Spartans deserve the national spotlight.

Beating fifth-ranked Baylor will not be an easy task. Practically an home game for the Bears, Baylor may have the advantage in crowd-backing. Spartans do travel well, but to quiet the largely Baylor crowd the Spartans will have to score early and stuff the Baylor offense. The Baylor offense is something scary. Think Mariota and the Oregon Ducks when looking for a comparison. Not only is Baylor capable of scoring, they can score quick and without warning. Michigan State's defense has been ripped apart by good quarter backs twice this year, Mariota and JT Barrett of Ohio State, have each torched the Spartans for 300 yards through the air. Bryce Petty is more than capable of doing the same. The Spartan defense will have to play how they did in the first three and a half quarters against Oregon throughout the whole battle. The Spartan offense as well will have to play defense in a way. Keeping Baylor's fast paced offense off the field as long as possible will allow them to control the clock and give their defense time to regroup. Controlling the clock, holding onto the football, and scoring on long drives will give the Spartans a victory today. The offense as well needs to throw in play action. The offense is centered around pounding the football on the ground. If Langford can get his holes and get into the secondary the Spartans will set themselves up for a W. Once Langford starts hitting the holes, the offense will need to pull out the fakes, and go over the top for big gains.

The Spartans have a chance to send their very successful seniors off with another win, and prove that they belong with the nations elite. Today is a measuring block for just how good the Spartans are and can be. Dantonio is a great motivator and will no doubt have the Spartans up and ready for the big stage. Baylor also looks to prove to the committee that they deserved that final playoff spot.This makes for perhaps the best bowl outside of the two playoff games today. Look for the Spartans to have built off their two losses to playoff teams today and capture a W in the heart of Texas.
Prediction: MSU 44, Baylor 39