Bret Bielema’s “Welcome to the Big Ten” moment came during the league’s annual luncheon before the 2006 season.
The Wisconsin coach shared a stage with his former boss, Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz, and Penn State’s Joe Paterno.
“When I was a little kid, we had one TV in the house,” recalled Bielema, who grew up in Prophetstown, Ill. “On Saturday afternoons we’d watch Penn State. And then to be standing next to him … “
Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio is a rookie Big Ten coach, but it’s hard to envision him being in awe around his colleagues. Dantonio already has worked under two industry giants, Jim Tressel and Nick Saban. And he was a Spartans assistant from 1995 to 2000.
“A tremendous advantage,” Dantonio called it. “We played in the rival games, had been in the different stadiums, knew a lot of people here at the university. I knew my way around, obviously.”
It shows. The Spartans are 4-0 heading into Saturday’s game at Wisconsin, and that’s impressive. But what does it really mean?
The 2005 Spartans started 4-0 and ended up 5-6. Last year’s team would have started 4-0 if it hadn’t blown a 16-point fourth-quarter lead to Notre Dame. The Sparties finished 4-8, and coach John L. Smith was finished.
So Michigan State and Dantonio still have a ton to prove. And they will have to do it against a Wisconsin team that’s due for a prime performance after three straight duds.
I envision a classic, bruising Big Ten game — and a comfortable Wisconsin victory. Call it 23-10.
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tgreenstein@tribune.com
