Sports reporters generally sneer at fans and their fickle ways, but we're pretty whimsical ourselves. Take Michigan State's record-setting 41-38 come-from-behind win over Northwestern Saturday. I sat in the press box like dozens of other scribes, writing off MSU's season and signing John L. Smith's death certificate as Spartan coach, only to witness a resurrection that would make the Nazarenes blush. My original game story - the one I halfway finished early in the third quarter after MSU fell behind 38-3 - talked about the nine MSU fans who drove to Chicago to watch the game and wear T-shirts that spelled out: F-I-R-E-J-O-H-N-L. I concluded that action was all but inevitable as I watched MSU athletics director Ron Mason fidget in his chair at what appeared to be an out-of-control season. I barely flinched when Drew Stanton led a nine-play, 65-yard drive that trimmed the score to 38-10. After Northwestern went three-and-out and MSU scored again (after an intentional-grounding call on Stanton that normally would have been drive-killer), another reporter and I joked about the possibility of a comeback and how I shouldn't have cancelled my Orlando/Champs Sports Bowl hotel reservations at halftime. Then Stanton got hurt and his replacement Brian Hoyer threw an interception, and it appeared my original game story could stand, albeit with a little minor tweaking to account for MSU actually putting up a fight in the second half. Then Devin Thomas blocked a Northwestern punt and Ashton Henderson returned it for a touchdown and the joke was back on: Was MSU really going to do what had been done to it so many times before? Sure enough, another three-and-out by Northwestern left MSU with plenty of time to score, and when Drew Stanton strapped his helmet back on, everyone in the press box knew what was coming. The Spartans scored again to pull within a touchdown, then tied the game with 3:43 to play. Uncle Mo' was on the Spartans side now, and reporters raced for the elevator to get a field-view look at what was about to become the greatest comeback in NCAA history. Where do I think the Spartans go from here? Reputation would suggest MSU, coming off such an emotional high, would lose at Indiana next week. But I don't see that happening. Confidence means a lot in college football, and the Spartans have it. They also have the makings of a bowl team, but after Saturday I think I'll wait a few more weeks before passing judgment. Punt, pass and kick Punt: Minnesota gets punted for the second time in three weeks. The Gophers were brutal Saturday in a 10-9 win over North Dakota State. They needed a late Amir Pinnix touchdown and a blocked field goal on the final play of the game to survive the Division I-AA Bison. Pass: Wisconsin scored its first win of the season over a semi-decent opponent Saturday, beating Purdue, 24-3, at Ross-Ade Stadium. The Badgers (7-1) have played just one other Division I team with a winning record (Michigan) this year, but are ranked in the top 20. A home game with Penn State in two weeks and a Nov. 11 trip to Iowa are the only things standing between Wisconsin and 11 victories. Kick: Might as well fast-forward the Big Ten season to Nov. 18, when No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Michigan will meet for a spot in the BCS Championship. Neither team plays an above-.500 opponent in the next three weeks.