Michigan State football: Mark Dantonio joins CFP Selection Committee

On March 4, it was announced that former Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio was back to being a part of college football. While he will not be prowling along the sidelines with his signature scowl and an endless bag of trick plays, the Big Ten and their respective fanbases will still be rejoicing or cursing his name next fall. Coach D was officially named to the CFP Selection Committee.

Dantonio certainly has the resume for it, as his tenure with Michigan State ended with the most career wins as a head coach (114), and most 10-or-more win seasons by a Spartan coach (6).

What has Mark Dantonio been up to?

Since his retirement from coaching right before 2020 National Signing Day, Coach D has kept a low profile. He was originally signed on to be a part of the athletic department, but then COVID-19 ruined those plans. He re-emerged the next year as guest of coach Pat Narduzzi for Pitt training camp, and has made limited appearances since.

The first real “return to MSU” the Spartan fans got from Mark Dantonio came during the Mel Tucker-saga in 2023. Following Tucker’s suspension and later dismissal, Alan Haller called Dantonio. And he, ever the role model Spartan, had this simple reply: “Of course, Alan, I’ll be there for whatever you need.”

Dantonio served as the associate head coach for the remainder of the 2023 season as longtime Michigan State football assistant Harlon Barnett picked up his two wins as the active head coach. With Jonathan Smith back at the helm, Dantonio quietly faded to the background again, but he would be back on the sidelines before anyone expected it.

Coach D was named to the College Football Hall of Fame for 2024, and Michigan State Athletics also honored him by putting his name in the Spartan “Ring of Honor”, unveiling a plaque during last season’s Ohio State contest.

What are Dantonio’s roles in the CFP Selection Committee?

Simply put, Dantonio is among the 15-20-person board that will be ranking teams in the top-25 for the second half of the season. After that, he will also be among the group deciding the 12-team playoff and the seedings that coincide with it.

Considering the number of times that the Spartans had been on the losing end of the bargain with rankings and seedings, especially under Dantonio’s tenure, I think this is a slam dunk move by the committee.

We all remember the Spartans being punished for losing the 2011 Big Ten Championship Game, and seeing Michigan get the Sugar Bowl bid. The Spartans had to settle for a triple-overtime thriller over Georgia in the Outback Bowl.

To this day, we all ask if the Spartans could have been 2014 National Champions if they had been ranked higher following their 10-point win over undefeated No. 2 Ohio State for the Big Ten Title. No offense to Auburn or Florida State, that was one of the best national title games I have seen to this day.

In 2017, was the Holiday Bowl the best bowl Michigan State football could have gotten? The utter dismantling of a ranked Washington State team says no. Sure, the Cougars were down their quarterback, but Luke Falk did not play defense and give up 42 points.

Will there be a conflict of interest?

Personally, I doubt it. The CFP would not have made the hire if they did not believe a person could be unbiased, and I am sure that was part of the interview process. Dantonio has been a relatively quiet person since his self-removal from the collegiate coaching world, but the increasing times that we have seen him on the sidelines shows that there is still a love for the game. Dantonio loves Michigan State, as evidenced by how he shows up at most big games for Spartan hoops for his friend, Tom Izzo, but his love for and from the university will not get in the way of being an honest voter.

That said, the Spartans have a (mostly) favorable schedule for the 2025 season, so it would be great to see Michigan State football make some waves with the former legendary coach on the selection committee.