Is Smith Under Pressure to Win at MSU in Year 2?
The Michigan State Spartans have missed three consecutive bowl games and will spend a long offseason trying to figure out how to improve the roster ahead of the 2025 season.
Many older Spartan fans are used to seeing the team not playing for anything of significance in the postseason. However, for many fans who grew accustomed to the Mark Dantonio era of success, the last few years have been unacceptable.
Outside of the Kenneth Walker III 2021 season, the Mel Tucker era was an abject failure. MSU decided to move on from those years and hire Jonathan Smith away from Oregon State after he rebuilt a program that has historically struggled.
However, Smith's first year in East Lansing produced more of the same results Spartan fans have seen in the last few years.
MSU went 5-7 in Smith’s inaugural campaign, falling apart down the stretch and looking largely uncompetitive in the games against the top teams they played. Smith did not endear himself to the fanbase when they lost to a beatable Michigan team on the road, either.
Now entering year two, what are the expectations for Smith and this Spartan team? Have they changed after missing a bowl game in year one? Or is MSU willing to be patient and understand that this rebuild could take a few years?
Athletic Director Alan Haller's expectations and fanbase are likely quite different. Fans want instant gratification, while Haller better understands the situation internally. On that same note, the ultimate goal for every football team is to win, regardless of where the program is.
While Smith and the Spartans are rebuilding, the landscape of college football has changed in recent years. Teams can quickly turn things around by using NIL and the transfer portal.
Smith has done everything he is supposed to do this offseason, elevating the high school recruiting class and landing impact transfers at important positions. Now, it all must come together on the field.
There is a solid amount of talent on this Spartans team. Year one could have just been a year for Smith and the West Coast transplants to familiarize themselves with the Midwest.
Even if the team is not competing for the Big Ten next season, MSU must show growth on both sides of the ball. Smith’s seat is not even remotely hot, but the team must make significant progress in 2025.
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