Michigan State Football: A letter to Spartans of the past

In light of all the recent success Michigan State football has had, I decided to write my past self a letter.

Dear 2004 freshman year Patrick,

Hello, it’s your future self, writing a letter that you will never believe, but trust me everything you are about to read is 100 percent true.

A few quick personal notes before getting onto the Spartans, you have an amazing wife (well done) and you will have two children — two little girls. Have no fear, you learn quickly how to how to play with baby dolls and go shopping, the pony tail will still be a struggle, though.

The idea for this letter actually came from a singer named Adele, and her song ‘Hello’, you will not be able to go anywhere for a solid three months without hearing this song.

One part while driving home from work, yes you do actually get a job, strikes you and actually causes you to want to write his letter. The part, which is repeated A LOT, states “Hello from the other side”. I felt this is a perfect depiction of where you are as a Michigan State football fan, what you will go through, and where you will end up.

You just endured your first season of Michigan State football, and it did not go awesome. You finished 5-7, losing to Rutgers, blowing an enormous lead to Michigan and the only highlight was beating No. 5 Wisconsin handily at home, which you did not even go to because the weather was terrible and the team was even worse at that point.

Jan 1, 2014; Pasadena, CA, USA; Michigan State Spartans coach Mark Dantonio hoists the Leishman Trophy after the 100th Rose Bowl against the Stanford Cardinal. Michigan State defeated Stanford 24-20. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

I hate to disappoint you but the years spent as an undergrad will be much like this. Disappointing losses to Michigan, an embarrassing coach that slaps himself during press conferences, all the while waiting for November to come so basketball can start.

There will be highlights, like a huge comeback against Northwestern, an overtime win at Notre Dame, but more often than not you are left disappointed and ready for basketball.

However, there is a light in the end of the tunnel. Before your final year at Michigan State the administration fires the slappy coach and brings in a little known coach from Cincinnati named Mark Dantonio; his name will be butchered by the media so many times in the future you can make a solid drinking game out of it. The hire will raise some question marks as there are other big names out there, but stay the course, the administration did the right thing.

That year coach Dantonio will begin to turn it around. You actually having a winning record and qualify for a bowl for the first time since you stepped foot on campus, enjoy that road trip to Orlando with your roommates, it is one of the best things you will ever decide to do.

From there, it’s a steady ride up the mountain. You’ll beat Michigan, spoiler alert you will be beat them a lot, seven out of eight tries and each time it will be sweeter than the last.  FYI-remember the name Jalen Watts-Jackson, and if you have the urge to take your youngest daughter upstairs to put her to bed, wait that extra 12 seconds, it’s well worth it.

It will take a bit, but you will finally get that first bowl victory after several tries, against an SEC team, nonetheless. That begins the true rise of the program. Michigan State begins competing for and winning Big Ten Championships.

There is still heartbreak along the way, a particular Big Ten Championship game, being snubbed for a big New Year’s Day bowl, and a rough season in 2012 come to mind, but nothing worthwhile is ever easy.

Then it all comes together, it happens, the stars align and a truly unbelievable run starts. After early struggles, a young gunslinger that no one has faith in named Connor Cook takes over at quarterback and the Spartans never look back.

Jan 1, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Connor Cook (18) celebrates a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Baylor Bears in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan State wins the Big Ten, which at this point has 12 (with two more to come) teams, two divisions, and a championship game, weird I know. They take down mighty Ohio State in that championship game, go to the Rose Bowl, and in the pilgrimage of all pilgrimages to California, win it in front of what feels like a game at Spartan Stadium. Read that paragraph again, and slowly, I am sure your jaw will hit the ground.

From there the bar has been set. While they do not reach what is now the college football four-team playoff in the first year — yup bye-bye BCS — they are right there, as their only two losses come to the two teams that play for the national championship. The season is still capped off by an amazing Cotton Bowl win, as they become the first team in Big Ten history to win four straight bowl games.

That now brings us to present day. Tonight the Spartans take on mighty Nick Saban and Alabama for the right to play for a national title. Yes, you just read that sentence right, if the Spartans win this game they will play for the National Championship, and not in basketball, in football.

And now that brings us back to the Adele song and that line should make more sense now. You are in the trenches right now, on the front line of supporting a below average at best football team. Hang in there, I promise it gets better, it gets so much better, and is better than anything you could ever dream of for your favorite team. Most importantly, enjoy the ride!

Hello From the Other Side,

Future (Married with children and a job) Patrick