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Put up or shut up time for Purdue and Michigan State's bowl eligibility
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With Michigan State (5-5, 3-3 Big Ten) and Purdue (4-6, 3-3 Big Ten) both still playing for a spot in the post-season, Saturday's match up between the two determines a lot for each team.
At 4-6, if Purdue loses the game this weekend, they will no longer be bowl-eligible. Purdue has won some impressive games this year and will be playing with all their might in order to be around after the regular season's end. Purdue quarterback Joey Elliott leads the conference with 270 1/2 passing yards per game and has 16 touchdown passes, tying him for second. MSU quarterback Kirk Cousins has put up big numbers recently and will need to do so again to keep the scores close.
At 5-5, the Spartans' situation is not as dire and they can afford to lose this game and still be in consideration for a bowl game (likely the Little Caesars Bowl in Detroit). Only problem with that scenario remains that the season's closing game is against the nationally-ranked Penn State. So the Spartans would somehow lose to a beleaguered Purdue and miraculously walk away with a win against the always tough Nittany Lions just one short week later? Sounds like fantasy to me. The Spartans best case for a bowl game lies in beating Purdue in Indiana and following it up with a another victory at home against Penn State a week later.
"We have an opportunity to play to the end of the season to get that sixth win, and they have to (win) both," MSU coach Mark Dantonio said at his weekly news conference Tuesday. "It is similar, I guess, to a playoff situation for both football teams."
The Spartans game plan for Purdue should include some preparation for some tricky plays. With the Boilermakers clawing to stay alive, Michigan State can expect to see some experimental football. MSU has shown it's inability to compensate this season with surprise plays and Purdue coaches should be trying to take advantage of that from the start.
"And when it gets like that, you get to a point where sometimes you take chances. There's risk there, but you're in a situation where you've got to win," Dantonio added.
Michigan State is only 1-3 this season on the road and has allowed 31.8 points per game when away from home. Such numbers are not promising and Mark Dantonio will have to find a way to turn that around this weekend if they want to eliminate the Boilermakers from the post season.
"When you do look at that, it's obvious to me that we have to make plays on the road," Dantonio said. "As a defensive football team, when you have the opportunity to make a play on the ball, you've got to make it and you've got to come up with some turnovers."
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