Michigan State Football: Ohio State game provides chance to return to glory

Ohio State enters its battle with Michigan State football as the No. 4 team in the nation. There was a time when the Spartans were there in the Buckeyes’ place.

It was a short reign, one that was punctuated by a 38-0 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first round of the College Football Playoff. But for one fleeting pocket of time, Michigan State football was the premier program in the Big Ten.

Years of indecision between mediocrity and competence since then have left the Spartans lower. Now, they’re on the tier of the marginal competitor. Reaching the top 15 is their championship. On par with teams like Ole Miss of the SEC, TCU of the Big 12 and, ironically, Arizona State of the Pac-12, the Spartans settle for success.

It’s an admirable goal. One that is unattainable for many teams with fewer resources. And the Spartans may never truly reach the upper echelon, and join ranks with the blue bloods. One could argue their trip to the College Football Playoff was a fluke. A flash in the pan.

But that doesn’t change the fact that it happened. Mark Dantonio knows what it’s like. There’s no doubt he wants to get back, and place the exclamation point at the end of this sentence. It’s a near-impossible goal in 2019, with the offense and defense both battling minor inconsistencies, and with the 10-7 loss to Arizona State already on the books.

But on Saturday, against the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes, the Michigan State Spartans have a chance to walk into Buckeye Stadium with a point to make. Something to prove. They have an opportunity to start the move up the ladder.

That said, opportunities are easy to come by in college football. The hard part is truly capitalizing on them. But Dantonio’s Spartan program has had a taste of glory before. Chances are, they want some more of it. At their worst, the Spartans would get walked over by the Buckeyes. But at their best, they have the firepower to compete, and potentially make a bid at reclaiming respect across the nation, and put themselves on the fast track to a familiar kind of glory.

Unlikely? Maybe. Crazy? It’s possible. But it’s college football. Rules do not apply.

On to Ohio.