Losing at home is one thing, but losing at home during homecoming against a 1-4 team that was supposed to be a layup win by 25 points is fireable. And Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith has to feel that pressure.
It never truly feels like the sense of urgency is there with Smith, even when the games are getting out of hand, and that rubs Spartan fans the wrong way.
So fans were eager to hear what he had to say after a 38-13 loss to UCLA.
Well, his post-game presser wasn’t exactly inspiring. It didn’t instill a ton of confidence in the fanbase, especially after they watched a hapless team roll over against a bad UCLA team on their own field.
Smith is apparently not ready to hit the panic buttons after an 0-3 start in conference play.
Smith: “I’m not pressing a huge panic button here, but there’s an extreme urgency to get this thing in a better place.”
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) October 11, 2025
That’s not only indefensible, but that’s a John L. Smith-caliber quote. He cannot possibly believe that a panic button hasn’t been pressed. If he hasn’t pressed a panic button with games against Michigan, Indiana, and Penn State still on the schedule and a need to win the other three games if they want to make a bowl game, it means he’s likely mailing it in on the 2025 season.
With a 3-3 record through six games and riding a three-game losing streak, Smith is “not pressing a huge panic button” but there’s “an extreme urgency to get this thing in a better place”. That’s just not good enough.
Everyone and their mother is smashing the panic button right now, and there’s a very good chance that this season spirals out of control.
Smith is way too nonchalant for a coach who’s been bullied for the past three games.