John L. Smith Out at Michigan State

When it comes to college sports I normally stick to the ACC. And Michigan State's firing of their head football coach, John L. Smith, is definitely an ACC story. The conversation of who will replace Smith has started already, and I am writing an horu before MSU's press conference is scheduled.

When you think Big 10 football, what do you think about? You think about smash mouth, run the football first football. And when you survey the college football coaching landscape you will see a coach who loves to run the football, and does it with great success, just down the road in Winston-Salem. Wake Forest head football coach Jim Grobe will definitely be at the top of MSU's list.

Grobe employs a Big 10-like running game. His teams remind me more of a Big 10 team than they do an ACC team. I mean that by style of play, not talent or quality of play.

The Spartans have lacked discipline and have lacked results because of that since Smith arrived in Flint. Grobe's Deacons play with an intensity and fire that is seldom matched. They play disciplined football and this year that has translated into a 6-1 record thus far.

When you compare the 2 programs you must give the edge to Michigan State. They have nice facilities and a fan base that shows up to each and every game. In both Winston-Salem and Flint Grobe would be playing second fiddle to the basketball program; however, a win over Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio State could quickly change that. Another thing is money. Grobe would get a lot more of it from Michigan State, than he will ever get from Wake.

The 54-year-old Demon Deacon coach is from West Virginia. He has a tough West Virginian personality that is needed at Mich. State. However, he is an ACC guy. He played football and received both his undergraduate and Master's degree from the University of Virginia. Could that be enough to keep in the confernce? Possibly so.

Grobe is used to fighting for recruits. Wake Forest is located in a state that has 5 D-1A football schools and is dominated in recruiting by SEC schools. So, he could recruit in Big 10 country. He is also a great guy, with great character; something many felt Smith lacked after the way he left Louisville. Parents could feel comfortable in sending their kid to Mich. State if Grobe were there. He also coached at Ohio University, so he knows the recruiting landscape in that area very well.

Michigan State needs a guy like Grobe and Grobe needs a school like Michigan State. Grobe maybe perfectly happy in Winston-Salem and if he is, I hope he stays. However, he has done an awesome job at Wake and if he wants to move to the upper echelon of the coaching ranks, then he will at least consider going to MSU. The Swiss would hate to see him leave, but I wouldn't. I think it is a testament to his coaching ability that his name would even be mentioned for a position like Michigan State. Sparty would benefit greatly from bringing in a guy like Grobe to clean house.

The picture to the right is a picture of Grobe when he was the coach at Ohio University. So, he's wearing green. Could we see that color on him again very soon? Or, a better question, how much of it will he be making in a couple of months?

I had to write this quick so that I could be one of the first to report it. So expect more in the near future on this subject.

Photos:
1.http://images.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/_photos/2005-11-17-in-jlsmith.jpg
2.http://www.ohiou.edu/ohiotoday/sum98/jpegs/grobe1.jpg