Michigan State nears uncomfortable blue blood status

INDIANAPOLIS — Mark Dantonio has built Michigan State football into a physical-first powerhouse that thrives on disrespect.

The Spartans' tradition before Dantonio's 2007 arrival was sparse and inconsistent. With football royalty Michigan down the road and Ohio State across the border, Dantonio has played up the underdog role and achieved consistent success. But it could come with a cost. The blue-collar Spartans stand awfully close to becoming royalty themselves, a tag that bothers Dantonio to an extent.

'I hope not,' Dantonio said of applying the blue blood label to Michigan State. 'I hope we stay grounded in who we are as a program and continue to just stride and do a little bit better than we've always done and always try and move a little bit farther.

'When you've gotten to a point, you want to move farther than that, I think that's a human spirit working. I think that's the competitiveness in you. Regardless of what you do for a living, or sport, I think you want to try and go just a little bit farther or repeat or do something like that, because I think that's human nature.'

Statistics tell a story of upward mobility. No. 5 Michigan State (11-1) has competed in three of the first five Big Ten title games. The program has recorded five 11-win seasons in the past six years, including a 13-win campaign in 2013.

The Spartans might play the figurative little brother role alongside Michigan, but little brother is the state's dominant force right now. The Spartans have won 64 games the last six years, just five shy of Alabama and Oregon. The last three years, they're two behind Florida State and Ohio State for the national lead.

The underdog role suits Dantonio and the Spartans like a comfortable pair of jeans. They've won three of their last five against Ohio State. In 2013, the Spartans upset the unbeaten Buckeyes 34-24 to claim the Big Ten title. Two weeks ago, Michigan State beat Ohio State 17-14, kicking a field goal with no time left.

Michigan State is even more impressive against Michigan, winning seven of their last eight meetings by an average of 14.5 points. In a testament to their resilience, Spartans defender Jalen Watts-Jackson returned a muffled punt by Wolverines' punter Blake O'Neill 38 yards on the game's final play for a 27-23 win this year.

But handling the favorite's role is new for MSU, and sometimes it's an awkward look. The Spartans edged Purdue (2-10) 24-21 and Rutgers (4-8) 31-24. Other wins haven't looked impressive outside of the final score. That leaves some analysts wondering how Michigan State will thrive without using the disrespect card.

'I don't think they've played as well this year in that role,' ESPN analyst David Pollack said. 'In the past, Dantonio has been building a program ... that's what they're built on. Michigan's big brother, little brother, Ohio State, everybody else gets attention. They don't. When you saw that Ohio State game, I think you could see of that. His postgame interview, what did he say? This is the first time we got to be the hunter instead of being the hunted. It makes a difference.'

There's no doubt MSU is the hunted now. But in order to stay ahead of rivals Michigan and Ohio State — even if his team beats Iowa on Saturday — Dantonio said his focus won't change. In order for Michigan State to remain a blue blood, they must stay blue-collar.

'I hope we keep the same attitude that we must overachieve,' he said. 'There's no question in my mind that we must all overachieve for us to be successful, regardless of our level of abilities.'

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