Next Tuesday, the NCAA committee which will pick the four teams that will compete for a national championship, will release its first rankings.

The Michigan State Spartans hope to be high on that list when it is released.

The Spartans, who face arch rival Michigan on Saturday, made a strong statement in Bloomington with a blowout victory against Indiana.

Things started out a bit shaky for Michigan State, as the Hoosiers led 17-14 in the first half.

But the Spartans, behind the play of quarterback Connor Cook and their defense, finished with 42 unanswered points to roll to a 56-17 win over the Hoosiers.

One of the things that Michigan State needed to clean up was its blocking up front for Cook and the running backs.

Former Dowagiac standout and Michigan State offensive line coach Mark Staten did just that. The offensive line, which was allowing pressure on Cook early on, opened up big holes for the running backs in the second half and gave Cook all day to survey the field and connect with his talented receivers.

From the point that Indiana took the lead, the Spartans dominated Indiana on both sides of the football.

Michigan State scored the final 14 points of the first half and finished with 662 yards in total offense, including 330 yards on the ground.

The Spartans had a well-balanced attack as Michigan State finished with 332 yards through the air. Cook finished the game 24-of-32 with three touchdowns.

Nick Hill had a career day with 178 yards rushing on 16 carries and Jeremy Langford found the end zone three times.

While I was impressed with the adjustments the Spartans made and how they played the finals two and a half quarters, I must admit I was most impressed with Indiana running back Tevin Coleman, who rushed for 132 yards, which was his ninth consecutive 100-yard rushing game.

I believe that Michigan State is the best team in the Big Ten. I think the Spartans will run the table and win the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis in December.

In my mind, that would be good enough to get Michigan State into the final four and a spot in the national championship tournament.

But who knows. Everyone I talk to and listen to on television or radio think that the SEC deserves at least two, and possibly three of those spots.

I guess we will have a better idea of who has the best shot of reaching the final four next Tuesday when the first poll is released.

 

Scott Novak is sports editor for Leader Publications. He can be reached at scott.novak@leaderpub.com.