Michigan State Spartans and the 100th Rose Bowl

Posted on by farlane

UPDATE: The top-rated Spartan D dug deep when it counted and stopped Stanford to seal a 24-20 victory in the 100th Rose Bowl and #3 or better ranking! View a photo gallery from the game via the Lansing State Journal’s Green & White section.

1954 Rose Bowl Game

1954 Rose Bowl Game, photo courtesy Michigan State University Archives

This afternoon at 5 PM the #4 Michigan State University Spartans will take the field against the #5 Stanford Cardinals to represent the Big Ten for the 100th Rose Bowl.

Wikipedia’s page on the Rose Bowl where you can see a pic from the very first Rose Bowl says (in part) that the game is usually played on New Year’s Day at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. It was first played in 1902, and has been played annually since 1916. As the oldest bowl game, it has earned the nickname “The Granddaddy of Them All”.

MSU has been to the Rose Bowl four times and has won three: the 1954 game pictured above, 1956 and their last appearance in 1988. MSU’s article on the Spartans and the 2014 Rose Bowl says (in part):

Big Ten Champion Michigan State (12-1, 8-0 Big Ten) will make its first-ever Bowl Championship Series appearance on Jan. 1, 2014, when the Spartans play Pac-12 Champion Stanford (11-2, 7-2 Pac-12). Winners of nine straight, Michigan State recorded its school-record 12th win of the 2013 season by defeating second-ranked Ohio State, 34-24, in the Big Ten Championship Game.

MSU ranked No. 4 in the final BCS Standings – its highest ranking ever. The Spartans are ranked No. 4 in the latest Associated Press and USA TODAY Polls. It marks MSU’s highest ranking in the AP Poll since Sept. 18, 1967.

The Spartans finished their Big Ten regular-season schedule with a perfect 8-0 record for the first time in school history and claimed their second Legends Division title in three seasons. Michigan State became the 14th Big Ten team to post an 8-0 mark in league play. The Spartans are the first Big Ten team to win all eight of its conference games by double-digit points since the league went to an eight-game schedule in 1971. In addition, MSU is the first undefeated Big Ten team to win all of its league games by double-figure points since Michigan in 1943 (6-0 record).

The 100th Rose Bowl Game marks the first time since the “Game of the Century” in 1966 (No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Michigan State) in which MSU will play a top-five AP team while also being ranked in the top five. No. 5 Stanford is also the highest ranked opponent MSU has played in a bowl game since the 1966 Rose Bowl (UCLA finished the 1965 regular season ranked No. 4 in the final AP Poll).

Mike Downey put together 100 facts about the Rose Bowl. Most surprising to me was that 1925’s coaching matchup was Knute Rockne vs. Pop Warner.

The Michigan State University Archives says that the photograph above captures the action of the 1954 Rose Bowl game of Michigan State College versus UCLA in which the Spartans defeated the Bruins 28-20. View it bigger and check out some cool memorabilia in their Rose Bowl slideshow.

And oh yeah, Happy New Year & GO GREEN!

Twice as Sweet: Michigan & Michigan State both make the Sweet Sixteen!

Posted on by farlane

Tim Hardaway Jr. Oop vs. MSU

Tim Hardaway Jr. Oop vs. MSU, photo by Robbie Small

USA Today notes that Michigan and Michigan State have combined to make hoops history this year:

For the first time in the 75-year history of the NCAA tournament Michigan and Michigan State have advanced to the Sweet 16.

The Big Ten’s Wolverines and Spartans earned their tickets right in their backyard, in dominating fashion, in a supercharged atmosphere Saturday at the Palace.

Michigan, just 36 miles from its Ann Arbor campus, started the celebration, dissecting Virginia Commonwealth’s vaunted press 78-53 in the opener.

Michigan State, 81 miles from East Lansing, made it a historic day, slamming the front door on Memphis 70-48.

They were also the first two teams into the Sweet Sixteen. Michigan will face #1 seed Kansas on Friday while MSU squares off against #2 Duke.

Robbie took this shot at a March 3rd meeting between Michigan and Michigan State in which the Wolverines eked out a 57-56 win thanks to a game-saving steal & slam by Trey Burke. (click that link for Robbie’s photo) Check this out background bigtacular or view a great gallery from the game at  robbiesmallphotography.com!

More basketball on Michigan in Pictures.

Eli & Edy Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University

Posted on by farlane

Art Museum Night

Art Museum Night, photo by AaronSnyderPhoto

The Eli & Edy Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University opened in early November. The museum features the historical collection from the Kresge Art Museum. They explain that:

This collection, which spans cultural production from ancient Greece and Rome and pre-Columbian cultures through Medieval and Renaissance art to the modern and contemporary will enable the Broad MSU to explore the art of our time through the long lens of art history. Highlights of the museum’s collection include: Greek and Roman antiquities; medieval and Renaissance illuminations; Old Master paintings; 19th century American paintings; 20th century sculpture by artists such as Alexander Calder and Jenny Holzer; and works by contemporary artists such as Chuck Close and Ann Hamilton. Collection growth and new acquisitions will focus on modern and contemporary works (post 1945).

You can search the collection at collections.artmuseum.msu.edu. The museum was designed by architect Zaha Hadid who has a fantastic photo gallery of the latest addition to MSU’s campus. You might also enjoy their virtual tours.

Check this out background big and see more including another angle in Aaron’s MSU Landscape slideshow.

More Michigan museums on Michigan in Pictures!

Up Close at Hidden Lake Gardens

Posted on by farlane

Detail

Detail, photo by corinne.schwarz

Corinne took this photo at Hidden Lake Gardens, a property just west of Tecumseh (map) that was donated to Michigan State University (then Michigan State College) in 1945 by Harry A. Fee, an Adrian businessman. They explain that:

He had always dreamed of owning a lake, and, upon his retirement in 1926, he purchased Hidden Lake along with 200 acres of land surrounding it. He repaired and refurbished the old farmhouse, built a greenhouse, and began farming. He soon realized that the land was not suitable to conventional farming or raising livestock and so he began to grow nursery stock. Not wanting to compete with local nurseries during the depression he planted the stock on his own land in an effort to create a “series of pictures,” a philosophy that we continue to strive for today. Mr. Fee described Hidden Lake Gardens as a “dream as you go development”…

“When the idea that I was making a series of beautiful scenic pictures available to the Public and just when I decided to dedicate the Gardens to public service I do not remember …. all subsequent work has been and should be continued with the prime object of its being for the Benefit of the Public…” Mr. Fee donated Hidden Lake Gardens to Michigan State University (then Michigan State College) in 1945 and his wish that the Gardens be for the benefit and education of the public has continued through the years. He was actively involved in decision making at the Gardens until his death in 1955.

With his generous endowment under the direction of MSU’s Horticulture Department, the Division of Campus Parks and Planning and presently Land Management, the Gardens has continued to develop with land acquisitions, construction of buildings, and the establishment of educational programs. The original 200 acres have grown to 755 acres! This includes a 120 acre arboretum that was begun in 1962 and consists of plant groups such as crabapples, lilacs, maples, evergreens, and shrubs.

Garden highlights include an extensive arboretum, a collection of dwarf trees and rare conifers, a Bonsai courtyard and a Conservatory featuring three distinct climates. They host weddings & events as well.

Check this out background big and see more in Corinne’s Hidden Lake Gardens slideshow and more of her photography on her Facebook page.

MSU Spartans face Wisconsin Badgers in first-ever Big Ten Championship!

Posted on by farlane

SPARTANS!

SPARTANS!, photo by Mario.Q
Drew Sharp writes that while the Legends and Leaders divisions were designed to showcase “the Big Four” of UM, Ohio State, Nebraska and Penn State, it’s two of the afterthoughts who meet in the first ever Big Ten title game this Saturday night (Dec 3) at 8:17 PM on FOX.

With a record of 7-1, MSU won the Legends Division this year. Their wins included a surprise upset in the first meeting with the Wisconsin Badgers, and you can relive the miracle catch on YouTube. You might also enjoy MSU Head Coach Mark Dantonio’s press conference yesterday and this preview from Green & White.

Mario took this shot at the MSU/Wisconsin game. Check it out bigger and in his slideshow.

More MSU on Michigan in Pictures!

Wolverines, Spartans and Paul Bunyan

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

100910_UM V MSU FBC DENARD 2 LON

100910_UM V MSU FBC DENARD 2 LON, photo by AnnArbor.com.

In just a few hours, the University of Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State University Spartans will meet for the 104th time for rights to the Paul Bunyan Trophy:

The annual Michigan-Michigan State game gives the winner state bragging rights, an inside track to a bowl game, and last, but certainly not least, ownership of the Paul Bunyan – Governor of Michigan Trophy.

Presented for the first time in the 1953 meeting between the Wolverines and the Spartans, the Paul Bunyan Trophy is the lesser-known of Michigan’s two annual trophy games, shadowed by the nationally recognized Little Brown Jug Game between Michigan and Minnesota.

The Bunyan Trophy was put into circulation by then Michigan Governor G. Mennen Williams. The prize consists of a four-foot wooden statue of the legendary Paul Bunyan astride an axe with feet planted on a map of the state of Michigan. Two flags — one with the Michigan “M” and the other with the Michigan State “S” — are planted on either side of Bunyan. A five-foot stand supports the statue.

The Brown Jug is old news, because the game puts 1st place in the new Legends division of the Big Ten on the line, and both programs are in the top 25. Get a picture of the trophy along with all the links & history on the Michigan vs Michigan State Football Rivalry page on Absolute Michigan.

The photo of Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson being dropped for a loss by MSU’s Chris L. Rucker was taken by Lon Horwedel of AnnArbor.com in last year’s 34-17 Spartan victory. Check this out on black and in AnnArbor.com’s excellent slideshow from last year’s Michigan vs MSU game!

Biggest Hockey Game Ever: The Big Chill at the Big House

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

The Big Chill

The Big Chill, photo by andykee.

On Saturday, December 11 2010 the University of Michigan Wolverines met the Michigan State University Spartans in The Big Chill at the Big House (Wikipedia entry). AnnArbor.com pegs the crowd at a world-record smashing 113,411 who saw the Wolverines pummel the Spartans 5-0.

It’s not the first time UM/MSU have set the record. In October of 2001, the 2 programs met at Spartan Stadium in The Cold War which drew almost 75,000 who saw the teams skate to a 3-3 tie. Check out this video of the record-setting crowd and here’s the highlight reel from the game.

See the photo bigger in Andy’s slideshow and check out AnnArbor.com’s slideshow from the event.

10/10/10: Football, Fall and our Future

Posted on by farlane

4th & Goal ...
4th & Goal … photo by NightFox Photography

Tomorrow is 10/10/10. While it could be that something catastrophic or wonderfully amazing happens, if it doesn’t you may be looking for a few things to fill the time.

The Big Ten

The University of Michigan Wolverines meet the Michigan State University Spartans at 3:30 PM today. MSU has won the last two meetings and both teams are undefeated and in the AP Top 25, with the Spartans at #17 and UM ranked #18. Tomorrow, green & white or maize & blue will have something to crow about … and the Paul Bunyan Trophy. While State is my alma mater and 2nd favorite college football team, I’m going to side with my dearly departed grandmother and a childhood of 3 yards and a pile of dust with Bo and say Michigan 35 – State 32 as Denard Robinson continues his campaign for the Heisman right over Greg Jones.

The Tenth Month

October in Michigan means apples and cold nights and fall color and haunted houses. Dig in.

10/10/10

October 10, 2010 is being promoted as a global work party by the 350 Movement. Simply put, 350 is the parts per million of CO2 that science says will roll back global warming. Plant some trees, explore going solar, lay plans for transforming your business to meet the challenges of the future, get out with friends on your bikes or find another way to say “Michigan is in this for the long haul”

Check Cory’s photo out bigger and see this and more in his slideshow.

UM vs MSU: Wolverines and Spartans Play Saturday!

Posted on by farlane

Vincent Smith - TD!msuVwmu1

Vincent Smith – TD! by SDJ~Photography and msuVwmu1 by M.Hallowell

This Saturday at 3:30 PM the Michigan State University Spartans travel to the Big House for a date with the University of Michigan Wolverines. Our Michigan vs Michigan State Football Rivalry page on Absolute Michigan says:

The Paul Bunyan-Governor of Michigan Trophy is awarded to the winner of the game between the Wolverines and the Spartans. U of M holds the series edge at 67-30-5, but the Spartans have held the trophy for the past 2 years. Right now both teams are in the AP Top 25, with the Spartans at #17 and UM ranked #18.

If you’re looking for tickets, stubhub has them for $175 – $1422. If you can’t swing that, it’s on ABC with the pre-game at 2:45 PM. The .00007% of Lions fans who are missing Matt Millen will be happy to learn that Millen has been picked as an analyst for the game by ABC. Millen won’t be the only coach in the press box because MSU coach Mark Dantonio (recovering from a heart attack) will be in the box as well.

Click through for more on the game including videos highlighting both programs.

You can see more of the Wolverines in Steve’s Michigan Football 2010 slideshow and get your Spartan on with State News photographer Matt Hallowell’s football slideshow!

There’s more University of Michigan and Michigan State University posts on Michigan in Pictures!

Sweet 16, 2010 with the Michigan State Spartans

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Gotcha!

Gotcha!, photo by m.villavicencio.

Wikipedia says that the Michigan State Spartans Men’s Basketball Team has been in the Sweet Sixteen 9 of the last 13 years. In all, Michigan State has won two NCAA Championships, appeared in seven Final Fours and made 23 NCAA Tournament appearances.

On Friday, the MSU Spartans take a 26-8 record into a game with the 2010 Cinderella, the Northern Iowa Panthers.

Be sure to check this out background bigilicious or in Miguel’s slideshow.

Be sure to also check out more posts about the MSU Spartans from Michigan in Pictures!