Re:John L.

At this point, I would have to agree with you. John L. isn't the solution to what ails MSU's football program. However, he's not the problem either. Arguably, MSU's problem is its obsession with U-M. If MSU beats U-M, the season is a success, and it doesn't matter what happens afterward. If MSU loses to U-M, the season is considered a failure, and there's no reason to put forth an effort for the rest of the season. John L. almost got MSU over this hurdle at Ohio State, but the blocked field goal at the end of the first half caused things to revert to form.

Contrast this with U-M's approach. Their overarching goal is to win the Big Ten every year. The MSU and OSU games certainly loom larger than any others on the Big Ten schedule, but the outcomes of these games do not automatically make or break a season for U-M. Whoever MSU's next coach is (or John L., if he gets another year or two), he would do well to emulate U-M in this.

Of course, the centrality of the U-M game is firmly entrenched in the culture of MSU football, and MSU sports in general, with basketball being an exception because MSU has been able to establish itself as a national power. Still, there are ways to limit the negative effect of the U-M game on MSU's season. Most importantly, MSU needs to schedule the U-M game later in the season. Excepting Bobby Williams' last season, which suffered from the cocaine effect more than anything, and Nick Saban's tenure, prior to the U-M game, MSU has consistently played excellent football, with the wheels coming off afterwards. The later in the season MSU plays U-M, the later the wheels come off. Indeed playing U-M later in the season might also mitigate the effects of the U-M obsession by giving MSU some perspective, allowing them to realize that there's more to the season than the U-M game.

Now, I don't think U-M will agree to schedule the U-M-MSU game later in the season because the current set-up favors them nicely. They have ND or some other big non-conference game early, MSU mid-season and Ohio State to close out the year. There is no reason for them to schedule two big games so close together just to improve MSU's prospects. No, the only solution to MSU's woes is to find a coach who can avoid succumbing to the U-M obsession. Saban came close, but I can't help but think that the reason he left for LSU, the reason he felt he couldn't win with MSU long-term, is because he felt that he would end up succumbing to the U-M obsession.

Can anyone avoid succumbing to this obsession, let alone overcome it? I don't know, but it will probably take an outstanding coach at least ten years to get to U-M being the big game, as opposed to the only game. In the meantime, it would be a poor idea to fire John L. unless MSU has someone lined up who understands the root of MSU's problem.