After opening their Big Ten season with two convincing thumpings, Michigan will try to do something they haven't done since Lloyd Carr's last season - beat Sparty. Amazingly, State has won four straight in the series and none of the games were much in doubt. If this Michigan season is to be successful, taking home the the
Paul Bunyan Trophy this Saturday in Ann Arbor is a must. Michigan's on a roll and looking for a Big Ten title. State has struggled in conference with their only win a comeback victory over Indiana. Many of us grew up in Michigan and even the out of staters are familiar with our neighbors to the northwest. But you don't know everything, so without further delay, here is this week’s edition of the MZone's KNOW YOUR FOE.
History – Founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan,
though there were no classes until 1857 (and not many since). Contrary to popular belief, it was not the first land grant college in the U.S., though it did serve as the model for which all following land grant universities were modeled. The original curriculum eschewed Latin and Greek studies, but did require three hours of daily manual labor. In 1859, this curriculum was deemed too elitist and the college became a two-year vocational school. A couple years later, the school changed its name to State Agricultural College (yes, SAC) and went back to being a four-year school. The school has had six different names including Michigan Agricultural College, Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science, Michigan State University of Agriculture and Applied Science, and finally Michigan State University since 1964.
Location – East Lansing, Michigan. The town has a bit of a love-hate relationship with the university. It was dry until the 1960s, but since then it has been known as a major party town. From huge block parties in the '70s and '80s, to near annual riots after big basketball games, it's almost surprising the flaming couch isn't on the town seal.
The Michigan State campus is huge, but is considered one of the prettiest in the country. The W. J. Beal Botanical Garden is the oldest of its kind in the U.S. The Red Cedar River on campus is a popular spot for students. Though named for the trees along the river's source, the trees are actually junipers, not cedars.
Nickname – Spartans. The teams were known as Aggies until 1925.
At that time, a contest was held for a new nickname and - Know Your Foe is not kidding about this - Michigan Staters was selected. The name was deemed too unwieldy for headline writers, so Spartans was then taken as the de facto nickname. The mascot, Sparty, lives on campus in statue form, as well as comical mascot during sporting events. The terra cotta version of Sparty, which depicts the mascot as a Spartan warrior stood outside from 1945 until recently when it was moved indoors to be protected from the weather (not much of a warrior if you ask KYF). A bronze version of the original was erected in the former spot and is guarded during the week before the Michigan game by members of the marching band.
Cartoonish Sparty has shown up at MSU athletic events since 1989. He's won the Mascot of the Year award twice and was nominated to the Mascot Hall of Fame a few years ago (yes, there is such a thing).
Colors/Logo/Fight Song – Green and White. Know Your Foe has always been partial to these colors. They're sharp and not used all that much in college football. The Spartans made an improvement when they moved to a more metallic green in the mid '90s. But they've gone back and forth on so many of their logos that they can't really establish an identity. Of course not winning the conference outright since 1987 might have something to do with that, too. They've used the current Spartan head design on four different occasions. They've had the block "S" for two different stints, including one where they only had it on the right side of the helmet, mimicking the Pittsburgh Steelers. And my goodness, what in the world were they thinking in the mid-'70s?
In addition to the Spartan head, the athletic department has used numerous wordmarks, most of them emphasizing the word "State." Talk to people not from Michigan - when they hear someone talking about State, they're bound to laugh. It truly does sound like something that would be said on
Leave It To Beaver. "Yes, Mrs. Cleaver, Wallace and I are planning on applying to State..."
The
MSU Fight Song is another among the top fight songs in the country. From the opening line of
"On the banks of the Red Cedar" to the concluding "Fight! Fight! Rah, team fight!" it's a classic.
On the banks of the Red Cedar,There's a school that's known to all;Its specialty is winning,And those Spartans play good ball;Spartan teams are never beaten,All through the game they fight;Fight for the only colors:Green and White.Go right through for MSU,Watch the points keep growing,Spartan teams are bound to win,They're fighting with a vim!Rah! Rah! Rah!See their team is weakening,We're going to win this game,Fight! Fight! Rah! Team, Fight!Victory for MSU!
The original lyrics are similar with a few differences that KYF found humorous and telling.
On the banks of the Red Cedar,There's a school that's known to all;Its specialty is farming,And those farmers play football;Aggie teams are never beaten,All through the game they'll fight;Fight for the only colors:Green and White.Smash right through that line of blue,Watch the points keep growing.Aggie teams are bound to win,They're fighting with a vim!Rah! Rah! Rah!Michigan is weakening,We're going to win this game.Fight! Fight! Rah! Team, Fight!Victory for M.A.C.!
Is there any doubt that Sparty thoughts - even with a four-game winning streak in the series - are dominated by Michigan?
Academics – MSU is ranked 72nd in the
U.S. News rankings, which ties them with Iowa and Virginia Tech. The only Big Ten schools ranked lower are Indiana and Nebraska. Of course, they pale in virtually every category to Michigan academically which has led to numerous family dinners being ruined. But talk to any Sparty alumnus and they'll be sure to point out how they have a real strong Hotel and Restaurant management program, something Michigan doesn't even offer. Plus, as a disappointed product of public schools in Michigan, Know Your Foe would like to blame Michigan State for producing so many of the teachers in the state.
Athletics – The Spartans became a member of the Big Ten in 1950. They have excelled in basketball (two national titles, eight Final Fours), and hockey (three NCAA titles). But it's football they'd love to be good at. During Michigan's dark years (2008-10), Sparty took advantage, even tying for the Big Ten title in 2010 and losing the Big Ten title game - in typical Sparty fashion - last year. Unfortunately, they've only managed one Rose Bowl appearance in the last 45 years and have a 32-67-5 record against their one and only rival, Michigan despite their recent winning streak.
Famous alums – There’s no excuse for a school as huge as Michigan State to have such a barren list of famous alumni. But they do. Come on, Robert Urich and James Caan? That's as good as they can do from an entertainment standpoint? The stars, respectively, of TV schlockapaloozas
Vegas and
Las Vegas? Please. As far as politics, all the Sparties can claim are some past governors of Michigan. No
Presidents. And they also claim a former Secretary of Energy (Spencer Abraham). But no astronauts.
Space, bitches, Space.
The Game – When the season began, most Michigan fans were hoping for a lot of things. Maybe an upset of Alabama, maybe a winning streak against tOSU, maybe a Rose Bowl appearance. Those were hopes. There was one thing Michigan fans demanded to have this season - a win over Sparty. Of all the things that happened while Rich Rodriguez was coach, the most appalling was the ceding of state supremacy to Michigan State for the first time in over 40 years. But since the arrival of Brady Hoke the tide has turned. Michigan has regained dominance on in-state recruiting and Sparty has really struggled on the field this season. A Wolverine victory on Saturday would continue, and accelerate these happy trends. MICHIGAN 23, MICHIGAN STATE 19.
