Scott Quakkelaar recently wrote that MSU is still a good team, but has been
having some off years by MSU standards.  If you throw out the '90-'91 disaster
season, the Spartans have pretty much had years that are maybe not quite what
we had in the mid '80's, but years that some programs in the country would
kill for (Phinal Phour in '92, bubble team in '93, Top 8 [at the moment] in
'94).  MSU's major problem (besides some of the ones I've enumerated earlier)
is that we play to the level of our competition too much.  Classic example:
the WCHA-CCHA Challenge.  At the time, Wisconsin was an arguably better team
than MSU, but the Spartans beat them.  Meanwhile, Minnesota was in a big-time
slump, and MSU loses to them.  Go figure.  (Michigan did the exact reverse.)
 
As far as UM having a "mystique" about playing MSU, I think that's somewhat
of a myth.  I don't think it ended with the 11-1 game at the Joe, because it
didn't exist in the first place.  MSU just simply failed to show up for that
one (plus it was probably a little bit of a payback for some of the pastings
we used to give UM in the "Glory Days").  If there is a "mystique" in the UM-
MSU rivalry, it's reversed.  Fortunately, up until now, hockey has been some-
what immune.  It started in football and has seemed to spread throughout the
athletic spectrum here at Michigan State.  Plus, it is sort of disheartening
when probably 1/3 of your student body cheers for your biggest rival (maybe
some of them couldn't afford to go to UM, but MSU is quickly trying to rectify
the situation by jacking the tuition up).
 
For the rest of the fans in the country (i.e. those that don't cheer for
Michigan), be heartened by the fact that a team as erratic as MSU has been
this year beat the Wolverines in Ann Arbor.  Michigan is NOT unbeatable.
(This is not meant as a flame, just a simple statement of facts.)  In the
current NC$$ setup, with only one game separating you from elimination, ANY-
ONE CAN LOSE, be they UM or BU or Harvard or MSU, independent of where the
game is played.  To pick a team to go all the way at this moment in time, to
me, is somewhat foolish.  Do remember that Michigan still has three games left
with what is probably the hottest team in the country right now, the Miami
Redskins.  And sandwiched in the middle is the third UM-MSU meeting in Detroit.
Isn't life fun?
 
G. M. Finniss
Michigan State University
WVU '87, UTenn '92, MSU who the hell knows when?