MSU's Joe Rossi Proves He Deserves a Shot
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The Michigan State Spartans are now sitting at 3-8 after a 20-17 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes on the road.
This loss was avoidable for Jonathan Smith’s team, as the Spartans led by a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. The team snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, which has been a common theme in the short Smith era.
Another loss like this raises more questions about whether Smith has what it takes to be a coach at the Big Ten level, and the answers remain overwhelmingly negative. While Kinnick Stadium is a tough place to play, better execution wins MSU that game.
While MSU ultimately lost, it is hard to blame the defense for how the team played on Saturday afternoon. The defense did everything it could to keep the Spartans in the game, despite poor offensive execution.
Defensive coordinator Joe Rossi has done an impressive job in the last few weeks for this team, and his move from the booth to the sideline has had a major impact on his players. Smith's future may be in question, but Rossi has proven he deserves a shot to stay in East Lansing.
Joe Rossi's MSU turnaround
In the first few weeks of Big Ten play, Rossi’s defense allowed nearly 40 points per game. In the last four, it has only allowed 25.5.
While those are not eye-popping improvements, they show the Spartans have gone from playing like one of the worst defenses in the Big Ten to at least middle of the pack.
MSU has not won a game since late September, but Rossi’s defense can hardly be blamed for it.
No one knows what might happen to Smith after the Maryland game next week, but if he loses, it would not be surprising to see Athletic Director J Batt decide to move on from Smith, a coach he did not hire.
If he does fire Smith and decides to hire his own coach, Rossi has proven he deserves a shot at being part of the next staff. He has done an impressive job with a defense that lacks much talent outside of linebacker Jordan Hall.
His scheme has begun to show that it works against some of the better teams in the Big Ten, and if Batt invests more money into the football program, Rossi could add more talent to his unit and be much more competitive on that side of the ball.
It does not seem like MSU has a bright future within its football program, but Rossi appears to be the coach to turn things around on defense. He has at least proven he deserves a chance.
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Carter Landis studied journalism at Michigan State University, where I graduated in May of 2022. He is currently a sports reporter for a local television station and is a writer covering the Michigan State Spartans