Reign of terror over, Spartans now in charge

Jeremy Warnmeuende

Are you ready to admit it yet?

I know it’s tough for you self-righteous and even more self-conscious Michigan faithful to confess to any sign of inferiority. But if someone already hasn’t done it for you, I’ll be the one to let you know.

It’s over. It’s been 1,069 days and counting since the last time the Wolverines have topped the Spartans — in football or men’s basketball — and it’s official: your time as self-proclaimed big brother has run out.

I remember standing in the Michigan student section in 2008, singing the MSU Fight Song with the thousands of other MSU students and fans who invaded your sacred hole in the ground to watch a 35-21 Spartan win. I also remember whenever the eyesores known as U-M students made their incredibly predictable and dim-witted attempts to mock my education; they easily were overpowered by chants of, “Go Green. Go White.”

The high concentration of green and white in the crowd that day was no coincidence.

MSU fans proudly packed into the Big House for a reason, knowing the game was going to be the beginning of a new era.

So far, so good.

The two straight wins speak for themselves, but the actions off the field can be telling as well.

Big-time recruits now are flocking to East Lansing, while players already committed to U-M are running away from Rich Rodriguez like little kids fleeing from a strange man handing out candy in his big, white van.

All of your fans, Walverines or otherwise, also have indicated how the rivalry has changed. It eats you up inside to know MSU is taking ownership of the annual matchup.

You claim this hardly is a rivalry and the game means nothing. MSU is just another team on the schedule.

That must be why you’re buying up T-shirts that read, “The Big Game at the Big House,” and hyping tomorrow’s game like your season depends on the result.

You’re lying if you say it doesn’t bother you that two years after the last game at the Big House, the Paul Bunyan Trophy remains in East Lansing.

Sorry to break it to you, but he has no intentions of leaving.

You tried to snatch him away last year.

Quarterback Tate Forcier, then the Heisman front-runner and only known hobbit in the U.S., led the undefeated Wolverines into Spartan Stadium.

The little guy kept it close for a while, even managing to force overtime. In the end, though, it was kind of like when you play basketball against your little brother and you let him hang around for a little while before — well, you get the point.

Michigan once again brings an undefeated record into this year’s game and has a new Heisman favorite lining up behind center.

Perfect.

The only thing better than beating a Wolverine when he’s down is knocking him
off his high horse — a position you all love whether it’s deserved or not.

So when Denard Robinson — built more for the WNBA than college football — takes the field against MSU, don’t expect any of the Spartans to be worried. Instead, real Big Ten football players, such as senior linebacker Greg Jones — who hasn’t had a chance to hit someone Robinson’s size since his freshman year of high school — will be salivating at the opportunity in front of him.

Everyone is talking about what Robinson has done to the likes of Indiana and Notre Dame — teams with defenses so good they’ve almost cracked the top 85 in the country.

But much like last season, the hype won’t matter.

And like two years ago, neither will any home-field advantage. Not after the additions to the Big House did nothing more than create extra room for green-and-white-clad fans to embarrass the U-M crowd, sitting on its hands as MSU destroys a defense even Robinson would feel bad for abusing.

Looking at what I’ve said and thinking about it more, I know nothing I can say will help you accept the fact the Spartans are taking over a rivalry you care about more than you’ll ever admit. As the most delusional fan base in the country, you just don’t have it in you.

However, maybe after MSU extends the winning streak to 1,070 days tomorrow, you’ll start to get the point.

Jeremy Warnemuende is a State News sports reporter. He can be reached at warnemu3@msu.edu.