Urban Meyer faced Mark Dantonio for seven straight years as Ohio State and Michigan State competed atop the Big Ten East Division.

But what Meyer sees now out of the Spartans is unlike anything he faced throughout his time at the helm for the Buckeyes from 2012-18.

Week 12 was Michigan State's latest casualty with Michigan's 44-10 rout Saturday at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, where the No. 15 Wolverines (8-2, 5-2) embarrassed the Spartans (4-6, 2-5) before 111,496 on hand for the in-state rivalry game.

Before the fifth straight loss for Michigan State, Meyer said that the Spartans' sharp decline in 2019 is a result directly of recruiting and development.

Gone are the days when Dantonio, the 13th-year head coach, had NFL talent on the roster.

"Well, first of all, my respect for Mark Dantonio is top of the chain — he's one of the great coaches I've ever coached against, he's a good friend and I just admire him," Meyer said Saturday on FOX's "Big Noon Kickoff" pregame show. "But in 2012, I went to the Big Ten. They had two first-round corners (in Darqueze Dennard and Trae Waynes). They had (running back) Le'Veon Bell. They had (quarterback) Kirk Cousins. They had defensive linemen that were drafted.

"That was, I thought, them and Wisconsin — in my seven years in the Big Ten, they recruited to their scheme, the developed their players and they were right on. You watch Michigan State play — I don't know how many NFL players they've got. I don't know. That doesn't look like the defenses that I used to go against. They used to be — they had two first-round corners that shut you down. They had Le'Veon Bell standing back there at tailback.

"I don't see that. And I'm not putting this all on the players — that's coaches, recruiting, development. But I'm just telling you — 2012 — that was a top, top program. It just doesn't look that way."

Michigan State has produced the middle-of-the-pack recruiting classes since the Spartans' 2015 and 2016 hauls each ranked third in the conference, according to the 247Sports Composite.

The 2017, 2018 and 2019 cycles have produced finishes for sixth and seventh in the Big Ten.

As for the NFL, Michigan State has not seen a first-round draft pick since former offensive tackle Jack Conklin went eighth overall to the Tennessee Titans in 2016.

"Remember, there's two ways to evaluate recruiting — NFL draft picks and championships," Meyer said. "You remember from 2012 to '15, '16 they were as good as anybody. They won the Big Ten, I believe, twice (in 2013 and 2015). They beat us in the (2013) championship game.

"The one time they beat us in the (2015) regular-season game. And that was (when) you watched the NFL draft, Michigan State players (were) all over the place. I just don't see that right here and now — I don't."

The Spartans have Nov. 23 at Rutgers and Nov. 30 against Maryland to still make a bowl game and search for the team's first win since Sept. 28's 40-31 edge of Indiana.

"What's their identity?" said Charles Woodson, the former Michigan star (1995-97) and current FOX analyst, after Meyer's explanation. "I think that's what you're asking about. You talk about having two corners on the outside that can lock guys down. That means that your front seven can go out there and play the way they need to play. You can play a blitzing, attacking form of defense. But if you don't, then you have a game like they did last week against Illinois where you threw for 369 yards (in a 37-34 loss). So if you don't have those types of players, you can't get that.

"And then who sets the tone for the team? I remember playing against Michigan State, they had guys like (former wide receivers) Derek Mason (1993-96) and Muhsin Muhammad (1992-95) on the offensive side of guys. These were dogs, these were mean cats that went out there and they imposed their will on you, but set the tone for the rest of the team. Who's setting the tone for this Michigan State team right now?"