Piscataway, N.J. — It didn’t clinch a championship.
It didn’t mean a trip to Indianapolis for the Big Ten title game.
It didn’t mean the likelihood of a premier bowl game.
Michigan State’s 27-0 victory over Rutgers on Saturday likely drew a collective shrug from the rest of the Big Ten, and why not? The Spartans long ago bowed out of any sort of championship race with five straight losses, while Rutgers has continued to be the elixir for every team in the conference that has needed a little pick-me-up.