Spartans, up 27-3 entering fourth, edge Cornhuskers by five

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- On a day when so many top teams lost in wild fashion, Michigan State narrowly avoided a breathtaking collapse. Trae Waynes intercepted Tommy Armstrong's pass with 30 seconds remaining, and the 10th-ranked Spartans held off 19th-ranked Nebraska 27-22 on Saturday night. The Cornhuskers were down 27-3 before scoring three touchdowns in the fourth quarter and driving into Michigan State territory in the final minute. "Football is a crazy, crazy game," Spartans coach Mark Dantonio said. "Maybe that's why everybody loves it so much." The Spartans (4-1, 1-0 Big Ten) are hoping to reach college football's new four-team playoff this year, and in a week when Alabama, Oregon, Oklahoma and Texas A&M all lost, this was a chance for Michigan State to make a statement. For most of the night, the Spartans did that, but Nebraska's late comeback set up a tense finish.