On a gray and rainy October day not two years ago, Michigan State outlasted Michigan, 37-33, in front of a wild Spartan Stadium crown. It moved the Spartans to 8-0 on the season and coach Mel Tucker to 2-0 as their coach against their bitter rival.
MSU would soon soar to No. 3 in the national rankings and Tucker would soon receive a massive 10-year, $95 million contract, in part out of fear that LSU or someone else would come steal a Spartan coaching savant the way they once did with Nick Saban.
Tucker had it made.