What do Mel Tucker and Jonathan Smith have in common? Well, not much other than the fact that neither could figure out the quarterback situation at Michigan State.
Tucker had a knack for finding quarterback talent, but figuring out who should be the starter was always seemingly an issue. In year one, he went with Rocky Lombardi against many fans’ wishes, and it at least paid off against Michigan. In year two, he went with Payton Thorne and that led to 11 wins and a Peach Bowl trophy. In year three, he went with Thorne again, and he struggled.
In Tucker’s final season, he decided to go with Noah Kim after Thorne transferred to Auburn, and it ended up being the wrong choice. He had Sam Leavitt and Katin Houser at his disposal…