Men in the Mirror: Where Aggies' playoff rooting interests should lie

Would you break into a wild celebration if your cousin won the lottery?

Would you revel in his good fortune even though you would not share in it? Would you brag about his windfall even if it helped him land the beauty you were both pursuing?

Me neither.

That’s why I won’t root for Alabama to emerge from the four-team College Football Playoff with another national championship.

The Crimson Tide has already coaxed too many talented football prospects out of the state of Texas. So, you won’t ever see me among the sheep chanting “S-E-C, S-E-C” in response to an Alabama championship.

That does Texas A&M no good.

However, long-suffering and like-minded Aggies should have a specific rooting interest in the playoff.

Cheer for Michigan State.

That may go against your Southern heritage and your conference affiliation, but the Spartans are more like the Aggies than that playoff participant from your beloved SEC.

If Michigan State wins the national championship it just further proves that it can be done — and should be done — at Texas A&M.

Michigan State and A&M seem to have a lot in common.

Like A&M, Michigan State has had impressive periods of success, but its overall football history is somewhat modest. Since 1990 the Spartans have endured 17 seasons with seven wins or less. A&M has endured 10 in that span. Michigan State forfeited all its wins in 1994. A&M was on probation that year.

Like A&M, Michigan State is a land grant university that for too long was overshadowed by the “flagship” school in its state.

Of course, other land grant schools that have had to play in the shadows of an in-state power have won it all before. Auburn, for example, won the national championship in 2010.

But that Auburn team had a transcendent player — quarterback Cam Newton. Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook is good, but he’s not an all-time great … not even for Michigan State.

Aggies should be able to relate to Michigan State. Remember being called cockroaches by Texas’ John Hagy?

Michigan State was similarly insulted by Michigan running back Mike Hart. Hart referred to Michigan State as the “little brother” in a postgame press conference after the Wolverines rallied from behind to beat the Spartans in 2007.

“I thought it was funny. They got excited. It’s good,” Hart said. “Sometimes you get your little brother excited when you’re playing basketball and you let him get the lead. Then you come back and take it from him.”

Somebody should have reminded Hart (and Hagy) that Michael Corleone was Fredo’s little brother.

Michigan State has won seven of the last eight games against Michigan.

Michigan State now has much grander aspirations than merely beating Michigan. Under Mark Dantonio the Spartans have become a bona fide national power.

Michigan State has posted at least 11 victories in five of the past six seasons. The Spartans won the Big Ten championship in 2013. They won it again this year.

Don’t try to argue that A&M cannot be as successful because the Aggies are playing in the more challenging SEC. Michigan State is in the Big Ten East with Ohio State, which last year won the national championship and eliminated Alabama from the playoff along the way.

In fact, this season the Big Ten is stronger than the SEC. Five Big Ten teams were among the top 15 in the final College Football Playoff rankings. Two SEC teams were.

Michigan State also beat Oregon, which was in 15th in the rankings.

Michigan State has accomplished great things under Dantonio and doesn’t have near the advantages that Texas A&M has. When was the last time you heard anyone rave about the impressive facilities in East Lansing? Never.

Also, the state of Michigan doesn’t turn out nearly as many prospects as the state of Texas. For example, the state of Michigan produced just five four-star rated prospects and no five-star prospects in the 2015 recruiting class. Michigan State signed one of them.

By comparison, the state of Texas produced 44 five- and four-star rated prospects. A&M signed 10 of them.

Michigan State hasn’t signed a top-20 recruiting class since 2009. That class was ranked 17th. A&M recruits better than Michigan State. A&M has better facilities than Michigan State. A&M should be able to win like Michigan State.

If Michigan State can win a national championship there is no question that A&M can, too.

In fact, the only question should be how soon Aggies can be celebrating like they won the lottery.