Mike Eckert: Win would put MSU in right direction

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November 20, 2009

Anonymous The Record Eagle Fri Nov 20, 2009, 11:55 PM EST

Win or lose today, Michigan State fans will head to another bowl game wondering "what could have been" this season.

Close losses. Questionable calls. Near upsets.

Without a doubt, the Spartans suffered many disappointments in the third year of the Mark Dantonio era. However, a win over Penn State could go a long way towards forgiving some of those earlier missteps.

While the Nittany Lions aren't the national title contender some thought they could be, they still come into the game 9-2 with an outside shot at a BCS bowl.

Imagine that. A potential double-digit win season, a shot at a major bowl, and Penn State fans would say it's a disappointing year.

Penn State is a measuring stick for what Dantonio is trying to build Michigan State into.

So is Ohio State.

So was Michigan.

And the only way for the Spartans to reach that is to beat the teams already there.

A win today would give MSU a 2-1 record against Joe Paterno under Dantonio. That's the same record he holds against Michigan.

And even in a down year, it would show that the program is heading in the right direction.

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