1. Appling: Since returning from his injury, Keith has only scored three points total in the last two games. It has been apparent that his shot has been off, but Appling has only attempted three shots in the last two games combined. Watching him play over the years it has been obvious that Keith really relies on confidence in relation to his shot selection. Not being able to practice fully has truly had an impact on the Spartan point guard. With that being said, I expect to see more of the Appling we saw prior to the injury in potentially his last game against the Wolverines. Appling has been able to practice much more since the injury and the confidence he has gained through that practice should be showcased on Sunday. One important note on Keith is that he has retained his passing ability despite his shooting struggles and his 9 assists last game tend to back that up. If Keith can score near his season average of 13.9, the Spartans should leave Ann Arbor with sole possession of first place in the B1G.

2. The Big Men: Michigan lost Mitch McGary to season ending surgery, but in his absence Jon Horford and Jordan Morgan have really stepped up their game to fill the hole left behind by Mitch. Horford has nearly doubled his career points per game this year, while playing nearly 6 more minutes per game than he did a year ago. Morgan on the other hand, has seen 2 more minutes per game this year, but has increased his blocks per game significantly. Unfortunately for Michigan, Horford and Morgan combined barely grab the amount of rebounds a health McGary would pull down. For the Spartans, Adreian Payne’s return from injury has been huge. Since returning, Payne has averaged 18 points per game, while grabbing 6.8 rebounds per game. In other words, he has been a pro. With the absence of Dawson for this game, Payne must grab quite a few rebounds. If he is able to play the way he has been, the combination of him and Costello should be a big advantage for the Spartans in the paint.

3. Derrick Walton Jr.: Sure, many of you are saying: What about Gary Harris or Nik Stauskas? Those two should be able to get their points. But for Michigan, Walton Jr. was the x-factor in the first meeting between these teams. In the first meeting, Walton Jr. scored his career high in points (19) and was clutch at the free throw line, making 9 of his 10 attempts. If the Spartans want to win this game, they cannot allow Derrick to have the kind of game he did last time. He has really struggled over his last 4 games, only averaging 6.5 points per game. He will have to get out of that funk if the Wolverines hope to sweep the Spartans this year. 

Stanford (11-2, 7-2 Pac-12) at Michigan State (12-1, 8-0 B1G) (1:30 p.m. ET, on BTN)

Line: Stanford -7 (Bovada)

Last Meeting: 1996 (Stanford 38-0)

3 Players to Watch:

1) Connor Cook (QB, MSU):Somehow he did it; Connor Cook has brought the Spartans to the Promised Land. If I had told you in the beginning of the season the Connor had what it took to be an All-B1G performer or that he could quarterback a 12-1 team, you would laugh at me. Heck, I would laugh at me. I have been one of his biggest critics throughout the season, but the kid stepped up and has become exactly what MSU needs at the quarterback position. His 20 touchdowns compared to only 5 interceptions can tell you everything you need to know about Connor. He has been smart with his passes for the most part, but even when he makes a dumb throw he has been fortunate the majority of the time that the ball has not been picked off. In the B1G Championship game Connor was able to show how he has matured over this season. He completed 24 of 40 attempts for 304 yards and 3 touchdowns with one interception. If Cook can have similar or even come close to the numbers he had against Ohio State, the Spartans win this game and there is no doubt about it in my mind. The Cardinals give up 247.8 yards per game through the air, and have picked off 12 passes and allowed 20 touchdowns. If they have a weakness, it is against the pass.

2) Tyler Gaffney (HB, Stanford):The senior has had a MONSTER year. Gaffney has 1618 yards on the ground while adding 20 touchdowns and one receiving touchdown as well. The Cardinals will try to run the ball right up the middle and Ohio State seemed to have success with that against the Spartans in the B1G Championship game with Carlos Hyde. Stanford Center Khalil Wilkes was quoted this week saying that he feels “pretty confident (that Stanford’s running game will) mow (Michigan State) down.” Big words from a pretty big man. Like the MSU defense needed any more bulletin material. But maybe he will be right? Can the middle of the Spartan defensive line slow the Cardinals potent rushing attack? This will be a very important thing to watch for. If the Spartans can slow down the Cardinal’s rushing attack, they will have a great chance at leaving Pasadena as the 2014 Rose Bowl Champions. If they cannot, the Spartans will most likely lose this game.

3) Jeremy Langford (HB, MSU):Langford has had a MONSTER year of his own. He has 1338 yards on the ground while tacking on 17 touchdowns and one reception for a touchdown. Langford will face the best rushing defense he has seen all year against Stanford. The Cardinals are ranked 3^rd in the nation against the run, only giving up 91.2 yards per game. Jeremy on the other hand has had eight straight games of gaining 100 or more yards on the ground. One of these statistics will not hold up. Will Langford be able to break down the Cardinal defense late in the game as he has done against so many other teams or will Stanford stand strong the entire game? This match-up will be extremely important and like the other key players mentioned, Jeremy Langford could be a huge reason the Spartans win or lose this game.

Final Analysis:

Forget the analysis, I am going to express to you what this game means to me. I wasn’t even born the last time Michigan State made the Rose Bowl 26 years ago. Honestly, growing up I really looked forward to watching this game even though my Spartans would not be playing. I grew up watching USC dominate the Rose Bowl and the Big Ten. The one that stands out in my mind is the 2009 Rose Bowl where USC beat Penn State 38 to 24. Probably because of the hits Taylor Mays handed out to the PSU players. But at that moment I honestly could not imagine MSU in the “Grandaddy of Them All.”

Sure I had played with MSU in the Rose Bowl plenty of times in the NCAA video game franchise and was more than frustrated with the famous Rose Bowl Shadow. But the actual MSU football team in the Rose Bowl? I couldn’t even imagine it. But that all changed the day Mark Dantonio walked into his first presser with that ginormous ring on his finger. I knew this man came to change everything. I knew he was here to win. He wasn’t here to blame himself or slap himself in the face, he was here to win.

We were a running into the kicker penalty away from the Rose Bowl in 2011 and let me tell you: it really hurt. I was in Indianapolis staying with my cousin and planned to stay the weekend but after such a disappointing loss I had to drive home. I couldn’t take it and I am sure the team felt way worse than any of us did. But that loss helped the 2013 Spartans more than you could imagine. Knowing that disappointment, knowing that sadness has pushed this team to where we all dreamed they would end up. We are finally here, Spartans, we have finally made it. Enjoy this day; it has been 26 years in the waiting.

My pick: Michigan State 24, Stanford 20

A lot of fans and media personnel have been critical of Max Bullough and from the outside looking in, it isn't hard to blame them. But like some have mentioned, no one feels worse or more disappointed about the entire situation than Max himself. This is a player who has started for the past three years and really helped establish a core on which the Spartan staff was able to build off of and produce the team you see today.

The third-generation Spartan has been dreaming of a Rose Bowl appearance from the day he stepped onto campus and came one penalty away from reaching one in 2011. This season was Max’s last shot; his last opportunity to reach the Rose Bowl and he along with his teammates accomplished that goal. But now, for reasons only truly known by his coaches, teammates, the school and possibly the police, Max is and will not be in Pasadena for the 100^th Rose Bowl. I will not speculate on the reason but the reason does not matter. All that matters is the Spartan captain and leader of the defense will not be with his team.

He has been the “quarterback” of the defense for three years and has an amazing knack for recognizing offensive formations and the defensive audibles that would fit the given situation. Without him, many of the defensive audibles will most likely come from defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi himself. It looks like Darien Harris and Kyler Elsworth will both fill the void left in the middle by Bullough. Harris is a sophomore, while Elsworth is a senior who has really seemed to make an impact on special teams for the Spartan’s over the past few seasons. Both will probably play but look for the more impactful player to get the majority of the reps, it appears to be an “OR” situation on the depth chart for the Spartans.

1. Rebounding: Well rebounding is typically an aspect of the game that a Tom Izzo team would dominate in. Unfortunately, that has not been the case and the Spartans find themselves ranked 41^st in the country in rebounding, only grabbing close to 40 rebounds a game (39.8). The Longhorns on the other hand have dominated the boards and have been able to grab 44.5 boards a game, which ranks them 7^th in the country. Texas has a ton of length and has shown the ability to take over the rebounding game, as North Carolina learned when the two teams played this week. In the game the Longhorns outrebounded the Tar Heels 51-42 and won on the road. If they can do so at home against MSU, they will likely have beaten their second ranked opponent in so many games.

2. Branden Dawson v. Jonathan Holmes: Holmes has been great for the Longhorns and was a huge reason that they were able to beat North Carolina on the road. In the game he had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks. At 6’8” and weighing around 240lbs, Holmes has body talent, but also knows how to use his body. He can shoot the three as well, making him one of the more dangerous players the Spartans have seen thus far. On the season Holmes has averaged 13 points and 7 rebounds as well as nearly 2 blocks a game. I am speculating but I believe that Dawson will likely match-up with Jonathan, though Payne could see him at some point in the game. Dawson did not have a good game against UNC but has come back with two high-effort performances in wins vs. Oakland and North Florida. Dawson has been rebounding great all year but with his talent we will always expect more. Like Holmes, Dawson is very athletically and physically gifted. On the year he has averaged 10 points and 9 rebounds as well as a little more than 1 steal a game. Branden will need a big game and matching up against Holmes will be a real test, the winner of this individual match-up will go a long way in determining the winner of the game.

Minnesota (8-3)(4-3 B1G) at Michigan State (10-1)(7-0 B1G) (12:00 p.m. ET, on BTN)

Line: MSU -17 (Bovada)

Last Meeting: 2012: 23-20 Northwestern

3 Players to Watch:

1) Andrew Maxwell (QB, MSU):Andrew is not the starter and he might not even get a chance to see the field, but he certainly should. This is a kid who expected to be the starter but he just couldn’t seem to gel with the offense. Many other players in the same position would pout or make a big deal about losing their starting job, Andrew, on the other hand, took it with class and has tried to help the team in any way possible. As a fan of Michigan State or college football in general, you have to respect the way he has handled it. I hope to see Andrew get some snaps on senior day and I hope the crowd will give him the ovation he deserves. He may not have lived up to the expectations he came onto campus with, but he has proven to be a true Spartan and I feel that he should be recognized.

2) Ra’shede Hageman (DT, Minn.):At 6 foot 6 inches and weighing 311 pounds, Hageman is a load. He may be the best defensive player in the entire B1G and could be the first B1G player taken in the next NFL draft. Hageman is a beast and will test the Spartan’s offensive line all game. If Minnesota hopes to have any chance beating Michigan State, they will have to slow the Spartan run game and Ra’shede could be a huge factor in doing so. Regardless of how this game plays out, I would key on Hageman when the Spartans are on offense. He is a truly fun and talented player to watch on the field and one that probably hasn’t gotten enough recognition over the years.

Michigan State (9-1)(6-0 B1G) at Northwestern (4-6)(0-6 B1G) (12:00 p.m. ET, on ESPN)

Line: MSU -6.5 (Bovada)

Last Meeting: 2012: 23-20 Northwestern

3 Players to Watch:

1) Jeremy Langford (HB, MSU):Well Jeremy Langford has continued to flourish over the last few weeks at the running back position. Langford has over 100 yards rushing in each of his last 5 games and now has 13 touchdowns on the year. So far this season, every game that Langford gets 20 or more carries he has averaged 118 yards on the ground. I think that Mark Dantonio and co. have recognized that because Langford has been given at least 22 carries over the last 5 games. He has become an extremely important part of this offense and will need to continue to play well as the Spartans need one more win to clinch the Legends division. I think Jeremy will get his 20 carries, plus some, while he has a good day at Northwestern.

2) Kain Colter (QB/HB/WR, NU.):Well I am not sure what position I would consider Colter, but he is a playmaker and one the MSU defense needs to be aware of. Usually Kain will pass somewhere between 6-10 times per game and run anywhere from 8-20 times as well. Oh, he can also line up at wide receiver and catch the ball. His durability is impressive and his speed makes him dynamic. Against Michigan, Colter completed 4 passes for 26 yards and also ran 19 times for 78 yards and a touchdown. On the season he has 4 passing touchdowns and 6 rushing touchdowns. If Northwestern can pull the upset, its likely that Kain Colter had a big day. 

Michigan State (8-1)(5-0 B1G) at Nebraska (7-2)(4-1 B1G) (3:30 p.m. ET, on ABC)

Line: MSU -7 (Bovada)

Last Meeting: 2012: 28-24 Nebraska

3 Players to Watch:

1) Darqueze Dennard (CB, MSU):For those of you who read my article on Darqueze a year ago, you know how much the games against Nebraska mean to Dennard. You also know how highly I think of Dennard and what he has done for this Michigan State defense. This game is his. A year ago this game was taken from Dennard by way of a pass interference flag, a highly debatable flag at that. This is Darqueze’s final chance at revenge before he moves on to the NFL and I doubt there is a player on MSU that wants to win this game more than he does. How many times has Dennard been asked about his role in the Nebraska loss last year? Probably too many too count, but the Jim Thorpe Award Finalist will likely play a big role in giving the Spartans their first win against Nebraska, ever, if Michigan State can pull it off. Will a win require another 2 interception from Dennard? Who knows, but we know that Darqueze has the ability to take over a game as he has shown in the past