Sports Psychology And The Spartans

Image Courtesy of MLive.com

Pressure effects all athletes. The pressures to succeed, win, and set an example are magnified for division one athletes. Student-athletes are balancing their academic course loads and athletic engagements (some argue that certain division one athletes get out of academic assignments, but that is a discussion for another time). It mentally can weigh down a young athlete. MSU has implemented the use of a sports psychologist to assist their coaches and athletes throughout their grueling seasons.

Professor Lionel Rosen of MSU's Psychiatry department has been called to aid the Spartan athletes and coaches during these stressful times. Rosen has been an MSU professor since 1970. Rosen is frequently visited by the Spartan football team. This year MSU was predicted to be a Rose Bowl contender. The Spartans now find themselves sitting at a mediocre 5-5 record. They had lofty expectations and are now just looking to salvage the season with a bowl bid and win.

Junior quarterback and first year starter Andrew Maxwell has praised Rosen in aiding him and his teammates during this tumultuous season. Maxwell has received much criticism and flack after taking over for Kirk Cousins. By no means is it easy to replace a leader like Cousins. Being the starting quarterback of a Big Ten team comes with lots of responsibilities. Although he has not performed as well as expected, Maxwell has been productive at times. To keep his sanity and not crack under the pressure he seeks the help of Rosen. Maxwell had this to say in an interview with the Detroit Free Press:

"I've met with him (Rosen) numerous times. I know a lot of players on our team have met with him numerous times. He just brings a different perspective, because he's not in the program everyday, and he's able to look at it from an outside perspective and a more cerebral perspective and put things in a way you've never thought about before."

It is beyond beneficial for a team like the Spartans to have a Psychologist like Rosen. It is deflating and demoralizing to not live up to outside expectations, however justification and support is offered from a psychologist. People will look for areas of blame, but someone like Rosen can help players realize their own mistakes from a different angle. At the end of the day, all athletes are people like you and me. They have feelings and those can effect how they practice and play

From a recruiting standpoint, this is a source of leverage for MSU. The recruitment process tends to be a family decision. Families want to ensure that their child will be loved and cared as they were at home. An athletes collegiate team becomes their new family. It is hard enough to detach yourself from home and relationships you built up to the point of recruitment. By offering a team psychologist, MSU offers a security blanket for blossoming athletes to turn to.

All sports are multi-faceted when it comes to emotion. Without emotion sports lack purpose. Athletes are filled with joy, anger, grief, and desire. A sports psychologist like Rosen can channel the needed emotions for success on and off the field. In the case of collegiate athletes, fans need to understand that they have the same emotions any other 18 to 22 year old would have. Imagine those emotions being magnified and sometimes patronized due to the pressures of playing for a major division one program.

Everyone needs an outlet, and every school should cherish their athletes. They are major investments that solidify and exemplify major learning institutions (a majority of a school's standing is based on the regular student body... they deserve proper care and attention from the university as well). It is only beneficial to have a team psychologist. If the funds are in line, a school should take the time to invest in a team psychologist. Michigan State has led the way and has once again shown that they are a world class institution of higher learning.

New Murals Go Up On Spartan Stadium

From MSUSpartans.com Facebook

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier

With the new scoreboards up and ready at Spartan Stadium all they needed was a finishing touch to cap off the multimillion dollar upgrade to the facility.

New murals will adorn the outside of the scoreboards, showing Spartans players in the midst of big plays. In keeping with the Athletic Department's latest movement the murals portray an anonymous Spartan player and not any one individual.

Back in the John L. Smith days the stadium was adorned with giant murals of Jeff Smoker and Jehuu Caulcrick. Captions read "Where there's smoke, there's fire." Under Mark Dantonio the names on the uniforms came back but the ones on the stadium came down.

Spartans fans will be treated to three giant-sized video boards and a new ribbon board across the top of the lower bowl. The monitors are a huge step up in size from the past monitors, as the graphic to the right shows.

The Spartan Stadium upgrades are part of a general upgrading of all of the sporting venues, with the Breslin Center and Jenison Center receiving upgrades last year. Any upgrades on Munn Ice Arena could be pending a decision on the future of the building.

The Future of Munn Ice Arena To Be Decided Soon

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

An update on this story is available here. 

The future of Michigan State's Munn Ice Arena could be in the hands of the Board of Directors and the Athletic Department right now. Rumors had it that there was to be an internal deadline of May 1st, to decide what to do with the stadium in the near future.

Athletic Director Mark Hollis has previously said that he would look into the future of Munn Ice Arena and could go as far as to build a new stadium on campus for the hockey program.

Head Coach Tom Anastos has said that he would love to have a new stadium, but didn't rule out an overhaul and update to the existing stadium. Anastos has said that this future of the 40-year-old stadium would be heavily dependent on the funding they receive.

If the school chooses to build a new stadium there are options in place that could transform Munn into a stadium for wrestling and gymnastics, allowing indoor track to move into Jenison Field House on campus.

Michigan State will have to weigh their options in the near future and decide what they want to do with Munn; overhaul and upgrade or build a new stadium.

"Our university realizes that we're in a 40-year-old building. It's time for an upgrade," said Coach Anastos in an interview with The State News' Dillon Davis.

2012 NFL Draft: Would Kirk Cousins be a good fit with Buffalo Bills?

Photo: Associated Press -- Former MSU Spartans QB Kirk Cousins reportedly scheduled visit with Buffal Bills.


By Adam Biggers
@AdamBiggers81

If former Michigan State Spartans star quarterback Kirk Cousins is drafted, he'll likely be taken Friday, April 27, or Saturday, April 28. Those are the two days when the second through seventh-rounders are picked.

While it's unclear when and where he'll go, one report of interest has surfaced. According to Buffalo Rumblings (which cited Fox Sports), a Buffalo Bills blog, Cousins scheduled a visit last week with the team.

The Bills have Ryan Fitzpatrick as the starter, followed by Tyler Thigpen and Brad Smith (depth chart). But Cousins could potentially squeeze in the rotation and challenge Thigpen for the back-up job. The former Spartans great has the intangibles that NFL scouts and analysts have fallen in love with. He's intelligent, a great leader, and has an adequate understanding of the game.

Thigpen didn't see many snaps in 2011, completing three of eight attempts for a total of 25 yards during two lopsided losses. However, in 2008, his second year in the NFL, Thigpen showed a little promise by throwing for over 2,600 yards. He's since bottomed out, and the Bills haven't shown much confidence in him.

The Bills' perceived lack of confidence in Thigpen could create an opening for Cousins, should he be drafted by Buffalo. Or, at the very least, force Thigpen to up his game.

Cousins doesn't have the arm of Detroit Lions quarterback Matt Stafford, or even one comparable to Stanford's Andrew Luck, who will likely be the No. 1 pick of the draft.

But Cousins can complete the mid-range throws. He can also make plays on his feet, often demonstrating the ability to hit receivers on the go or gain yards on broken plays. Cousins is thought of a pro-style quarterback for good reason. But he's not a stand-still like other typical pro-style quarterbacks. One that comes to mind is former Colts All-Pro Peyton Manning, who didn't need to be mobile because of his excellent arm.

Cousins' mixture of skills will bring a variety of options to his next offensive coordinator, whomever he may be.

It's all but certain that an NFL team will go after Cousins. He was a three-year captain who left Michigan State as its career-leader in wins (and just about every other quarterback-related record) and beat in-state rival Michigan three times as a starter. He knows how to be efficient under pressure and keep a cool head while doing so.

The only real concern is his arm strength. But that could be improved with the proper guidance and training. Buffalo would be a good destination, even if just as a starting point, for Cousins. The Bills were in the top half of the NFL in total passing yards with 3,703 (15th). So, in theory, Cousins could get his feet wet early if called upon.

UM AD Dave Brandon livid over MSU AD Mark Hollis' tweet at Trey Burke

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier

Things in the Twitterverse got a bit tense between Michigan State Athletic Director Mark Hollis and his counterpart at the University of Michigan Dave Brandon.

It started when Wolverines freshman point guard Trey Burke who is considering leaving the school and make the jump into the National Basketball Association. Burke has expressed displeasure over outside influences and fans pushing him to either make the jump to the NBA or to stay with the Wolverines.

His displeasure bubbled over on his Twitter account when he put up a post saying;

"EVERYONE got something to say...smh I thought this was my life."

Minutes later Michigan State Athletic Director Mark Hollis retweeted Burke's tweet with the addition of the hashtag, "#respect." He then sent Burke this tweet;

"My advice, believe in YOUR heart & mind, everything else is interference. People u seek out is better than those that seek u."

A seemingly innocent tweet that encouraged Burke to ignore all of the outside influences on him and make the choice that he was most comfortable with. However, University of Michigan Athletic Director Dave Brandon didn't see it that way. Brandon sent out this tweet;

"Mark Hollis had good intentions-but made a mistake. Not appropriate to tweet on of our student-athletes. Won't happen again. End of story."

While tweeting at another school's athlete may not be quite kosher, in this case it does not violate NCAA rules and Hollis should not face any sanctions because of it.

Former MSU Spartans basketball great Magic Johnson buys MLB's LA Dodgers

Photo: IBN Live -- Former MSU Spartans basketball star Magic Johnson now owns the LA Dodgers, according to Forbes.com.

By Adam Biggers
@AdamBiggers81


Los Angeles Dodgers fans were probably hoping for a little magic this year, and they got it Tuesday.

Forbes.com announced late Tuesday night that Magic Johnson, a Michigan State Spartans and LA Lakers basketball legend, bought the reeling Dodgers for a reported $2 billion.

Former Dodgers owner Frank MCourt put the team up for sale last June after reportedly going $600 million into debt during a messy split with his wife Jamie.

Johnson, a five-time NBA champion, three-time MVP and 12-time All-Star with the Lakers, helped lead the Spartans to an NCAA title in 1979. He also owns a chain of movie theaters which carry his name.

From Forbes:

Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt announced an agreement Tuesday night to sell the team to a group that includes former Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson and former baseball executive Stan Kasten for $2 billion, a record price for a North American sports franchise.

The Johnson group’s bid was bankrolled by Guggenheim Partners, a privately held financial firm that manages over $125 billion. If the deal is approved in federal bankruptcy court, Guggenheim CEO Mark Walter would become the controlling owner.

Spartans ranked No. 9 in ESPN poll

From ESPN.com via US Presswire

By Sean Gagnier
 
In one of their first rankings of the season ESPN has published their "Way too early Top 25" and Michigan State is sitting at No. 9 on that list - five spots ahead of their rival Michigan. While as it says, this ranking is way too early, it shows that the Spartans are beginning to be recognized nationally for what they have accomplished over the past several years and that the hard work of the coaching staff is beginning to pay off.

ESPN's Mark Schlabach wrote in his article,
           "Michigan State is quietly becoming the Big Ten's most consistent program, winning 11 games in each of the past two seasons and winning its first bowl game during coach Mark Dantonio's tenure. Eight starters are coming back to a very stingy defense, but the Spartans will miss All-Big Ten defensive tackle Jerel Worthy, who left early for the NFL draft. Replacing quarterback Kirk Cousins and his top four receivers won't be easy, but tailback Le'Veon Bell will be back in 2012. Tennessee transfer DeAnthony Arnett and four-star prospects Monty Madaris and Aaron Burbridge might be able to help at receiver immediately. The Spartans play nonconference home games against Boise State on Aug. 31 and Notre Dame on Sept. 15, and they'll have to play perhaps the two best teams from the Leaders Division (against Ohio State at home on Sept. 29 and at Wisconsin on Oct. 27)."

What this is saying is that the first two 11-win seasons in school history has not gone unseen by the rest of college football - Michigan State is quickly being seen as one of the top schools in the Big Ten Conference. Yes the Spartans lost quite a bit at graduation this year, but what they restocked their team with might end up being better.


Edwin Baker left the team for the NFL Draft - he was part of a trio of running backs that would have seen him fall to second on the depth chart behind Le'Veon Bell. He saw his window of opportunity closing and took a leap, whether or not he will catch on at the next level is still to be seen but the Spartans can still field a formidable collection of running backs.

The starting RB will be Le'Veon Bell and will split carries with Larry Caper and possibly Nick Hill. These RB's will have the help of a strong offensive-line that will return to healthy form and will be able to open running lanes. Both of Michigan State's tight end's graduated but the Spartans have Dion Simms to fill the gap and could start one of their new recruit's.

But importantly MSU is bringing in a haul of wide receiver talent with Aaron Burbridge, Monty Madaris and Tennessee-transfer DeAnthony Arnett all being ranked as four-star prospects, it appears as though the Spartan receiving corps won't miss a beat in 2012.

More important than who will be catching the ball will be who is throwing the ball to them, and that is Andrew Maxwell. The junior quarterback has drawn attention from the coaching staff while on the practice squad and even caught the eye of outgoing QB Kirk Cousins who had great words of praise for Maxwell.

"He's much farther along at that point in my career," Cousins said. "I think he's going to be very good here. I wish I could stick around and watch."

While this Top 25 may be way too early, it is a sign of good things to come at Michigan State. They have proved that they weren't a fluke and have established themselves near the top of the Big Ten.

The fire still burns in Michigan State Spartans coach Tom Izzo's belly

This article was originally published on Yahoo! Sports by Adam Biggers

During the LeBron James-Cleveland Cavaliers saga two years ago, there was speculation that Michigan State Spartans basketball coach Tom Izzo wouldn't be in East Lansing for long.

In fact, many thought that Izzo, who was offered the Cavaliers coaching job by Spartans alum and Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, would bolt for the NBA to coach James in Cleveland. It was valid speculation, too. Izzo had been offered a job by the Atlanta Hawks just a handful of years prior, and the thought of Izzo coaching at the highest level of basketball had been thrown around by pundits and analysts alike.

Well, the James saga ended with the now-infamous "I'm taking my talents to South Beach" televised event, and Izzo stayed put in East Lansing, winning his 400th game Wednesday as the Spartans coach with a victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

It would be somewhat logical to assume that Izzo, who had twice flirted with the idea of leaving Michigan State, could, in theory, leave the program in the near future. But that's not so. This season, Izzo looks as if he's having fun again, and he has no exit strategy or plan to leave the program -- in the near future, at least -- that he built into a national powerhouse.

"I don't have a game plan," Izzo said during a recent radio interview. "Everyone says you should have one, but I really don't have one. I think as everything else, it's a feel. There's nothing that feels in the near future."

In the past, Izzo has said that he would like to win another national title with the Spartans before considering vacating his post as the mayor of East Lansing, rather, the head coach at Michigan State. Six Final Fours, a national title in 2000 and runner-up status in 2009 fuels the fiery coach. He has his team in great position to capture a Big Ten title, but, perhaps more importantly, make another deep run into national tournament known as March Madness.

"Really it comes down to how you feel and what your energy level is," Izzo said. "I think one thing that I promised myself is the day I don't want to go recruit all 20 days of the summer, time for me to get out. There are certain things that are part of these jobs you got to do 'em. If you don't want to talk to alums, you don't want to go out and recruit, you probably shouldn't have the job."

And Izzo is right. If a coach feels that he's lost the ability to draw in top talent, he probably should hang up the whistle. However, Izzo has brought in the likes of Keith Appling, a savvy guard who is most definitely the future of the Spartans offense; and Branden Dawson, a freshman who is a "star" in the making, according to the 17-year veteran coach.

Adding to his recent recruiting success is Gary Harris, one of the top players in the 2012 class who recently committed to Michigan State. Harris has been on Izzo's radar for some time, and landing the Indiana prep star only shows that Izzo hasn't lost that fire that he's become revered for.

Izzo, who will soon turn 57, has at least 10-15 years of coaching left. There have been several coaches who have stayed on the sidelines until their 70s, and Izzo most definitely fits that mold. Basketball is in his blood. Michigan State is in his blood. He won't stop until he's satisfied.

Adam Biggers has followed NCAA basketball for over 20 years, specifically the Michigan State Spartans. He can be reached by e-mail at Adam.Biggers@Yahoo.com, or, by Twitter @AdamBiggers81.

Tennessee releases Arnett to either Michigan State or Michigan

By Sean Gagnier

Vols' head coach Derek Dooley has made and exception and WR DeAnthony Arnett is heading home to the state of Michigan. Arnett has been released by the Vols' to either Michigan State or Michigan, his release had previously only been to a Mid-American Conference school within the state.

Dooley stated that he made the exception for Arnett because of the failing health of his father in his hometown of Saginaw, Mich. Arnett's father has had surgery on his heart and another to impact a stent for dialysis over winter break and Arnett wants to be close to his family because of it.

That is what has been said publicly, behind closed doors some believe that Arnett is using his father's illness to get out of Tennessee after their receivers coach, Charlie Baggett, retired this off season. Baggett recruited Arnett out of Saginaw and was one of hs major reasons for choosing to head to Rocky Top, with his retirement it could be motivation for Arnett to head back north.

Michigan State had been a favorite of Arnett's all the way through the recruiting process and the receiving situation there could be appealing to the pass catcher. With the Spartans top three receivers in B.J. Cunningham, Keshawn Martin and Keith Nichol graduating it leaves wide openings in the receiving corps that Arnett could take advantage of.

If Arnett secures his hardship waiver from the NCAA he will be eligible to play next season and if he were to join the Spartans he would be competing for three starting WR positions against Bennie Fowler, Juwan Caesar, Aaron Burbridge and Keith Mumphery and he could easily come out on top of that battle.

Michigan State should go hard after Arnett because with his addition to the team they will be able to reload the receiving corps in one season while returning all three running backs, most of the offensive line and all but two of their defensive players. If Andrew Maxwell could step up and perform like they believe he can and the Spartans are able to snag Arnett Michigan State could easily be back in Indianapolis competing for another chance to smell the roses in Pasadena.

Family says there's "no chance" Arnett returns to Tennessee

By Sean Gagnier

The highly coveted 2011 wide receiver recruit out of Saginaw, Mich. will not return to the University of Tennessee under any circumstances; this according to a family member of Arnett's. Arnett has said that he will not make any public statemtns until the situation has been resolved with the Volunteers.

After a stellar true freshman season at Tennessee that saw Arnett catch 24 passes he has requested a release from his letter of intent to the university. Arnett is seeking a "hardship waiver" to be able to attend either Michigan, Michigan State or Notre Dame in order to be closer to his ailing father.

 14.2.5 Hardship Waiver. A student-athlete may be granted an additional year of participation (per Bylaw 14.2.4) by the conference or the Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement for reasons of “hardship.”

According to family statements, Arnett fully enjoyed his time at Tennessee and his request to be released has no basis in any dissatisfaction with the school or his coaches. It was also stated that he was happy with his playing time and that there was nothing the Vols' did that motivated his request, it has everything to do with his ailing father in Saginaw.

Since the beginning of winter break Arnett's father has undergone two surgeries; heart surgery and another to impact a stent in his arm for dialysis, which may need to be redone should it be unsuccessful.

Arnett is attempting to transfer schools without losing any eligibility; following his season at Tennessee he has three years of eligibility remaining. Due to Tennessee policies they have denied Arnett's request to be released to Michigan or Michigan State because they do not allow releases to any schools that they compete against or recruit against.

Although his request has been denied to head to Ann Arbor or East Lansing, the Vols' have released Arnett to play with any of the Mid-American Conference schools in Michigan - Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan or Western Michigan.  

Regardless of whether Arnett receives his release to Michigan or Michigan State he will have to fulfill his National Letter of Intent, which requires that Arnett have at least one year of education at Tennessee. Arnett will attempt to satisfy his letter of intent by taking online classes through Tennessee while remaining close to his father in Saginaw.

Depending on the release that Tennessee grants Arnett, he may have to pay his own way should he choose either Michigan or Michigan State, sit out a season, lose a year of eligibility or some combination of those. But Arnett has made the Vols' know that he will not be returning to Knoxville and his family has stated that the university understands.

2012 Outback Bowl: Michigan State's Kirk Cousins, Georgia's Aaron Murray present unique quarterback match-up

This article was originally published on Yahoo! Sports
By Adam Biggers

Michigan State has traditionally has had success on the ground. However, the 2011 season required more from senior quarterback Kirk Cousins, who threw for a career-high 3,016 yards, 24 touchdowns—while setting program-bests in career wins and passer rating—and led the Spartans to a Big Ten Legends Division title.

While running backs LeVeon Bell, Edwin Baker and Larry Caper had solid showings, they weren't as effective as they were in 2010. That was fine, because Cousins picked up the slack, utilizing receivers like BJ Cunningham, Keith Nichol and Keshawn Martin in big play after big play.

Cousins was arguably the best quarterback in the Big Ten this year, and has the capability of airing it out Jan. 2 against the 16th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs (10-3) during the 2012 Outback Bowl in Tampa.

But, the 17th-ranked Spartans (10-3) will be put to the test in their post-New Year's Day bowl, as the Bulldogs have quite the quarterback of their own in sophomore Aaron Murray.

Like Cousins, Murray had a banner year, setting school records with 33 touchdowns and 2,861 yards. He took charge of an offense that was similar, at various levels, to the Spartans'. Both teams had weapons in the backfield, but threw the ball en route to making their conference title games.

It's almost funny how alike the Bulldogs and Spartans are. And that was the thought heading into the Big Ten title game, as the Spartans and Badgers were near-mirror images of one another as well.

Stingy defenses, the Spartans and Bulldogs each gave up less than 20 points per game. Both had steady contributions from their lines, linebackers and secondaries, too.

That being said, which quarterback will have the upper hand Jan. 2? That remains to be seen, but Cousins' numbers certainly suggest that he'll have the edge.

Against ranked teams

Cousins torched the Badgers twice this season, throwing for six touchdowns and nearly 600 yards en route to posting a 1-1 record against one of the best teams in the land. He didn't need to throw much during the Spartans' 28-14 win over Michigan, but connected with receivers for two touchdowns, nonetheless.

Cousins was 2-1 against ranked teams during the regular season, but failed to impress in a 24-3 road loss to Nebraska.

Murray was 2-2 against ranked teams in 2011 and threw for at least 230 yards and two touchdowns in each game. He wasn't horrible in losses to Boise State and South Carolina, either—both of which were formidable adversaries.

He threw for four touchdowns in the Bulldogs' 45-42 loss to South Carolina and threw for two scores in a 35-21 loss to Boise State. He tossed four more in a 45-7 romping of Auburn later in the year.

For a sophomore, he showed great poise in leading the Bulldogs to a 10-2 regular-season mark. However, in the biggest game of the year, a 42-10 loss to Louisiana State in the SEC championship, he completed just 40 percent of his passes and threw two picks. But not many quarterbacks successfully dissected LSU.

Accuracy and tendencies

Cousins completed 65.5 percent of hiss passes and threw just seven interceptions. However, he had the propensity to force throws and could have easily thrown more than seven.

Murray did this season what Cousins has done in the past—he forced a lot of throws. His completion rate of 58 percent is respectable, but his 12 interceptions suggest he doesn't always make the best decisions with the ball.

Near the end of the year, Cousins had a three-game stretch without an interception, finishing with seven pick-less games on the year.

Murray threw three interceptions in a win over Mississippi State, and had three games in which he didn't throw to the other team.

Of course, those comparisons mean virtually nothing this time of year. The level play in the SEC is perceived as far superior to the level of Big Ten, and one could argue each quarterback's true effectiveness against their conference's top competition.

It's a new season, and the hottest quarterback will likely lead his team to a win Jan. 2—but the stats are interesting to discuss and debate.

Adam Biggers has followed NCAA football for over 20 years, specifically the Michigan State Spartans. As the Outback Bowl approaches, he will profile other player match-ups, compare defenses, offenses, and special teams in later articles.

Adam can be reached by e-mail at Adam.Biggers@Yahoo.com, or, by Twitter @AdamBiggers81.

2012 Outback Bowl: Michigan State's LeVeon Bell, Georgia's Isaiah Crowell headline rushing duel

This article was originally published on Yahoo! Sports 
By Adam Biggers

While I'm more apt to think that the 2012 Outback Bowl between the 17th-ranked Michigan State Spartans and 16th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs will be won in the air, the similarities between each team's ground game intrigues me.

LeVeon Bell proved to be a bruising back who could carry the load for the Spartans in the regular season, dodging tackles and racking up 900 yards on the ground in the process. He possesses a great combination of power and speed, and at 6-foot-2, 237 pounds, Bell will surely be a hard take-down for the Bulldogs defense.

AdChoices

Throw in Larry Caper, who is typically a sure-handed running back with a knack for making grabs in the flat; Edwin Baker, another powerful back with speed to burn, and the Spartans will present a monumental task Jan. 2 for Georgia to handle.

However, the Bulldogs defense, one of the best in the country, ranked 19th against defending the run this season, allowing a stingy 1,344 yards on the year.

And to top it off, the Bulldogs have an athletic, play-making back of its own: Freshman Isaiah Crowell, a load at 5-11 and 217 pounds, who galloped for 847 yards and 12 touchdowns this season—and he did that against a slate of Southeastern Conference opponents. While the Spartans did a sufficient job against Big Ten defenses, Georgia had to do it against SEC foes.

Defend the Big Ten if you must, but its defenses aren't the SEC's defenses. Statistically, Michigan State and Georgia's defenses are similar and match-up well, but that's on paper, and for a later article to address and discuss.

But, don't give Georgia the advantage just yet, as the Spartans were efficient in stuffing running backs this year, too—allowing 1,356 yards on the ground and coming in one spot nationally behind Georgia in terms of run defense.

Here are some numbers to digest: Rushing offense, rushing defense.

Quick hits

Bell rushed for 100 or more yards twice this season: 112 in the Spartans' 37-21 road win over Iowa and 106 in their 42-39 loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game. What does that mean? Well, if Bell's stats don't wow you, they should suggest he comes to play when his team needs him most.

Bell carried the ball a season-high 20 times in the Spartans' win at Iowa, pitching in a touchdown and two catches for 49 yards (long of 45). The win over the Hawkeyes helped Michigan State prove it could win a crucial game away from Spartan Stadium.

Crowell topped Bell in the 100-yard plus category, going for the century mark four times this season. He was out two games (Georgia Tech and New Mexico State) against opponents he would have likely ravaged for 100 or more.

One of Crowell's best performances was a 30-carry, 147-yard display in a 27-13 win over Ole Miss (Mississippi).

Stats don't tell the whole story

If not for balanced backfields, both Bell and Crowell would have likely rushed for over 1,000 yards this year. Both backs were reliable, showing they could handle the ball and produce.

The pure rushing numbers shade toward Bell having the advantage, but I would have to disagree based on one fact: Crowell got his against the SEC. But, consider Bell's other skills: He has great hands and catch. Crowell didn't rack up the receiving yards like Bell did this season (30 receptions for 228 yards).

There will be other backs that factor in the game, of course, but I wanted to highlight the two headliners. Two even defenses, not to mention two similar offenses, should make for a BCS-like match-up Jan. 2. The Outback Bowl is easily the best non-BCS game out there—a must-watch, not only for Spartans and Bulldogs followers, but for college football purists.

If one back has the potential to be a game-changer, it's Bell. He's shown in three years at Michigan State that he has the ability to do as much. Experience in big games comes in handy, and while Crowell is a fantastic athlete in his own right, I give the edge to Bell as the Outback Bowl's "game buster."

Adam Biggers has followed college football for over 20 years, specifically the Michigan State Spartans. He can be reached by e-mail at Adam.Biggers@Yahoo.com, or, by Twitter @AdamBiggers81.

He will continue to highlight other aspects of the 2012 Outback Bowl in later articles, so check back often.