Spartan Speak

The Michigan State men's basketball team continues to be plagued with questions after the Spartans' home loss to Wisconsin to open Big Ten play on Tuesday. On this week's Spartan Speak podcast, Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press beat writer Chris Solari do a deep dive on the team – the level of concern, the problems and what can be fixed. Then, a conversation on MS...

There's a new football coach at Michigan State, with the Spartans announcing the hire of Oregon State's Jonathan Smith. On this week's Spartan Speak, Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press beat writer Chris Solari discuss how it happened, what they think of Smith and the fit and the challenges with the roster right now. Then, they talk MSU hoops – on the point guard si...

On this week's Spartan Speak podcast, Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press beat writer Chris Solari dig into the Michigan State men's basketball's recent performance and preview a measuring stick game against a daunting and unbeaten Arizona team on Thanksgiving Day. Then, they discuss MSU football's showing at Indiana — Maliq Carr, Katin Houser, etc. — before breakin...

On this week's Spartan Speak podcast, Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press beat writer Chris Solari react to the Michigan State men's basketball team's loss to James Madison - why it happened, which concerns are real and which aren't - and then preview MSU's football game at Ohio State.

On this week's Spartan Speak, Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press beat writer Chris Solari begin by discussing Michigan State football's QB situation and Saturday's game against Nebraska.  Then, they get to the seedier side of things and dig into the insanity at Michigan with Connor Stalions and increasing evidence of cheating, before talking MSU hoops after the Ten...

On this week's Spartan Speak podcast, Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press beat writer Chris Solari analyze Michigan State basketball's exhibition win over Hillsdale, including what stood out from MSU's freshman and several other players. Then they dig into the Michigan football sign-stealing scandal and what it might mean for the Spartans' rivals, before previewing...

It's Michigan Week, people! But this year has a different feel, as the Wolverines are playing like they're on top of the world, while Michigan State has lost its head coach and the quality of play has been severely lacking this year.  But with this rivalry comes weird results. And on this week's Spartan Speak, Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press beat writer Chris So...

The Spartan Speak podcast returns after a two-week layoff! Lansing State Journal sports columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free beat writer Chris Solari have plenty to cover as the Michigan State football team is coming off a bye week in preparation for Saturday's game against Rutgers. This week's topics include the ongoing coaching search to replace Mel Tucker , the appeal of and the problem with...

On this week's Spartan Speak podcast, Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press beat writer Chris Solari discuss the State of the Spartans football program, in the wake of Mel Tucker's sexual harassment lawsuit and this week's announcement that Michigan State intends to fire Tucker with cause. Graham and Chris discuss where things stand with the program now, including fan...

The news surrounding Mel Tucker's suspension due to a sexual harassment complaint is ever-evolving, but for Friday's Spartan Speak podcast, Lansing State Journal sports columnist and Detroit Free Press beat write Chris Solari keep everything completely on the field.  Episode topics include previewing Saturday's showdown with Washington and QB Michael Penix, who has owned the Spartans; the debut of...

The Michigan State football team beat Richmond on Saturday to improve to 2-0, but that's on the backburner now as an i nvestigative story from USA TODAY's Kenny Jacoby that coach Mel Tucker was being investigated in a Title IX sexual harassment case was published early Sunday morning. And shortly after the publication of that story, Tucker was suspended by the school without pay amid the investiga...

The Michigan State football team kicked off its 2023 season last week with a win over Central Michigan, with one half (the second) much better than the other.  With FCS squad Richmond coming to Spartan Stadium this weekend, MSU will have a chance to improve on some of the potential they showed in the second half last Friday. Lansing State Journal sports columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Pres...

It's been a bit of a different preseason for Michigan State football. There hasn't officially been any indication as to who the Spartans' starting quarterback will be, and in a press conference this week, coach Mel Tucker didn't specifically mention a single player on the roster by name. Is it a weird coincidence or a planned strategy for Week 1 preparation?  Lucky for you, the listener, there's n...

We're only a mere eight days away from Michigan State football's season-opening game against Central Michigan. And since the last podcast, some developments have occurred. On this week's episode, Lansing State Journal sports columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press beat writer Chris Solari take a look at the Spartans' depth chart and break the roster down position by position.  Who will be MS...

Quite frankly, we've been gone way too long. Almost three months, in fact. But that changes today as Michigan State football's fall camp begins Thursday. Fall is near, and that means that Lansing State Journal sports columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press beat writer Chris Solari emerged from hiding and will return on a near-weekly basis.  This week, Graham and Chris thoroughly discuss each...

Michigan State football news was hot and heavy on Sunday, as the Spartan football lost three starters to the transfer portal: First, it was two-year starting QB Payton Thorne ; then, expected No. 1 receiver Keon Coleman left; and last, CB Charles Brantley announced he was leaving.  Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press beat writer Chris Solari react to the news and di...

Michigan State held its spring football game on Saturday. Although it was mostly a glorified practice, there was plenty for Lansing State Journal sports columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press beat writer Chris Solari to see.  They discuss the QB competition between Payton Thorne, Noah Kim and Katin Houser and other highlights from Spartan Stadium.  They also delve into basketball, with Tyso...

The boys are back from NYC following Michigan State's NCAA tournament loss to Kansas State in the Sweet 16. Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press beat writer Chris Solari reflect on the Spartans' loss and whether it was a missed opportunity, and then project what next year's roster will look like. In the final part of the podcast, they discuss spring football, Keon Co...

The Lansing State Journal's Graham Couch and the Detroit Free Press' Chris Solari and Shawn Windsor break down Michigan State's Sweet 16 overtime defeat to Kansas State, in what was an instant classic. 

There's a reason the "January, February, Izzo" saying exists, and the Michigan State basketball team is advancing to its 15th Sweet 16 under Tom Izzo, upsetting 2-seed Marquette 69-60 on Sunday.  Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press beat writer Chris Solari break down the MSU win piece-by-piece, preview the Kansas State game and discuss the Big Ten's performance in t...

It was a busy past two days in Michigan State athletics, and we're here to cover it all for you: The Spartans are set to play USC in the NCAA Tournament, spring football practice begins, and women's basketball coach Suzy Merchant is stepping down after 16 seasons.  Lansing State Journal sports columnist Graham Couch is joined by beat writer Brian Calloway at the beginning of the podcast to discuss...

On this week's Spartan Speak, Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press beat writer Chris Solari preview this week's Big Ten tournament, discussing which schools need wins the most and predict who will win the tournament.  Then, moving on to football, they discuss the decommitment of 4-star WR Nick Marsh, discuss recruiting on the whole before moving on to Brandon Jordan'...

On this week's Spartan Speak podcast, Lansing State Journal sports columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press beat writer Chris Solari get caught up on the Michigan State basketball's last two games against Iowa and Nebraska, look ahead to this weekend's senior day contest against Ohio State, how the Spartans can still get the double bye in the Big Ten tournament, and what seed they could recei...

It has been a difficult week, to put it lightly, following the shooting at Michigan State on Feb. 13 that left three students dead and five wounded. In the background of that horrific event, Saturday's Michigan State-Michigan basketball game was played in Ann Arbor which saw both communities come together in this moment.  Lansing State Journal sports columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press b...

On this week's podcast, Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press beat writer Chris Solari discuss the Spartans' win over Maryland on Tuesday, the struggles of Malik Hall and the three-man center rotation of Mady Sissoko, Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper, and Sunday's game against Ohio State.