October 20 isn't just a date... it's a state of mind

It's great that Mark Dantonio finally has to stop his childish gambino act.

Circumstances did not allow me to watch Saturday's game on television. The problem with listening to football on the radio is that Tim Brando make every run seem equally exciting. LeVeon Bell pushes his way forward for two yards sounds exactly the same as Fitzgerald Toussaint hits a hole for four yards, which sounds exactly the same at Denard Robinson bounces to the outside for seven yards. I found the best way for me to keep track of Michigan's status was by tracking the coherence of Ace Anbender's tweets.

Is this a Mathlete win probability chart or an Ace Anbender literacy chart?
YOU MAKE THE CALL.

In all the craziness and pain and suffering, I almost forgot that this was a classic Sparty, No! ending, complete with a key Tommy Gholston penalty on Michigan's final drive and the hilarious last-second attempt at a kickoff return. Even so, I think B1G fans are being too hard on the conference these days. If Iowa 12, Michigan 10 can be a classic game in 1985, Michigan 12, MSU 10 can be a classic game in 2012. If SEC fans can extol LSU 9, Alabama 6 as an all-time classic defensive struggle, we can do the same with 12-10. Jake M.F. Ryan. Jordan Kovacs. Never letting LeVeon Bell getting more than eight yards on a carry. Two top-ranked defenses doing their thing, and the game ultimately being decided by two awesome kickers doing their thing. #positweet, posiblog, whatever. Let's have a little conference chestpumping*.

Those defenses forced MSU into what may be the overlooked play of the game, their decision to kick a field goal from 4th and goal from the one. Michigan's was so effective the Dantonio didn't trust Bell to get one yard. MSU's was so effective that a one-point lead looked like it might be insurmountable. But in the end, it all came down to has the ball last, as it so often does.

It may have been painful to watch. After four years, it may be more of a cause for relief than celebration. Either way, let's look back on this day and be happy.

• When your Sparty relative has to shut up for a year, that's October 20th.
• When Mark Dantonio has to give Denard his credit, that's October 20th.
• Whenever half the SEC is under .500, that's October 20th.
• When ohio pulls out a big comeback that will in no way help them go to a bowl game, that's October 20th.
• When your team win 900 games, that's October 20th.
• When Michigan celebrates New Year's Day in Pasadena, that's October 20th.

When you stop celebrating, hyperventilating, or overanalyzing and start preparing for Nebraska, that's October 21st.

*The current eligible B1G division leaders, Michigan and Wisconsin, have four total losses, three to undefeated teams in the Top 10, and one a three-point loss on the road. That's not great, but it's not Big East levels of failure.

Threatdown

Keith Stone FTW.

And now, the pieced together transcript of the conversation that occurred in my head between the rational side of my brain (to protect his identity, we'll call him Spock in the transcript) and the passionate, action oriented side of my brain (to protect his identity, we'll call him Kirk in the transcript)

Spock: Well, Michigan was quite fortunate to have won that game.

Kirk: Woooo!  Don't care!  Wooooo!  Woooo!  Woooo!

Spock: Four field goals is hardly the offensive output necessary over the long term to win the Big Ten Championship.

Kirk: Don't care!  Don't care!  Woooooo!  Woooo!  What the Dileo?!?  Wooo!

Spock: And to garner those four field goals in a home game against a team that is coming off a home loss to Iowa, (editor's note: an Iowa team that would get its doors blown off at home by Penn State later in the evening) it is worrisome to say the least, no?

Kirk: Don't care!  Don't care!

Spock: You aren't troubled by the dropped balls by the receivers?  By the missed opportunities?  By the nine tackles for loss Michigan State had?  None of this bothers you.

Kirk: Nope, Don't care!  12 > 10.  Mathman, Mathman. 12 is greater than 10.

Spock:  But it's not like you can even brag about this.  Michigan won a game it had no business winning.  You know it, Michigan State fans know it, the entire country knows it?  How can you be taking such great pleasure from this?

Kirk: [straightens up, adjusts imaginary tie in universal symbol of pulling one's act together.]  Because I don't have to say anything.  I don't need to brag.  I don't need to say anything.  I'd rather focus on it being Michigan's 900th all-time victory than over whom they beat, simply because I know for the next year, I don't have to put up with anything.  No taunts, no "Little Sister" attempts at spin, no "Curse of Mike Hart" malarkey, no "Pride goes before the fall", none of that.  Because it's over.  Order has been restored to the college football universe, at least on a Michigan level.

Spock: Fascinating.  But let me ask you this...how mad are you at David Brandon right now?  Right now Michigan is viewed as a disappointing 5-2, whereas in a normal year, Michigan would likely be sitting at 6-1 having played a lower level team or a MAC school instead of Alabama to open the season?

Kirk: Thanks a lot Commander Buzzkill.  Nope, don't care.  900 wins.

Captain's courageous.  (Alternately, only one of these teams is wearing a ridiculous looking helmet.)

Bulletlike substance:

• I had this thesis that Michigan's offensive game plan in the first half was to setup tendencies for Michigan State which is to say I thought Borges just told Denard we'll give you some early run, if you get yards great, if you can't don't worry because it'll be there in a second half, we'll just give the ball to Fitz or to Gallon on a sweep and that should open up space for you.  Maybe it didn't work out but it's interesting to see how it happened.  I'll be very interested to see the UFR if I am right on that.
• I also think that I could be completely wrong about this I need to see the UFR but I think Michigan State had a scripted 15 play drive practiced like crazy all week and they said for the second half, tight game, knowing all of the looks Michigan was giving them that I think the touchdown drive became about execution execution execution and that was because they practiced all week and they came out a locker room and knew they could run that second run well that's exactly what they did.  I've also seen rumors that Dantonio himself called that drive, which raises more questions than not if it's true.
• Brendan Gibbons is as great a story you could want, from the guy couldn't make a single chicks to someone who will go down in Michigan history as having made two of the  biggest kicks in Michigan football history.  (Also, I knew we were all set, he was wearing Phil Brabbs' #34 and kicking toward the north end zone.  That's as good as it gets.)  Similarly, Drew Dileo, four catches, none under fifteen yards, there when you needed him, and four critical holds.  When you need a new hero to step to the fore, there you go with the man wearing the slot ninja #9.
• I will stand by this: Michigan students weren't rushing the field for beating Michigan State, they were rushing the field for having win the 900th game in school history.  It's what you do when you win 900 games as a program.  You can't prove otherwise.  It has happened every time a school has won 900 games.
  
• Welcome home Paul.  Big Jon Falk may need to put a call in to Rick Dale of Rick's Restorations, because Paul's looking a little rough after four years in the wild.
  
• Another night game, this time with Nebraska where we might be the fifth or sixth most exciting sporting event in that slot from a national perspective.   Don't care.

Brendan and Brady's Downton Abbey Marathon

What is a 'week end'? What is 'nightmare fuel'?

BRENDAN GIBBONS knocks on the door to BRADY HOKE's office in Schembechler Hall.

Hey coach, I need some academic help.

Sure thing, son. What can I do for you?

I'm taking a history course on Edwardian England this semester, and with the Sugar Bowl and the celebrations and all the girls wanting to celebrate Mardi Gras with me, I'll already way behind on my reading. I need a tutor to help me get caught up!

Lucky man, Brendan! You don't need a special tutor. I can get you caught up lickety-split. Just come by my house on Monday night and be prepared to take notes.

Monday night? Isn't that the BCS national championship?

Yes it is, but as obscure blog The Hoover Street Rag points out, both LSU and Alabama are dirty recruiters, so it really doesn't matter who wins. I was going to start scouting out Alabama for our game in September, but now I figure there's no point until we know who's going to wind up in St. Saban Memorial Hospital. Don't worry about the BCS. I've got a much more entertaining and informative evening in store for you, son!

Yes sir, Coach Hoke! I will be there on Monday!