Mel Tucker connection to the Orange Bowl
As many of you know, Mel was an assistant coach at UGA before landing the head coaching job at Colorado. What surprised me is he was there recently enough to have fingerprints on the current roster. This includes the monster DT himself, Jordan Davis, who I was also surprised to learn was a 3* out of high school and had a Michigan offer, and 5* OLB Adam Anderson.
I was also surprised to learn Mel was the primary recruiter for 4.5* Otis Reese. While Reese is no longer at UGA, who is remembered by many here for his early (and wobbly) verbal commitment to Michigan, and then his signing day decision to go to UGA instead.
So there you have a couple more reasons to savor the Harbaugh-Gattis Manspread Offense as it shreds this much hyped defensive unit.
Go blue!
December 11th, 2021 at 10:56 AM ^
Mel Tucker is also the reason Staee isn’t playing in the Orange Bowl. They shit the bed worse than Kendall Roy.
December 11th, 2021 at 11:09 AM ^
But he IS the reason they even came close
I don’t think we want to take this guy too lightly.
December 11th, 2021 at 11:15 AM ^
I think Kenneth Walker has a bit more to do with why they came remotely close than anything Mel Tucker did.
December 11th, 2021 at 11:19 AM ^
Isn’t Tuck the reason Walker’s there?
December 11th, 2021 at 11:49 AM ^
I give Tucker credit for finding Walker and saving that team from a 5 or 6 win season. I'm just skeptical how repeatable that tactic is moving forward.
December 11th, 2021 at 12:03 PM ^
While Tucker is taking a different approach with recruiting (emphasizing transfer portal) to supplement the fact that MSU is:
A) Not a national recruiting destination
B) at best 5th in line for schools in the Midwest from a name recognition stand point (behind Michigan, OSU, ND, and PSU)
It will be interesting to see if he is able to maintain a team culture and hit the lottery each year. I have my doubts on both but it is a new age of CFB.....
He does get credit for "recruiting" Walker from Wake Forest. I just have my doubts he will be able to repeat this.
Talking to a friend about Walker. First he was telling me how he is butt hurt cause Walker did not get invited to NYC (To fricking bad.....). But he pointed out a few interesting facts about Walker...
1) He is the first Doak Walker winner to NOT be invited to NYC (you can probably add Walker Camp winner now too)
2) He is also the first Doak Walker winner to NOT have a single offensive linemen to garner any post season recognition (not even all conference selection).
The 2nd point is what most are leaning on...... Walker was EVERYTHING for MSU. Without him, that is a 5 win team....MAX....
So back to the original point, will Tucker find another Doak Walker finalist from the transfer portal again? As well as replacing an entire (bad) offensive line.... We shall see......
December 11th, 2021 at 12:45 PM ^
I disagree. Walker is good. A shade below Haskins, but below... But their success is more due to Thorne.He's a great Dantonio find and who is getting it done.
December 11th, 2021 at 1:17 PM ^
We have a datapoint in the other direction. Against OSU, Walker barely played because of his ankle injury while Thorne was healthy. Sparty did absolutely nothing offensively.
Walker's presence basically guaranteed single coverage for MSU's WRs all year. It's not hard to look good as a QB when that's the case.
December 11th, 2021 at 4:38 PM ^
This is a solid point.
Thorne not exactly a factor vs. Purdue either.
Sparty giving Tucker $95 million for hitting the lottery on a transfer portal RB and the refs carrying his water vs. Michigan is the most East Lansing meme worthy content ever.
December 11th, 2021 at 12:57 PM ^
Sure. But he didn’t develop him. He lucked into a Heisman caliber player falling into his lap in the portal. That’s not a repeatable tactic. It doesn’t involve good coaching. It’s not good schemes. He didn’t “do” anything except offer him a spot on the team.
They parlayed a lot of unrepeatable feats into a 10 win season. They were significantly outgained in multiple wins and had the worst pass defense in the country. Nothing about the way they played this year should have resulted in 10 wins and without the heroic feats of Walker, they’re probably staring 5 or 6 wins in the face.
December 11th, 2021 at 11:22 AM ^
Sparty couldn't have asked for an easier or better schedule this year. Their crossover games in the West were against Northwestern (7th), Nebraska (6th) and Purdue (4th), and they didn't get exposed against OSU until November. Next year they travel to Washington, and play OSU, Wisconsin, PSU and Michigan all in September and October. Something tells me the media fascination with Mel Tucker falls off a cliff next year.
December 11th, 2021 at 1:46 PM ^
2021 also had the heavy home schedule with UM, PSU and Neb at home. They were beaten twice on the road (PU and OSU) and barely escaped Ind on the road. Their best road win was vs 7-5 Miami.
Hard to tell if Tucker is more 7-5 or 10-2. Statistics say 7-5. He is a former DC who fielded the worst pass defense in FBS and worst overall defense in the B1G. His track record says 7-5 as well.
December 11th, 2021 at 11:23 AM ^
Not sure why you are getting negged. It's the truth. We are 0-2 vs him. He's been great this far for them.
December 11th, 2021 at 11:52 AM ^
He is 12-7 at MSU, has 1 last place finish in our division and 1 third place finish in the division after he kicked everyone off the team from the last place finish and replaced them with 30 new players, something he won’t be able to do again because they changed the transfer rule. Having the worst defense in the B10, winning a bunch of close games that you are outgained in, and having a RB that leads the nation in yards after contact is not a sustainable model for success. After Dantonio, he has been a substantial step down for them
December 11th, 2021 at 12:58 PM ^
What transfer rule was changed?
December 11th, 2021 at 1:03 PM ^
Can only take a specific number of transfers. I think it’s around 7. Can’t do the Mel 30+ transfer plan.
December 11th, 2021 at 1:09 PM ^
Is there a link to such rule? Google isn’t turning anything up. Seems unrealistic given the amount of people in the portal. Cant grant everyone one free transfer and then limit the amount of transfers you can accept.
If this is what is being referred to, it has nothing to do with the number of transfers you can accept. There’s a rule limiting the number of recruits you can sign (25) in a class. This new rule allows up to 7 outgoing transfers to be replaced in the recruiting class. Meaning if you have 6 players transfer out, you can sign 31 recruits.
I haven’t found anything limiting the number of incoming transfers you can accept.
December 11th, 2021 at 11:21 AM ^
I really don't want Kendall to die but he's going to, isn't he?
December 11th, 2021 at 11:49 AM ^
Apparently, Jeremy Strong isn't too well-liked on the set.
Sounds like his level of intensity is off the charts.
December 11th, 2021 at 12:11 PM ^
I mean this in all seriousness, when it comes to this year's Orange Bowl, I couldn't give a flying fig about Mel Tucker.
December 11th, 2021 at 10:57 AM ^
I do not like the term manspread despite its catchiness/cleverness. Don’t make me mansplain why.
December 11th, 2021 at 10:59 AM ^
Manspread is not as delicious as a cheese spread.
December 11th, 2021 at 11:22 AM ^
Man-cheese spread?
December 11th, 2021 at 11:04 AM ^
Sounds unappealing
December 11th, 2021 at 11:19 AM ^
Almost as bad as manscape.
December 11th, 2021 at 11:03 AM ^
There were a lot of people fellating Mel in the front page post on Harbaugh's COY award yesterday. I don't really get it. Guy is a .500 coach whose team finished 35th nationally in the advanced metrics.
December 11th, 2021 at 11:11 AM ^
There are two metrics that matter, and why I don’t think we should dismiss him:
10-2 this year
2-0 well, you know
Keep your friends close and all…
December 11th, 2021 at 11:14 AM ^
I disagree that those are the metrics that matter. Getting lucky af doesn't make a good coach.
December 11th, 2021 at 11:23 AM ^
Sorry, but this has a bit of a Red Cedar flavor, in my view. Just concede the facts on the ground. We'll find out whether he can sustain it, or justify that monster salary, as time goes on. They're undoubtedly in a better place today than they were a year, two years ago.
December 11th, 2021 at 11:27 AM ^
Nah, the advanced metrics are more reflective of the stuff you have control over. Kudos to Mel for coming in 9th in the B1G in F+, and 8th in FEI and S&P+. Nobody expected MSU to be 8th or 9th best in the conference this year, so I give him props for that.
December 11th, 2021 at 12:35 PM ^
Now you're resorting to facts. More persuasive, for sure. What I said holds, though--at some real level, he's succeeding, whether we like it or not.
December 11th, 2021 at 12:41 PM ^
The ten wins and the big contract matter for recruiting, which is obviously important
December 11th, 2021 at 1:55 PM ^
The advanced metrics argument can go either way -- MSU was about as good as Nebraska on paper, but finished 10-2 instead of 3-9. That speaks to a particularly good coaching job this year -- and a particularly bad one by Frost -- which is why I'm fine with Mel winning some awards this year, while at the same time am skeptical that it's very sustainable moving forward. Those stats exist in part to foresee correction to the mean -- a 10-2 team that's 35th in SP+ could theoretically be as good or better next year but go 7-5.
December 11th, 2021 at 1:59 PM ^
Nah, I think it means Mel had a lot of good luck and Scott Frost had a lot of bad luck. They both should’ve been 7-5ish with neutral luck.
December 11th, 2021 at 3:17 PM ^
Man, you are one stubborn person
Luck is the residue of hard work and preparation
I mean, I know you are probably willing to die on this hill and go thirty hundred million posts deep with it, but the Spartans had a fine year, unexpected as hell, and Tucker made his own luck.
Now, as we have been saying the the last decade or so, NEXT YEAR they will go away...
Let's just hope we are finally right about that.
December 11th, 2021 at 9:04 PM ^
Nah
Nah
Frost had bad luck. He also did some awful in-game coaching
December 11th, 2021 at 11:16 AM ^
Seems like someone has a crush on Mel Tucker
December 11th, 2021 at 11:20 AM ^
grog, it is painfully obvious you aren't a michigan fan. that's not a problem since we generally welcome opposing fans here. question for you: which team/college do you root for?
December 11th, 2021 at 3:20 PM ^
I didn't post this, the 30 billionth Michigan State thread in the last month
But thanks for being the self-appointed MgoBlog posting policeman
December 11th, 2021 at 4:37 PM ^
not policing at all. just curious what your favorite team is. you're not a michigan fan, but what is your team? sounds like you are a sparty. am i correct?
December 11th, 2021 at 11:37 AM ^
That's funny considering the covid year was a total aberration.
This year's record completely proves last year was a joke and a fluke.. same with msus fluke win because Don brown was a total fucking moron
December 11th, 2021 at 11:50 AM ^
I don't think Harbaugh or anyone on the team will be dismissing him. I was disappointed when there were rumors of him leaving to a better gig because I wanted him to stick around and feel the humiliation of losing multiple games to UM.
December 11th, 2021 at 2:08 PM ^
Why is this negged when it's right. I guess the truth hurts.
December 11th, 2021 at 11:13 AM ^
Not sure if you're suggesting I'm doing the same, but I just thought it was interesting he recruited several players UM will face NYE.
But uh, feedback received. Much of the board is apparently not interested in any backstory there. Neg away, me hearties!
December 11th, 2021 at 12:45 PM ^
I appreciate the back story, thanks AAC
December 11th, 2021 at 11:07 AM ^
MeL has never finished higher than 3rd in the B1G East. Change my mind.
December 11th, 2021 at 11:32 AM ^
^^^fact!
December 11th, 2021 at 11:15 AM ^
So good recruiter, ok coach like James Franklin?
He doesn’t seem to be Kerry Coombs level terrible at coaching, but that would be a delight to see!
December 11th, 2021 at 11:41 AM ^
The only bowl connection for Mel is the Peach Bowl. Go Pitt. Fuck State.