Downside #1: Mark Dantonio is 59 years old, meaning that he would have 10 good years at UGA at most, though this could be mitigated with strong assistants.
Downside #2: well, there isn't one really
Dantonio has led Michigan State to their best run since, well, ever. In fact, it is amazing that a school with so much tradition (Sparty, their rivalries with Michigan and Ohio State, more on that later) has had so little success, especially in modern times. They were really tough from 1950-1957 (1954 excepted). They had a couple of great years in 1965 and 1966. Other than that? Nothing. Absolutely nothing except winning a mediocre Big 10 (with 2 losses and a tie) and the Rose Bowl over USC in 1987 and Nick Saban going 10-2 there in 1999. So, Dantonio taking them 9-4 (2008), 11-2 (2010), 11-3 (2011), 13-1 (2013) and 11-2 (2014) with Rose and Cotton Bowl victories is clearly their best sustained run since winning national titles in the 50s and 60s. And no, it cannot be ignored that they beat Baylor, Stanford, TCU and UGA despite having mostly 3 star midwestern recruits during that time. Oh yes, and Michigan State is 6-0 this year, and is certain to go at least 10-2.
Another interesting fact: Mark Dantonio actually built up a longtime loser in Cincinnati into a solid program, and then went to Michigan State. Chip Kelly took Dantonio's heavily upperclassmen recruits, won 2 Big East titles and then went to Notre Dame, who obviously by now wishes that they had hired Dantonio instead.
Another interesting fact still: both Richt and Dantonio run NFL pro-style offenses. But it is Dantonio, despite getting lesser recruits and not having been at Michigan State nearly as long as Richt at UGA (2001 versus 2007) that has put far more QBs in the NFL. Dantonio recruits now in the NFL: Brian Hoyer, Kirk Cousins, Nick Foles (who transferred to Arizona due to being unable to beat out Cousins) plus Connor Cook will be drafted as high as the first round. Richt QBs in the NFL: Matt Stafford and Aaron Murray.
So we know why Dantonio would thrive at UGA with the 4-5 star talent that he would easily get to Athens. The question: why would Dantonio leave? The answer is simple: look at Michigan State's tradition, or lack thereof, since the mid-1960s. At no point has Michigan State, Ohio State and Michigan EVER been good at the same time. Why? Because those three schools compete for the same pool of recruits, and that pool isn't very big. So when all 3 schools have good coaches, Michigan State is always the odd man out. And yes, Urban Meyer (Ohio State) and Jim Harbaugh (Michigan) are good coaches. Those schools are a combined 11-1 with the only loss being by a TD to 5-0 Utah. So yes, Dantonio will have a good year in East Lansing this season with Cook and probably next year with the rest of the upperclassmen, but the year after that when Meyer will still be rolling and Harbaugh will have 2 full recruiting classes under his belt? It doesn't look good.
It is a case that UGA can make to Mark Dantonio right now. I would argue that it is a case that they should have made to Dantonio after UGA opened the 2011 season with the loss to Boise and ended it with losses to LSU and to ... Dantonio and Michigan State. The downside: well there is no downside. Even if Dantonio says "no", UGA would be no further away from an SEC East title than they are now. Or they will be in 2016 when the starting QB situation will still be up in the air (a true freshman versus 2-3 returnees that we know aren't any good, and even that presumes that Ramsey, Bauta etc. will stick around) and UGA loses several guys off their OL, including future NFL starting LT John Theus as well as RT Kolton Houston.
Downside #2: well, there isn't one really
Dantonio has led Michigan State to their best run since, well, ever. In fact, it is amazing that a school with so much tradition (Sparty, their rivalries with Michigan and Ohio State, more on that later) has had so little success, especially in modern times. They were really tough from 1950-1957 (1954 excepted). They had a couple of great years in 1965 and 1966. Other than that? Nothing. Absolutely nothing except winning a mediocre Big 10 (with 2 losses and a tie) and the Rose Bowl over USC in 1987 and Nick Saban going 10-2 there in 1999. So, Dantonio taking them 9-4 (2008), 11-2 (2010), 11-3 (2011), 13-1 (2013) and 11-2 (2014) with Rose and Cotton Bowl victories is clearly their best sustained run since winning national titles in the 50s and 60s. And no, it cannot be ignored that they beat Baylor, Stanford, TCU and UGA despite having mostly 3 star midwestern recruits during that time. Oh yes, and Michigan State is 6-0 this year, and is certain to go at least 10-2.
Another interesting fact: Mark Dantonio actually built up a longtime loser in Cincinnati into a solid program, and then went to Michigan State. Chip Kelly took Dantonio's heavily upperclassmen recruits, won 2 Big East titles and then went to Notre Dame, who obviously by now wishes that they had hired Dantonio instead.
Another interesting fact still: both Richt and Dantonio run NFL pro-style offenses. But it is Dantonio, despite getting lesser recruits and not having been at Michigan State nearly as long as Richt at UGA (2001 versus 2007) that has put far more QBs in the NFL. Dantonio recruits now in the NFL: Brian Hoyer, Kirk Cousins, Nick Foles (who transferred to Arizona due to being unable to beat out Cousins) plus Connor Cook will be drafted as high as the first round. Richt QBs in the NFL: Matt Stafford and Aaron Murray.
So we know why Dantonio would thrive at UGA with the 4-5 star talent that he would easily get to Athens. The question: why would Dantonio leave? The answer is simple: look at Michigan State's tradition, or lack thereof, since the mid-1960s. At no point has Michigan State, Ohio State and Michigan EVER been good at the same time. Why? Because those three schools compete for the same pool of recruits, and that pool isn't very big. So when all 3 schools have good coaches, Michigan State is always the odd man out. And yes, Urban Meyer (Ohio State) and Jim Harbaugh (Michigan) are good coaches. Those schools are a combined 11-1 with the only loss being by a TD to 5-0 Utah. So yes, Dantonio will have a good year in East Lansing this season with Cook and probably next year with the rest of the upperclassmen, but the year after that when Meyer will still be rolling and Harbaugh will have 2 full recruiting classes under his belt? It doesn't look good.
It is a case that UGA can make to Mark Dantonio right now. I would argue that it is a case that they should have made to Dantonio after UGA opened the 2011 season with the loss to Boise and ended it with losses to LSU and to ... Dantonio and Michigan State. The downside: well there is no downside. Even if Dantonio says "no", UGA would be no further away from an SEC East title than they are now. Or they will be in 2016 when the starting QB situation will still be up in the air (a true freshman versus 2-3 returnees that we know aren't any good, and even that presumes that Ramsey, Bauta etc. will stick around) and UGA loses several guys off their OL, including future NFL starting LT John Theus as well as RT Kolton Houston.
