Dr. Green and White Sports Authority

In a world fraught with conflict and uncertainty, two proud football teams will meet on the gridiron Saturday night to once again decide which University will get bragging rights for the next 12 months.  The winner will get a cool wooden statue of a lumberjack. The coach of the winning team will also get to enjoy a full week of not getting asked if he is getting fired. Probably. That's right. It's Michigan Week. That special time every fall in the Great Lakes State that pits neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother, green versus blue, Spartans versus Wolverines. It's an all-out civil war. But this year both teams find themselves dealing with different kinds of adversity. The Spartans (3-4) are struggling with their identify in the midst of a four-game losing streak and a three-year streak with no bowl game.  Meanwhile, the Wolverines' (5-2) unrealistic dreams for a Big Ten title and playoff berth are fading. Michigan continues to grapples with the challenges o...

If I am being completely honest, I am confused by many of the thing that I have read and seen about Michigan State Football over the past few weeks. The results on the field have been frustrating and disappointing so far this season. But the sad truth is that the results are also not that surprising. In case you have forgotten, allow me to refresh your memory about some of the details from my preseason analysis back in August The experts in Las Vegas set the Spartans' regular win total over/under at 5.5 wins. My simulation of the full season gave a value of 5.26 win. Additional calculation revealed that Michigan State had a 43% chance to reach a bowl game.  The odds for a 3-9 record or worse were 21%. The odds for a 4-8 record or worse were 38%. After seven games, the expected win total was 3.66. These calculations tacitly assumed that the Spartans would have neutral luck both on the field and with injuries. It can be argued that a few teams on the Michigan State schedule including...

Today, I present to you an underdog story. Strap Purl might even refer to it as a story of David versus Goliath. The Michigan State Spartans football team is in the midst of a suddenly tumultuous season. The loss last week to the Bruins of UCLA has shaken the small, football-loving community of East Lansing to its core. This week, the Spartans travel to the city of Bloomington to face the mighty Indiana Hoosiers. The Hoosiers are big and athletic and suddenly ranked No. 3 in the country. The Spartans find themselves banged up and with a shrinking bench. The odds are heavily stacked against them. To add to the drama, Michigan State has a coach that is suddenly under fire. Members of the community are speaking out and questing if he is the right man for the job.  But Head Coach Jonathan Smith is undaunted by the criticism. He is focused on getting back to work. His team needs get back to basics. There needs to be a focus on fundamental and defense and on all 11 guys on the field func...

I noticed something odd during my drive to East Lansing on Saturday morning. When I left my house, the skies were mostly clear and the sun was shining. It looked like a beautiful fall day in Michigan. I was expecting a beautiful day for football in Spartan Stadium. But as I approached East Lansing from the east on I-96, I noticed a large bank of grey, dark cloud rising up in front of me. It looked like some sort of meteorological depression was hovering over the city. I did not realize it at the time, but it was a dark portent for what was about to transpire on the gridiron. I was confident that after two tough road games in a row, the Michigan State Spartans would play a disciplined, sharp game of football on homecoming against the 1-4 UCLA Bruins. I expected a double-digit, feel good win that would set the stage for the backend of the season and a likely bowl game for the first time since 2021. I was wrong. Instead, it was UCLA that came ready to play. The Bruins mauled the Spartans ...