Michigan State Still Far Away From Competing Against Big Ten’s Best
East Lansing, MI – There's no reason MSU needs to feel bad about not being on par with Ohio State.
Justin Fields is unstoppable, and inside Spartan Stadium, Michigan State saw him up close – the results weren't pretty.
On Saturday, the Buckeyes humbled MSU.
From the start, Ohio State's superiority to the Spartans was clear, an understandable phenomenon in the middle of a rebuild.
The 40-point blowout reminded everyone how far away MSU is from competing for Big Ten titles again.
"We gotta get better faster. I'm not about this long-term deal. We need to get something done right now ... quite frankly; I believe we're better than this," Mel Tucker said. "Some may disagree, but based upon what I see on tape; we're better than what we showed today. Ultimately, I've got to do a better job getting out of these players what they have."
But what's unacceptable is Michigan State's approach to the 49th meeting with OSU.
At 2-3, the Spartans didn't have much to lose compared to Ohio State, yet too often, MSU didn't attempt to threaten the Buckeyes, whether it was conservative play-calling against a shorthanded defense or punting on manageable fourth-downs.
"If I thought we could get it, I would have gone for it … there's not a fear factor involved, it's just a decision," said Tucker. "It's easy to sit back in the air conditioning and say we should have went for it."
However, the decisions made by Michigan State's coaching staff told a different story than Tucker in the postgame.
The Spartans didn't take enough shots, and if they've proved one thing in 2020, its throws down the field can lead to success.
Not to mention, Ohio State gives up nearly 300 yards per game through the air, but MSU continued to run the ball and call plays with little chance of working.
Earlier this week, Tucker considered the 49th meeting with Ohio State to be a measuring stick for MSU's program.
It's pretty clear where they stand.
"I was very disappointed today on how we played," Tucker said. "We need to do better job with our guys and get more out of them. We need to figure out how to do that and do it quickly."
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