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Joe Tuohey is one of the small army of people that make SBNation blog The Only Colors go. I answered his questions and admitted my general disdain for basketball season right here. Go read them. Our discussion went as follows. Scroll down a bit if you'd like to just get to the football
Kyle Robbins: Okay, Joe. First question. Do you own a spittoon? Somewhere, in my parents basement back home, is some spittoon that's been willed down for some reason. I think we use if for coins or something. Or at least they did before they kicked me out some number of years ago. SEE I AM NOT A BLOGGER THAT LIVES IN MY PARENTS' BASEMENT I AM A REAL NORMAL PERSON I SWEAR.
Robbins: No, Joe, no. It does not count. But anway. Let's talk about the important things. Rich Homie Quan. Rank these songs without any explanation: Type of Way, Cash Money, Flex, Walk Thru, Man of the Year, WWYD.
Robbins: Okay, okay football. So. It's a week later. Y'all come down from that punt yet? Because this seems like a trap game. I would like for it to be a trap game.
Robbins: Okay, outside of that -- I'm completely unsure of what to make of y'all. Probably because I haven't watched you much. You beat Oregon soundly, but that's looking less impressive by the week. You beat Michigan, who computers love. Narduzzi's gone. Seems like the secondary is a struggle. But yet Connor Cook's another year older and more mature. Is your football team good Joe? Or are they good?
Tuohey: If "beating Oregon soundly" means winning by a field goal and needing a stop on the final drive of the game, then we haven't had a close game all year!
Robbins: Thank you for demonstrating to our readership how little preparation I do before these interviews. Here's another question indicative of that: give Hoosier fans a name to know tomorrow that they haven't heard of but will need to watch out for -- a gamebreaker, x-factor, one of those footbally terms, etc.
Tuohey: I'm going with two: Grayson Miller and Khari Willis, who will form the starting safety tandem. Here's the thing: they are true freshmen. The season-ending injuries to two starters - CB Vayante Copeland and S R.J. Williamson - as well as the sudden drop-off from S Montae Nicholson, have forced these two into huge roles. Against an Indiana team that can whip the ball around, they will be tested.
Robbins: Okay. I'd ask for your biggest weakness -- but I know you're going to say special teams. Are they really that bad?
Tuohey: Oh boy. Yes. They are terrible. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong: allowing punt & kick return touchdowns, bad long snapping, poor placekicking, our backup QB playing punter (poorly, and not only for trick play reasons), and an inexplicable drop-off from our kickoff specialist. The advanced stats put MSU at 124th out of 128 teams on special teams, and that sounds about right. Before the Michigan game, MSU had 1 punt return in 6 games for a total of one yard. It has been atrocious in every way, except for the glorious, glorious final play last week.
Robbins: Give me a winner. Are you concerned? Are you nervous? Do the INDIANA FIGHTIN' HOOSIERS make you lose sleep on a friday night?
Tuohey: My prediction is MSU 48 - IU 28. Your Hoosiers will be able to move the ball a fair bit, but Connor Cook and the MSU offense will be too much for the IU defense to handle. I would say I'm concerned but not nervous or sleep-deprived; Mark Dantonio has my full faith, but the special teams issues and safety inexperience make me wonder if this game will be closer than it might be otherwise.