When the State of Michigan coach Mark Dantonio suffered a mild heart attack in September, Nick Saban called his former assistant to wish him a speedy recovery.
The friends will face for the first time when the Spartan No.7 take 15th rank Alabama in the Bowl a capital in Orlando, Florida, on the day of the year.
Dantonio served as assistant to Saban at Michigan State from 1995 to 1999 until what Saban left for the LSU, and they remained close in course of the years. Dantonio said his time as an assistant gave him the opportunity to coach the Spartans and assigns Saban to make it part of the program of the State of Michigan.
"Coach Saban really was probably my biggest mentor as a coach," said Dantonio. "When I had the opportunity to come here - and probably here now sitting as a ball football head coach thanks to him bring me here - I'm very, very grateful for this and all the time, I spent five years with him."
Saban 0-3 in Michigan State Bowl games, and he resigned before Citrus Bowl victory team after guiding the Spartans to a record 9 - 2, in its last season. Assistant Alabama current Bobby Williams, who succeeded Saban as head coach led Michigan State to a victory against Florida 37 - 34.
"(Dantonio) has done a wonderful job with his team and what they have done this year, and how he built the program back to national fame", said Saban. "I am not ever really competition against my friends, but it is an excellent opportunity to join our team."
A part of its first 20 years Conference Championship and a school for wins record did not help at Michigan State (11-1) earn first invitation BCS program, finishing behind champions colleagues Big Ten Ohio State and Wisconsin.
The Spartan feel a confrontation with the preseason No. 1 and national champion 2009 Crimson Tide will be a good stick measures to determine whether they were worthy of competition at this level.
"They are a football team that lost two of his three matches by four points total," said Dantonio. "When we look at the type BCS teams and teams have played us so is the opportunity to go to a BCS (game), I don't think we could have picked a better team than Alabama."
Confrontation, however, does not seem to favour the Spartans on paper.
The Crimson Tide (9-3) led the SEC renounce 14.1 points and disorders: 296.0 yards per game. Also forced Alabama 21 intercepts, and Kirk Cousins the State of Michigan has five of them thrown in his last four games.
Running back Edwin Baker ranked third in the Big Ten with 1,187 yards, but rush defense allowed Crimson Tide 33.9 per game.
"We believe, that we are not in a Bowl BCS, what we're playing in a game type BCS due to the quality of the season we have established and the quality of the season that Alabama to establish," said cousins. "We are as a type BCS bowl game.
Spartan senior linebacker Greg Jones is the only stars of first team-AP on a team and is the solitary repeat winners 2009 member. Jones led the plated team 98 and attempt to delay a violation of Alabama average 435.6 yards. Michigan State ranked third in the Big Ten in total defense, renounce 337.8 yards per game.
"We are really excited by the challenge that we have in front of us, especially in defence," said Jones. "I think we can actually improve and be one of top page defenses in the country."
Alabama will deal with the receiver and the second team-only Julio Jones, which establishes the school with 75 receptions and 1,084 yards this season records. Jones made seven touchdown passes Greg McElroy 19.
However, winner of the Heisman trophy last season Mark Ingram, who missed two games due to injury, was held to less than 100 yards in eight straight competition after this mark nine times in 2009.
The Crimson Tide tied for first in the SEC with a minimum of turnover (14) and may need to continue this trend against the Spartans.
"Defensive manner they are the first 25 in many categories to the things that really matter and which have a grand inside linebacker Greg Jones, said Saban." They are just a multiple team really good, well monitored, and when you play with teams like you have to play with the discipline and that he cannot do a lot of errors because they will be difficult to overcome. »
State of Michigan has lost its last four Bowl games, while Alabama alternated WINS and losses in his last eight.
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