Dr. Green and White Sports Authority

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...

It would not be a stretch to suggest that Michigan State football is feeling a bit under the weather. The Spartans felt good after beating a pair of MAC teams in early September. Then, the Green and White caught a case of the sniffles after staying out late on a Saturday night in South Bend. Their condition worsened over the next two weeks against Nebraska and Wisconsin. The symptoms include the dropsies, a rash (of injuries), an acute turnover deficiency, frequent pocket collapses, and sudden weakness on fourth-down attempts. This week, Michigan State returns home to face the Illinois Fighting Illini . The visitors are guests for the Spartans’ 2026 homecoming weekend, but they arrive with ill intentions. The question is whether Michigan State is on the road to recovery or whether the patient is about to take another turn for the worse. Fortunately, this particular doctor is in, and I have a feeling the Fighting Illini might offer a cure for what ails the Spartans. A homecoming win wou...

It was a miserable weekend for Michigan State football. After a promising start to the season offered a few glimmers of hope, the Spartans hit a patch of ice in the Wisconsin backwoods and ran off the road. Michigan State’s 31-3 loss to Wisconsin was painful to watch, and the prospects for a quick recovery appear grim. After four straight seasons of disappointment, the start of Big Ten play has left fans feeling isolated and alone, trapped in the same bleak story. To some, the program feels broken, with no escape from the bottom of the Big Ten standings in sight. Is this the fate awaiting Michigan State, or is there still a way out of this nightmare? Despite the horror show unfolding before us, I believe some hope remains, and a few plot twists may still be in the works. Michigan State was soundly defeated in Madison, but a few plays breaking the other way could have made the game much more competitive. What if Jacob Harris drops the bobbled touchdown pass on third down of Wisc...