Most important Spartan season since 1969?
This could be the most important Spartan season since 1969. What? You might be saying. We won the National Championship in 1966 ….and you would be right. It just so happens however, that 1969 was the first year of the Bo Schembechler era in Ann Arbor and MSU must finally decide if they want to be a player in this state and start a new era in football prowess.
You see, what builds a program over time is continuity. Continuity in the coaching staff, in the traditions, and in recruiting, which comes from keeping the same coaches employed for a long time. MSU has that in basketball. It started with Jud Heathcote, who passed off the torch to Tom Izzo. Bo had that at Michigan, going in-house with Gary Moeller and then Lloyd Carr. Now things are different, it appears state supremacy is up for grabs.
Football is also a game of cycles. MSU dominated the 50’s and 60’s in football until Bo came in and everything changed. Now, UM has brought in Rodriquez with a new philosophy and new coaching staff and things have changed. Rodriquez has gotten rid of some traditions while developing new ones. Who would have thought that chocolate milk and the "Apostles" would be so readily associated with UM football?
MSU has benefited by getting a one year head start in the race to develop relationships in local high schools and is recruiting well, while Rodriquez is doing what John L. and Darryl Rogers did. They went nation wide to find some talent. Experience has shown you can win both ways as long you can spend a long enough time in one place, and do well in your backyard. Biggie Munn and Bo Schembechler relied on local talent. So did Duffy, but he also relied on black southern players who couldn’t get into southern schools. Rodriquez is also taking this southern approach and hitting Florida hard.
In Jim Tressel’s first year at OSU, they went 7-5, the next year they won it all. Last year MSU was also 7-5 (until they lost their bowl game). This is the reason that Dantonio is talking Championships. He really feels cautiously optimistic that this deeper MSU team can have a big year and play in a New Years Bowl game, and there won’t be any excuses. Yet, the importance of this year cannot be down played. Dantonio has to prove he was not riding the coat tails of Tressel when they won it all. He has to prove he is not an average or just above a .500 record coach. So in that sense this year is huge for MSU. It is huge for the direction of the program, and huge for recruiting. It is huge for the next cycle in the state.
MSU does have as good recruiting class coming in next year, but they have to make things happen now, this year. It cannot always be about next year with the Spartan football program. Biggie never coached like that, and I can’t imagine Duffy coaching like that.
If there was ever a time for the Spartan football team to rise up and get it done. It is now, starting with Cal. For the first time since 1969, they have an edge over UM.
The players have been in the system for a year, there is depth, there is experience, and there is talent. The new era or cycle for what could last another several years will begin for both teams on August 30, and if you are a MSU fan, get down on
that green carpet at night and say a little prayer that this time, the edge in that cycle will go back to the Spartans.
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