DotComp: Are Michigan State and Jonathan Smith running out of chances to turn this thing around?

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The anxiety of the moment finally seems to be getting to Jonathan Smith. Just a little bit. But with him, a little bit seems like a lot.  Smith is a football intellectual. He respects our questions. He respects the fans’ angst. He and his staff knew Michigan State needed to have a productive, winning season in their second year on the job. Failing that, they knew their seats would get hot - rightly or wrongly. Two years isn’t much time for a coaching staff to prove itself. But attention spans and patience have been reduced as price tags have gone up. Smith knows that five straight losses, all by double-digits, with only occasional signs of progress, aren’t sitting well with his constituents. He isn’t offering excuses. He isn’t lashing out at his questioners. And on this chilly night in mid-Michigan, after a 31-20 loss to Michigan that yielded less sand throwing and name calling than usual, Smith acknowledged, in a manner of speaking, that the job is not getting done. (MORE inside SpartanMag. Join SpartanMag now - $1 for the first week - and enjoy a complimentary year of The Athletic included with your membership.)