Michigan State Spartans (2-4, 0-3) vs Wisconsin Badgers (3-3. 1-2)
Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI
October 15, 2022.  4 pm. 

TV: Fox Sports

Weather: 50 and cloudy.  Black and blue. 

Sagarin Ratings:  Wisconsin #20, Michigan State #58

Line Outta Vegas: Wisky by 7

I gave up and didn’t post for the matchup vs Ohio State last week because I knew - as did 60,000 others who DID attend the game but left at halftime, that MSU’s futility is no match for an awesome Buckeye team.  This is not the 1999 team with talent that upset OSU; this is actually the worst MSU team since Muddy Waters was coach at Michigan State.  Why?  This team is LOST, its gone AWOL. 

Michigan State has lost its last 4 games by double digits since God knows when - longer than the 36 years since I first attended MSU for my undergrad degree from 1986-90.  For all you Coach Tuck fans, not even coach D or John L Smith or Bobby Williams or Nick Saban managed such a feat.  It means this team is LOST between the ears. They can fight all they want, but they are not being coached to be in a position to win. For this week, this column focuses on the defense backfield to prove the point. 

I’m tired of the poor coaching of the defensive backs.  It’s terrible.  It reminds me of a conversation I had with Mark Dantonio in his fourth year at Reno’s Sports Bar for the MSU Coaches Show.  I said: “Wow coach!  It looks like these DBs are finally learning to turn around and look at the ball for once.”  Coach D took offense to it since he was also a former DB at South Carolina.  

Coach Tuck should also take offense if he is worth his salt.  And then do something about it. 

The defensive secondary has no help without a pass rush.  OK, injuries are a major factor… but that means Coach Tuck has not solved our depth problem on the defensive line or elsewhere.  He got “lightning in a bottle” last year with Kenneth Walker III - but no lightning this year.  His ”transfer portal” strategy reminds the ES of John L Smith’s JUCO strategy — the difference is John L Smith was more consistently better with it over four years than the one year lightning from coach Tuck.  

Coach… if you can’t tell, Charles Brantley is getting TORCHED in the backfield.  All he does is chase receivers around the field all game, even if he is somewhere within 10 yards of being in position. He plays lost.  Why does he NEVER TURN AROUND when the ball is on its way?  THAT IS COACHING.  It hasn’t changed since game one this year, or since game one last year. If anything, CJ Stroud showed all too well the CBs are easy to pick on.  Brantley sucks.  Brantley & Co. gets smoked nearly every route and then put their hands in the air as if helpless.  HANDS UP IN SURRENDER? Brantley in particular has lost confidence and has taken a step back.

And, Coach, your blitzes never get home because they are either telegraphed, bad timing, or just plain poor execution. Again, this is coaching.  Blitz, and you put the DBs on an island where they are already lost.  It’s a pure shame, just watch the tape. 

I’ll be at the stint vs Wisconsin on Saturday.  But unless you get a pass rush and coach the defensive backs to turn around, it will be another loooonnnng outing, and you can expect Spartan Faithful to again exit in droves at the half. 

Tuck Comin’?  His lack of talent, depth, coaching and scheming shows to me he’s as lost as the players.  Tuck Leavin’.  PROVE ME WRONG. 

ES sez: Wisconsin 38, MSU 21.