EAST LANSING — Mark Dantonio built his Michigan State football empire on one thing.
Even in the toughest of his first 12 seasons, the Spartans remained competitive in their annual rivalry game, responding to Dantonio’s demands to “measure up” to the Wolverines.
Then came the long stretch in which beating U-M became regular, almost a secondary goal. Big Ten championships and playing for a national title became realistic annual goals for MSU for the first time in 50 years. Dantonio produced three league titles and a College Football Playoff appearance between 2010-15.
Now, the Spartans are back to the beginning.