Two more games: MSU’s road to the the playoffs

A few weeks ago my friends and I were lucky enough to witness the Spartans take home the Big Ten title in Indianapolis. The team beat the previously undefeated Iowa Hawkeyes in a game that had us on the edge of our seats until time expired. Being it only the second year in which the FBS has instituted playoff games, it was history in the making to see Michigan State clinch their playoff berth. It is truly a great time to be a Spartan.

Arriving in Indianapolis threw us into an entirely new pre-game experience. Immediately we were accosted by chants of “GO HAWKS” which was a stark difference from the “go greens” and “go whites” typically echoing down the streets of East Lansing. Feeling outnumbered at first, my group of friends got in line to pick up our tickets. Immediately we found some camaraderie in the sea of other Spartans huddled together that morning.

After waiting nearly two hours at will call, we had our tickets as well as time to kill before the game. My closest friend Katie and I set off on a mission to find a hot meal and somewhere warm to sit. This turned out to be the biggest adversity a Spartan would face that day. We walked the streets of Indy for close to three hours looking for a place to eat. With all of the restaurants having wait times far longer than we were capable of, we finally settled on Pita Pit, as far as we could tell, the only eatery in all of Indianapolis without a line.

Indianapolis turned out to be beautiful—a very well kept and easy to navigate city that was a new experience for two girls from metro Detroit. While we tried to look like we knew what we were doing as we power-walked through the seas of people, the combination of Katie’s conspicuous green and white striped overalls and my live streaming the entire trip on Snapchat may have made it obvious we were tourists.

The peak of our sightseeing was at the Indiana State Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument. This 284-foot tall tribute was gorgeously designed and immediately caught our eye. Approaching it, we realized you could actually go inside and climb to the top. Being only 330 stairs to the precipice, we decided this climb was a necessity before we headed back to the stadium.

By the time we reached the top of monument, 330 steps suddenly felt like a lot more. Crammed into a surprisingly tiny and hot pinnacle of the memorial, we had the most incredible view overlooking the city. While our calves may have disagreed, the ascent was well worth it.

Finally, we began our journey back to Lucas Oil Stadium where the game was being held. The facility itself was stunning. Enormous glass panels spanned the walls and glowed from within as we approached the gates. The air buzzed with chants for each team and everyone’s adrenaline was at an all time high. Finally we made it inside and arrived at our lower bowl seats—arriving so early for ticket pickup had paid off.

The game was a bit slow going at first. With two missed field goals for MSU, an interception thrown by Iowa’s quarterback and the score stuck at 3-6 in Iowa’s favor at the half, fans weren’t sure what to think. Katie said:  “I mean, I will always believe in the Spartans, especially after pulling off the win against Michigan, but I was pretty nervous going into the second half.”

Spartans were outnumbered in the stadium— the Iowa fans easily drowned out our chants. This, paired with our questionable play in the first half, hindered the student section from getting our mantras going. Slowly our success on the field began to mount, and we headed into the fourth quarter up 9-6. The entire stadium was on edge with the game being so close, and the lead changing hands so often.

Finally, it seemed our fate might be sealed as the Iowa quarterback CJ Beathard hauled the ball down the field. Our cornerback went step for step with their receiver but could not break up the pass. The ball was caught, a touchdown was scored and Spartan fans started to feel the pressure.

With just nine minutes and 31 seconds left to play, MSU got the ball back and began to drive down the field. Seventy some yards later, a touchdown was in our grasp. But after a stop on third down, a conversion was necessary for our playoff dreams to continue. The ball was snapped and our quarterback Connor Cook lurched forward, reaching the ball across the line for the first down. The stadium absolutely erupted with Spartans who had suddenly found their voices.

With a new set of downs laid out before us, my friends and I hopped up and down excitedly for each attempt at the score. Finally, the ball was handed to true freshman LJ Scott, he surged forward into a mass of Iowa defenders, spun out of it, and reached the ball across the goal line as if he was a weathered NFL running back and this was just another Sunday. The crowd went wild. Everyone was out of their seats and screaming their praises at the newfound hero. Giving the ball back to Iowa with just 22 seconds left, we knew we had won the game.

Confetti rained from the rafters as the Spartans rushed the field to celebrate their victory. A 22 play drive led us to that win, the longest in a college game this year. Not only was this our second Big Ten title in three years, our team had just signed their ticket to the playoffs and we couldn’t be happier.

All of us had a growing hope about what this season could hold, but Coach Mark Dantonio summed it up best with three little words: “two more games.”