Michigan State's playoff pitch -- just check out that loss at Oregon

Big Ten's Last Stand: This is the second of two stories looking at Ohio State and Michigan State, the combatants in Saturday's league and playoff showdown in East Lansing. Tuesday: Ohio State. Thursday: Michigan State.

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State may have already punched its playoff ticket two months ago.

In a loss.

For more than a third of the Spartans' Sept. 6 game at then-No. 3 Oregon, they were better than the Ducks. Way better. In a 20-minute, 11-second span Michigan State turned the volume down on one of the loudest venues in the sports -- Autzen Stadium.

In coming back from an 18-7 deficit, the Spartans outgained Oregon 160-4. Outscored it 20-0. In five possessions covering the second and third quarters, the mighty Blur offense ran 14 plays. Those possessions ended with four punts and the end of the first half.

Halfway through the third quarter, Michigan State led 27-18 and looked like more than the best team that day. It looked like one of the best teams in the country.

In the end, then-No. 3 Oregon won 46-27, scoring the game's final 28 points, covering the spread and spanking the Spartans all the way back to East Lansing.

Excuse Michigan State if it doesn't feel embarrassed. In a month, the result might turn out being the best "gift" of 2014 to Michigan State and the Big Ten.

"I don't, for a second, question playing in a game like that," said the man who signed the game contract in April 2012.

Michigan State AD Mark Hollis knows the implications of the Ohio State game this week. If it is the Big Ten's Last Stand in this first playoff season, he has a huge card to play.

Hollis' program has one of the best L's in the country.

"We could have easily played a handful of many other teams here, or on the road, that would have assured ourselves of a victory," Hollis said this week from his office. "But we chose to go into what is argued as the most hostile environment in college football."

It is sort of a tradition here to play "up." Tom Izzo has stepped out of his scheduling comfort zone countless times. Notre Dame is a regular football rival. It is a philosophy the gritty Spartans embrace: In the end, if the program is strong enough it survives and thrives.

"There is nothing wrong with being confident," coach Mark Dantonio said. "Do not forget where you came from."

That's the message slathered on daily like suntan oil in this sometimes unforgiving climate. Michigan and Ohio State may have more pedigree. Michigan State has grit, desire, the latest Big Ten trophy.

"I feel like the playoff system starts this weekend," Spartans linebacker Taiwan Jones said.

In the Big Ten he is right. No. 8 Michigan State and No. 14 Ohio State are the league's best playoff hopefuls because they are playing each other this late in the season. Neither is assured of a playoff spot if they win out. But the loser, well, that's probably it for them on Elimination Saturday.

There are six games this weekend between CFP-ranked teams. If nothing else, Saturday at Spartan Stadium is a validation of the winner -- if not the conference. No. 13 Nebraska and No. 25 Wisconsin are the other ranked Big Ten teams in the CFP poll.

After Saturday, 12 games combined games remain among Wisconsin, Nebraska, Michigan State and Ohio State. Only one is between currently ranked teams -- No. 13 Nebraska at No. 25 Wisconsin at Nov. 15.

"Win, lose, whatever, we are not going to become an entitled team ...," Dantonio said. "What I don't want to happen to our football team is for it to get soft -- soft in terms of physically or mentally. Or because, 'I'm here I should be granted certain things that weren't accepted before.'"

That's the beauty of Saturday. Both coaches admit the game is about something greater. Urban Meyer has brought an SEC recruiting ethic to the Big Ten. Dantonio has spent eight years inexorably carving out an old-school program that, he believes, has supporters on the CFP selection committee itself.

That would be Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez and former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne.

"I think they do [respect us], both those coaches," Dantonio said. "[They] are guys who are meticulous coaches. ... I think coaches respect guys playing hard. They respect execution. They respect the toughness, handle adversity."

With 12 one-loss Power 5 teams left, parsing the playoff participants has become a weekly battle of half-wits. None of it really matters until Dec. 7.

For now, the best thing to be said about the Spartans that day in Eugene is they didn't embarrass themselves -- or the conference.

Since Oregon, the Spartans have won six in a row by an average of 28.8 points. The Spartan Dawgs defense (No. 5 nationally) is a given. The offense is one of the most balanced in the country (2,039 yards rushing, 2,083 passing).

"I haven't seen a complete game yet this year," Hollis said. "In the end if we're fortunate enough to win on Saturday I think the committee has to take [a look].

"If you win a conference championship on top of it, you're looking at a Big Ten champion. Their only loss is in that type of environment."

The value of a Big Ten championship has been diminished in some critics' eyes. The league hasn't won a national title since 2002 and hasn't played for one since 2007. Yes, you might say, neither has anyone else with the SEC winning seven of the past eight titles.

But the Big Ten does face an ongoing image problem. That day of Michigan State's only loss, Ohio State lost at home to Virginia Tech. The league laid a giant goose egg that day, going 0-3 against Power 5 conferences.

There is an artificial playoff ceiling for the Spartans. The top five in the CFP poll -- Mississippi State, Florida State, Auburn, Oregon, Alabama -- all control their own destiny. Any combination of those four winning out probably means they're in.

No. 3 Auburn and No. 7 Kansas State are also high on the "best loss" list with Michigan State. The Tigers lost to then-No. 3 (now No. 1 in CFP) Mississippi State on Oct. 11. K-State lost to then-No. 5 Auburn 20-14 on Sept. 18.

Auburn-Mississippi State was a conference game. Credit K-State, Auburn, Oregon and Michigan State for challenging themselves out of conference.

"The good thing about the Oregon game was that I felt like we could compete with them," Dantonio said. "We came back and were ahead by nine points and just didn't finish.

"That was the second game of the season. I think we're playing better now."

If Saturday isn't a good enough show, there is an ongoing narrative. Oregon comes here for the return game in 2015.

Who knows -- one way or another -- the defending national champion may be on display.

Sometimes you don't know until you (aggressively) schedule.

"You're always," Hollis said, "chasing excellence."

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