Cleaves rejoined the Spartans' lineup on January 5, 2000, and helped the Spartans defeat Penn State and Iowa. The Spartans, led by Cleaves, upset No. 9 Indiana before falling to No. 7 Ohio State on the road in their first Big Ten game. MSU's 21-game conference winning streak, which dated back to 1999, came to an end with the defeat.
Michigan State's first conference win came at home against Wisconsin. They would go on to beat Northwestern, Purdue, and Illinois to finish the season 12-1 in Big Ten play for second place behind Ohio State who won the title after beating Maryland in the final game of the year.
MSU lost their first game at Camp Randall Stadium to Ohio State 27-14 in double overtime. The loss ended the Spartans' 2012 season and caused them to fall to #4 in the next week's AP Poll.
In 2013, Michigan State returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995. They were given a number one seed and hosted Virginia in the first round. The Spartans fell short in their bid as they were defeated 59-54 by the Cavaliers.
In 2014, Michigan State finished with a 13-5 record in Big Ten play and earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year. They were given a number three seed and traveled to Columbia, Missouri where they faced off against ninth-seeded Butler in the first round.
1953 In 1953, Michigan State's first year in the Big Ten, the Spartans shared the conference title with Illinois and advanced to the Rose Bowl, where they defeated UCLA, 28-20. Purdue defeated the Spartans 6-0 on October 24, 1953, breaking Munn's 28-game winning run.
1992 In 1992, Michigan State played in its second Rose Bowl. The game was a 38-24 victory over Florida State.
2007 With their first win over Penn State since 1947, Michigan State earned a spot in the 2007 Rose Bowl against Oklahoma. The game was a 56-27 victory for Michigan State.
2008 In 2008, Michigan State defeated USC 31-14 in the 2008 Rose Bowl. This was the first time in school history that Michigan State reached the Rose Bowl twice in three years.
2011 In 2011, Michigan State defeated Oregon 42-35 in the 2011 Rose Bowl. This was the Spartans' third trip to the Rose Bowl in four years.
2012 In 2012, Michigan State defeated Stanford 34-28 in the 2012 Rose Bowl. This was the Spartans' fourth trip to the Rose Bowl in five years.
2013 In 2013, Michigan State lost to Oregon 43-39 in the 2013 Rose Bowl.
The Maroons defeated Alabama 14-0 in Tuscaloosa in September to capture the school's lone SEC football championship. Despite Mississippi State's head-to-head victory and conference championship, as well as Alabama finishing #20 in the final AP Poll, Alabama wins the national championship this season. The Crimson Tide defeated MSU 19-14 in Jackson for the title.
In 1992, John Shoop led Mississippi State to its first undefeated regular season (11-0) and first No. 1 ranking. The Maroons finished the year ranked #1 by both the AP and Coaches' polls after defeating Florida 32-13 in the Sugar Bowl.
Shula had a successful run with the Dolphins from 1993-95, winning two Super Bowls during that time. But he also lost 17 games during his tenure, including playoffs. After three seasons without a playoff berth, the Dolphins made the postseason again in 1997. They went on to lose all four games they played that year: three straight NFC Championship defeats to Brett Favre and Green Bay; and one game against New England in which Miami trailed 21-3 before scoring 24 unanswered points to make it close.
Shula was fired at the end of the season and replaced by Dave Wannstedt. He led the team to an 8-5 record his first year but was fired himself after posting a 6-18 record over the next two years.
Daugherty's Michigan State teams were consistently excellent from 1956 through 1964, finishing second in the Big Ten three times but never winning the conference title. The Spartans, on the other hand, defeated Notre Dame eight times in a row between 1955 and 1963, a record only matched by Michigan (1887-1908) and USC (2002-2009).
Daugherty built a strong program at Michigan State after World War II by taking many of his coaches with him when he left for South Bend. Among others, Daugherty hired Bernie Crimi who had been the head coach at North Carolina until he was fired after going 7-3-1 in 1944. Under Crimi, the Spartans went 9-1-1 in 1945 before falling to Notre Dame in South Bend by a score of 14-6. In 1946, Michigan State returned to South Bend and beat the Irish again by a score of 28-7.
After his first season at South Bend, the new president of Michigan State University ordered the football team disbanded because they weren't competitive enough to be worth the expense. When the order wasn't heeded, he sold the team to a group of businessmen from Detroit who decided to keep the program alive. The Lions played their first game on November 30, 1947, and ended up finishing 4-5-1 that season.
In 1948, the Lions went 8-0-1 and won the Midwest Conference title before losing to Pittsburgh in the championship game.
Last season, the Buckeyes earned their fourth straight league championship. Last season, Ohio State won its fourth consecutive Big Ten Championship Game, and the players now wear rings to commemorate the accomplishment. This year's game will be played on Dec. 3 in Indianapolis.
Ohio State is coming off a 10-3 record that included its second straight win over Michigan in the Big Ten Football Championship. The Buckeyes are ranked No. 2 in both polls this week behind Alabama. They are one of four remaining undefeated teams left in college football.
Ohio State plays in the prestigious National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). There are only 11 other programs in the entire country with a chance at a national title. Those 11 programs plus Ohio State will play in the 2015 NCAA Football Championship Game on Jan. 9 in Atlanta.
The winner of the Big Ten Championship Game will travel to Indianapolis to face off against No. 1 Alabama in what should be an intense matchup between two top-10 teams. The game will be broadcast on CBS with Jim Nantz and Phil Simms calling the action.
Both Ohio State and Alabama are unbeaten and appear ready for a championship showdown. The winner will not only take home a ring but also go into the 2015 NFL Draft with plenty of momentum ahead of them.
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