Rub some dirt on it, Michigan State.

That’s basically what Spartans coach Mark Dantonio had to tell his team after it lost to Alabama 38-0 in the semifinals of the 2015-16 College Football Playoff. The Crimson Tide were dominant for the final three quarters of that game, finishing with an emphatic shutout (after allowing just 210 total yards) against their premier Big Ten opponent at the Cotton Bowl.

Michigan State was severely outplayed in just about every facet you can think of. So how does one move on after getting embarrassed on such a big stage?

You just do. Get over it.

Alabama has a real chance to enter the 2016 season as the No. 1 overall team in the country after claiming last year’s national title, and Michigan State should once again have the roster talent to compete with Ohio State and Michigan for the Big Ten East.