Wisconsin 42, Michigan State 39: Aftermisery Thread

I’m suspecting a puzzling coaching call is behind this

Per my shirts, I’m a 35/36 neck.

But didn’t make the biggest plays. This isn’t even the worst I’ve felt about an MSU game. That distinction remains the ’09 Iowa game.

I just hope our team regroups and wins whatever bowl they end up in.

While we get stuck in the Alamo Bowl or something.

Appreciate the sentiment from down South.

Awful way to lose a game…

I’ve wanted to throw up for about 2 hours now…

State did us proud tonight, I feel.

Makes no sense to send ANYONE there.

Just make sure you get the ball back and give yourself a chance.

… but the call was running into the kicker, not roughing. It resulted in a 1st down because it was 4th and 3. I think it was the right call, but if I were the ref I might have pretended not to see it, ‘cause it’s an awful way to end a fun game.

MSU did manage to force the punt, after all.

After MSU forced the three and out with 2 minutes left.

And I venture over to OTE about three times a week, so that’s saying something.

And factually incorrect on nearly every single point.

And we travel pretty well. There was a serious green contingent in the Alamo a couple years ago, and that was with Texas Tech in long-driving distance.

As to the punt, I think that’s a very tough call there. 4th and 8 is no gimme, and if you fail you’re (best case) starting at your own 10 with two minutes left instead of back near midfield. With our defense as good as they are, I can see either call. If it were 4th and something reasonable like 5 or so, you have to go for it.

But still

It is impossible to argue that we don’t deserve the second best bowl in the Big 10 this year. How can anyone argue that we weren’t the second best team in the conference this year?

Please. Dantonio didn’t quit. No one did. That was some of the best 60 minutes of football I’ve seen from Michigan State. Dantonio doesn’t take chances and he’s too conservative? What fucking team do you watch? The man has brass balls the size of monster truck wheels.

You simply cannot. It’s a calculated risk for the first 45 minutes, and an unnecessary one the last 15.

they have the ball near the own 40 with a fair catch and about 1:45 left. that’s more than enough time to get into FG range, especially with how our offense had moved the ball all game. i see no reason to be anywhere near the punter, just set up the return (which they apparently did since KM ran it back inside the 10).

it’s a high risk low reward play, and i would bet that Lewis ran it on his own. there’s just no way the staff called a block there. they had exactly what they wanted: the ball, decent field position, a hot QB, and plenty of time.

there’s a time for risky calls and I don’t think that was one of them. We still had time for Cousins to get us into FG range, IMO. We were torching their secondary more often than not, and Conroy is good for the 40-50 yard range more often than not as well.

But you are right. Still, I stand by my previous comments that on a questionable call, esp. in this situation, the ref has to err on the side of swallowing his flag hand

A Man’s Man. And I still hate that the fucking flag was thrown there.

all the hate on MD has been way overblown. not surprised he would stick up for Lewis there.

Not in my mouth, either, but everywhere

but life isn’t fair and we had a chance to beat Wisky tonight and shot our own foot off. We can bitch all day but there’s nobody else to blame.

You always are level headed & give props where due. Hate that your squad will be in the BCS while ours is in a place like Jacksonville, but it is what it is.

But if I cheered for the other sideline tonight, I’d be as hard as a rock & checking out flights to LA as we blog.

Thanks for the shoulder, though

But it was a legitimate running-into-the-kicker penalty.

Until then, it’s many hours of cursing, drug abuse, hate sex & misery, until we watch the rodents in AA back into a BCS bowl while we get ready for another New Year’s in a place like upstate FL

It was an aggressive, playing-to-win-the-game decision and was also the decision that maximized expected value.

Calling the block: either you get the block (low probability, high expectation of value), or a partial block leading to a much shorter punt (low probability, medium expectiation), or you miss the block and Keyshawn returns it anyway (high probability, medium expectation), or Kmart calls fai catch and you get the ball in decent field position (high probability, slightly lower expectation), or Kmart fumbles (low probability, negative expectation). The total expected value is higher than not going for the block (in which the outcomes are the Kmart fair catch, Kmart fumble, or Kmart return.)

The probability of a “running into the kicker” penalty is pretty low. The negative expectation of such a penalty is well offset by the positive expectation of a block or partial block.

I keep thinking back to poker theory: you’re in a tournament, on the bubble of the final table, with a pair of jacks. You raise big and another other guy who has you stacked goes all in. You make the play that maximizes your expected value: fold. The other guy shows you his wired aces.

Suppose you ask the dealer to run out the cards and you would have caught a third jack. Which is completely irrelevant; you can’t un-fold. Getting upset about “what could have been” is totally pointless; you played the hand the way that gave you the best chance to win — that gave you the highest expectation of value.

And i’m not altered enough to be able to ignore it.

I’m a bit worried about the O, though. Maxwell will be fine. I think, but I hate losing Martin and Cunningham. Bell’s a beast. I think he has potential to play on Sundays. He’s just as good as Monte Ball without the offensive line that Ball has.

Even as a kick returner? Good things seems to happen when he touches the ball.

Gonna miss those 2 next year

They were right to overturn it but gave the wrong reason.

Hard to argue with that call.

Wish people weren’t so angry about other people’s opinions. We’re all hurting tonight. Except the trolls. (Which I was called, that hurts even more.)

stays in the top14

Do not want any part of an angry Alabama team pissed off about OkSt jumping them (which may actually happen, thanks in part to the VT crash-and-burn). Not after last year.

Thanks for the kind words.

I’m starting to feel like, at least recently, Wisconsin/MSU games are the must “must-see” in the B1G — hopefully this continues to develop into a fun rivalry.

I don’t know what the line will be for the Rose Bowl, but I’m most certainly taking the over.

I’ve always had a soft spot for the Ducks, so I wish you guys the best of luck.

Personally I think MSU would have matched up a bit better since we have better athletes/playmakers on defense, but I’d probably take Oregon all day over either team.

Inscription at Thermopylae

They seem to have the right attitude and are talking about sending this senior class out with a win. God, I hate Tampa, but I might have to go just to see Cousins, Cunningham, Foreman, Martin, etc. play their final game in Green & White.

Personally, I’d rather go to the Insight, cuz Phoenix is a better place to visit than Florida.

“A team that played shouldn’t be punished, while a team that sat on the couch gets rewarded.” Or something to that effect, anyway. I don’t understand Michigan getting the rank above us, and I understand VT getting ranked over Clemson even less. Clemson beat them TWICE. TWICE! And they’re still getting screwed!

You know what’s a travesty?

Trolling.