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Michigan State Football: 5 overreactions to Indiana loss
Oct 1, 2016; Bloomington, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers running back Tyler Natee (31) runs the ball and is tackled by Michigan State Spartans safety Montae Nicholson (9) and linebacker Andrew Dowell (5) and in the second half of the game at Memorial Stadium. Indiana Hoosiers beat the Michigan State Spartans by the score of 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Michigan State football fans have had some hasty overreactions after the loss to Indiana on Saturday night.
Two weeks ago, we were talking about how great Michigan State football played at Notre Dame and the fact that Mark Dantonio is a masterful head coach. He took a team that lost a ton of talent from 2015 and turned it into one that could win on the road against a major rival.
Michigan State then lost against Wisconsin at home and you could audibly hear grumblings from around the fan base. People were clamoring for the firing of Dave Warner, which probably won’t happen any time soon, and for a quarterback change.
Dantonio has stuck to his guns and is defending his coaching decisions, which shouldn’t surprise anyone. He continues to do so after a loss to Indiana and people are growing restless because, well, fans can be slightly tough on their own team.
Here are five of the biggest overreactions I have seen from this past weekend’s loss to the Hoosiers on the road.
5. MSU may not make a bowl game
Oct 1, 2016; Bloomington, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio celebrates a touchdown with his team in the second half of the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Indiana Hoosiers beat the Michigan State Spartans by the score of 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Alright, this is slightly ridiculous. Sure, until there are six wins on the board for Michigan State, no one is going to feel comfortable, but to say this so early in the year and to truly believe it just shows pessimism as fans and little faith.
It’s OK to be truthful about your own team. Stepping away from homerism is a good thing and to be a true fan, you need to also be honest with yourself. However, saying Michigan State might not make a bowl game coming off a 12-win season is just being a doubter.
Mark Dantonio hasn’t shown that he’s a poor coach who can’t turn things around yet, so why believe that he’s just going to let his team go down easily in 2016? He wouldn’t have made the team mantra for the season ‘Back 2 Back’ if he didn’t believe this team had the talent to win back-to-back Big Ten titles.
Sure, the Spartans may be essentially eliminated from the conference title race, but they aren’t going to stop fighting.
In comparison, this team is much more talented than the 2012 squad and that one went to a bowl game and finished with a 7-6 record with a win over TCU.
Oct 1, 2016; Bloomington, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back Gerald Holmes (24) is tackled by Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Tegray Scales (8) in the second half of the game at Memorial Stadium. Indiana Hoosiers beat the Michigan State Spartans by the score of 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
4. This team isn’t any good
If you’ve caught yourself saying this, most likely it was spoken out of anger. This team isn’t playing good football right now, no. There might be some issues to correct before it can be considered a ‘good’ team, but to say that the Spartans aren’t good is foolish.
Being good and playing well are two completely different things and I’d argue that Michigan State has a good foundation, but it hasn’t gelled together as a unit just yet.
There’s talent in the defensive backfield, but missed assignments are costing them near the end of games and the offense is extremely talented. The only areas that are truly 100 percent disappointing right now are the offensive and defensive lines.
Before the season, there were Big Ten analysts who were stating this is Mark Dantonio’s most talented team yet, and they’re probably right. There’s talent at every position, but the experience is the most important part.
Don’t forget that this is the same team, minus a handful of guys, that made the College Football Playoff last year. We expected a down-year, but not for lack of talent.
Oct 1, 2016; Bloomington, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio walks his team onto the field before the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Indiana Hoosiers beat the Michigan State Spartans by the score of 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
3. This is the worst loss of the Dantonio era
This is a very reactionary statement. Some fans have stated that they believe this is the worst loss in the entire Dantonio era, dating all the way back to 2007. To that, I say it’s not even close.
First off, this is a tough Indiana team with a potent offense and for them, this might be their biggest ‘rivalry’ game outside of Purdue. A home night game for a 2-1 team is almost always an upset special and this time it came to fruition. Many fans had even predicted this as a potential trap game, and they were right. Usually people can’t predict the “worst loss” in the era of a head coach.
Second, just thing back to all of the other games which have stung much worse and have been considered terrible losses under Dantonio.
There’s the Northwestern overtime loss in 2007 when the Spartans hosted the hapless Wildcats and fell 48-41. How about a 45-7 debacle against Ohio State in 2008 when the Spartans were 6-1 and ranked No. 20? The Penn State loss in that same season comes to mind with a chance to win the Big Ten title, but the Spartans lost 49-18.
Don’t forget the loss to Central Michigan at home in 2009. Or the 49-7 Capital One Bowl defeat in 2011. A 23-20 loss to Northwestern in 2012 at home which nearly cost the Spartans a bowl appearance. Heck, I’d rank the 38-0 loss to Alabama in the playoff last year No. 1.
Before you say this was the worst loss in the Dantonio era, go back and check the past. You might be surprised at how much worse it’s been. We have been spoiled by greatness lately.
Oct 1, 2016; Bloomington, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Ricky Jones (4) runs with the ball after a catch in the second half of the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Memorial Stadium. Indiana Hoosiers beat the Michigan State Spartans by the score of 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
2. This defense can’t stop anyone
This isn’t true. You could argue that the lack of a pass rush is embarrassing, because with the talent on the defensive line, that’s very true. The linebackers and line, though, have done an impressive job of stopping the run this season. Michigan State has one of the best run defenses in college football.
The secondary has talent. There are four or five guys who are capable of starting on a majority of teams in the conference and it starts with Vayante Copeland. People haven’t heard much about him through four games because quarterbacks don’t like to target his side of the field. He can be a lockdown cornerback.
Darian Hicks is given the most flack, but he’s truly improved from last year and the year before. Knocking him just because the secondary is playing relaxed coverage or missed assignments are on his side of the field isn’t fair.
Demetrius Cox needs to step up and be a better leader on defense and make sure his guys don’t keep missing crucial assignments and the same can be said for Montae Nicholson.
I can see this group coming together and playing well, but they need to believe in each other and pick each other up. Through the better part of three quarters against a potent Indiana offense, the Spartans shut the Hoosiers out.
Michigan State has a solid defense, but breakdowns every now and then are exploited.
Sep 17, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio leaves the field after MSU defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 36-28 at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
1. Mark Dantonio should be on the hot seat (people said this)
Believe it or not, there were a number of Spartan fans who actually said this. As ridiculous as this statement is, it makes me feel worse about part of the fan base. Some people out there aren’t satisfied with a coach turning a perennial bottom-dweller into a national title contender.
Must Read: MSU Football: Report card for Spartans’ loss to Indiana
Down years happen with every program and throwing a head coach who has proven himself time after time under the bus is almost sickening. The coach has earned the right to make his own decisions and he said it best this past weekend, stating that people think they know it all when they’re sitting at home watching the games.
Dantonio has asked fans to give O’Connor time and he will grow on them. While it’s tough to believe that right now, the head coach has done much more with much less talent. It’s time to start trusting what he does and says.
I have even seen people saying that it’s time to start questioning Dantonio’s ability to get the Spartans to the next level. Really? Next level? Michigan State has finished in the top-six in each of the past three years and made the playoff last season, won the Cotton Bowl the year before and the Rose Bowl the year before that.
This is, by far, the worst overreaction I have seen from the weekend and I hope it’s just delusion creeping into the fan base and not actual beliefs.
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