The Blue Board

You have said that in several of your posts and I totally agree. The other factor in it is on top level talent not working out for some reason. The more top talent you can get the better the odds of any of them actually living up to potential, staying out of trouble, etc.. This happens everywhere. Look at The Bamas of the world. They have so many 4 and 5 star guyus that never even make the field. They do a good job coaching them up but they have so many elite level kids it allows them to be able to miss on some as well. Where at Michigan and Michigan State we need our top level recruits to pan out or we are sitting with middle of the road talent i.e. Michigan the past 3 years. Good point. The whole team doesn't have to be top level but it is what in the long run gets you to BCS bowls Consistently. Not every 3-5 years.

Per: Saprtan Rocky
I agree with this, sadly. I've got the big "rate your team on coaching and talent" and you see the top programs have 8+ in talent and 8+ in coaching. Really, good coaching with ok talent can beat good talent with ok coaching. However, if coaching is equal, then the greater talent is going to win out.

I've said all along that MSU does not have to out recruit UM, but we do have to stay within shouting distance of the talent levels. A lot of those 6 wins were the result of superior UM talent; Chris Perry and that OL in 2003, Braylon Edwards/Mario Manningham/Hart/Woodley/Graham from 2004-2007. Though MSU did do its part to collapse in several of those games, there were plays made where MSU was flat-out out talented.

That's why the Gholstons, LTs, Baker's, Maxwell's, Schofner's, etc. matter. I have no question that MSU can take solid prospects and make them into good Big 10 players. But if MSU is going to consistently compete for championships, it needs to recruit at a clip that keeps the "high end" talent at around 20% of the roster, those elite recruits that can take the hard work, and turn themselves into first round NFL guys. Right now 2 of our 6 commits are 4-stars, so we're at 33% "high end" talent for this class. I'd like that % to stay the same.

Who're you referring to?

I disagree. If UM had a good showing in that bowl, I think RR likely would have been retained.

You, on the 20% top level recruit talk.

With a convincing win maybe. It would have just been another year of dead-man walking like the last half of the season was though. Personally I wanted RR to get another year or so, maybe get DC without a stuffed beaver, but am glad they just made the break and started over.

Ahh, gotcha, it sounded like it, but I wasn't sure.

I definitely don't think MSU can win on 2-star "diamonds in the rough". I look at those guys as bonuses (Le'Veon Bell, Joel Foreman) and that's how we end up hanging with teams that have more "high" level stars.

If I had my choice between a team loaded with 5-star and high 4-star talent, and one with mostly 2 and 3, I'll take the first group every time.

Outside of 'Bama, LSU, TX and pre-probation USC, there really aren't teams in the country that are all 4-star or better. That's why talent evaluation is such a big deal.

and that's what i truly believe he did that whole "raise me up" spiel... he saw the writing on the wall and wanted to do something so out there that he'd be fired and he'd walk away with another $1.5M

If you think you already have a coach lined up, and you can save $1.5 million, why wouldn't you wait? It's smart business.

I don't get it. You think the decision was already made to fire the staff before the bowl game, but you don't think that saving money was a consideration in why they waited to do it until after the bowl game? Why wait, then?

But, you don't think that a reversal of fortune in the bowl game would have saved RichRod's job...which kind of implies that you think the decision was already made, right?

Personally, *I* don't think winning the bowl game would have saved his job. But I can't speak for DB. My opinion is that the coaches saw the writing on the wall AND that DB's decision to hold off on the firing had little to do with saving money and more to do with waiting until the bowl season was over, discuss things with RR, and weigh his options. I also think DB wanted to hear RRs plan for improving the defense and RR, being fiercely loyal to his assistants, was reluctant to broom a guy like Tony Gibson. Finally, I don't thonk there was a qualified DC who would come work for RR, and DB realized that, too.

Just my .02

There's talk of MSU converting to a 3-4 in the near future. MSU has brought in the larger, rangier OLBs, and has about 3 possible candidates at Nose Tackle. Here's how I see the personnel shaking out IF we end up going to a 4-3

NT: White (RS Jr 6'2 323), Reynolds ( RS Soph 6'5, 318), Ramondo (6'4 300, true frosh)

3-4 DE: Jonathon Strayhorn, (RS Sr., 6'0 278), Kevin Pickelman (RS Sr. 6'4 295), Jerel Worthy (RS Jr. 6'3 305), Tyler Hoover (RS Jr, 6'7 274), Brandon Clemons (6'4 265, True frosh), Damon Knox (6'5 265, true frosh), Mark Scarpinato (6'4 255, true frosh), Joel Heath (True frosh 6'6 260)

3-4 OLBs: Chris Norman (Jr. 6'1 230), Will Gholston (Soph. 6'7 275), Shilique Calhoun (True Frosh 6'5 230), Taiwan Jones (true frosh 6'3 230), Ed Davis (true frosh, 6'4 225)

3-4 ILBs: Steve Gardiner, (RS Jr. 6'1 225), TyQuann Hammock (RS Soph, 6'1 228), Max Bullough (true soph 6'3 240), Lawrence Thomas (True frosh 6'5 255, according to him)

Add in Sevon Pittman and Jamal Lyes as possible OLBs for 2012 and beyond

I don't think MSU can run a true 3-4 until at least 2013. Most of the 3-4 personnel I see are from the 2011 and 2012 classes. Still, it could be a good way to take advantage of the size at LB. . . .

Whoops. Yea, he'd be a 3-4 DE/DT. He's a big guy at 6'3 305, but his attacking mentality is much more conducive to that DE position. In reality, he's a pretty high level 3-tech DT, so I doubt we go to a 3-4 when we have some very good 4-3 personnel.

I think that just about any D scheme can work in college as long as you have good players who are disciplined. Truth is MSU has struggled to get pressure with their front 4 in each of Dantonio's seasons except for 2007 (Jonal St. Dic with 10 sacks and 8 FF, Earvin Baldwin with 8.5 sacks and 18.0 TFL). I think this year is the last year for the 4-3 IF they can't get it done; we've got 3 RS JRs and our lone 5-star starting all of whom have seen pretty solid PT, so if they can't get pressure, then I think it's time to try a scheme-change to start affecting the QB.