If there's one characteristic that's defined the Michigan State program under Mark Dantonio, it's the ever-present chip that sits on the Spartans' shoulders.
That much was clear at Big Ten media days in late July, when despite coming off a second consecutive top-five finish, Michigan State found itself a distant third behind defending national champion Ohio State and Jim Harbaugh's Michigan when it came to commanding attention.
"It doesn't really matter to us," center Jack Allen said. "We get to play them."
But when the Spartans do get their shots at the Wolverines and Buckeyes later this fall, they'll no longer be able to rely on the role of underdog. Because following Michigan State's 31-28 win over Oregon on Saturday, the Spartans are now the hunted.
It wasn't necessarily a program-defining win so much as it was another monumental one in a series for Michigan State, which has won two major bowl games and a conference championship in the past two years but has suffered untimely losses in the regular season.
One of those defeats came against the Ducks a year ago, with the Spartans blowing a second-half lead to the team that would go on to play in the national title game.
Michigan State exorcised those demons and then some, holding the high-powered Oregon offense to just 28 points and a crucial 4-of-13 success rate on third downs. However, Dantonio claimed his team's win in its rematch with its Pac-12 foe wasn't about avenging last season's defeat.
"It didn't really have anything to do with last year," Dantonio told ESPN sideline reporter Heather Cox. "We just wanted to play, play hard and finish. And that's the bottom line."
And for these Spartans, Dantonio's forward-thinking approach is the right one. Because while last year's loss may have put an early dent in Michigan State's playoff hopes, the Spartans now find themselves on a collision course with the only other team to beat them in 2014, Ohio State.
And if Michigan State can walk away from Columbus with a win, a berth in this year's College Football Playoff could be all but a foregone conclusion.
A lot can change between now and this year's rematch between the Spartans and Buckeyes, which won't take place until Nov. 21. But in the eight games left on Michigan State's schedule until its trip to The Horseshoe, the Spartans should be favored in every contest, including a pair of road matchups against Michigan (Oct. 17) and Nebraska (Nov. 7).
Similarly for Ohio State, the road to a 10-0 record heading into the second-to-last week of the regular season appears clear. If both teams hold up their ends of the bargain, the Big Ten battle between the Spartans and Buckeyes could feature the nation's top two teams.
But even if one or both teams incur hiccups before crossing paths, there remains a high likelihood their meeting will play a key role in determining which will represent the Big Ten East in the conference championship game. One or fewer losses and a league title should be enough for the Big Ten champ to make this year's playoff, just as Ohio State did a season ago despite suffering an early-season defeat to Virginia Tech.
Just two weeks in, there's no shortage of time left in this young season to project schedules and promote hypothetical matchups. But following the Spartans' win, this much is true in East Lansing: Michigan State currently remains in control of its playoff hopes, having aced one of the two toughest tests on its 2015 schedule.
More than that, the fifth-ranked Spartans looked the part of one of the country's top four teams, with senior quarterback Connor Cook throwing for two touchdowns and freshman running back LJ Scott (76 yards, two touchdowns) emerging as a reliable weapon on the ground.
MSU's defense surrendered 432 yards to No. 7 Oregon's fast-paced offense, but it came up with crucial stops when necessary, including a sack that forced the Ducks out of field-goal range on a would-be game-tying drive late in the fourth quarter.
With their performance, the Spartans may have even bought themselves the benefit of the doubt should their lone loss this year come against the defending national champs. It'd be hard to imagine a conference getting two teams into the playoff, but some precedents remain unset heading into just the second year of the new postseason format.
The Spartans should have plenty on the line when their November date rolls around—even if it requires developing a new identity between now and then. Because after Saturday's win, the role of underdog simply no longer fits Dantonio's squad.
Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten lead writer. You can follow him on Twitter, @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand.
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