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Against All Odds: 2026 Week 9, Candy Crush

I must admit it was a pretty relaxing weekend in the Dr. Green and White household. I enjoyed all of the Halloween festivities on a beautiful fall day in the Midwest. I also gained an extra hour of sleep on Saturday night, and a giant bowl of leftover candy now sits on my kitchen counter. That doesn’t even count the “dad tax” I plan to levy on my children once the statute of limitations runs out on those poorly hidden pillowcases of loot in their rooms. What can I say? When so inclined, I can really crush some candy. Perhaps the best news of all is that we got a break from the ongoing stomachache that has been the Michigan State football season. We had sweet expectations back in early September, but the kids sure hit a sour patch over the past six weeks. I hope the Spartans also got some rest this weekend without overindulging. We are going to need them much closer to full strength in a few days. In the meantime, let’s check on the action from over the weekend while the rest of...
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Bad Betting Advice, 2026 Week 9: Scream

The last six weeks of football have likely made many Michigan State fans want to scream. I have good news, Spartan fans. I can guarantee, with 100% certainty, that Michigan State will not lose a football game this weekend. Consider it the rare horror movie with no body count. That’s right, the bye week is upon us, and who really wanted to watch or attend a football game on Halloween anyway? The schedule makers did us all a favor. Instead of worrying about how members of the Spartan linebacker room, cornerback room, quarterback room, or running back room are dropping like scantily clad teens in a slasher film, carve a pumpkin, an activity where the only goal is keeping all 10 fingers. Do you like scary movies? Dial one up on Netflix. Have some cider and doughnuts. Go trick-or-treating with your kids and sneak a full-size Snickers bar from the best house in the neighborhood when no one is watching. Ask your kids which house. They will know. Better yet, don’t think about Spartan football...
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Against All Odds, 2026, Week 8: String Theory

College football head coaches often invoke a familiar theory in times of crisis. It surfaced repeatedly during the press conference following Michigan State’s 28-10 loss at UCLA. In coachspeak, it’s called “next man up.” I propose an alternative name: string theory. The theory goes something like this: If an injury keeps a player from suiting up, the second-, third-, or fourth-string replacement is expected to step in and perform to the same standard as the starter. Admitting that moving down the depth chart might cause a drop-off in performance apparently violates some natural law. In my experience, though, this version of string theory remains highly theoretical, with little experimental evidence to support it. Not all those strings vibrate at the same frequency. At full strength, Michigan State likely would have been competitive in the Big Ten’s middle tier. The Spartans could have won six or seven games, reached a bowl, and demonstrated clear momentum for the program. Instead, inju...
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Bad Betting Advice, 2026 Week 8: California Dreaming

Autumn has settled over Michigan, and the leaves are starting to turn brown. As for the Michigan State Spartans’ prospects, the sky has turned from blue to gray. The supposedly friendly confines of Spartan Stadium have been anything but over the past month. Maybe it is time a change of scenery. Maybe it is time for a trip somewhere safe and warm.  How about L.A.? California. That sounds nice. Back in the summer, when Spartan fans still dreamed of a turnaround season, the late-October trip to face the UCLA Bruins at iconic Rose Bowl Stadium seemed challenging but winnable. Five straight losses have made those summer dreams feel increasingly distant. UCLA’s 6-0 start and top 10 ranking make Michigan State’s task this week even more daunting. For some Spartan fans, this meeting carries special meaning. As a college football fan growing up in the Midwest in the 1980s, Pasadena and the Rose Bowl had a special place my heart. Before the days of the College Football Playoff or even the Bo...
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Against All Odds, 2026 Week 7: Horseshoes and hand grenades

Another week, another heartbreaking loss at Spartan Stadium. The path was a little different, but the result was all too familiar. A week ago, Michigan State stumbled out of the gate against Illinois. The Spartans roared back in the second half to force overtime, only to fall one play short of victory. This week, against a stronger Northwestern team, the Spartans stood toe-to-toe with their ranked opponent throughout the game, even holding an 8-point lead deep into the fourth quarter. The Wildcats nearly gift-wrapped a win for the Spartans with a baffling decision to fake a punt deep in their own territory with 3:29 left in a tie game. But a blocked field goal and a 60-second drive orchestrated by former Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles sealed the Spartans' fate. Michigan State was again “this close” to a statement victory, yet so far away. As the old saying goes, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. The Spartans have been anything but lucky, and another once-p...
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