There’s no secret that Michigan State struggled mightily on the back end of its defense in 2021. For many, it was startling to see what the legacy of the “No Fly Zone” days of yore had begotten. An understandable reaction to many was to direct anger toward defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton. Facially, that makes sense. At a program with the defensive tradition of Michigan State, having the 100th and 54th overall defense, paired with the 73rd and 130th(!) pass defense over two years is unacceptable.
Does it make sense that Hazelton, who kept some of the nation’s most electric offenses under wraps in the Big 12, can’t contain the generally staid offenses in the Big Ten?