But it will swing back — it always does, eventually. Whether against No. 3 Indiana this Saturday or sometime later in the season or maybe even years in advance, momentum will swing back. It’s a matter of when, where and under what circumstances. 

"There’s no one coming to save us," Defensive Coordinator Joe Rossi said. "We’re gonna save ourselves. That mentality is unifying, to block out any outside noise, it’s the (players) in the room doing it for each other."

The context

For all who follow MSU football, all are aware that this season didn’t begin shrouded in defeat. The Spartans began the season 3-0 and undefeated, capturing a 42-40 double overtime victory against Boston College, one where individuals labeled the win as "program defining." Compared to the previous season, the team looked improved. Morale was high — both in the players and in the fans and in the coaches. MSU played well. It won games. It sold out Spartan Stadium. Fans didn’t boo. For three weeks it was good. 

Then the 45-31 loss to No. 25 Southern California. Valiant as it played in the heat of the California coast, MSU was not as talented as its foe. The USC offense shined, and the MSU offense couldn’t keep up. It was a game where the Spartans clawed and fought, not only with the opposing Trojans but with injuries and ejections that plagued MSU until the very end. 

Then the 38-27 loss to Nebraska. The ones that sting the most are the ones that should’ve been won, and after playing the Cornhuskers in windy corn-country, MSU can attest to this. As the defense picked up for the lack of offense, the Spartans held onto a 21-14 lead late in the third quarter, only to be outscored 24-7 in the final 17 minutes of play. A valiant effort, one that ended with MSU shooting itself in the foot. 

Two losses to two solid teams, both of which are now ranked top 25 in the country. But it wasn’t these two losses that drained momentum. It was the 38-13 loss to 2-4 UCLA in front of a homecoming crowd that did the trick. In a game where — other than the first drive — nothing worked, MSU fell flat, displaying dark visions of last year's 5-7 team. Complementary football is always preached by winning programs, but last Saturday, the only thing complementary about how MSU played was how dull each side of the ball was. 

"(Saturday) wasn’t good enough," Rossi said. "We didn’t play well, we didn’t coach well. Those are my takeaways. And when things weren’t going our way in the third quarter, we allowed circumstance to dictate behavior. So then our energy dropped because we were frustrated and upset, and that’s human nature, but anyone who’s successful has to be able to fight human nature to overcome human nature."

Three straight losses, each worse than the one before. This gradual momentum slip and its effects were first witnessed against USC, where the Spartan defense couldn’t handle — much less stop — a fierce Trojan offense. It was the first sign that MSU couldn’t play complementary football, the second sign being a poor offensive and special team showing against Nebraska, and the third being the total implosion against UCLA. 

The problem

So what’s the problem? As Rossi would say — or has said in multiple interviews — consistency. 

Plain as day, the Spartans lack a consistent offense, a consistent defense and a consistent special teams unit. When one side of the football does its job, the other doesn’t. When one player shows off his full potential, another makes a mistake. It’s a rewinding cycle that the Spartans have displayed this year and last, and it has cost the team points, cost the team stops and most importantly, cost the team wins. 

The talent is there to garner the ability to be consistent; to play contemporary football and regain momentum. MSU possesses four stars and NFL-caliber talent and eager competitors and solid Big Ten players that can make an impact all over the field. It’s just that so far this season, these players haven’t played together for a full 60 minutes. 

The inconsistent lack of complementary football has left MSU spinning its wheels in the thick mud. The day when the Spartans figure out how to get these wheels rolling is the day they can win football games. 

Until then, while these tires are spinning, MSU football — the players, the coaches, the fans — must seek embrace instead of rejection, must cling to these adverse times and push forward without quit. It’s fighting through adversity with his community that seventh-year defensive lineman Quindarius Dunnigan finds to be so important. 

"You can’t do adversity by yourself," Dunnigan said. "If you do, you’re gonna go crazy, you’re gonna go insane. So you have to be able to understand that there is a community and brotherhood around that."

The coach

When a Big Ten team in today’s age of college football struggles like MSU, who bears responsibility? Some people may point the "blame" finger toward the players, or the donors or the assistant coaches. Some may point towards the athletic director. Others, like some MSU fans, have pointed towards MSU head coach Jonathan Smith.

Since his MSU arrival in late 2023, the former Oregon State head coach has accumulated a record of 8-10 with the Spartans. Ever since his first interview dressed in green and white, he has preached linear success and development, all of which has not been seen on the field. The Spartans have not shown they can compete, thus prompting MSU fans to takeover to social media, calling for the university to buyout Smith. 

Terminating Smith of his position wouldn’t be an easy process, nor would it be a cheap one. If the university were to commit to a buyout, MSU would have to pay Smith roughly $31.5 million in 62 monthly payments of $509,000 from December 2025 through January 2031. If the termination occurs following February 1st, 2026, $31.5 million drops to roughly $25.5 million with 50 monthly payments of $509,000 from December 2026 through January 2031. 

The buyout of Smith would be a lengthy and expensive process. It’s a decision that would require MSU finances to be moved around and looked at critically, and a decision that requires a new head coach to be found and hired with a suitable new contract.

"There’s a lot in front of us," Smith said. "Are we disappointed? Do we have to clean some things up? 100%. We gotta get better."

The season isn’t over. Smith is still head coach. There are many games to be played, starting with Indiana on Saturday in Bloomington. 

The Hoosiers are complete opposites from the Spartans. They’re ranked No. 3 in the nation, undefeated, have shown consistency and have found immediate success with second-year head coach Curt Cignetti. 

Indiana is dominant in the way that it plays. It rarely makes mistakes. It’s a well-oiled red and white mean machine that ranks atop many of college football's most important statistical categories. 

MSU — who hasn’t won a game in over a month — is much the opposite of its week eight foe. It looks to change that on Saturday as it travels to Bloomington to play the No. 3 Indiana Hoosiers at 3:30. The game will be aired on Peacock.