Spartan Reacts: Time to look at the big picture for Michigan State

Oct 3, 2022 - 9:30 PM

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Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Michigan State Spartans fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate.

This time a year ago, there may have been no better surprise in the country than Michigan State. Mel Tucker had his team hitting on all cylinders and emerging on the national scene.

Now in 2022, however, things couldn’t feel much different.

Tucker’s team dropped its third-straight game on Saturday. While the 27-13 loss to Maryland wasn’t as ugly a box score as the two previous losses, it didn’t do much of anything to help MSU moving forward. Instead, a bowl game seems incredibly far away and there isn’t much to feel good about on the team.

Much of those bad feelings can be attributed to the surprise success last season. The 2021 11-win season, including a Peach Bowl victory, was a huge jump forward on the expected timeline. Tucker was in his second season with the program, but really (due to COVID-19) his first full season as head coach at Michigan State with only one class of his own recruits, after not getting the opportunity to recruit before the shortened 2020 season. If not for that success, the expectations for this season may have been significantly lower.

It’s impossible to put that genie back in the bottle. So we want to know how you are feeling about Tucker overall. Are you still confident in the Spartans’ head coach?

One of the biggest disappointments this season has been the lack of growth from quarterback Payton Thorne. The second-year starter hasn’t taken over control of the offense as many had hoped. Thorne still has two years of eligibility left. But with highly-recruited talent behind him and not much to play for this year, is Thorne still the answer going forward?

While the quarterback is almost always a lightning rod of criticism, Thorne was far from the only player to struggle against Maryland. Which position group do you blame the most for the loss?

Get your votes in now and be on the lookout for results later this week!