When Jonathan Smith took the Michigan State football job, he knew that the expectations for his new program were higher than they were at Oregon State. He knew he'd be under more pressure in East Lansing than he ever was in Corvallis.
Fortunately for him, he has examples of what to do (Mark Dantonio) and what not to do (Mel Tucker) from the previous regimes before him. All he had to do was look at what Dantonio did and replicate that and avoid what Tucker did, especially on the recruiting trail.
Dantonio made a living on dominating in-state recruiting while also faring well in the region (especially Ohio).