Since Dantonio had his first big season I predicted that the next season Sparty would come crashing back down to earth...well up until the last couple years. Last time I predicted their crash was 3 seasons ago. I looked at what they had coming back and thought there is no way they had enough O to beat anyone decent. For the first few games I felt like a genius as their O stunk (I think through the first few games their D had something like twice as many TDs as the O). However, they found away to stay afloat early before things clicked with them going on to win the conference and Rose Bowl. I hope they crash and burn this year but I'm done doubting them.
If you really want to go back on the timeline, Cook didn't open the season as the starter in 2013. In fact, they gave snaps to 3 different guys before settling on Cook. By the end of that season Cook was certainly playing at a high level but it was still his first year. The QB that walked out the door is not the same one that led MSU in 2013. If MSU's season is based on replacing the 2015 or even 2014 (which imo was his best year) version of Cook with someone who can step in and not miss a beat then I agree with you...they are in trouble.
No kidding. Whether or not these rankings end up proving their merit, it's messed up to see some of the teams listed ahead of Nebraska. And the #41 ranking shows how our program is perceived nationwide. 5-7 in regular season, but that bowl win sure took the sting off and is perhaps why some of us are more positive about 2016 than we should be.
I hope we open conference play without a loss but beating Oregon is no easy task
