LSJ Blogs: Hey, Joe

A Big Ten sequel?

So Minnesota drubs UNC at a neutral site and loses to UVA at home. The Gophers' upset loss puts the Big Ten in a tight spot as it tries to win a second straight Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Big Ten awards: Dantonio is Coach of the Year

Mark Dantonio is the Big Ten Coach of the Year. Greg Jones and Dan Conroy first team All-Big Ten according to coaches and media. Edwin Baker first team media. Aaron Bates first team media and second team coaches.

Dantonio: The lone dissenter

Very interesting stuff today from Mark Dantonio, who revealed that -- long before it kept his team from the Rose Bowl -- he voted against switching to BCS rankings as the third multi-team tiebreaker after head to head and overall record. In 2008 and earlier, MSU would be Pasadena-bound.

Sunday night ketchup

No surprise in the BCS rankings. MSU still trails Ohio State and Rose Bowl-bound Wisconsin. I wouldn't advise anyone to reserve a flight to Orlando just yet, but a price check might not be a bad idea.

Top Ten Things to Take Away from Beaver Stadium

1. Michigan State is the first 11-win team in school history and the last "traditional" Big Ten champion, with divisions and a title game coming next season. This was the year the Spartans needed to get it done, and they did it.

Greet the Big Ten champions

For those in the Lansing area, the MSU football team will be at Breslin Center later for a 7:30 p.m. rally. The public is welcome.

Quick Nix update

Derrick Nix is back with MSU and will be available for Sunday's game, MSU just announced, after he met with coaches and teammates. Now back to football.

Hello from Beaver Stadium

The winds are whipping down there, on the field where MSU will try to overcome recent history and win a championship. The forecast is calling for gusts up to 29 mph and a wind chill of 20, but I swear I got hit with a 45er heading into the press box. Passing the ball downfield could be tricky today, putting even more of an emphasis on each team's rushing attack.

Let's talk Penn State

And there's no one better to talk Penn State than columnist David Jones of the Harrisburg Patriot-News.

A big win -- ankles, knees, tweets and turnovers be darned

What do you want to know first, before I fly back with the Spartans? Kalin Lucas' knee? He said it's fine, Washington's Matt Bryan-Amaning fell on it hard, but Lucas expects to play Sunday. He said after the game that it did hurt some. Anyone questioning Lucas' toughness right now, by the way?