MGoGrendel

October 23rd, 2023 at 3:58 PM ^

You hate to see the Spencer Brown play.  Thought he would be "encouraged" to enter the portal by now.  But he likely got a bounty payment.

That said, when you team captain bails on the team mid season, welp!  Hope Simeon does well in the MAC

Bo Harbaugh

October 23rd, 2023 at 6:54 PM ^

Agree. This isn't as much bailing on a team as bailing on a program, athletic department and university that can't get its shit together.

Guy needs to think about his career, education and maybe if he can slip into the NFL.  Given he's apparently been injured a bunch, makes sense to sit the year out, get as healthy as possible, and give it a go at a new spot not nearly as toxic.

PopeLando

October 23rd, 2023 at 2:46 PM ^

Walking out on the team after that loss is a tough look, but remember that NOBODY will ever touch the Tale of Demetrius Jones:

The year is 2007. Charlie Weis has just put Brady “lol ‘Heisman QB’” Quinn into the NFL and recruited Jimmy “Head Case” Clausen.

Weis spends the entire offseason installing a gimmick offense for the first game of the season, vs. Georgia Tech. He names Demetrius Jones the starter, but secretly intends to name Clausen as his starter in Week 2 and switch offensive systems, which he assumes will go well because he (Weis) is WICKED SMAHT.

Game 1 does not go as planned. Jones completes one pass and loses two fumbles before Weis pulls him, inserts Clausen, tries to switch offensive systems mid-game, and loses. 

Post-game, the Irish fans did not hesitate to blame Jones. Jones, in his turn, rightly feels like he was set up to fail.

Demetrius Jones just sorta didn’t show up to travel to Michigan with the rest of the ND team. He announced his intent to transfer to N. Illinois. Notre Dame says NO (!!). Eventually, he gets permission to talk to Cincinnati, and ended up transferring there.

The head coach of Cincinnati? Brian Kelly. Who, while ALSO not giving Jones the QB1 job, at least didn’t give him a one-game “phantom start.” Jones played at LB that year transferred down to a Div II team after that season.

PopeLando

October 23rd, 2023 at 3:21 PM ^

“Succeeded” in terms of winning games? No. Josh McDaniels currently has a chance to redeem himself after a disastrous first stint as a HC.

”Succeeded” in terms of extracting large sums of money from businesses/institutions in return for bad results on the field? Yes. In fact, Charlie Weis is kinda my hero for how much money he bilked from ND in exchange for tanking the program.

Ali G Bomaye

October 23rd, 2023 at 3:05 PM ^

A Coach Prime-level rebuild only works if you have a guy who is as charismatic as Coach Prime attracting transfers to come play. Otherwise you just end up with Mel Tucker trying to paper over your talent deficiencies with guys who washed out at their previous schools, instead of recruiting and developing program guys.

What is MSU's pitch to transfers going to be? "We probably won't show Hitler on the scoreboard again"? "Come play for a team that might occasionally be fifth-best in its conference"?

Blau

October 23rd, 2023 at 3:14 PM ^

I think it's important to remember that Coach Prime instigated the rebuild and essentially gave pink slips to players he didn't think were prime material from the previous regime. MSU would have to find someone who is even ballsy/savvy enough to pull off that move and even then, they're not many Shadeur Sanders and Travis Hunters lining up to transfer to MSU.

MSU will either find a RichRod type coach who starts completely fresh and says fuck it or a Brady Hoke type who has ties to the university and won't stir the pot. What they don't have is a white whale type coach who is a slam dunk hire for years to come. 

93Grad

October 23rd, 2023 at 2:52 PM ^

I'm shocked that there hasn't been a mass exodus from the program already.  I give Harlon credit for mostly keeping the team together.  I don't know most of them have stayed this long.  

FreddieMercuryHayes

October 23rd, 2023 at 2:52 PM ^

I mean I don't blame him.  Also entering the transfer portal doesn't mean you have to transfer.  Its a way to start the process.  He can still play as far as I know and may want to see what's out there and see what happens at MSU.

St Joe Blues

October 23rd, 2023 at 3:19 PM ^

Now picture all the HS seniors as they finish up their seasons over the next few weeks and mull the MSU scholarship offers they have. What do you think the conversations will be surrounding that offer? In fact, since Barnett is interim, who's actually recruiting, and for whose roster?

It can get worse.