Capital One lock: ESPN says 'Dogs

EAST LANSING - Last week during ESPN's "Bowl Mania" special, former Florida quarterback-turned-college football analyst Jesse Palmer said his biggest lock this season is Georgia over Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl.

Palmer said the Bulldogs will defeat the Spartans handily.

"Well, I see them. It's hard not to see them; it's all over the place," coach Mark Dantonio said when asked if he knew about the prediction. "But I think that gives you a little more motivation as a person. They say everyone loves the underdog, so they may be picking them, but they will be rooting for us."

But being an underdog is nothing new for the Spartans or any Big Ten team in recent bowl games.

Last year, MSU was a decided underdog in the Champs Sports Bowl to a Boston College team that was ranked as high as No. 2 at one point during the year.

Coincidentally, the Big Ten representative was picked as the biggest lock to lose in last year's Capital One Bowl.

Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow was expected to lead the Florida Gators to a blowout victory over Michigan.

U-M won 41-35.

The Spartans know that few people are picking them to upset the No. 16 Bulldogs.

"Most of us probably listen to it, I know I do. But that is just more motivation for us to prove to everyone that we can go out and beat this team," said sophomore linebacker Eric Gordon. "When someone tells someone else that they can't do something, that just gives you that much more motivation to go out and prove everyone wrong."

One member of the MSU staff had not heard about Palmer's projection.

Defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi's first time hearing about it was during Tuesday's MSU bowl media day.

"Those guys are the pros, they know what they are doing I guess," Narduzzi said with a smile.

But when asked what he was doing instead of watching the ESPN special, Narduzzi said that when you live with four children, the only thing on television this time of the year are holiday specials on the Fox Family Channel.

DEPTH NOTES: After starting as the kick returner against Penn State, freshman running back Glenn Winston is not listed among the four kick returners on the depth chart that was released on Tuesday.

Running backs A.J. Jimmerson and Ashton Leggett are listed as the starting kick returners, with safety Otis Wiley and wide receiver Keshawn Martin as the backups.

Blair White is also listed above Mark Dell as a starting wide receiver. Dell has been battling injury problems for much of the latter part of the season, but is usually listed as an "or" starter with White.

B.J. Cunningham is listed as the starter on the opposite side.

TREADWELL TIGHT- LIPPED: MSU offensive coordinator Don Treadwell has been mentioned as a possible candidate for various head coaching positions, including his alma mater Miami (Ohio).

When asked on Tuesday if he had talked to any other schools, Treadwell said, "my rule on that is I'm just concentrating on what we're doing. I wouldn't talk about anything (like that)."

BANQUET IS THURS- DAY: The annual football banquet is 4:30 p.m. Thursday at the Holiday Inn South.

TICKETS GO QUICKLY: More 10,000 of the 12,000 tickets allotted to Michigan State have been sold for the Capital One Bowl. Remaining tickets can be purchased at (800) GO-STATE or www.msuspartans.com.

Contact Andrew Mouranie at 377-1070.