Five Most Interesting Things Mel Tucker Said After Loss To Ohio State

The Spartans head man said he wasn't looking to make changes to his coaching staff after four consecutive losses by double digits...

For the first time in 20 years, Michigan State football has lost four consecutive games by double-digit points.

Prior to this season, the last time the Spartans lost four games by 10 or more points was in 2002 under then-head coach Bobby Williams. The streak culminated in a 49-3 loss to in-state rival Michigan, and Williams was fired two days later.

Today, after a 49-20 loss to Ohio State, current Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker said he wasn't considering making any changes to his coaching staff in-season, despite the Spartans' struggles.

We share our thoughts and that below, as we highlight five quotes that stood out most from Tucker's post-game press conference:

1.) “I’m not looking to make any changes from a coaching staff standpoint, at all. Any changes that we make, scheme-wise or with personnel, we’ll have to evaluate the tape.”

Any fans who are hoping for a change at defensive coordinator will have to continue to wait. Tucker was asked specifically about making mid-season coaching changes, and he responded with the quote above.

Michigan State has surrendered over 600 yards of offense to Ohio State in back-to-back year. The Spartans have also allowed 500 yards of offense seven times in 26 games under Tucker.

Defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton has been in East Lansing for every one of those games, but despite the poor results it doesn't sound like Tucker is ready to show Hazelton the door. Instead, Tucker pointed to adjustments that need to be made to the defensive scheme and personnel.

2.) "Jaden Mangham – he was in the locker room with us just now with his teammates. Obviously, he went to the hospital, they ran some tests, he was in good shape, so he came back. So, that was a positive.”

Tucker updated the status of true freshman safety Jaden Mangham, who was carted off the field on a back board after a violent collision with Buckeye tailback TreVeyon Henderson on a tackle.

It was a scary moment, and it's good to hear that Mangham was back on his feet and in the stadium following his hospital visit. The freshman has performed admirably in his first collegiate action this season, and he showed his toughness and fearlessness on that play with Henderson.

Tucker would later say that Mangham's health was the only positive outcome of the game.

3.) “Those guys see an opportunity to come here and make a difference. Obviously, we have a really good recruiting class going for the ’23 class. It’s one of the best classes put together so far here, and we’re going to continue to add to it and have a really good class.”

With this Saturday being a big recruiting weekend for Michigan State, Tucker was asked if he was concerned that the recruits in attendance saw this kind of performance from the Spartans.

I generally agree with what Tucker has said this season about recruiting. One poor season won't necessarily have a negative impact, especially on the 2023 class. However, as the losses stack, it could have an impact going forward.

This season has shown that Michigan State has a long way to go to get where it wants to be. While it's true there will be opportunities for young players to come in and contribute immediately, which can be a positive selling-point in recruiting, it also means that there will be growing pains during these next few season.

Michigan State has to show improvement, because you can only sell playing time and hope for so long.

4.) “I want to see better execution, in all three phases. Consistent execution. And I want to see us ready for this next game.”

Tucker was asked what realistic expectations he had for the rest of this season, and he gave the above answer.

It was a pretty lame response, and textbook coach-speak, but that's unexpected.

At this point, Michigan State is just fighting for bowl eligibility, which is a far cry from the championship expectations and standard that the Spartans talked about all offseason.

5.) “I coached [at Ohio State], I’ve been at Georgia, I’ve been at Alabama. So, I know what that type of program looks like, I know what it feels like, I know what goes into it. We’re not there yet, but we’ll get there.”

Asked about closing the gap between his program and Ohio State's, Tucker said, “After I watch the film, I’ll be able to see exactly where the breakdowns are. I have some ideas on how to close the gap, but now is not the time to talk about it.”

He came back to the subject later in the press conference with the quote above. While Tucker didn't want to talk about realistic opportunities for the 2022 season, I can say with certainty that the highlighted quote above is not at all realistic right now.

Even last season, when the Spartans went 11-2 with a Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl victory, Michigan State was no where near programs such as Ohio State, Alabama and Georgia.

The gap between those programs and the rest of college football is vast, and to say, "We're not there yet, but we'll get there", is just more coach-speak.