I mean, you can say “without, insert name, they aren’t a good team” for every team out there not named Alabama, Georgia, and OSU. UM got defeated by a good football team on Saturday. Sure we shot ourselves in the foot a few times. Sparty did too…Without Walker they are no where near a top 10 team let alone top 5. But they would still be a top 25 team.
At what point do we actually give Sparty credit? Nebraska, they really did self implode on that punt. However, Sparty took advantage, made a play, and found a way to win the game. That is what good teams do. I have to give them credit...they took gut punch after gut punch from us. Yet they did not quit and found a way to win the game. Perhaps we started self imploding due to Sparty playing good? Their defense, specifically the run defense, was stout. We exploited their weak secondary but had troubles punching the ball into the end zone. They held us to FG's. You have to give them credit for that.
I guess I am just tired of seeing people try to justify that Sparty is not good. We lost to a good team yesterday. You win some you lose some. Yes it sucks and it stings...but downplaying what they have done so far this season is just a little ridiculous in my opinion. Everyone on this board, including myself, thought they would be lucky to win 5 games. They have proven everyone wrong. It is hard not to respect what they have done this season...especially with how effectively they used the portal to their advantage.
Great point. Sparty gives up yards in between the 20's. They play that bend don't break. However, they tighten the screws in the red zone or when needed. They will gladly give up yards and hold teams to FG's.
Sparty plays a "bend don't break" defense. They have given up a lot of yards this season. However they have held opponents to a lot of FG's vs TD's. Total defense doesn't tell the whole picture sadly. Even when it comes to the secondary. You have to look at the total amount of passes throw against them and what offenses they have played. With that said...Sparty has a good defense. Right now we have a better one. My biggest concern is their WR's vs our CB's. Dax will be able to shut down Reed or Nailor. But he can't shut them both down at the same time.
Sparty plays a "bend don't break" defense. They have given up a lot of yards this season. However they have held opponents to a lot of FG's vs TD's. Total defense doesn't tell the whole picture sadly. Even when it comes to the secondary. You have to look at the total amount of passes throw against them and what offenses they have played. With that said...Sparty has a good defense. Right now we have a better one. My biggest concern is their WR's vs our CB's. Dax will be able to shut down Reed or Nailor. But he can't shut them both down at the same time.
There is only 1 transfer contributing on the O-line. My Sparty friends were excited about the O-line coach Tucker hired. And apparently they might have had reason to be.
There is only 1 transfer contributing on the O-line. My Sparty friends were excited about the O-line coach Tucker hired. And apparently they might have had reason to be.
I like to watch Sparty closely. 15 years ago I wouldn't have watched any of their games unless they were playing us. However, the times have changed and I like to scout out UM's opponents. The days are gone of it being pretty much a forgone conclusion that we will beat Sparty. I have learned to not get my hopes up this early in the season from the continuous let downs. Some people like to make excuses as to why Walker is looking like a beast. Or that Corum is significantly better than Walker because this or that. It pains me to say it, but Tucker is doing some positive things for Sparty. Which if you told me after last year they would be looking this good...I would have laughed at you. I had them pegged to be a 6 win team. Well...they are half way there 3 games into the season. They look good. UM looks good. We will see where the chips fall.
A lot of people have been talking about his speed. I noticed a lot of analysts and beat writers on Twitter were saying he is very fast. He hasn't had issues getting to the edges. He has home run speed. Which every team Sparty has played has misjudged his speed. Players have taken poor angles to try and tackle him. And he blows right by them. Corum is faster I think...but that Walker kid is deceivingly fast.
Improved QB play for sure. Have to think as well...new staff during Covid and not getting that in person coaching to try and improve the team last year. Tucker cut some dead weight from the roster and stocked it back up with players from other P5 teams such as Alabama, Florida, Wake Forest, Louisville, etc... The transfers that left MSU went to MAC schools. An entire off season of coaching and installing their new system has paid off. Let alone, anyone who thought MSU didn't have play makers on their roster, yes even last year, was fooling themselves. Nailor and Reed are right up there with OSU when it comes to a dynamic duo at WR. They have a couple other WR's that seem to be making plays as well. Believe it or not, but I think they have better coaching. Which could be scary if Tucker starts pulling in recruits.
Well, if you look at MSU's squad right now, almost every player starting was a recruit under Dantonio. Nailor, Reed, Mosley, Gervin, and the entire D-line. Crouch and a couple of their CB's were transfers. O-line is the same deal...Horst is the only non Dantonio recruit playing on that O-line. Walker was the homer get for Tucker in the portal.
Agreed. Walker is scary good. Corum is also scary good. Walker has some vision, speed, power, and elusiveness I haven't seen an MSU RB or UM RB have in quite some time. Well over 10 years. How anyone can say Corum is better than Walker or Walker is better than Corum is beyond me. Both are amazing.
Eh. MSU has a better looking resume to this point in time. Miami got blown out by Alabama...who doesn't outside of a handful of teams a year? The Appy State game was an eye opener. That's when I realized that I think MSU was going to win that game against Miami. But not in the fashion they did. Friends of mine thought Miami would win based off of having "superior athletes" to MSU. I think some people don't want to admit MSU has got some ball players.
The portal moves he made seem to be looking like a great strategy right now. He is getting contributions from a lot of transfers. Walker and that O-lineman, Horst I think his name is, are doing very well. Crouch is playing solid at LB for them. Northwestern stinks. Youngstown State is...well Youngstown. Miami is overrated for sure. But going to Miami and beating them the way they did is impressive. They aren't making stupid mistakes that we saw last season either. Thorne is looking like he could be a very good QB for the spartys. No interceptions, although thanks to defenders dropping what would have been INT's.
I don't think UM should be ranked because they beat Western. They looked how just about every team outside Nebraska and Illinois would look against Western. They did what they were supposed to do. However, that doesn't mean they deserve to be ranked. Level of competition does matter in these polls. Week 1 polls don't move a lot unless there are monstrous upsets, such as Montana beating Washington. A ranked Wisconsin team that played another ranked opponent in their season opener and making it a respectable game has more weight than beating a MAC team.
I agreed with the refs on the field. The shoulder of the defender and WR made contact before any helmet to helmet contact. It was a hard football hit. Everyone here hates the Buckeyes. As do I. But that was not targeting in my opinion. Some judgement needs to be used by the refs. It is such a difficult penalty to call when there is clearly no intent to target the opponent. Do people remember the hit by Bush on Frey from MSU back in 2016 I think? Everyone here was defending that hit while sparty fans were screaming dirty play and targeting. Gotta try to be unbiased when it comes to some of the calls on the field. It is extremely hard though haha.
I should have noted that I have seen it elsewhere, on the Freep and on twitter. Like I said, I understand the frustration with the wording in the article...but it is true. And there are an awful lot of people who are way to upset over it and trashing Rainer...which he has earned that from previous articles hands down. As I said, he does have an axe to grind. But his article was factual. And is he wrong for saying Harbaugh is a hypocrite? In this sense no. I can't agree that the article being discussed is a "hit piece" as many here on the blog have liked to call it. A hit piece is spreading false information to fit a narrative. If this article was about Mel Tucker and MSU or Ryan Day and OSU everyone here would be praising Rainer.
I get the frustration with the contents and the headline. However, Harbaugh has been very vocal about cheating and quick to point the finger and call out others. I believe it was Washington, an analyst for OSU, last year that Harbaugh called out for being hands on and coaching. Then one of his own analysts is doing the same thing. Sabin does have an axe to grind. But this is not the article to call him out on it. He hasn't reported anything that is not true in the article. It is an extremely minor violation. Nothing is going to come from it. But calling for Sabins credentials over this article is ridiculous. Be more mad at Harbaugh and the analyst for putting themselves in the situation to be ridiculed. UM is under a microscope right now with Anderson and Harbaugh supposedly being on the hot seat.
He has not shown much other than he is willing to try and get recruits from all over the country, which was something the previous regime would barely try and do. From what it sounds like, MSU is in on some pretty big time recruits. No 5 stars. But quite a few high end 4 stars. If he pulls a rabbit out of the hat this year and does significantly better than last year, who knows what can happen. Winning solves a lot of issues, especially on the recruiting front. As for selling the program, I think he has been pretty vocal since the season ended that he is going to be using the portal to upgrade his roster. Which if he is being upfront about it, I don't see how it could hurt recruiting. Look at us for example. How many highly touted QB's have we brought in only to hardly get any playing time because Harbaugh brought in a transfer QB who took the reigns. That hasn't hurt our QB recruiting at all.
I agree with you. However, some of the transfers were True Freshmen or RS Freshmen last season. They might not have seen the field as true freshmen...which isn't anything out of the ordinary. Some of these transfers were 4 star recruits. Carr for example still has 3 years of eligibility remaining. He was a top 200 player and a top 5 TE in the recruiting class. Will it work out for MSU? Who knows. But grabbing transfers that were highly ranked out of high school with multiple years of eligibility is a bit different than grabbing a bunch of grad transfers to use as band aids for the year. MSU did pull in a couple grad transfers in that QB and DE.
From things I have read and heard, Tucker does not plan on using the portal like this normally. Everyone here knows kids transfer out when a new coach comes in. I think it is also pretty obvious MSU really needed to up the talent on the roster left over from the Dantonio era. I personally don't think this is Mel's philosophy going forward. I asked some friends of mine about that and they claim that Mel stated he will be improving his roster through the high school ranks and recruiting going forward. These moves make sense, at least to me. Upgrade the roster. It also seems like most of these transfers have multiple years of eligibility. Which if it works out, that buys Tucker more time to recruit and develop his roster. All in all...it is a smart move.
I don't think we even tried pursuing him. I think his transfer has to do with a new coaching staff. It shouldn't be surprising to see someone like this transfer with a coaching change. However, it is somewhat surprising he is going to MSU. This could potentially be a big pick up. I think he was once rated a 5 star RB. Then switched to LB and was a top 100 player in the country.
What do you consider charging? I consider charging running at someone trying to physically put your hands on them. That bum Turgeon stomped his feet and pointed and yelled like a whiny baby at Howard. He was walking toward Howard with that kind of anger. However I would not call that "charging". Now what Howard did in response is what I would consider charging at someone haha. With that said...I love that attitude and mind set from Howard. Never back down. But Turgeon did not charge at Howard at all.
The only thing I didn't agree with Howard was the "he charged at me" part. He didn't charge at all. He stomped his feet like a whiny child and pointed his finger and yelled. I like the mentality from Howard. I love that never back down kind of attitude.
Per a Sparty friend of mine, he said the MSU staff cooled off on Dixon because they have a legit shot at Crouch from Tennessee. But, that could just be sugar coating things. Some people from both fan bases definitely think it was a grades issue.
There is more to the story on that. I just saw on twitter a clip of what happened just before that play. Cockburn slapped Sissoko on the back of the neck when Sissoko was guarding him. Not a tap either. He used full force. Then the two had a 5 second stare down jawing while play continued. In my opinion the refs let this one get out of hand. Sissoko's foul on Ayo was just reckless. If Ayo had the ball in his hands still I don't think it would have looked as bad. But he did not and Sissoko lost control. That was an emotional game.
I don't think they are looking to build their program with Ben. I think they wanted Ben because he will add depth to their depleted LB room. And for the most obvious reason...Ben's brother. It honestly seems like a no brainer to offer Ben a scholarship to increase the chances of landing Alex two fold.
Barnett hardly played and Dobbs didn’t play. Rocky lost his starting spot. Simmons and Brown are the only relevant losses MSU sustained from this past season. Did you watch the MSU vs NW game? There was nothing fluky about it. They slapped NW in the face. Just like they did to us. We were just as bad as MSU last year...worse actually. We lost a lot. MSU has not lost that much but gained some in the transfer portal. Who do we have that says we are going to be better than MSU this upcoming season? For the experience they lost they are making up for it by utilizing the transfer portal. We are relying on true freshmen. At this point I don’t know who will be better this upcoming season. Every year we have the better “talent” based on recruiting stars. Yet Harbaugh is 3-3. I guess I just don’t understand where all this optimism comes from that we are light years better than MSU when they just beat us and we had a historically bad season. And it would have looked much worse if Covid didn’t cause us to cancel the last few games of the season.
I am with you. There is reason for optimism here. But I don't know if Bellamy has had enough time. If he had an extra month I would feel very good at the possibility.
Per the MSU buddies, Bellamy is the big factor here is what the sparty insiders are saying. Bellamy is well respected especially by the Oak Park coaching staff. Per my buddies, there is concern. Yet their insiders are saying they still are leaning towards Benny signing with MSU. However, for the first time since he committed to MSU, they have some doubt. So from what it sounds like Bellamy is doing work.
Some people are just different too. We obviously think UM is the better choice than MSU. He feels MSU is the better choice than UM. Will he second guess his decision one day? Maybe. But he has grown up watching MSU dominate the rivalry and be far more relevant in the perspective of winning bowl games and obtaining hardware. That is something that should not be forgotten. He doesn't remember the Carr years and winning big games. These recruits now remember a UM that fielded Rich Rod teams and Hoke teams. With Harbaugh bringing some spark back to the program. This is what they have seen and know.
Sadly, this is over and has been over for some time. The spartan buddies of mine feed me good information from their insiders. Apparently MSU insiders reached out to Holland to see where he is getting his info from that Benny was a 50/50 flip candidate. He never responded. So it seems he could be generating false buzz for subscriptions and clicks? Who knows.
It isn't just Webb. All the rivals analysts think he is an ace recruiter. He pulled in some talent in the 2021 recruiting class. It would sting if we lost him.
I agree completely. Per my buddies, the two MSU insiders he refers actually speak with Benny themselves. And I have noticed EJ Holland on rivals does not speak with Benny himself. He hears that the coaches are still talking to Benny and then forms his own conclusions based on whether or not Benny is responding. In this circumstance I am going to believe the people who talk to him directly over someone forming their own conclusions on hearsay. I haven't seen any UM insiders who are saying he is a lock to flip. Most are just saying the coaches are working on Benny and they think UM has a chance. I personally don't think there is a chance of it. However, I would enjoy being wrong.
Per analysts, it is Benny's personality to still talk with other coaches from other teams. And that is out of respect to the people that were recruiting him. I really don't think he is keeping his options open. The mere fact that my MSU buddies keep getting a good kick out of this is all I need to know. And if he ends up flipping I will get the last laugh. But their insiders, who actually talk to Benny and not rely on hearsay, thinks it is hilarious that UM fans and some insiders truly believe Benny is not solid to MSU.
Benny not signing with Sparty in the early signing period was a part of his plan though. No matter who he committed to, whether it be us or them, he would not be signed. That was all a part of his plan. So I don't find that to be a cause for pause there. Per many recruiting insiders, not just sparty insiders, Benny waiting to sign fits everything he has said he was going to do before he committed to anyone. I don't see any reason we should get our hopes up that we are going to flip Benny. Between what national recruiting analysts have said and the information relayed to me from my buddies who are MSU fans. It seems UM fans and 1 or 2 insiders for UM actually think Benny might flip. And that is all based on them hearing that UM coaches still talk to Benny. I just don't see it happening. But I would absolutely love to be wrong!
Honestly, it is hard to say how good MSU will be next season. They have been utilizing the transfer portal. I have to believe every recruit right now realizes MSU is in a rebuild mode. They are selling hope and what could be right now. If they don't make a bowl game this upcoming season or show significant improvement, then I could see that shiny new penny fading quickly. And from my understanding I don't think Benny has been fickle at all. At his announcement he said he had his mind made up for a while now and that the UM and MSU game just solidified it. That game this upcoming season is huge. UM can not be 0-2 to Tucker. That could really swing the momentum for in-state recruiting. If I had to bet, I think Benny will be at MSU for his entire tenure. He seems to like them.
I don't think anyone is calling them a failure. Hinton was a top 20 recruit and a 5 star. I think it is just being pointed out, so far he has not lived up to his ranking. That is a type of recruit who should be almost a shoe in starter anywhere he goes besides Clemson, Alabama, and OSU. Which a recruit with that ranking could potentially be a starter at those schools by the end of the season. I still have high hopes for both Smith and Hinton. Which, as pointed out, Hinton has shown flashes. Just needs the consistency.
From what I have read he is the top targeting remaining on the board. I talk to my sparty buddies daily about Benny. I feed them what some UM insiders are saying and they feed me what some MSU insiders are saying. According to my buddies Benny is solid to MSU and is not flipping. Apparently last night right after a rivals article was published about Benny flipping to UM or Texas, he was on twitter trying to recruit Seldon's brother Myles Rowser to MSU. I wouldn't get my hopes up with Benny. But I guess you never know.
If there was any coach on the staff we did not want to lose it was Warriner. How many guys did he get drafted in his tenure here? I love the Bellamy hire. Moore hopefully can somewhat match the success of Warriner. I think this was a massive loss. Warriner got the UM O-line turned around. I hope this works out. But I don't get the warm and fuzzies losing Warriner.
I don't disagree. In-state recruiting should be a focus to a certain extent. It seems every cycle there are a handful of prospects that should be considered as can't miss. I think Benny is one of them at a position of need. And it appears Tucker has done a good job locking him up. If Dantonio was still the head coach Benny would be committed or signed to UM by now. This is a reason of concern for me. Benny was considered a lock to UM. Tucker came in and was able to not only get him to listen to his pitch, but get him to commit and stay committed. Looking at MSU's recruiting class, they got some very large sized recruits from all over the country. Most notably that LB out of California.
Tucker has me a little worried about in-state recruiting. Clinkscale only adds to that. Tucker had a rough first season, but given the short amount of time to build relationships with recruits, I actually think he recruited decently well. Especially since on campus visits have not be allowed. And right now he is on some good 2022 prospects in-state. If I had to guess, Clinkscale is looking at Sparty as a better opportunity, which I think it is. Kentucky will be Kentucky in the SEC. They are not going to win anything any time soon. Tucker can sell that Sparty has won before. And they won against Urban. So he can sell that pitch that it can be done at MSU. Right now all Tucker can do is sell. If the results are not there in another year or two, he has nothing to sell. But right now he can. And he can point to past success. If Clink ends up at MSU I think it will make it more tough for the good guys. Who really knows though. This is just all opinion.
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I mean, you can say “without, insert name, they aren’t a good team” for every team out there not named Alabama, Georgia, and OSU. UM got defeated by a good football team on Saturday. Sure we shot ourselves in the foot a few times. Sparty did too…Without Walker they are no where near a top 10 team let alone top 5. But they would still be a top 25 team.
Have to credit their coaches there.
At what point do we actually give Sparty credit? Nebraska, they really did self implode on that punt. However, Sparty took advantage, made a play, and found a way to win the game. That is what good teams do. I have to give them credit...they took gut punch after gut punch from us. Yet they did not quit and found a way to win the game. Perhaps we started self imploding due to Sparty playing good? Their defense, specifically the run defense, was stout. We exploited their weak secondary but had troubles punching the ball into the end zone. They held us to FG's. You have to give them credit for that.
I guess I am just tired of seeing people try to justify that Sparty is not good. We lost to a good team yesterday. You win some you lose some. Yes it sucks and it stings...but downplaying what they have done so far this season is just a little ridiculous in my opinion. Everyone on this board, including myself, thought they would be lucky to win 5 games. They have proven everyone wrong. It is hard not to respect what they have done this season...especially with how effectively they used the portal to their advantage.
Great point. Sparty gives up yards in between the 20's. They play that bend don't break. However, they tighten the screws in the red zone or when needed. They will gladly give up yards and hold teams to FG's.
Sparty plays a "bend don't break" defense. They have given up a lot of yards this season. However they have held opponents to a lot of FG's vs TD's. Total defense doesn't tell the whole picture sadly. Even when it comes to the secondary. You have to look at the total amount of passes throw against them and what offenses they have played. With that said...Sparty has a good defense. Right now we have a better one. My biggest concern is their WR's vs our CB's. Dax will be able to shut down Reed or Nailor. But he can't shut them both down at the same time.
Sparty plays a "bend don't break" defense. They have given up a lot of yards this season. However they have held opponents to a lot of FG's vs TD's. Total defense doesn't tell the whole picture sadly. Even when it comes to the secondary. You have to look at the total amount of passes throw against them and what offenses they have played. With that said...Sparty has a good defense. Right now we have a better one. My biggest concern is their WR's vs our CB's. Dax will be able to shut down Reed or Nailor. But he can't shut them both down at the same time.
Not in the sense of a true dual threat QB. But yes, Thorne can move the chains with his legs.
There is only 1 transfer contributing on the O-line. My Sparty friends were excited about the O-line coach Tucker hired. And apparently they might have had reason to be.
There is only 1 transfer contributing on the O-line. My Sparty friends were excited about the O-line coach Tucker hired. And apparently they might have had reason to be.
I like to watch Sparty closely. 15 years ago I wouldn't have watched any of their games unless they were playing us. However, the times have changed and I like to scout out UM's opponents. The days are gone of it being pretty much a forgone conclusion that we will beat Sparty. I have learned to not get my hopes up this early in the season from the continuous let downs. Some people like to make excuses as to why Walker is looking like a beast. Or that Corum is significantly better than Walker because this or that. It pains me to say it, but Tucker is doing some positive things for Sparty. Which if you told me after last year they would be looking this good...I would have laughed at you. I had them pegged to be a 6 win team. Well...they are half way there 3 games into the season. They look good. UM looks good. We will see where the chips fall.
A lot of people have been talking about his speed. I noticed a lot of analysts and beat writers on Twitter were saying he is very fast. He hasn't had issues getting to the edges. He has home run speed. Which every team Sparty has played has misjudged his speed. Players have taken poor angles to try and tackle him. And he blows right by them. Corum is faster I think...but that Walker kid is deceivingly fast.
Improved QB play for sure. Have to think as well...new staff during Covid and not getting that in person coaching to try and improve the team last year. Tucker cut some dead weight from the roster and stocked it back up with players from other P5 teams such as Alabama, Florida, Wake Forest, Louisville, etc... The transfers that left MSU went to MAC schools. An entire off season of coaching and installing their new system has paid off. Let alone, anyone who thought MSU didn't have play makers on their roster, yes even last year, was fooling themselves. Nailor and Reed are right up there with OSU when it comes to a dynamic duo at WR. They have a couple other WR's that seem to be making plays as well. Believe it or not, but I think they have better coaching. Which could be scary if Tucker starts pulling in recruits.
Well, if you look at MSU's squad right now, almost every player starting was a recruit under Dantonio. Nailor, Reed, Mosley, Gervin, and the entire D-line. Crouch and a couple of their CB's were transfers. O-line is the same deal...Horst is the only non Dantonio recruit playing on that O-line. Walker was the homer get for Tucker in the portal.
Agreed. Walker is scary good. Corum is also scary good. Walker has some vision, speed, power, and elusiveness I haven't seen an MSU RB or UM RB have in quite some time. Well over 10 years. How anyone can say Corum is better than Walker or Walker is better than Corum is beyond me. Both are amazing.
Eh. MSU has a better looking resume to this point in time. Miami got blown out by Alabama...who doesn't outside of a handful of teams a year? The Appy State game was an eye opener. That's when I realized that I think MSU was going to win that game against Miami. But not in the fashion they did. Friends of mine thought Miami would win based off of having "superior athletes" to MSU. I think some people don't want to admit MSU has got some ball players.
The portal moves he made seem to be looking like a great strategy right now. He is getting contributions from a lot of transfers. Walker and that O-lineman, Horst I think his name is, are doing very well. Crouch is playing solid at LB for them. Northwestern stinks. Youngstown State is...well Youngstown. Miami is overrated for sure. But going to Miami and beating them the way they did is impressive. They aren't making stupid mistakes that we saw last season either. Thorne is looking like he could be a very good QB for the spartys. No interceptions, although thanks to defenders dropping what would have been INT's.
I don't think UM should be ranked because they beat Western. They looked how just about every team outside Nebraska and Illinois would look against Western. They did what they were supposed to do. However, that doesn't mean they deserve to be ranked. Level of competition does matter in these polls. Week 1 polls don't move a lot unless there are monstrous upsets, such as Montana beating Washington. A ranked Wisconsin team that played another ranked opponent in their season opener and making it a respectable game has more weight than beating a MAC team.
I agreed with the refs on the field. The shoulder of the defender and WR made contact before any helmet to helmet contact. It was a hard football hit. Everyone here hates the Buckeyes. As do I. But that was not targeting in my opinion. Some judgement needs to be used by the refs. It is such a difficult penalty to call when there is clearly no intent to target the opponent. Do people remember the hit by Bush on Frey from MSU back in 2016 I think? Everyone here was defending that hit while sparty fans were screaming dirty play and targeting. Gotta try to be unbiased when it comes to some of the calls on the field. It is extremely hard though haha.
I should have noted that I have seen it elsewhere, on the Freep and on twitter. Like I said, I understand the frustration with the wording in the article...but it is true. And there are an awful lot of people who are way to upset over it and trashing Rainer...which he has earned that from previous articles hands down. As I said, he does have an axe to grind. But his article was factual. And is he wrong for saying Harbaugh is a hypocrite? In this sense no. I can't agree that the article being discussed is a "hit piece" as many here on the blog have liked to call it. A hit piece is spreading false information to fit a narrative. If this article was about Mel Tucker and MSU or Ryan Day and OSU everyone here would be praising Rainer.
I get the frustration with the contents and the headline. However, Harbaugh has been very vocal about cheating and quick to point the finger and call out others. I believe it was Washington, an analyst for OSU, last year that Harbaugh called out for being hands on and coaching. Then one of his own analysts is doing the same thing. Sabin does have an axe to grind. But this is not the article to call him out on it. He hasn't reported anything that is not true in the article. It is an extremely minor violation. Nothing is going to come from it. But calling for Sabins credentials over this article is ridiculous. Be more mad at Harbaugh and the analyst for putting themselves in the situation to be ridiculed. UM is under a microscope right now with Anderson and Harbaugh supposedly being on the hot seat.
EJ Holland on The UM rivals board also said that he was not a take for MSU. The only P5 school he was a take for was UM.
He has not shown much other than he is willing to try and get recruits from all over the country, which was something the previous regime would barely try and do. From what it sounds like, MSU is in on some pretty big time recruits. No 5 stars. But quite a few high end 4 stars. If he pulls a rabbit out of the hat this year and does significantly better than last year, who knows what can happen. Winning solves a lot of issues, especially on the recruiting front. As for selling the program, I think he has been pretty vocal since the season ended that he is going to be using the portal to upgrade his roster. Which if he is being upfront about it, I don't see how it could hurt recruiting. Look at us for example. How many highly touted QB's have we brought in only to hardly get any playing time because Harbaugh brought in a transfer QB who took the reigns. That hasn't hurt our QB recruiting at all.
I agree with you. However, some of the transfers were True Freshmen or RS Freshmen last season. They might not have seen the field as true freshmen...which isn't anything out of the ordinary. Some of these transfers were 4 star recruits. Carr for example still has 3 years of eligibility remaining. He was a top 200 player and a top 5 TE in the recruiting class. Will it work out for MSU? Who knows. But grabbing transfers that were highly ranked out of high school with multiple years of eligibility is a bit different than grabbing a bunch of grad transfers to use as band aids for the year. MSU did pull in a couple grad transfers in that QB and DE.
From things I have read and heard, Tucker does not plan on using the portal like this normally. Everyone here knows kids transfer out when a new coach comes in. I think it is also pretty obvious MSU really needed to up the talent on the roster left over from the Dantonio era. I personally don't think this is Mel's philosophy going forward. I asked some friends of mine about that and they claim that Mel stated he will be improving his roster through the high school ranks and recruiting going forward. These moves make sense, at least to me. Upgrade the roster. It also seems like most of these transfers have multiple years of eligibility. Which if it works out, that buys Tucker more time to recruit and develop his roster. All in all...it is a smart move.
I don't think we even tried pursuing him. I think his transfer has to do with a new coaching staff. It shouldn't be surprising to see someone like this transfer with a coaching change. However, it is somewhat surprising he is going to MSU. This could potentially be a big pick up. I think he was once rated a 5 star RB. Then switched to LB and was a top 100 player in the country.
What do you consider charging? I consider charging running at someone trying to physically put your hands on them. That bum Turgeon stomped his feet and pointed and yelled like a whiny baby at Howard. He was walking toward Howard with that kind of anger. However I would not call that "charging". Now what Howard did in response is what I would consider charging at someone haha. With that said...I love that attitude and mind set from Howard. Never back down. But Turgeon did not charge at Howard at all.
The only thing I didn't agree with Howard was the "he charged at me" part. He didn't charge at all. He stomped his feet like a whiny child and pointed his finger and yelled. I like the mentality from Howard. I love that never back down kind of attitude.
Per a Sparty friend of mine, he said the MSU staff cooled off on Dixon because they have a legit shot at Crouch from Tennessee. But, that could just be sugar coating things. Some people from both fan bases definitely think it was a grades issue.
There is more to the story on that. I just saw on twitter a clip of what happened just before that play. Cockburn slapped Sissoko on the back of the neck when Sissoko was guarding him. Not a tap either. He used full force. Then the two had a 5 second stare down jawing while play continued. In my opinion the refs let this one get out of hand. Sissoko's foul on Ayo was just reckless. If Ayo had the ball in his hands still I don't think it would have looked as bad. But he did not and Sissoko lost control. That was an emotional game.
I don't think they are looking to build their program with Ben. I think they wanted Ben because he will add depth to their depleted LB room. And for the most obvious reason...Ben's brother. It honestly seems like a no brainer to offer Ben a scholarship to increase the chances of landing Alex two fold.
Barnett hardly played and Dobbs didn’t play. Rocky lost his starting spot. Simmons and Brown are the only relevant losses MSU sustained from this past season. Did you watch the MSU vs NW game? There was nothing fluky about it. They slapped NW in the face. Just like they did to us. We were just as bad as MSU last year...worse actually. We lost a lot. MSU has not lost that much but gained some in the transfer portal. Who do we have that says we are going to be better than MSU this upcoming season? For the experience they lost they are making up for it by utilizing the transfer portal. We are relying on true freshmen. At this point I don’t know who will be better this upcoming season. Every year we have the better “talent” based on recruiting stars. Yet Harbaugh is 3-3. I guess I just don’t understand where all this optimism comes from that we are light years better than MSU when they just beat us and we had a historically bad season. And it would have looked much worse if Covid didn’t cause us to cancel the last few games of the season.
I am with you. There is reason for optimism here. But I don't know if Bellamy has had enough time. If he had an extra month I would feel very good at the possibility.
Per the MSU buddies, Bellamy is the big factor here is what the sparty insiders are saying. Bellamy is well respected especially by the Oak Park coaching staff. Per my buddies, there is concern. Yet their insiders are saying they still are leaning towards Benny signing with MSU. However, for the first time since he committed to MSU, they have some doubt. So from what it sounds like Bellamy is doing work.
Some people are just different too. We obviously think UM is the better choice than MSU. He feels MSU is the better choice than UM. Will he second guess his decision one day? Maybe. But he has grown up watching MSU dominate the rivalry and be far more relevant in the perspective of winning bowl games and obtaining hardware. That is something that should not be forgotten. He doesn't remember the Carr years and winning big games. These recruits now remember a UM that fielded Rich Rod teams and Hoke teams. With Harbaugh bringing some spark back to the program. This is what they have seen and know.
Sadly, this is over and has been over for some time. The spartan buddies of mine feed me good information from their insiders. Apparently MSU insiders reached out to Holland to see where he is getting his info from that Benny was a 50/50 flip candidate. He never responded. So it seems he could be generating false buzz for subscriptions and clicks? Who knows.
Yeah that ship set sail months ago. It’s a bummer but we got a similar prospect in Rooks. Everything will work out.
It isn't just Webb. All the rivals analysts think he is an ace recruiter. He pulled in some talent in the 2021 recruiting class. It would sting if we lost him.
Great pick up at a position of need. Not expecting him to make an immediate impact. But hopefully in another year or two he becomes a house hold name.
I agree completely. Per my buddies, the two MSU insiders he refers actually speak with Benny themselves. And I have noticed EJ Holland on rivals does not speak with Benny himself. He hears that the coaches are still talking to Benny and then forms his own conclusions based on whether or not Benny is responding. In this circumstance I am going to believe the people who talk to him directly over someone forming their own conclusions on hearsay. I haven't seen any UM insiders who are saying he is a lock to flip. Most are just saying the coaches are working on Benny and they think UM has a chance. I personally don't think there is a chance of it. However, I would enjoy being wrong.
Per analysts, it is Benny's personality to still talk with other coaches from other teams. And that is out of respect to the people that were recruiting him. I really don't think he is keeping his options open. The mere fact that my MSU buddies keep getting a good kick out of this is all I need to know. And if he ends up flipping I will get the last laugh. But their insiders, who actually talk to Benny and not rely on hearsay, thinks it is hilarious that UM fans and some insiders truly believe Benny is not solid to MSU.
Benny not signing with Sparty in the early signing period was a part of his plan though. No matter who he committed to, whether it be us or them, he would not be signed. That was all a part of his plan. So I don't find that to be a cause for pause there. Per many recruiting insiders, not just sparty insiders, Benny waiting to sign fits everything he has said he was going to do before he committed to anyone. I don't see any reason we should get our hopes up that we are going to flip Benny. Between what national recruiting analysts have said and the information relayed to me from my buddies who are MSU fans. It seems UM fans and 1 or 2 insiders for UM actually think Benny might flip. And that is all based on them hearing that UM coaches still talk to Benny. I just don't see it happening. But I would absolutely love to be wrong!
Honestly, it is hard to say how good MSU will be next season. They have been utilizing the transfer portal. I have to believe every recruit right now realizes MSU is in a rebuild mode. They are selling hope and what could be right now. If they don't make a bowl game this upcoming season or show significant improvement, then I could see that shiny new penny fading quickly. And from my understanding I don't think Benny has been fickle at all. At his announcement he said he had his mind made up for a while now and that the UM and MSU game just solidified it. That game this upcoming season is huge. UM can not be 0-2 to Tucker. That could really swing the momentum for in-state recruiting. If I had to bet, I think Benny will be at MSU for his entire tenure. He seems to like them.
I don't think anyone is calling them a failure. Hinton was a top 20 recruit and a 5 star. I think it is just being pointed out, so far he has not lived up to his ranking. That is a type of recruit who should be almost a shoe in starter anywhere he goes besides Clemson, Alabama, and OSU. Which a recruit with that ranking could potentially be a starter at those schools by the end of the season. I still have high hopes for both Smith and Hinton. Which, as pointed out, Hinton has shown flashes. Just needs the consistency.
Why do you think he would hop in the transfer portal right away? I think he is going to get immediate playing time at MSU.
I agree. Unless he is as strong as an ox it might be a year or two with the S&C coach before he makes an impact.
Good point. We just never really know how recruits will pan out in college. Even highly regarded ones.
From what I have read he is the top targeting remaining on the board. I talk to my sparty buddies daily about Benny. I feed them what some UM insiders are saying and they feed me what some MSU insiders are saying. According to my buddies Benny is solid to MSU and is not flipping. Apparently last night right after a rivals article was published about Benny flipping to UM or Texas, he was on twitter trying to recruit Seldon's brother Myles Rowser to MSU. I wouldn't get my hopes up with Benny. But I guess you never know.
If there was any coach on the staff we did not want to lose it was Warriner. How many guys did he get drafted in his tenure here? I love the Bellamy hire. Moore hopefully can somewhat match the success of Warriner. I think this was a massive loss. Warriner got the UM O-line turned around. I hope this works out. But I don't get the warm and fuzzies losing Warriner.
I don't disagree. In-state recruiting should be a focus to a certain extent. It seems every cycle there are a handful of prospects that should be considered as can't miss. I think Benny is one of them at a position of need. And it appears Tucker has done a good job locking him up. If Dantonio was still the head coach Benny would be committed or signed to UM by now. This is a reason of concern for me. Benny was considered a lock to UM. Tucker came in and was able to not only get him to listen to his pitch, but get him to commit and stay committed. Looking at MSU's recruiting class, they got some very large sized recruits from all over the country. Most notably that LB out of California.
Tucker has me a little worried about in-state recruiting. Clinkscale only adds to that. Tucker had a rough first season, but given the short amount of time to build relationships with recruits, I actually think he recruited decently well. Especially since on campus visits have not be allowed. And right now he is on some good 2022 prospects in-state. If I had to guess, Clinkscale is looking at Sparty as a better opportunity, which I think it is. Kentucky will be Kentucky in the SEC. They are not going to win anything any time soon. Tucker can sell that Sparty has won before. And they won against Urban. So he can sell that pitch that it can be done at MSU. Right now all Tucker can do is sell. If the results are not there in another year or two, he has nothing to sell. But right now he can. And he can point to past success. If Clink ends up at MSU I think it will make it more tough for the good guys. Who really knows though. This is just all opinion.