LSJ Blogs: Hey, Joe

Last-minute thoughts

First of all, Happy New Year.

MSU basketball: Wow

From a sports bar here in Orlando, I just watched the Spartans take apart the Gophers in the Barn. Did not see that coming.

Quarterbacks, fanatics and a live chat

Bowl press conferences rarely generate anything other than the same, predictable questions that have already been asked of each player 48 times, but Tuesday's got funny when Georgia's Matthew Stafford was reminded that an early jump to the NFL might mean a sentence -- er, spot -- with the Detroit Lions.

A welcome break

Michigan State cranked it up right from the first Orlando practice on Friday, with Mark Dantonio ordering some dreaded "half gassers" -- the width of the football field and back -- to test his team's conditioning.

Delvon Roe update

A quick blog hijacking here by Chris Solari from men's basketball practice back in East Lansing -- freshman Delvon Roe did not practice the last two days since injuring his ankle during the Spartans' win Saturday over Oakland.

Coach Tom Izzo said Roe is questionable as of today for Wednesday's Big Ten opener at Minnesota and would be considered doubtful if the forward can't practice Tuesday. Roe said the injury isn't as bad as it looked and that he'll try and test it tomorrow.

Check Tuesday's LSJ for more. We now return you to Joe Rexrode in Orlando.

Flexing, putting and props to John L.

The most interesting sight of Sunday in Orlando came at Disney's mini golf course, when the Spartans got off their buses and walked past the waiting Bulldogs. No speaking. Very little eye contact. Some flexing and tension. "Glaring eyes," as MSU's Brandon Long put it.

O-line seeks O-town revival

And Georgia's defensive line has some pride to gain back as well.....

Dantonio's new deal

Mark Dantonio is now in the upper echelon of Big Ten coaches in terms of total compensation -- he's up from $1.1 million a year to $1.8 million a year, according to a deal that was announced Friday. That lifts him from eighth to fourth in the league according to published reports, behind only Jim Tressel ($3.5 million a year), Kirk Ferentz ($3.4 million) and Rich Rodriguez ($2.5 million).

   

Grades in order for MSU

Hope everyone is having a great holiday season and not packing on roughly 10 pounds like I've done in the past three days. Now that we're less than a week from the big game, here's a story from our Christmas print edition about MSU's academic standing after fall semester.

Legal update

Glenn Winston and Mitchell White were arraigned Tuesday, and both have pretrial hearings on Jan. 14.