Dantonio's demand: Justify hype on field

CHICAGO - Defying expectations is a Michigan State tradition. Better than expected (1999, 2003, 2007, 2008). Worse than expected (2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006).

In Mark Dantonio's first two seasons, the Spartans went 16-10, foiling the experts by making a bowl in 2007 and a New Year's Day bowl in 2008.

"People gave you a little bit of a look," Dantonio recalled of proclaiming New Year's Day as a goal before the 2008 season, "but we made it there.'

So now the expectations have flipped. MSU was picked third by a panel of about 350 media members who cover the Big Ten, in results released here Monday at the Big Ten's annual interview sessions.

MSU last landed in the preseason top three in 2002, a season that resulted in a 4-8 record and the firing of Bobby Williams. Dantonio has been battling recent history since his arrival as head coach and said he's aware of the need to embrace and meet lofty expectations - and to understand the narrow margin between success and failure.

"I think it's very, very important to recognize that we've been in this situation before at times, where the Spartans have sort of raised up a little bit on very high expectations and fell a little bit flat," Dantonio said. "We've won very, very few games just going away. Our program is such that we've been involved in a lot of close games."

Along with the team nod, MSU junior linebacker Greg Jones was voted preseason defensive player of the year. He's the first Spartan to get a preseason player of the year nod since receiver Charles Rogers in 2002.

Ohio State was picked to finish first in the league in the poll, with Penn State coming in second. Those teams finished 7-1 and tied for first a year ago, with MSU in third place at 6-2. It was MSU's best Big Ten performance since 1999.

Dantonio doesn't necessarily agree with the media's 2009 prediction - he said he doubts Big Ten coaches would have put MSU third - but he also doesn't have a problem with it.

"Well you know, there's pressure any way you cut it," he said.

Along with the every-year goal of winning the Big Ten, Dantonio said he wants this team learn to play its best in the big games. The Spartans were blown out last season by Ohio State and Penn State, although they were competitive in a 24-12 loss to Georgia in the Capital One Bowl.

"We need to play up when we play these marquee games, where more than just winning and losing is riding on that," he said. "A little bit more of the national attention may be riding on it. ... We have to develop a certain amount of confidence to play at that level."

PERSONNEL MATTERS: Roderick Jenrette, a projected starter at free safety entering fall camp a year ago, is back on the team after missing the 2008 season. He left for undisclosed "personal reasons" last August, Dantonio said, but remained in school.

"He's got himself academically squared away, he's resolved his problems at home with his family, and he's worked extremely hard," Dantonio said of Jenrette, who will be a junior this season.

Sophomore running back Glenn Winston, who is serving a 180-day jail sentence on an aggravated assault conviction stemming from an October fight off campus, is not on the active roster at this point.

"He's got work to do," Dantonio said of Winston.

Walk-on cornerback Mitchell White, who received 30 days of jail time on an assault conviction in relation to the same fight, is back on the active roster. His twin brother, Myles, is a scholarship receiver on the team.

MSU's entire 2009 freshman class is on campus. All except defensive end Corey Freeman are apparently set for the Aug. 10 opening of camp.

Freeman is academically ineligible and listed as being on the "inactive roster." He can attend school this year but can't practice or play until 2010.

On the depth chart released Monday, Ashton Leggett and Caulton Ray are listed as co-starters at running back. In the defensive backfield, Trenton Robinson is listed as the starting free safety, with Dan Fortener and Marcus Hyde the co-starters at strong safety.

At quarterback, Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol also are listed as co-starters heading into camp.

ATTENTION ON ATTRITION: Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez was asked about the stream of defections from his program, the most recent of which was receiver Justin Feagin, who was kicked off for undisclosed reasons.

"I've never worried about the guys that don't play for us," said Rodriguez, who went 3-9 in his first year. "I just worry about the ones that do. ... Our players have come closer together in the last five or six months than I could even have hoped for."

STARTING OUT STRONG: Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald was the first coach to address the media in a massive ballroom at the downtown Hyatt Regency. He took an immediate chance to play off the recent controversy at SEC media days, in which South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier did not vote Florida QB Tim Tebow to his all-conference first team.

"I want to make sure I make my vote crystal clear," Fitzgerald joked. "I did vote for Tim Tebow."