Michigan State football fans are feeling optimistic after a 3-0 start, but the Spartans have a ton of work to do after beating Youngstown State on Saturday, but surrendering 24 points.
Jonathan Smith knows he has plenty to clean up heading into the USC game this weekend, but now he has to fend off some coaching rumors. While the Spartans are heading to USC this week, Smith is the subject of some coaching candidate rumors just down the road at UCLA. It's going to be an interesting week for him, especially after the Bruins fired DeShaun Foster.
UCLA has started the season 0-3, and it's coming off an ugly 35-10 loss to New Mexico at home on Friday night. The athletic department wasted little time, firing him just three games into year two.
Shortly after the firing on Sunday, several prominent sites released their hot board of coaching candidates for UCLA, and Smith's name appeared on multiple.
CBS Sports listed Smith on their list of UCLA coaching candidates after his 3-0 start with the Spartans, and that won't make too many Spartan fans happy, especially while heading into the biggest game of the season so far -- and the first on the road.
It's still early, and it's obvious as to why his name was mentioned because he's a West Coast guy, and he's familiar with UCLA as he coached in the Pac-12 against the Bruins for years. However, I just don't see him leaving a program that he's in the middle of building for one that will be starting from scratch.
Don't be surprised if he's on multiple lists of UCLA coaching candidates.