The bye week is about to be complete, but Michigan State football has some work to do before it's ready to face Nebraska in Lincoln in Week 6.
Michigan State's first month of the season went essentially as planned, and most people predicted a 3-1 start with that schedule. The team exceeded expectations in some areas and fell short in others, and some interesting storylines headlined the first month of the season.
These three storylines have dominated the first month.
1. Joe Rossi's failures
Joe Rossi had the tough job of turning around a defense that was mediocre, to say the least, over the past few years. He had some bright moments in 2024, and there were expectations, especially after Week 1, that the defense would be exponentially better in 2025.
That hasn't happened. In fact, the Spartan defense is probably worse than it was a year ago.
Rossi's group definitely has a talent deficiency in some areas, but the scheme doesn't seem to be working, and the pass rush remains broken. The defense has held this team back over the past three weeks, and that's kind of overshadowed the 3-1 start.
2. Aidan Chiles improvement
Aidan Chiles has improved drastically through the first four games of the season, and he's looking like one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten.
Chiles has been impressive through four games, passing for 868 yards and nine touchdowns with an interception. He's also rushed for 154 yards and two more scores, but the major improvements have been his decision-making and accuracy. This would be the top storyline if not for the deficiencies on defense.
3. Jonathan Smith's job security
Should this be a storyline? Probably not, but Michigan State fans are growing impatient with the rebuild. The defense hasn't improved while the offense looks like a bright spot. But Spartan fans know that the program has been built on defense and you can't win big without a solid defensive unit.
Is Jonathan Smith on the hot seat? I'd say no, but if he misses a bowl game again in 2025, he could be facing a tough conversation with new athletic director J Batt.
Smith is fairly secure, but if things start going downhill this season, that'll change.