Thoughts on Northwestern Game: Coaching Still the Main Problem

Yes, the Spartans have a lot of holes in talent, but the disappointing results this season are still mostly about poor coaching.

The QBs and the O-line are average to below average, but we saw today that this offense can score points with the talent they have. Even Alabama takes a few long shots down the field, and at long last, MSU took a few shots down the field and it greatly paid off. I guess we can at least take some comfort in the fact that the OC seems to have learned some lessons. At this point, the OC might as well just open up the playbook and work his butt off every week to add wrinkles. This offense can and better score points the rest of season. There is no excuse.

The tragedy was seeing that this week it was the defensive coaching staff's turn to show an incredible inability to adapt. The inability to adapt was most clear when Northwestern's best receiver scored a ridiculously easy touchdown to put the game away. Matt Millen saw the danger before the play unfolded, I saw it, everybody saw it. And yet the defensive coaches who get paid the big bucks didn't see it. I don't know how that can happen. Is it stubbornness? I don't know...It just doesn't make sense.

The amazing thing is that this team is actually moving backwards on the fundamentals. How can the tackling be so poor for a Dantonio defense at this point in the season? How can the special teams be so out of position, multiple weeks. The bottom line is that while the talent is not championship level, the talent is simply not as bad as the results being produced. Coaching is the main problem this season.