According to an ESPN analyst, Michigan State is in trouble. Rece Davis is normally known for being somewhat conservative regarding his hot takes and speaking out against particular players or teams. Instead, he tends to joke and jump on various bandwagons that other college football commentators make.
That wasn’t the case on Monday when discussing the Michigan State Spartans.
In a surprising, almost out-the-blue way, Rece Davis had some shocking comments regarding the Spartans regarding them against Michigan and Ohio State.
Rece Davis Says Michigan State Will Never Be at the Same Level as Michigan or Ohio State
During a College Gameday podcast, host Rece Davis did not hold back on his feelings toward Michigan State. Davis said that despite efforts and investment, the Spartans will never rise to the competitive level of their two main rivals, Michigan and Ohio State.
“It’s really something that people don’t like to hear, especially you’re fans of the school,” Davis started. “And this is not a criticism, though it is going to sound like one. They’re never going to be Michigan, they’re never going to be Ohio State.”
Davis said that Spartans will have good seasons, and there could be individual seasons where the Spartans beat and are ranked higher than the Wolverines and Buckeyes. Still, they will never be able to hold a competitive edge long-term.
Jonathan Smith is Looking for the Mike Dantonio Spark
These comments were primarily made in response to the discussion of new Michigan State Head Coach Jonathan Smith. The reference was that the Spartans won eight out of 13 matchups agains the Wolverines under Mike Dantonio and Jonathan Smith would do well to take a page out of that playbook and understand that a winning culture can be developed without necessarily dominating every game or season.
However, Reece Davis may bring up a good point. If the expectation is to win Playoff games and be 10-2 or better every season, it may be an expectation that is not realistic and will lead to failure and coaches being fired every season.
Perhaps it is in the Spartan fans’ best interest to accept that they won’t be at the same level. Seven to eight wins is okay, with an occasional season where they reach the ten-win mark with wins over their rivals. If they take that approach, they can be much happier and content with a good team in one of the toughest conferences in college football.
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