Opinion: Where does the Michigan State football program go from here?

As the boos rained down onto the field at the half, the Michigan State football team lifelessly left the field. In a must win game versus UCLA, the Spartans barely even got out of the gate. After a promising first drive from quarterback Aidan Chiles and the offense gave MSU a 7-0 lead, just about nothing else went right on the day. 

Thanks to turnovers, miscues, special team errors, and questionable playcalling, Michigan State fell 38-13 to UCLA. This game was the lone matchup left on the Spartan’s schedule where they were likely to be considered favorites in the betting odds. The horrifying prospect of a 3-9 season is becoming more of a reality; a potential disaster when making a bowl game is a must in year two under head coach Jonathan Smith. 

“Just not good enough," Smith said after the game. "I’ll start with myself. Think about the staff we were responsible for preparing these guys through the week, and they [UCLA] came out and executed and play with great energy, and we didn’t.”

In a must win game, with trust already fading in the program “just not good enough” doesn’t cut it. 

Memories of Rose Bowls, Big Ten championships, and a playoff appearance are becoming distant memories. But those victorious memories now rub salt in the wound considering where this program currently stands. Fans and supporters of MSU know what this program can be. What was seen on Saturday should not, and cannot, be acceptable. 

While Smith’s rebuild was always considered one that would take time, patience has all but run out for many in the fanbase.