LEGO pieces have their limitations when it comes to recreating reality: size and count of the pieces, a limited color palette and, when applicable, the patience to execute a full highlight using stop-motion photography.
These limitations are nothing but obstacles to overcome for this incredible LEGO recreation of Michigan State's last-second win at Michigan. Instagram user GoldYeller brought the video to our attention, and we immediately noticed the impressive level of detail in recreating the television broadcast.
Here's why the detail is so impressive.
1. Michigan State fans celebrating: First, the two fans who high-five, then the other fan with a newspaper celebrates the victory with a pal.
2. Michigan State players celebrating: The aerial camera above the end zone is perfect, and they even got the players who jumped into the stands after the score.
3. Jim Harbaugh's scowl: It's only a split second but Coach Khaki's expression is captured.
4. The Surrender Cobra: The Michigan fan who was immortalized in that moment with his arms in the air and hands on his head makes an appearance. A LEGO character can't interlock fingers or clasp hands but doggone it they did a good job of coming close.
Let's take a look at the clip as it played out in real life.
Jon Solomon put together a great explanation of punter Blake O'Neill's scramble, including a possible mix-up in translating Australian rules football to the modern college game. It was a freak play that ended in a freak accident (Michigan State's Jalen Watts-Jackson ended up going to the hospital with a dislocated hip after scoring the touchdown) and shifted, just slightly, the expectations for Jim Harbaugh in 2016.
The howls you hear in that video clip almost sound like cheering, but it is most certainly not. No, those sounds are the howls of crushed dreams for 100,000+ in attendance having the rug pulled out from under them by Sparty. It was a game that Michigan supposedly had in the bag, a top-10 signature victory at home for Harbaugh.
Instead, the evening was a celebration for the Spartans, who won the Big Ten East thanks to this blocked punt return touchdown and a last-second field goal against Ohio State.
