Enjoying this year's bowl season from a Big Ten perspective was an easy task. But the Spartans of East Lansing probably didn't have time to pay attention to these highs and lows. Mark Dantonio's squad was enveloped in criminal investigations and suspensions that would leave them hamstrung against the nations #2 pass offense. ESPN sagely listed MSU as the team LEAST likely to win their bowl matchup. So just keep that all in mind as I review this back and forth Alamo Bowl. Maybe, with the knowledge that Big Ten teams were better than anyone knew, we shouldn't be surprised that MSU was able to hold its own against Texas Tech, even under bad playing circumstances.

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My last attempt at noting the satorial splendor of a Big Ten team was mocked by commenters.  Never one to let the masses dictate my interests, I will venture into the waters again.

Rumor has it that Michigan State will be tinkering with their helmet shell logo.  You'll notice the change below.  My first thought?  Why?  Over at UniWatch, Paul Lukas adeptly posses this question for any uniform/branding changes: Is it good or stupid?  In other words, it's not enough to be different.  Instead, a change should be progress.  I'm sure that when the official release of the logo is made in April, there will be a full explanation as to why this logo is better. But what are your thoughts?

Is it good, or is it stupid?  

"I'm excited to announce that I'm returning to Michigan State for my senior season," Jones said. "After the bowl game, I was leaning toward returning, but it was important for me to step back and do my homework in regards to the NFL Draft. The bottom line is that I greatly value the relationships that I have here with my coaches and teammates, and I'm not ready to let go of these Spartan family ties yet. My teammates and I have some unfinished business to take care of, and despite our final record of 6-7 from 2009, we're not that far away from being a championship contender. I have returned to help Michigan State compete for the Big Ten championship and a BCS bowl bid."

Greg Jones was a 1st Team All-American linebacker, an All-Big Ten selection, and probably the best Spartan defensive player since Julian Peterson. Finding himself projected lower than the first round of the 2010 NFL draft, Jones decided to come back for his senior year, citing his Spartan relationships, the lack of a first round guarantee, his want to win a BCS title, and the need to get his degree. Spartan fans were, needless to say, ecstatic.

What a foolish choice. This is a tricky article to write because all the things he mentioned are valuable (relationships, lack of contract guarantee, winning, education). So here is my thesis - Jones is taking a chance that his hype and talent, seemingly at a peak, will still be at the same level in exactly one year. I believe that's a risky move for the following reasons.

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I decided, before leaving for Washington D.C. last week, that I wouldn't plan my life around the bowl games. Instead, I would utilize my DVR, enjoy my week in D.C., and come home to a helping of football. It worked magically - I enjoyed DC clubbing (can't afford that all the time) and some wonderful food (Full Kee Chinese downtown, Rosemary's Thyme in Dupont Circle - get the Turkish Pide), without worrying if I would catch every single matchup.

So last night, I sat down to the MSU-TT matchup, knowing the result but hoping to see our Spartans put up more of a fight than EVERYONE had expected. I came away satisfied with some things (leading by 4 with 6 minutes to go!!!!!!@@$@#$@#$) and incredibly unhappy about other things. Here's a top 2 list for both...

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I'd like to start this post by saying Stride chewing gum is, by far, the longest lasting gum out there. I chew gum constantly and I've been through Orbit, Five, classic Wrigley...and there is just no comparison. I'm happily chewing a piece of Stride right now and I guarantee it makes it to the conclusion of this article. And no, I'm not being paid by Stride (I wish) or auditioning for Mad Men...though I wouldn't mind meeting January Jones.

Mike Leach began his education in and around the pass-giddy BYU program. He's made the "Air Raid" principles successful wherever he's been. So although I claim no special knowledge of the Air Raid (i.e. played against it in high school or...something), I love watching the ease in which yards are picked up and the way Leach tosses out "typical" thoughts about offensive balance or success.

I want to go over the misconceptions and strengths of the Air Raid, what Leach has been able to do this year, and what we can expect Texas Tech to attack MSU with.

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The Spartans held their official press conference for the Alamo Bowl on Friday. I attended as the microphone holder for a Channel 12 reporter. For those who attend pressers consistently and interact with players/coaches, it's just another meeting. Since this was my first one, ever, it was intriguing on a personal and philosophical level.

Coach Dantonio took questions and also served up the truest quote of the day. "Coach, what are you going to do with your backups getting significant playing time?"...to which Dantonio said, "We have football players. They are going to play."

TRE ranks the Big Ten bowls in chances of winning.

Judging the impact of the MSU suspensions.

A quick look at Texas Tech's surprising bowl performances of late.

It's impossible not to say possibly incriminating, embarrassing, or stupid things at a press conference. That truth leads me to another statement - If you think the male-female relationship is weird (and it is), the sportswriter-athlete/coach relationship is on the same weird plane. The media holds tremendous power, but at the same time, many have the air of a proud father or a weak kneed N'Sync fan around the athletes.

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Tearing on another team's disciplinary or academic problems is usually an uninteresting pursuit that can quickly turn against you. For every Ed Martin (Michigan booster who gave 280k to Chris Webber), there's a Maurice Clarett and a Charles Rogers. So MSU's reputation, although tarnished by the fact that there are gangs of unruly Spartan football players roving around East Lansing, will remain similar to any other major program.

So will there be any REAL impact on the Texas Tech game? What does Leach need to know about Animal House 2: When Players Attack?

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I am hardly excited about this match-up, as everyone can explain what exactly Michigan State needs to do for a chance at winning, but no one can explain how exactly this is going to happen. Everyone and their mother knows Michigan State can't defend the pass and that defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi refuses to play anything other than two ineffective schemes. Everyone also knows that the magic of the Texas Tech attack comes from the Air Raid principles of Mike Leach, which includes an amalgamation of shallow crossing routes, comeback routes, dumpoffs in space, and quick screens.

Here is the numbers breakdown from The Only Colors, of course highlighting the fact that TT has the #2 passing offense in the nation and MSU has the #103 pass defense.

But let's save the scheming and gnashing of Spartan teeth for another day and discuss some past bowl games results. Could this game be closer than everyone believes?

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