Fansided · Nov 21, 2025
Mark Pope tried to break the MSG curse… it didn’t work
2025 State Farm Champions Classic | Ishika Samant/GettyImagesMark Pope explained one of the oddest changes for the Michigan State game, his decision to ditch the usual coaching suits for New York games to a more casual quarter-zip look. It was a purely superstitious decision to break a personal jinx. If you remember, last year was ugly for Kentucky at Madison Square Garden too.
Kentucky came in to the CBS Sports Classic ranked number 4 in the country playing an unranked Ohio State team and got boat raced by 20. There was nothing positive about what happened on the court, though some players did get engaged.