Michigan State football had a great 13-year run under Mark Dantonio, with a berth in the second-ever College Football Playoff one of the highlights.
Then it ran into Alabama on New Year's Eve in 2015.
That was magical season for the Spartans, from the "Rangers" punt-six miracle at the Big House to the windmill in Columbus to the stretch at the goal line in the Big Ten title game.
That sent MSU, 12-1 at the time, to the CFP as the No. 3 seed against No. 2 Alabama (12-1).
And though quarterback Connor Cook had struggled with a shoulder injury in the final weeks of the regular season and his health was a question going into the Cotton Bowl showdown, few expected the 38-0 obliteration MSU suffered in the CFP semifinals in Arlington, Texas.