The USC Trojans are on the verge of joining the Big Ten, a fact that will be confirmed this week at Big Ten Media Days. Michigan State will become a conference neighbor of USC. If we were asked what the greatest moment was for Michigan State, it would be difficult to choose the ultimate Spartan football memory.
First things first, the most famous moment in Michigan State history is easy to find. The 10-10 tie against Notre Dame in 1966 is by far the most talked about and written about event in the annals of MSU football. Still, this was not a happy moment for the Spartans or their fans. Notre Dame played conservatively, knowing that a tie would give the Irish the national championship. Michigan State did not lose a single game that season and finished second, but the game against Notre Dame was not the happiest moment of that season – quite the opposite.
Although Michigan State won the national title in the 1965 season, the championship lost some of its luster when the Spartans suffered a surprise loss to UCLA in the 1966 Rose Bowl.
Michigan State defeated USC in the 1988 Rose Bowl, but that wasn’t one of MSU’s best teams. The 1965 and 1966 teams are generally considered the best teams of all time.
The 2013 MSU team won the Big Ten title and the Rose Bowl, which were special moments for the program. The 2015 team made the College Football Playoffs, but was crushed 38-0 by Alabama in the semifinals of the Cotton Bowl.
Michigan State’s greatest football moment may be less a single episode than a series of years. Michigan State went undefeated in 1951 and 1952 under coach Biggie Munn. In 1952, the Spartans won their first national championship, but they were not allowed to play in the Rose Bowl that year because they were not yet in the Big Ten—that didn’t happen until 1953. In 1953, Michigan State earned a berth in the Rose Bowl and won its first Granddaddy.
From 1950 to 1955, Michigan State didn’t lose more than one game in five of those six seasons. MSU had two undefeated, tied seasons, a national title and two Rose Bowl wins. The 1951-53 streak brought the undefeated seasons, the first national title and a Rose Bowl win. Pick your moment from those seasons.
Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.
For more NFL Draft coverage, visit the USA TODAY Sports NFL Draft Hub.
