Dr. Green and White Sports Authority

Autumn has settled over Michigan, and the leaves are starting to turn brown. As for the Michigan State Spartans’ prospects, the sky has turned from blue to gray. The supposedly friendly confines of Spartan Stadium have been anything but over the past month. Maybe it is time a change of scenery. Maybe it is time for a trip somewhere safe and warm.  How about L.A.? California. That sounds nice. Back in the summer, when Spartan fans still dreamed of a turnaround season, the late-October trip to face the UCLA Bruins at iconic Rose Bowl Stadium seemed challenging but winnable. Five straight losses have made those summer dreams feel increasingly distant. UCLA’s 6-0 start and top 10 ranking make Michigan State’s task this week even more daunting. For some Spartan fans, this meeting carries special meaning. As a college football fan growing up in the Midwest in the 1980s, Pasadena and the Rose Bowl had a special place my heart. Before the days of the College Football Playoff or even the Bo...

Another week, another heartbreaking loss at Spartan Stadium. The path was a little different, but the result was all too familiar. A week ago, Michigan State stumbled out of the gate against Illinois. The Spartans roared back in the second half to force overtime, only to fall one play short of victory. This week, against a stronger Northwestern team, the Spartans stood toe-to-toe with their ranked opponent throughout the game, even holding an 8-point lead deep into the fourth quarter. The Wildcats nearly gift-wrapped a win for the Spartans with a baffling decision to fake a punt deep in their own territory with 3:29 left in a tie game. But a blocked field goal and a 60-second drive orchestrated by former Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles sealed the Spartans' fate. Michigan State was again “this close” to a statement victory, yet so far away. As the old saying goes, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. The Spartans have been anything but lucky, and another once-p...

Breaking up is hard to do, but it is an experience almost everyone goes through at least once. In some cases, a very awkward situation can arise when someone happens to run into an ex in the cereal aisle at the grocery store or in line for a latte at a coffee shop. On Saturday at Spartan Stadium, about 70,000 Michigan State fans may experience their own version of this awkwardness. One of their exes recently moved to suburban Chicago, but Spartan fans are about to encounter somebody that they used to know. That somebody is Northwestern starting quarterback Aidan Chiles. Chiles’ relationship with the Spartans lasted almost two years. Now and then, when I think of when he first announced his transfer to Michigan State, I remember how happy Spartan fans were. They told themselves that he was the right quarterback for East Lansing. Chiles received plenty of love from Spartans fans at first, but the relationship slowly soured. He struggled with inconsistency, turnovers, and injuries. After ...

There are plenty of analogies for the 2026 Michigan State football team. Most recently, I compared the struggling Spartans to an ailing patient who appeared to be recovering from a temporary illness. I expected them to play well Saturday and beat the visiting Fighting Illini. Halfway through the second quarter, I was prepared to declare the patient deceased. The Spartans trailed Illinois 17-0. Their offense had run exactly six plays and possessed the ball for less than four minutes. Illinois had outgained Michigan State 216-8. Spartan Stadium felt like a funeral home. At best, the Spartans were still ill. Then, beginning with Michigan State's third drive, the momentum turned. From that point through the end of regulation, the Spartans outgained Illinois 279-190 and outscored the Fighting Illini 31-14. More important was the fight the Spartans showed. They scratched, clawed, and chipped away at the Illinois lead. When the Illini answered in the fourth quarter with a seven-pl...