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Why this season is crucial for Mel Tucker's future with Michigan State football

INDIANAPOLIS — At one moment Wednesday during Big Ten media days, Mel Tucker acknowledged the demands he faces in a microwave society that wants instant gratification.

“We’re in a ‘win now’ culture,” the Michigan State football coach suggested.

Then, seconds later, he delivered a subtle plea for patience, telling the reporters in his midst that “it takes time to build a program and get it the way we want it.”

The contradictory monologue captured the predicament Tucker is confronting in Year 4 of a tenure that has featured a little bit of everything and lacked almost any continuity.