MSU Red Cedar Message Board

I vote SpartanRocky for the new MSU OC.

I'd make Roushar look like Chip Kelly.

Disagree. 1 or 2 drives is not saying they've given up. Staying with the failed status quo is.

Good Point. In addition, Maxwell is not the crux of the issue. The "pull the qb" is a terrible knee-jerk reaction that will not help this team focus on the real problems on "o" : run-blocking, pass-blocking, catching, more creative and inspiring ie less business like attitude.

Pass blocking and run-blocking are two different things. I'm not a huge fan of the way Maxwell has played from about Iowa-on, with the exception of the end of the Wisconsin game. That said, he pretty much has to be perfect to make up for the issues in pass catching (another 3-4 drops against Northwestern) and the fact that MSU tends to telegraph their passing downs. Hard to spread the ball around when you're worried about whether or not the guy on the other end will actually snag the ball.

Also, Maxwell couldn't even get a designed series or two last year, so I have a hard time believing the coaches will give one to cook.

You can criticize Maxwell; I've done it several times, including in this preview. The guy, in my opinion, needs all the work he can get before 2013. Staff didn't help him develop by barely playing him in '10 and '11, so he's had a long way to go on the learning curve. Same for the receivers.

That means getting to a bowl, and in a season where the last 7 games have been decided by 4 points or less, I don't see how you can sacrifice a few drives just to experiment. It's not like this offense can always make it up later in the game.

If, by some miracle, MSU is up 24-3 in the 3rd, then sure, I could see getting Cook in there a bit. But early on? No.

The season would turn from dumpster fire into a toxic dumpster fire if the team were to miss a bowl. Forget the fact it'll be a non-prestigious bowl, those 15 practices are crucial to developing fundamentals that are clearly lacking on offense: blocking and catching. To that end, I'm of the opinion that playing Cook when the game is still in doubt tomorrow is the equivalent of cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Burkland, Fowler and Treadwell missed those bowl practices, and the guys on the OL who benefited from them (Jackson/Fonoti) went out early in the season. Lippett practiced with the CBs, so Maxwell was only really able to work with Mumphery among this year's WRs. Oh, and Dion Sims had an injured wrist which required surgery.

So yea, you're right. Those bowl practices didn't help, because most of this year's offense was injured or was injured early in the year.

I think they'd help the current group, on top of keeping the bowl streak alive. Remember a few years ago how all MSU Bball fans wanted was to keep the tourney streak alive?