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Now No. 8 Spartans can focus on Oregon

By WTOP Staff

NOAH TRISTER
AP Sports Writer

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — For all that Michigan State’s defense has proven over the last year or so, this may be the most compelling test yet.

After routing Jacksonville State to open the season Friday night, the eighth-ranked Spartans are heading west to face No. 3 Oregon. The Ducks’ dynamic, fast-paced offense should pose quite a challenge for Michigan State, but the defending Big Ten champions are an upbeat bunch after Friday’s 45-7 victory.

“You want to have high confidence coming out of Week 1,” quarterback Connor Cook said. “Playing the way we did, making the plays we made, especially with the defense playing the way they played too, is obviously a big confidence booster for all of us, going into a big-time game in a big-time environment against a big-time opponent.”

There’s no reason for Michigan State (1-0) to be intimidated by the significance of this next game. This is a team that went unbeaten in the Big Ten last season and beat Stanford in the Rose Bowl.

But Oregon’s offense, and the mystique surrounding it, makes this an unusually fascinating contest. Even after losing coach Chip Kelly to the NFL, the Ducks averaged 45 points per game last season. Quarterback Marcus Mariota threw for 31 touchdowns and four interceptions.

Michigan State, meanwhile, reached the top of the Big Ten behind a bruising defense that stuffed the run and made consistent passing difficult. The Spartans lost standouts Max Bullough and Darqueze Dennard from that defense, but they still looked imposing in Friday’s opener against the overmatched Gamecocks of the Football Championship Subdivision.

Jacksonville State’s offense was fairly well regarded, and there was talk that this would be a decent tuneup for Oregon’s pace. The Gamecocks did manage a touchdown — the first allowed by Michigan State at home since Oct. 12.

“The one series that they scored on, they gassed us,” Spartans coach Mark Dantonio said. “We have to get our guys out quicker when we see they are gassed. We had one guy get gassed on three straight plays when he was at the point of attack. . Otherwise, I thought we were effective out there and got people on and off the field.”

Defensive lineman Shilique Calhoun is one of the top players in the Big Ten, and linebacker Taiwan Jones received solid reviews in the opener with Bullough gone. It remains to be seen whether Michigan State’s defense can reach the level of last year’s unit, but this next game will surely be a good indicator of the Spartans’ progress.

Whoever wins will probably be a very early favorite to reach college football’s new four-team playoff — and perhaps both teams will be in the hunt for a while. That alone underscores how far Michigan State has come since the first game of last season, when the Spartans weren’t sure who their top quarterback was and struggled to move the ball.

Against Jacksonville State, Cook completed his first nine passes, the score was 38-0 at halftime, and the defense held the Gamecocks to 22 yards rushing.

With the Jacksonville State game up first, players and coaches weren’t all that interested in talking about Oregon before the season, but now the focus will be on this showdown with the Pac-12 powerhouse.

“We’re ranked in the top 10 and we’re going against a team that’s ranked in the top 10,” running back Nick Hill said. “I think that starting fast and scoring a lot of points offensively is very comforting to the players and the coaches.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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