Michigan State's Mel Tucker, according to several media reports, is close to reaching a deal on a new contract that would pay him $95 million over 10 years, make him the highest-paid coach in the Big Ten and put his annual pay second nationally to only Alabama's Nick Saban.
Michigan State's renaissance under Mel Tucker leads to showdown vs. Ohio State
College Football Insider: The Spartans were just 2-5 last season but now have a chance to move into first place in the Big Ten East.
November 18, 2021 at 5:51PM
Come Saturday, Tucker, a former Crimson Tide defensive coordinator under Saban, will try to deliver Saban-like results in the latest game of the year in the Big Ten.
Michigan State, No. 7 in the College Football Playoff rankings, visits No. 4 Ohio State (11 a.m., ABC) in a contest that will have implications that last into January. The Spartans (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) will try to grab first place in the Big Ten's East Division away from the Buckeyes (9-1, 7-0) and push themselves back into the top four of the CFP rankings.
In the season's initial CFP rankings on Nov. 2, Michigan State was No. 3 after its thrilling 37-33 victory over Michigan. A 40-29 upset loss at Purdue followed, and the Spartans since have been slotted behind No. 6 Michigan despite their head-to-head victory.
Beat the Buckeyes, and the Spartans certainly will pull ahead of the Wolverines in the rankings and have two potential tiebreakers in the East standings. They finish the regular season at home on Nov. 27 against Penn State.
"I told [the players] this morning, 'When I walked in here Feb. 12, 2020, I walked into the team room, and I stood up in front of you guys and told you we were going to play for championships. And I meant that,' '' Tucker said. "So, we're in November and we're in the hunt.''
Tucker, in his second year at Michigan State, has led a remarkable turnaround in East Lansing after taking over for Mark Dantonio. The Spartans went 2-5 in 2020 in Tucker's debut before the former Colorado head coach bolstered the team's roster via the transfer portal. In came former Wake Forest running back Kenneth Walker III, who paces the nation with 147.3 rushing yards per game.
The Spartans likely will need to rely on Walker heavily against the Buckeyes, who boast the nation's top scoring offense (46.3 points per game) and total offense (550 yards per game). Leading that juggernaut is redshirt freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud, who's passed for 3,036 yards and 30 touchdowns with five interceptions, and true freshman running back TreVeyon Henderson, who's rushed for 1,035 yards and 14 TDs while averaging 7.34 yards per carry.
"A lot of good players, excellent quarterback, great skill players, a lot of explosive plays — run and pass,'' Tucker said, reeling off the Buckeyes' strengths. "They can score quickly.''
For Ohio State, Saturday's game is the first of a challenging back-to-back finish. The Buckeyes travel to Michigan for the Nov. 27 finale, so these next two weeks will determine the East champion.
"When you look at the second half of the season in the Big Ten, there's been some unbelievable games, there's been some really good matchups, and it's week-in and week-out,'' said Ohio State coach Ryan Day, who's 22-0 in conference games in his three seasons with the Buckeyes. "You're finding who can sustain in November. There are no weeks off.''
The No. 1 Ducks will be in Madison, where the Badgers are rested coming off a bye week. Meanwhile, while USC and Nebraska square off at the L.A. Coliseum.
