Why Maryland Game Could Determine Jonathan Smith’s MSU Future

Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith faces a pivotal end to the season.

The Spartans take on the Maryland Terrapins at Ford Field on Saturday evening in a game that does not have much bearing on either team’s season.

In fact, what happens after the game is of much more interest to MSU fans. They want to see if Athletic Director J Batt will fire Smith and look for his own coach, or keep him around and move forward with him as the coach for the 2026 season.

With two years of a Spartan resume, available for Batt to review, would a win against the listless Terrapins be enough to save Smith’s job and buy him an extra season in East Lansing?

Let’s make the case for Smith staying as the coach for MSU, and also lay out why Batt should move on from him and find his own coach.

The case for giving Smith another year

Nov 22, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Jonathan Smith talks with an official during the second quarter against the Michigan State Spartans at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Despite the team losing eight straight games, it is evident that none of the players have quit on Smith or the season. The Spartans have bought into the culture Smith has implemented in East Lansing, and it might only be a matter of time before execution improves and leads to wins.

The Spartans have remained competitive in their games since the UCLA blowout, coming close to winning against Minnesota, Penn State, and Iowa. It is fair to wonder if more financial support for the program would be enough to push MSU into bowl contention.

There is still a place in college football for program building; it doesn’t always have to be instant gratification. Smith spent a few years building at Oregon State and turning the Beavers into a competitive football program.

Can he do the same at Michigan State with more time? Will fans and donors have the patience to award him that time?

The case for moving on

Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith leaves the field after the Spartans loss to Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

If Smith loses on Saturday to Maryland, he will have lost every Big Ten game this season. That is hard to overlook if you’re Batt, no matter the context.

For much of this season, MSU has not been competitive. The Spartans dropped their fourth game in a row to the Michigan Wolverines, and alumni and donors don’t like that the team can’t get a win against its biggest rival.

The Spartans may have waited too long to try to compete, which won’t look good to Batt. A meaningless win against a bad Maryland team might not be enough to convince him that Smith is the right man for the job.

We will find out on Saturday evening what Batt decides to do, but the Maryland game may not be much of a data point towards the decision.

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