Michigan State Football: Mel Tucker has nothing nice to say about Michigan

Can you say one nice thing about Michigan? Neither can Mel Tucker.

Growing up in the state of Michigan, you were either a huge Michigan fan, or a huge State fan; there was usually no in-between. Your best friends, neighbors, and family members were on one side or another and that caused a lot of friction even with some of those closest to you.

During football and basketball season, the gloves came off.

Your best friends were enemies, family members became foes, and neighbors were un-neighborly. Unless you were on the same side, of course. But usually, this left a bitter taste in your mouth when it came to your rival. So having nice things to say about the other in the state of Michigan was rare.

Tucker now feels the same way.

Entering his second year as head coach of the program, he knows how deep the hatred runs. And he feels it, too.

The Michigan State football coach was being interviewed by a FOX College Football reporter recently and was asked if he could say three nice things about the Wolverines.

He couldn’t even name one.

Reporter: “Coach, can you say three nice things about your rival?”

*laughing and long pause*

Tucker: “No, I can’t do that.”

This exchange just goes to show how perfectly Tucker fits in this head coaching job. Michigan State runs deep with him and that green blood won’t allow him to speak highly of Michigan.

You’re not alone, coach.

Closing the gap on the rivalry

If we know anything about Tucker, it’s the fact that he values recruiting. He believes that top programs must be able to recruit at all times and that’s something he learned from Nick Saban and then again from Kirby Smart.

And he practices what he preaches.

Michigan State’s 2021 recruiting class gave Tucker some in-state lumps that he’s trying to still get over like the loss of East Lansing’s own Andrel Anthony to Jim Harbaugh and then there was the controversial Rayshaun Benny flip on National Signing Day. You can bet that had something to do with Tucker’s newfound hatred of what he calls “the school down the road”.

But the 2022 class is looking much better as the head coach is right in the thick of things with Dillon Tatum, looks to be the favorite to pick up Jaden Mangham, got former Michigan commit Alex VanSumeren (and his brother Ben transferred from the Wolverines to Michigan State), and Antonio Gates Jr. recently committed.

All-in-all, the talent gap is closing in this rivalry slowly but surely, but that’s not going to help Tucker hate the Wolverines any less.