Just how serious is Michigan State about ending a 20-plus year Rose Bowl drought? With Big Ten play beginning on Saturday, the Spartans added some new paraphernalia to their locker room as a reminder of what their ultimate goal is.
↵↵↵Players mentioned Tuesday that a carpet with the Rose Bowl insignia was now in their locker room, and laminated posters with the symbol appeared on windows and doors to various rooms in the building.
↵The accompanying phrase? "The Battle for the Rose Begins."
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The purpose of the constant reminders of the Rose Bowl is to make sure the players don't forget what Big Ten play is all about. I'm sure most wouldn't anyway, but it's a little extra motivation to walk into your locker room and be bombarded with a bunch of Rose Bowl logos and posters. Some days it can be tough to stay motivated, but MSU coaches hope the reminders of the Rose Bowl will change that.
↵And besides, when you haven't been to a Rose bowl since Jan. 1, 1988, why not try everything you can to end the drought? I'm sure some will argue that the Spartans should be focused on getting to the BCS national title game rather than just the Rose Bowl, but it's all about baby steps, people. While you never say never, right now the Rose Bowl is a far more realistic landing spot for the Spartans, so I personally don't see the harm in focusing on getting to "The Granddaddy of Them All."