[Lefty Noob]

Pity poor Michigan State. They lose a game to Illinois - one they had no business losing. Then they play Michigan and understandably get thumped, 31-13. Now, the Spartans have to host the undisputed #1 team in the country, the Ohio State Buckeyes. Any hope for MSU in this one?

Don't forget to post your predictions for this game as our $300 Ticket Contest continues!

[chsbletz]

Unfortunately, the wheels seem to have come off the wagon for the Spartans. They will come into the Ohio State game with very fragile confidence. On top of that, they have lost their best all-purpose running back, Javon Ringer, to surgery. He'll probably be granted a medical redshirt, but that won't help them against the Buckeyes. Another problem is that Drew Stanton, their veteran quarterback, has not been at his best since the fourth quarter of the infamous Notre Dame loss. I see Ohio State winning by about 34-21.

[tvolsfan]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

Any hope for MSU in this one?

Well OSU could always forfeit, but thats about as far as hope goes.

[desertrat]

Michigan State is capable of far more than they have shown since their incredible 4th quarter collapse against Notre Dame. The question is will their coach be able to get through to his players again. This game should really scare Buckeye fans because the Spartans are a team that can be very good and if they are overlooked at all they could beat you. I don't expect that to happen here, but it just might.

Ohio State 38
Michigan State 23

[JKHOSS]

Michigan State will not recover from the Irish incident THIS YEAR. That was so ugly and such a let down. Go Ohio State

OSU 24

MSU 15

[Lefty Noob]

Good picks guys, but for some reason, I see this one being a little more lopsided. MSU has struggled as of late, and without Ringer, I just don't see them putting many points on the board. Give me the Buckeyes to take the Spartans to the woodshed, 35-3.

[chsbletz]

If John L. Smith would ever get it through his thick noggin that when his team has a lead over a higher-rated opponent the best thing to do would be to keep the pedal to the metal, his record would be better and his team would have a much higher level of confidence. But, it's very hard to teach new tricks to old dogs, and Smith illustrates that. He does have a lot of talent, but I'm convinced that many of his players have lost confidence in him and his staff. If MSU were to somehow get a 14-point lead against the Buckeyes, it would be very interesting to see if he would stay with his natural conservative bent in crunch time, especially when it has worked out so poorly in earlier games. We are unlikely to see that scenario tomorrow, though.

[wolverinefan35]

If coach John L Smith doesn't pull this one off and, I don't think he will. Say hello to the new Michigan State coach Steve Mariucci. Mark it down it's gonna happen. The only hope is for State is to win out starting with Ohio State.

[chsbletz]

If logic and good sense were the only factors in play, I would absolutely agree with your assessment, Wolverinefan35. But Michigan State exists in its own surreal parallel universe in terms of football. Ron Mason, the athletic director, is an extremely secretive and contentious individual. He seems to feel he has some sort of special insight that almost everyone else lacks. His track record to date suggests that he has a low regard for reality. He provides no clues as to what he intends to do at season's end, but he seems to enjoy the approval of the university's administration. Go figure.

[Lefty Noob]

Originally Posted by wolverinefan35

If coach John L Smith doesn't pull this one off and, I don't think he will. Say hello to the new Michigan State coach Steve Mariucci. Mark it down it's gonna happen. The only hope is for State is to win out starting with Ohio State.

Mooch certainly is the logical choice, given his friendship with the MSU basketball coach. But something tells me it's not going to happen. Either the school won't pursue him, or Mooch will hold out for another NFL job.

[chsbletz]

Frankly, Mariucci has only one season of college coaching under his belt, and that resulted in a 6-6 record, if I remember correctly. There is absolutely no reason to believe he would be a successful college coach, despite his NFL background and his long-term friendship with Tom Izzo. Besides, Michigan State is a reclamation project, which calls for a special kind of coach, which Mooch hasn't yet shown that he is.

[JKHOSS]

Originally Posted by chsbletz

Frankly, Mariucci has only one season of college coaching under his belt, and that resulted in a 6-6 record, if I remember correctly. There is absolutely no reason to believe he would be a successful college coach, despite his NFL background and his long-term friendship with Tom Izzo.

Can you name a few examples of coaches that had success in the

NFL, and then choked in college? Usually if a coach has the skills to spend

years in NFL with multiple organizations, he doesn't have a real tuff time

learning the college game.

[chsbletz]

Actually, I can. Bill Walsh, the best coach the '49ers ever had, was only mediocre later at Stanford. Bobby Ross, now the coach at Army, is another. He had coached the Chargers to a spot in the Super Bowl. Finally, back in the '60's, when Bear Bryant left Kentucky to coach at Texas A&M, Blanton Collier left the Cleveland Browns' staff to replace him. He, too, was pretty ordinary. After his time at UK, he coached the Browns to an NFL Championship (there was no Super Bowl at that time). There are undoubtedly others, but I have never really researched the topic.

[JKHOSS]

Originally Posted by chsbletz

There are undoubtedly others, but I have never really researched the topic.

Undoubtedly there are...... but the VAST majority of coaches (especially young ones) find they are much MORE comfortable transitioning TO college

[chsbletz]

All right, turn about is fair play. You asked me for examples, and I provided some. Now it's your turn. Please name three pro coaches who have moved to college coaching with considerable success.