MSU Football Depth Chart + Jim Harbaugh Departs UM

In this episode, Justin Thind and Matt Sheehan preview Michigan State’s football depth chart after the winter transfer portal’s conclusion. They dive into the discussion at OL, WR, and LB quite extensively. After, they discuss Jim Harbaugh leaving Michigan for the Los Angeles Chargers, and what it means for MSU’s in-state rival’s 2024 season. They then have some fun at the end.

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The Spartan said they were T the spart said they would Flinch and they did and welcome to another episode of the s4l show I’m Justin thind I’m here with my co-host Matt Shen let’s go Matt looks like you are excited and fired up how are you doing today is that all is

That all up front the the the day ends in why so you know we’re coming in with high VI right now I got my sparkling water and a pink can I will be sipping undering the show because I’m feeling extra pretty today Justin so yeah things

Are going good over here yeah love the hat love the fit thank you you know what I’m trying to channel in my inner golf season right here going with the Puma golf hat um Justin but the people really want to know how are you doing over there are you doing okay over there

Everything good well at the the Nick serani trajectory hasn’t gone the way I’d hoped oh god there was there was minor hope in in the in the road today with with the big fangio stuff so taking a day by day not not getting too high

Not getting too low just um you know the best you can do on your team is lowly and undefeated and and and defeated and out of the playoffs and eliminated so that was a deep sigh I heard in the middle of that sentence that that was a

Sigh for help um yeah 70 points for my be though so that’s good fools gold elimination hey look at that there we go um speaking of helping others we’re gonna help the Michigan State fan base today because Justin right now in the calendar we’re in a little bit of not

Just a l but a good time to press pause and look at what the roster is right now in front of us for this football team we are a little behind a busy transfer portal window yes of course things can still happen but the bulk of it has

Wrapped up and then we’re going to be ahead of the winter conditioning the Spring ball so right now we’re pressing pause and we’re going to be looking at a few uh positions at the depth chart right now right Justin I think we should start with a pretty recent position

That’s saw a new face get entered into it Luke Newman FCS All-American transfer from Holy Cross 6’4 305 pounds now he played a whole lot of left tackle actually exclusively left tackle last year for the Crusaders JT this guy even a tackle because I’ve read some pieces whether

247 sports or Spartans Illustrated he seems to think he’s an interior offensive line for uh FBS teams like Michigan state is so yeah let’s start talking offensive line baby let’s go yeah the former Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice product is projected to play left guard for Michigan State um you are

Right played exclusively left tackle for Holy Cross and the last time we talked about him I alluded to him being in that left tackle battle with with kind of Brandon Baldwin and and and Stanton raml and and those guys but like yeah as as you’ve said his quotes and what he’s

Given and what he’s alluded to to us and and to others it does seem like left guard is going to be the spot for him um there I don’t expect him to have much difficulty winning the job because really uh Gavin broches is coming off an

Injury that we don’t know much about I can’t I can’t really give him the nod there yet and uh Chris Phillips big duly um we’ll see I mean I guess he’d be he’d be a good threat there um also competing for the Right Guard spot with Gino vandemar because obviously everything is

Always up for a competition yeah so so you’re looking at left tackle now I guess with st raml tearing his ACL last year I probably wouldn’t have him in the same tier as maybe Baldwin and Ashton leppo in terms of the likelihood to win that job um not as a red shirt freshman

Um probably down the road he he can probably pull away even if one of these other guys win the job temporarily like if an Ashton leppo wins this job that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll have it the next three four years um but I do think that that’s probably the way that

The left tackle spot is probably leaning um Baldwin had a high ceiling he came in just had a season of juk that got cancelled before that he just started playing uh football again in his senior year of high school so really really raw and um coach cap kind of developed him

Into a serviceable big 10 offensive lineman pretty early in his career probably a year or two earlier than he was ever supposed to get to this level so I can’t count him out just yet but if he does not take another big leap I would probably say that Ashton leppos

Who I would go with personally without having seen how any of them are going to do in Fall C or spring camp and then fall camp but yeah that’s kind of your left tackle situation Luke Newman at left guard Center that’s probably Tanner Miller spot even though he played mostly

Right Guard and some Center at Oregon State um Dallas Fincher probably the backup there Cole Dinger probably also in the mix with Fincher for who can who can kind of snag that second team sure um and then yeah right guard should be Gino vandemar maybe maybe big Dy if uh

If he can pry that from him and then right tackle e Ethan Boyd so I think across the board you’re looking at upgrade at right tackle with Ethan Boyd I don’t know why he wasn’t playing more of a Spencer Brown last year right with you yeah left tackle um I mean Brandon

Baldwin was playing a lot of the snaps there anyway to begin with so um if it’s him you kind of know what you’re getting if if Ashton Leo is up being better than him then you’re looking at a potential upgrade there um I think seak was was a good run

Blocker but some pass blocking kind of was shaky at times so you’re looking at Tanner Miller at the end of the day was AP mid-season All-American second team he’s Pack 12 All-American second team so I would say say he’s an upgrade there so you upgraded at right tackle for sure at

Center for sure I would say talking about it in this manner um Right Guard I’m assuming goino Vander Mar’s not gonna get any worse if he wins the job um so you’re probably same or better there same or better at left tackle um left guard I I would say it comes down

To how Luke Newan plays but do play shaky at times not kind of the progression that you would have liked to have seen given how good he was early in his career but at the end of the day I don’t think the offensive Line’s be Leaps and Bounds better but I also think

That it should be serviceable at worst and um ideally you’re thinking that you’re upgrading at the coach spot so you should be able to have an above average offensive line but I would expect them to be competing for a Joe Moore award just yet that that’s a good

Way to put it yeah we’re not going to say that this is like a top three unit in the conference and by all means guys like if any of the offensive flyen are listening to this and I’m sure they all listen together the offensive line room

Please prove a wrong I don’t think it’ll be top three in the conference but it’s gonna be look I I I know the bar was set kind of low last year uh they were the worst in yards per carry rushing it’s going to be better than it was last year right

Because here’s the thing once bit and twice shy right is is that the figure of speech because I was never heard the figure of speech you just said that’s fine I I may have just come off with that who knows I don’t even know if I’m using it correctly but we’re gonna go

For it last off season JT I I was feeling pretty good about the offensive line I was saying a lot of the same things I’m saying right now that it did it did not go that way necessarily last year um sure there were a lot of other outside factors that

Happened you know it wasn’t just all entirely the offensive Line’s fault but man here I am coming back and I’m pointing at a lot of the same things hey you know what Luke Newman that’s a guy with a lot of college experience Tanner Miller that’s got guy with a lot of

College experience right there just how I looked at dupan and sech and said that’s experience this is gonna go well and then hey who do we got but another offensive line coach that is known as one of the best in the country just like the last guy

Was but here I am JT I’m I’m sipping the Kool-Aid but like am am I in the right this time of course only time will tell this there’s no way to find out an answer as we are recording on January 24th but man I I’m getting optimistic

About this offensive line and boy does this sound like for the same reasons of last year but hey there’s reason to believe that it’ll be different yeah is actually reason to believe it’ll be different though this year and one factor that you didn’t mention that will

Help the offensive line is the fact that if they do get beat on a pass rush the guy that’s going to be over there in the pocket is going to have more Mobility than any quarterback that Michigan State’s had in recent memory that’s fair so um at least overall sack sack yardage

Wise that should be an issue that is a little bit mitigated which really they didn’t give up that many sacks last year that was not really the reason the offense was was St yeah middle of the pack in the Big 10 right it’s the fact that even when the quarterbacks had time

The routes just were not worth like if if the routes are getting stopped within a second of the ball being snapped it doesn’t really matter whether quarterback’s getting sacked at like 1.5 seconds after the snap or 2.5 seconds after the snap like the fact of the matter is the route trees are horrible

But like yeah so now you’re kind of looking at a situation where not only does that stop the um pass rush from kind of blitzing maybe six guys without a quarterback spy and child’s taking off the backside also in the Run game they’re not going to be able to pursue

And crash the edge as hard because if he pulls it under read option you’re in big trouble then so in all sense of both the passing and running game the defense is not going to be able to just blindly pursue um as like as hard as they were

Last year so it helps in that regard just taking some pressure taking away some decisiveness from defensive fronts um in addition to ideally in a vacuum the offensive line also taking a slight step forward and so that’s the offensive line as far as depth goes and look we’re

Going to talk defense here in a little bit but as far as offense goes we’re seeing the offensive line death chart starting to take shape here as we go into Spring ball and of course things are subject to change like there may be a name added or missing by the time we

Get into the summer here but you’re feeling pretty good about the quarterback okay I got a pretty good idea that it’s gonna be Aiden child’s number one at quarterback uh go ahead and jump in if you think that’s incorrect but uh running back as well that’s another position you kind of see

The pecking order there too tight end Jack valin you imagine he’s gonna be the day one starter you got some good death behind him too with young guys bran perek Jack nichel receiver’s the only one that I’m kind kind of wondering if there’s a clear picture you could just

Pencil in heck Sharpie him in monor Foster for one of the roles right draw Glover on the other side maybe lante Brown’s still sticking around you got TJ Sheffield perhaps Nic Martian’s contributor so Antonio Gates Antonio of course the big body Antonio Gates Jr the guy that probably comes in with the most

Size of any returning receiver so that’s going to be another interesting picture to have cleared up here do you have a pulse on where the receiver room is looking right now yeah I guess with Sheffield it’ll be interesting to see from the academic side of things how

That plays out heading into the summer um not very clear right now but it’s not one of those things where the kid is wavering so at least that helps understand the picture somewhat so um whatever ends up happening from the academic side is is kind of what will

Take care of that situation so we’ll see what happens there but yeah like um monor Foster he was pretty good as a route Runner he had some drops um a couple touchdown drops as well but like at the end of the day like he was a pretty refined route Runner especially

For the limited routes that Jay was asking the receivers to run um and then yeah with a guy like joh Glover you saw flashes of potential now if you have a better scheme a better offense a better quarterback that can unlock a lot more production out of a guy like that that

In a vacuum has the skill set to make contested catches to run the Deep ball route so you’re going to be able to see increases in production from those two just because of scheme Alone um does that mean that a guy like Sheffield If he if he comes here isn’t going to come

In and immediately be wide receiver one no it doesn’t because he’s a guy that he was limited behind David Bell and some other guys at Purdue over the years and again like the volume wasn’t there but if you watch his highlights which obviously highlights are someone at their best but totally that basically

Tells you their potential and he has a ton of potential can run every single route make contested catches yards after catch on Slants deep balls so like I think at that point you’re okay with those three receivers as your starters assuming the scheme gives them a leg up

From what they had last year and Aiden Charles ideally being a better quarterback than they had last year so yeah like the receiver picture we’ll see how it shakes out um there’s a lot of teams around the Big 10 like Michigan even um Penn State where there’s a lot

Of bodies a lot of names a lot of guys but like nobody really knows who’s going to step up and be the guys so you’d think if you have a good quarterback and a good OC that three people out of that would be able to step up so we’ll see

Who they are but I think they got enough guys it’s just who’s going to be the difference makers out of them kind of reminiscent of last year too like everyone figured all right yeah Trey G be one of those guys but it’s anyone’s guess as who’s going to be the other

Guys but so again there’s a lot of football left uh to not be played before the game or the season kicks off um let’s go to the defensive side of the ball though I I think secondary the starters there sure like that it’s pretty cut and dry you know who the

Safeties are the quarterbacks are it’s going to be Jayden mangam Malik Spencer and then probably Dylan Tatum chance Rucker for the quarterbacks right defensive line feeling pretty good about that Chris Bogle Avery Dunn I’m sure one of the young defensive ends will have something to say about that maybe before

The season starts if not into the season regardless done again quer is done again of course and that kind of goes into the defensive tackle too sure Derek Harman Simon Barrow but yeah hey another defensive line transfer towan DS he’s got something to say about that too feel

Pretty good about that y there we go Maverick Hansen for his 21st year of col eligibility shout out to Ben Nelson too a former walk-on offensive lineman a little bit of run defensive tackle last year let’s let’s shot everyone out let’s get nuts man and then the only and the

Only defensive tackle recruit of the Mal Tucker Alex man Su and also coming back from an ACL there I know man so so that that’s kind of where things stack up in the defensive line so I guess the only mystery I guess is what I’ll call it

With air quotes on mystery is linebacker and that makes a little hard too because there are going to be some formations out there that have two linebackers with we’ll call it K holiday Jordan holl and then Angelo gross playing nickel or you have Wayne Matthews playing the nickel

So kind of difficult to talk about like what the depth looks like there but let’s say that okay kickoff against the owls Florida Atlanta takes the field it’s a three linebacker set traditional three linebacker set who do you think’s trotton out there at what position then

JT I think you’re gonna have um if it’s a three linebacker set you’re probably gonna have one of Jordan Turner or Cal Halliday in the middle um both of those guys are very limited in pass coverage both those guys are pretty skilled in the Run game yeah um

You’re looking at Jordan Hall as one of the guys next to him and then on the other side you’re looking at Wayne Matthews I believe um he’s the best coverage guy out of out of everyone for sure that we’ve just named um if you’re looking at a two linebacker set so

Ideally it’s going to be a pass down because you’re subbing out the mic for well it doesn’t necessarily have to be a mic but in this case I would say it should be um but yeah so then I would take Cal or Jordan Turner off and bring

In that nickel maybe a Charles Brantley um and then I’d keep Wayne Matthews as one of the two linebackers there and and Jordan Hall is the other one so that’s kind of how I think that it will it will shape up there um Hall out of necessity

Was in coverage a lot and he didn’t look he didn’t necessarily look too bad um but like I think that gave people an inflated sense of confidence in his ability to be coverage guy I think he’s definitely going to his his Bread’s going to be buttered in between the in

Between the tackles um and that’s why it’s very important to get a guy like Wayne Matthews because he’s very good in coverage and the existing linebacker room did not really possess that skill set even though Jordan Hall did did the best that he could because you don’t want Cal howy covering guys in

Space if you ideally can help it and you have the portal and you can do stuff like that to bolster the roster good run stuffer though we’ll we’ll tip or cat yeah yeah yeah for sure run it’s not lost with me either that we didn’t bring

Up Darius snow I just don’t know what Darius snow we did get back obviously it was a struggle to get back on the field last year he was not 100% who knows if he ever will be 100% but maybe it’s a thing where hey even 85% Darius snow can

Still be one of the guys on the bench when you do need a nickel like that because I know he did profile as a linebacker last year but I again like this is a guy that is a pretty good athlete so can some guys yeah definitely I just didn’t mention him and and

Probably won’t mention him until after we hear that like he’s doing really well or that he’s CU I don’t want to put unnecessary pressure on him totally um where like let’s say like right now he’s kind of questioning like all right let’s see like how I do let’s see how my speed

Is and how I’m in practice and Meanwhile we’re over here telling everyone to get excited about Darius snow and he’s probably like that’s kind of unfair so we’ll we’ll kind of see what the early returns are and and then we can go from there after spring camp and stuff no

That’s that’s smart yeah I can’t have Darius snow over there with his knee feeling like a box of crushed up salting crackers being like what they guaranteed a second Team all big 10 season from me like excuse me trying to play without a brace here finally that’s that’s it but

So wishing him the best in his recovery and then we will go from there totally yes totally punter kicker it’s pretty cut and dry right I mean that’s that’s pretty I I think it’s it’s a pretty clear picture of what we got right now and I’ll say for third time things will

Change yes hey hey now let’s get into recruiting that’s what I’m talking about let’s go Martin conington I believe the number four kicker in the OR number six kicker in the country by 247 Sports top 10 yes exactly so loved his quote Matt absolutely absolutely Electric quote uh basically

Went out there and cited how NFL kickers most of the season are kicking in bad weather and on grass and then the next quote was and Michigan State the weather and the grass will prepare me for the next level the most anti- running from the grind sentiment literally getting it

Out of the mud and just just absolutely phenomenal Vibes for Martin connington 2024 kick Idaho formerly to Oregon State until his official visit to MSU this past weekend I love it he he probably visited when it was like 35 degrees 50 mph wins a little bit of precipitation

Out there and he’s probably saying too beautiful out here this this is I I I hope it’s even worse when I finally get to kick here in East Lany no this kid if it was up to him would find a college in Northern Nuno Canada and start banging

The ball up there but yeah man this kid just like you said sprinting into the grind uh just running into the wood shipper so yeah uh never thought of like you know an attitude with a kicker that’s never cross my mind but I I like the cut of this guy’s gym here that’s

What I’m talking about this guy’s got an edge to him I love it you know that tweet that it’s viral I don’t know who tweeted it years ago but he said I just asked my landlord to increase rent because I don’t like running from the grind that’s Martin conington as as a

Recruiting quote Giver as as a as a recruit so he’ll never take a dime of nil he’ll just he he’s probably not even going to practice any kicks like in dry conditions like he’ll probably bring a Dan water bottle pour it out like right around where plant foot’s gonna be just

Kick all his kicks that he’s like the anti Brock py whereas like Brock pie someone spills a power raid in like the corner of the field before the game you know he’s having an off night this this is the anti anti Brock py here just all

The elements give it to him this kid’s going to be spilling a box of thumbtacks right where his plant foot goes during practice it’s he’s never going to use his combo Exchange you know as a student there like he he’s never going to do anything that’s a handout or make things

Easy for him so uh you know you know how like back in the day um I forgot who it was on the Pistons but like in the pregame like in the tunnel routine like I think it was Rip Hamilton and somebody else like they’d have like they’d punch

Each other to like hype him up and stuff yeah he legitimately ask like his teammates to like give him two black eyes and a concussion because he doesn’t want to kick with Clear Vision because like he’s all about the challenging and then he goes out there and he’s like oh

This is easy and perfect has a Brandon Aubrey type of 20 for20 season and you know that’s the secret formula right there hey when it’s when it’s a playoff game at home at Spartan Stadium and it’s December and we got the the Miami Hurricanes just already getting back on the plane before the

Game even kicks off I mean this kid’s gonna be ready at the very least no Tyler bass no Tyler bass situations over here no Andrew Carlson I guess I could talk about his actual kicking too he does have a clip on Twitter where he does nail a 62 y right down Main Street

Down the middle um he had a 50- yard field goal at his homecoming game in the great state of Idaho and he said it was against the wind whether it was windy who cares a 50 yard field goal that looked like it would have been good from

65 still plays under any circumstance so got a big leg if it wasn’t windy he would have refused to kick so we know that it that’s a great he would have kicked with his off foot you’re right that that is a a sterling observation by you that’s that’s what I’m talking about so

Yeah so ideal situation for him he’s going to learn under Noah Kim this year right red probably and then four years after that as a starter if everything pans out well with Martin conington that’s right we’re in flip flops for every game because cleats are too easy

On them that’s that’s right can’t wait for this kid there we go yeah and then um kind of other recruiting stuff uh several defensive tackles to monitor um heading into this weekend uh we’ll we’ll dive into more of those after this this upcoming weekend happens and and we can

Break down those visits after but some D tackles to keep in mind um one one of them is an Auburn commit right now um 88 rated 247 Sports Prospect so dive into him and the others and then um also Jaylen Brown wide receiver three star

From Texas 87 r on 247 Sports I think we mentioned it last podcast a little bit but y just a very underrated kid um Allan true and Corey Robinson and those guys like they they’re a big fan of his tape I went ahead and posted three Clips

Uh from his tape only saw the first three minutes but it’s one of those things where it’s like a 10 play kind of player or our previous the previous head coach that we covered here at Michigan State I believe he had a phrase five five playay player something like that

But yeah you saw right away he has speed he has yards after catchability also has possession catchability can go ahead and and have quick releases so very good receiver there all of us at 247 like him so he’s also visiting this upcoming weekend so that’s kind of their focus

Heading into February Signing Day a lot of DTS that they need because the last coaching staff kind of just completely abandoned the idea of recruiting interior defensive tackles for forgot about it I I’m I’m very forgetful too um like I just lost my wallet last week

Actually so I’m not one to you know make fun of people that are forgetful but sometimes you just forget about a position on the football field but losing your wallet is not going to give up third and two runs in 2025 Matt that’s that doesn’t have the

Consequences that are nearly as Grave as the last coaching steps recruiting I don’t know I I did lose it in East laning so maybe it’s on like the football field somewhere and you haven’t got it back oh no no no no no this is long gone this

There’s never been a wallet more gone in the history of wallets uh but maybe it’s uh Spartan Stadium’s Turf and someone’s gonna slip on it on Third and two and that’s not good stuff no good what return how’s it not been returned this is people don’t see the name they like V

Mat she has wallet I’ve got a tweet at him right now and get too many enemies way too many enemies uh Z or just like in my yeah that or it just like fell out of my pocket when I got out in the street and app plow drove over it so

Wolverine fan 072 just got him at and they’re they’re making fake passports under your name and yeah I was wondering why my AMX was $15,000 for the next month but I’m sure that’ll just buff out that’s fine we’ll just allemon khakis that’s right that’s just a future

Mat problem over here um but that takes care of everything that happened in the football World right nothing else notable happened that’s uh that’s espec specifically for the state as well that’s that’s just about it right now that you mening him Matt the state might have a decrease in khaki sales slight

One slight one um here here’s how I’ll start the conversation and yeah we’re g address the elephant in the room uh Jim Hara he’s going to Los Angeles to be the head coach for the Chargers for the next three years until that Flames out um I’m

Not gonna be like snarky uh I’m not gonna you know grave dance because quite frankly I I’ll admit it like I can’t they won the national title like I sure it’s fun that he left and everything like that but I don’t have any snark in

Me uh really I I’ll speak from this from a legitimate observational standpoint here uh it’s it’s it’s interesting times and yes it does directly impact Michigan State for recruiting for okay the protected rivalry we Face Michigan every single year until the sunburns out so it’s fascinating to see what’s going to

Happen over there odds are shiran Moore I don’t think I’m overstepping by just assuming that’s gonna happen right JT is that kind of like you’re correct feel yeah has there ever been a man more pre-fired before and again I’m not saying this as a salty spart and being like oh he’s

Gonna like look at it what did Haro say before the season like they have like 20 some NFL draft picks he’s not gonna be he’s not gonna be too far off I don’t know if he’ll get to 20 but there is 18 stars I believe they have to replace on

Last year’s team including the quarterback which is a pretty uh important position and that schedule is no through the daisies so not only are they off a national title expectations are going to be Sky High with a lot of the fans over there now granted there are some fans that do understand the

Context okay we’re we’re placing a lot it’s a hard schedule it’s replace a lot of talent I I don’t know man I don’t know how many donors are gonna be all to Jazz with like an eight and four record should they do that next year and I

Gotta say I swear I I’m not coming off as a hater that’s probably what they could be looking at here absolutely I absolutely because now keep in mind like let’s yeah let’s even take the B out of it if if the betting lines allow like let’s say the over under for Michigan

Wins is nine and a half right I would definitely take the under on that and this is coming from someone that placed both big money bets on Michigan wi the Big 10 and the national title this past year so likewise yeah exactly so right Michigan Let’s I’ll read their schedule

I was pulling that up when you were talking I got it up too if you don’t have it if you just want me to I got I got it yeah yeah at Fresno or sorry at versus Fresno State at home so not not the worst like lowest quality P5

Opponent right there but they should win that one still yeah um then you go and play Texas at home that’s a loss there’s there’s no question like Texas is probably the third best odds for the national title behind Ohio State and Georgia um maybe Oregon might be a step

Above them but home against Arkansas State you’re looking at two and one now USC is going to be the pivot point of their season because USC is in a similar transitional thing where they’re not losing 20 draft picks but they’re losing the number one overall pick in the

Entire draft but their defenses should be slightly better with with Danton Lynn and maybe if the Eagles are stupid enough to hire cling Cliff kingsberry their offense should take a step up for getting him out of the room so USC could be better next year and they already

They weren’t horrible they just had an epic lapse at the end once they G yeah sure then you’re looking at a Minnesota team that’s that’s not going to be too good and Joe rossy’s departure doesn’t help that so like you’re at three and2 here if you give them the USC win or

Sorry if you give them the USC loss but 4- one if you give him um the win over there then you play at Washington and I was ready to write Washington fully off after kayin dbor left but jedf fish was probably like the ideal biggest hire for

Them and they kept Will Rogers who I’m not a huge fan of but like basically they’re not going to go like four and eight they might go seven and five over there in Seattle but like they have a pulse they’re going to beat they’re going to beat Illinois uh then Michigan

State it’s January 24th Matt January 24th if I had to put money on one side or the other and yeah I don’t I think you go I I think you know where I’m going there I’m not putting it on I am feeling really good about Michigan State’s off season

I’m feeling good about how things are headed for Michigan I just don’t think the elevators of up and down are meeting quite yet I think take two years if not three for Jonathan Smith but hey you know what it’s I got a bold take you ready for this one there’s no way this

Backfires I don’t think it’ll be a 49 point loss Matt I will go ahead and say that here on January 24th 2024 Michigan state will beat Michigan this year that’s my prediction it’s not a guarantee but it’s a prediction and predictions can be wrong but I don’t

Think this one might be so there we go it’s now it depends like if Michigan’s going to go 11 and one or 10-2 then probably not but this is under the scope of the discussion that Michigan’s going to have a down year eight and four because they’re placing eight guys can

Jonathan Smith and new beat an eight and4 Michigan team I think so can it beat a 10 and two Michigan team probably not so it all is under that same tone of conversation then you’re looking at at Indiana um home against Northwestern at Ohio State they are lucky that uh you

Missed the Oregon game too they got okay yeah there you go yeah that’s that’s true that’s one yeah yeah that’s what I was say they’re definitely losing Oregon they’re definitely losing Ohio state they’re definitely losing to Texas there’s three guaranteed losses right there if they win one of those team one

Of those games then Shon Moore should like be in contention for like coach of the year in the Big 10 so sure yeah so they’re a nine and3 team as a ceiling for me so if they lose to Michigan State that’s eight and four if they lose to

USC that’s eight and four they lose to both of those that’s seven and five so it’s tough for my point was I feel bad for Shon Moore other than the fact that I kind of don’t kind of kind of RS me the wrong way but

I don’t know so if he didn’t rub me the wrong way and he didn’t coach an institution that was very entitled I would have felt bad for him I guess is my point I just go through the schedule I can’t believe they have 10 home games next year like that that’s crazy go

Through the they they don’t leave their own stadium until that first weekend of October when they go to Husky Stadium I don’t know how they get to do that every single year good old good for them good for them that’s wow we we need their schedule maker over here here but um no

It’ll be a tough Gauntlet uh yeah am I predicting eight and four I could just see it happening Pro my prediction is probably nine and three but yeah that’s my prediction is nine and three but if they go eight and four then their loss one of their four losses

Will be to Michigan State but nine and three off a national title year like are they gonna be patient enough for that are they just gonna go hey Brian Kelly we’re gonna throw a bag of money at you come back so I I don’t know that’s why I

Say it really is interesting because it’s hard to be a fortune teller here but right like if he goes 9 and three I don’t think you’ll be hearing any like jokes or roasting for my end so like I think it’d be okay for him to go nine

And three I think the fans just because they just want a national title will probably be okay with it just because they kind of are like all right we could have one down year but if that second year is not a step up from nine and three then I think maybe that dialogue

And that conversation would start it all matters what the important fans the donors right to say about that and how much context they appreciate so yeah that’s all I got to say about the harbu thing I mean other than what I tweeted like look he he’s lived the American

Dream he cheated to get the ultimate goal of a national championship and then he got out of Dodge before any hammers drop and no that’s not just me being a salty spy over here like like that that is legitimately the dream cheat to win everyone should do it my god I’ve been

Seen that forever that like okay if nothing happened to Bill self in Kansas my everyone everyone should be cheating their face off right now and you do know that sanctions are coming and guys I know that Charlie Baker said that hey they won the title fair and square that

Doesn’t cancel the two investigations going on like his his little cute quote 24 hours after your National Title make you feel warm and fuzzy actually doesn’t change that much here there’s gonna be some things that happen how severe they are we’ll never know is that National Title gonna get vacated Heavens know but

Even if it does you take the trade 10 out of tenen times you saw the games you lift the truck who cares who cares so yes when I say that that yeah he cheated he he won but he got out of Dodge like no that’s I am jealous of him that that

That’s the dream JT so yeah that’s my stance on it the NCA and Charlie Baker are not walking into people’s houses and taking those Costco National Title t-shirts away that’s for sure no they’re not no they’re not so there we go I mean hey if if now if Washington beat

Michigan National Title I would not have the same respectful tone right now you you would have to get a all the on the table oh my God I’d be going until Sunday you couldn’t you couldn’t give off this microphone but however they did it they won and it is definitely

Relevant news to talk about and wow have things really shaken up here this offseason for for both teams in the direction that I like personally so yeah I mean I guess just kind of a quick summary of like what Michigan state has done to to

Kind of close the gap like you said it’s not just there yet um we’re looking at a team where Jonathan Smith has come in he’s he’s he’s taken over a program that should have won probably seven games last year with even like with halfway decent offensive scheming and better

Route trees even with all the same personel they could have won the Iowa game they could have won um you think they win the Ruckers game with another uh coach up 17 points in the four quter absolutely so you got two right there um basically they still lose the Michigan

Game they still lose the Ohio State game they still lose the Penn State game they still lose the Washington game the Maryland game had a final score that was very lopsided but with those pick sixes and the fumbles and all of that that’s what caused that Gap I still think they

Outplay and they outgained Maryland so like I think that could have been a win it’s not crazy to say seven and five and eight and four might be a little crazy but like they were not that far basically this rebuild he’s not picking up a true 4 and8 program he’s picking up

Maybe a 500 maybe a seven and5 program now you taken the fact that the staff has been significantly upgraded at least on paper maybe like I said two out of these 10 guys maybe fans will be saying oh they need to be upgraded in two years

But like yeah a good staff on paper today that really I can’t find any complaints with poaching an assistant from Oregon for pretty much the same position poaching or sorry bringing two of one of the most Val value coaches that were on the west coast which um

Coach Jim masal at oine coach and Coach Bron wnc at tight ends coach one of the biggest reason Smith was looking to leave Oregon state was the fact that he was worried he wouldn’t be able to retain those guys had he stayed there so you have guys that are so valuable in

The operation that are coming here um coach blue Adams gives you the State of Florida he played in the NFL he seems to doing a great job connecting with kids so the staff as a whole is good now you look at what he did with the roster that

That he came here all of the people that they wanted to have returned that entered the portal pretty much did um jacobe Wiman I know he entered the portal but then he went to the NFL and Zion young who ended up going to Missouri are pretty much the only losses

From everyone that entered the portal you don’t see that many St starters enter the portal then come back so right what he’s done from that standpoint has been impressive then the way that he has used the portal has been so much more effective than the previous staff now

Granted he might take some flyers in the spring but nobody that’s that he’s taken so far in December is any worse than a rotational defensive lineman you’re looking at starters at every single spot and then we’ll see about Dewan D and quer dunan I would probably say that

Dunan starts in D’s dt3 so like that’s the framework of portal guys they’ve gotten obviously Aiden Charles is probably better than any pickup that that Mel Tucker has had other than Kenneth Walker in that entire era y now you start branching out and you see okay developmentally they should at least get

Better at offensive line right away you’re looking at probably receivers coach with Courtney Hawkins them probably just getting better from scheme Alone um tight end’s coach I think there’d be a big upgrade there and quarterbacks coach Brian lingren the OC upgrade there defensive side of the ball

You could probably say the same at defense line coach uh now that they got two coaches coach Wilt and Coach uh coach Ley um so you’re looking at guys all across the board that are upgrad so as a whole this program infrastructurally talent-wise it has upgraded in big ways and the process has

Been so refined and intentional that it really makes you feel like it’s sustainable there’s nothing flash in the pain about how this was done so that’s kind of my take on the Gap is closing between the top TI of the Big 10 and the bottom and uh Michigan State’s not

Getting left behind in that and I think they’ve done a great job of positioning themselves right there behind that Ohio State and Oregon tier to probably be that next team to sustain themselves right in that 10 n Win range and above for years to come wonderfully said I

Mean that knocks it out of the park because yeah we’ve all felt optimistic before some Seasons before but this one doesn’t feel like fool’s gold and the the point that I just want to you know just kind of piggy back off of is what you’re saying with the roster and the

Transfer portal and the guys that got back how you know they do have a decent roster a roster that could have gone seven to five last year let’s call it is yes look at the guys that did it in the transfer portal not just the names of

The guys that came back but the other schools that were after them all right this isn’t like Monmouth was after you know uh Gino vandemark for example right Oklahoma was clearing an apartment out for like they they thought for sure that he had him look at Derek Haron like

There are drun Glover he took an official to Georgia for cry out loud there were big programs that won Michigan State’s players that they did get back so it’s not like they’re bringing back players that oh no one wanted like no these are serious power five level players that are being

Brought back so that’s another reason to feel solid about how things are going this off season no doubt no doubt is there anything else you want to touch on Matt just shooty Hoops big game Friday man um Bart tori. comom has you his two and a half Point underdogs which might

Be a little bit of a surprise Wisconsin is cooking so far this season the top 10 offense in the country but man unranked Michigan State just being by the computers Two and a Half Point underdogs it’ll probably be closer to four on the sports book is my guess when it comes

Out but it’s a game that um I’ll say it I do expect Michigan State to win I mean if we’re gonna take ourselves seriously as a program we’re gonna say hey we’re due for a run right this is a game you do expect to win even

Though it’s going to be a tough Friday night game on the road in Madison against a very good Badger team but yeah it’ll be a big one here so um yeah didn’t want to like go too far into basketball here not great win on Sunday look disgusting win but any win on the

Road my God great win JT so Jesus yeah I mean you saw Wisconsin on the road against Minnesota almost Dro that so it’s everything on the Big 10 we know how hard is win on the road I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said that that was a disgusting win it was a disgusting 20

Minutes the game ended on because that first half they had against Maryland probably definitely their best conference half that they’ve played I I was going to say best half they’ve played the Baylor game sticks out but top three half they ever played so far and on the road in front of Maryland 16

Fans that I didn’t get I I thought they were like a a proud basketball school when when the when the cameras open up on the game and there are more people listening to this show right now than there were in the stands at Maryland it’s like do they get footage from an

Hour and a half before the game they’re just showing us now what what’s going on in College Park right now yeah that shocked me on Sunday and they have like two Road losses in the last two years or so or two home losses in like two years

Or something like that that’s crazy too they usually have a good home court like I remember when cashes Winston in 2019 the hit the half court shot like that place was rocking I mean so it just what like did Kevin Willer tell every terapin fan just

To go f themselves like I don’t know what happened there but yeah so a little bit of shooty Hoops right there big game Friday of course we got the big uh home game against Michigan on Tuesday don’t know if it’ll record before that but no Doug McDaniel because he’s doing the

Road game only suspension still yeah um they did not look good against Purdue without him you know uh did they cover the spread were they given 49 and a half points no shoot okay they did not cover 18 and a half not not to talk about Michigan again can I just ask one

Question about this Doug McDaniel suspension and I swear this isn’t like me trying to be funny this is a legitimate question doesn’t it just isn’t it better for the team just to suspended for six straight games instead of doing all road games in Ing and taking out a guy over

And over again in the lineup like what yes like if if you want to just help him and the team alike right just do six games and I get that is four academics and the whole reasoning maybe is because like oh he’s at home during the Rogue no

One cares no one cares just to spend it for six games off the rip call it academics and like No One’s Gonna cause a fuss you you just you just made it weird with the road Game Holy suspension and I’m thinking like that’s got that

Can’t be healthy for the team so I don’t know because like you you’re like hurting your ability to go on a late season run as well because of that like yeah and like you need those Road games especially like as it gets towards February and March like if you’re trying

To build I mean I think at this point it’s it’s past it’s past the ability to to raise get in so I guess it doesn’t really matter but yeah like you definitely would rather just rip the Band-Aid off get those six games out of there and then have him for the rest of

The season but I don’t know man what are they they’re not going to do anything normal over there I mean like you saw with like the the Michigan thing like like with Hara like they wouldn’t give him the immunity thing the whole time and rightfully so but then today

Today they get the Immunity Clause in there and they agree to it but like it was done just so Warren Manuel can give reporters the yeah um sort of scoop of hey I did everything I could I grewed everything you wanted please don’t blame me when he leaves but like if you were

Going to give him that and like and like not stand on principle then why not do it two weeks ago so you actually have a better chance of using that as a staying Factor so like I don’t understand anything about how they operate from an administrative level or procedural level

At all please naming another head coach 10 minutes before the game uh the head coach is apparently on a zero tolerance policy and he’s had five strikes ever since that got implemented I I don’t know man again not not to go on and on Michigan but wow uh it’s a very uh you

Know soon to be opponent I just can’t not bite my tongue when it comes to everything that’s been going on so far this year like huh hockey’s doing good though still first place in the Big 10 they’re up four points on Wisconsin Wisconsin do has two more games to play other than the

Spartans but nice little comeback win last weekend at Yos after getting clobbered at mon Arena against Michigan at some point JT they were down 11 to2 combined in the two games and they wor back and got the win at Michigan so up four points Wisconsin two games in hand

Notre Dame the third place team not really in shooting distance right now but back-to-back games at mun this weekend against Minnesota Michigan state they’re number seven in the par wise rankings Minnesota they’re number nine so this will be a good one in Minnesota always a traditional hockey Powerhouse

So this will be a good one and JT my favorite part Saturday we could actually like watch you don’t have to pay the extra $10 to get the worst feed of a sporting event you’ve ever seen Big 10 plus it’s on Big 10 Network at 4M and

Even better earlier that day if you’re in East Lancing go to the noon game Spartan women taking on the Wolverines at Bren Center so noon State basketball women’s basketball then the hour hour and a half between that go to Harrison Roadhouse go to Crunchies double deck McDonald’s if you’re really feeling

Fancy and then 4 pm over to muns so there you go people with an itinerary before we head out here speaking of hockey mat once I found out that the Eagles were not fairing syriani I decided to end my Hiatus with hockey or of not watching hockey and I’ve

Reinvested myself in the Flyers good so I will tonight well this posts on Thursday morning tonight I will be at Little Caesar Arena Che on the Flyers so wow the thing is like last year right I told myself I was gonna get back into hockey cuz I used to be a huge like

Flyers fan back when they went to the cup and even before that like not just when they went to cup but like then Mike Richards Jeff Carter Daniel barer Simone Gan all those guys and then like I got out of it for like eight nine years and

Then two years ago opening day I Googled NHL power rankings and I scrolled and I scrolled and I scrolled and the Flyers were 30th and this was back when I believe they only had 30 teams or 31 I don’t know maybe and I’m like all right

Not this year so the the beginning of this year same thing I scroll the power rankings and I’m like scrolling and scrolling and they’re second to last I’m like well not this year either then I checked the standings like a month ago and they’re like in playoff position I’m

Like let’s give this another week or so here we go and there they are in playoff position still and I’m like all right that’s it let’s see what happens with the Eagles playoffs and after that I might have to get back into this so that is what I did obviously I’m admitting to

Now Reb bandwagoning but I was not a I I was not a bandwagon back in the day so it is it’ll be interesting now if they lose and I’m in attendance I’ll probably abandon it again you’re you’re just a born again flyer fan so it’s better than

A bandwagon you’re I’ll never I’ll never forgive what antii was able to accomplish in that Stanley Cup Final when he stood on his head and stopped every single shot and won the Cup by himself just moved you just moved you that’s top of that man well hope it’s a

Fun time for you hockey an incredibly electric sport oh definitely probably the most fun sport to watch to be honest like you take away like I don’t know like the personal investments just not there for me but like literally just the act of playing the sport yes I mean I

Guess watch watching them playing the sport I think it’s just the best action the best non-stop action that’s a really good okay because I I love watching volleyball because like it’s a point 15 seconds Ries you know what I always catch myself doing though is like whenever it’s a playoff I always say

Like oh my God playoff blank is the best like playoff hockey is like is the best it’s awesome and then I’ll be watching a playoff baseball game I’ll be like oh my God Play Nothing playoff baseball then of course we’re in the middle of the NFL playoffs and even if the Lions weren’t

In it like I’m watching every single minute of every single game it’s like oh my got it so I guess it just comes out to just like I just like sports right right I think the biggest jump between regular season energy and postseason energy is definitely baseball um so

That’s th% yes like no question because hey look I I like baseball a lot I’ll be the first to say incredibly boring and Incredibly long season there’s no reason it should be 162 games yeah but man baseball in October that that that is the sport at its purest form right there

So so God I love it well Matt good luck to your Lions this weekend I had been predicting that the Lions would go to the Super Bowl if they beat the Rams all along and I had been as you know I have been slandering the 49ers every chance I get um really

Really the only reason I got into sports media was years ago was so that one day I’d have a podcast where I could talk bad about Kyle shanan offenses so the long the long game has panned out so now here we are uh we’ll see what happen

As I had been saying you know I said Lions will beat or lions will lose to the Ravens in the Super Bowl I finally placed that as a bet um okay 125 to pay I believe $1,100 in profit um so I put my money wear in my mouth is not just

Saying this stuff to appease you guys on this show here so we’ll see what happens but um I have the Lions moving on and losing to the Ravens in the next in the Super Bowl unfortunately but hey the NFC title Banner flies forever so please get

That oh if if you don’t think I’m not buying $500 worth of NFC Championship merch you’re out you’re out of your gourd if you don’t think I’m gonna milk that even if we lose by like 80 points in the Super Bowl like oh they win Sunday try try wiping a smile off my

Face for the next few months no shot um I’m so scared though um all right on that note I gotta go drive across the country and take a sledgehammer to dbo Samuel’s shoulder um yes as we stopped we stopped recording right that that’s not on air that’s that’s not I don’t

Know if we ever start start are we live yeah this is a whole dress rehearsal good all right in three two Newman excellent no I’m kidding I’m not gonna do that to Doo Samuel I would never yeah I CLE my name he had a lot to say during the offseason podcast the B

Tier podcast that he went on all over the country you know he was right about James Bradberry being trash but like could have been saying that last off season because he didn’t get open on him a single time whatever H whs amongst us hasn’t made that era before

Yeah oh well Matt always good talking to you appreciate everyone that was listening and make sure you like comment and subscribe and we will be back next week and appreciate everyone for tuning in and that was this week’s episode of the SD forel show see you everyone guys are the best go green