Jonathan Smith Lands on a List He’d Rather Avoid
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Michigan State football has now lost to its in-state rival Michigan, and is now 3-5 on the season and 0-5 in the Big Ten. After starting 3-0 through the first three weeks of the season, the Spartans have seen regression in all the wrong places during their five-game losing streak.
The defense is one of the worst units in the country. The offense, which came into the season with promise, has been playing flat.
Michigan State came into this season with the expectation of getting to a bowl game, as the roster was supposedly upgraded through the transfer portal. Key players under the Smith offense last season had a season under their belt and were expected to improve.
So far, the opposite has happened. Junior quarterback Aidan Chiles looked great through the first four weeks, but has recently regressed and has only completed over 50% of his passes once, on October 4th against Nebraska.
With the Spartans losing five in a row, fans have become restless and now the talk of head coach Jonathan Smith being on the hot seat has been getting louder.
How Hot is Jonathan Smith’s Seat
On3 writer Andy Staples compiled a list of the top 10 coaches who are feeling the most pressure and Jonathan Smith was placed at number four. Smith is behind Kentucky's Mark Stoops, Auburn’s Hugh Freeze, and Florida State’s Mike Norvell.
“Smith simply hasn’t been able to import the bully-ball style that made his Oregon State teams so good, and the Spartans seem to be regressing in year two. After going 5-7 overall and 3-6 in Big Ten play in year one, the Spartans are now 0-5 in conference in 2025 heading into Saturday’s game at Minnesota,” said Staples.
Staples also mentions how the new athletic director, J Batt, didn't hire Jonathan Smith. Batt may look at Jonathan Smith's performance and decide that he isn't the right man for the job.
“Further complicating matters is the fact that the athletic director who hired Smith is gone. New Michigan State AD J Batt came from Georgia Tech, where he fired Geoff Collins in 2022 and then elevated interim coach Brent Key to the full-time job. Key’s Yellow Jackets are undefeated so far this season. Batt, who was a deputy at Alabama before going to Georgia Tech, isn’t accustomed to losing at football.”
For Jonathan Smith to win back the trust of not only the fans, but also his new boss in J Batt, he needs to win the last four games of the season. MSU plays at Minnesota, at home against Penn State, at Iowa, and in Detroit against Maryland. Smith needs to win out and make a bowl game to keep his job. Not likely.
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