ESPN's Travis Haney Says Michigan State Football Is Declining, Michigan Trending Upwards
By: Mike Sullivan
@mikesullivan
ESPN national college football writer, Travis Haney, recently evaluated which college football teams are trending up, and which are trending down after signing day.
Both Michigan and Michigan State were featured in his articles.
Regarding teams who are trending up, Haney listed his top five programs, and then an additional honorable mention five programs.
The University of Michigan was included in his "five more" section as a team that's trending upwards. Simply put, Haney credits Jim Harbaugh as the reason why. He wrote:
"Coach Jim Harbaugh is still in the crawl-before-you-walk segment of life at his alma mater, but already the program's trajectory has shifted. Really, morale could not go any lower. Credit Michigan for getting its man and changing fortunes with will (and deep pockets)."
For Haney's "trending down" teams, he ranked Michigan State at No. 3. He believes the Spartans are trending down, mainly because of the competition within the Big Ten's Legends division. Here's a summary of why Haney believes Michigan State is declining:
-The loss of defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi.
-Anticipating Ohio State to continue their success.
-Anticipating Michigan to turn the program around under Harbaugh, and have success within the Legends division.
-The expectation that James Franklin is improving Penn State, who is also in the Legends division.
According to Haney, "Michigan State's window for high-end success appears to be closing -- and quickly."
What do you think about this, college football fans? Do you agree that Michigan is on the rise and Michigan State is declining?
