The single piece of news flowed from three different sources Monday morning over the span of 46 minutes, first from the Big Ten, then Michigan State and, finally, USC. Each reveal generated more bewilderment and outrage than the one before until, hours later, the reaction approached meltdown levels.

An 8 p.m. Pacific Time kickoff for the Spartans?

Yes, Michigan State fans in East Lansing and across the Midwest must wait until 11 p.m. local time for the Sept. 20 kickoff. Watching the entire game will require staying awake until at least 2 a.m. The players and coaches won’t return to campus until mid-morning Sunday.

While seen as an affront to the Spartans, the sport and the free world — to be clear: USC fans aren’t happy, either — the kickoff time makes perfect sense for one of the three

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