Sunday Morning Coming Down // Talk It Out

The bad news is that airports are dead-set on showing CNN on each of the 5,000 televisions in the concourse. The good news is that even though your favorite and best OTE writer couldn't see the game, you all did. The glimpses I did catch showed a gritty, head-smashing B1G classic in the vein of the league's greatest showdowns. The only thing missing was some snow.

A few stats to fuel your discussion...

Connor Cook: 16/32, 191 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT, QBR: 33.3

C.J. Beathard: 18/26, 216 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, QBR 37.6

L.J. Scott: 22 carries, 73 yards

Derrick Mitchell, Jr.: 4 carries, 24 yards

From the Incisive Analysis Department, it was sad to see Jordan Canzeri go out so early in the game. He's an exceptional talent who has exceeded everything one might have expected out of a barely-recruited running back. We'll never know how different Iowa's rushing attack could've been had he been able to get more than two touches. As has been the case all season, Glass Jordan couldn't stay healthy to go the distance. Michigan State's defense offered no quarter to his replacements. An Iowa rushing attack that averaged 192 yards per game was rendered impotent by the Spartans' downhill defense, tallying only 67 yards (and losing 15 to sacks of Beathard).

Conversely, the Spartans ground out 174 on the ground, and L.J. Scott's grueling, battling touchdown run with 27 seconds was the nail in the coffin of Iowa's undefeated season and their playoff run.

Congratulations to Michigan State. The road goes on. The East reigns supreme once again.