Football thought.....why are the last few bad/good games so relevant?

[gravedigger]

Edited to add: why are the last few bad/good games FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR so relevant going into the next?


Remember your expectations headed into 2001? Coming off a bowl game, we should have been a pretty good team. But we werent. Why did we hang onto hope for 2002? Why the egg bowl of 2001 of course.

Remember back to 2007. We should have been horrible. But we werent. We lost the 2006 egg bowl, but turned around and went to a bowl the next year.

Remember back to 2009. We should have been in a rebuilding stage with no expectations. But we were one play from a bowl and the year didnt seem so bad. Why? Egg bowl victory.

Remember back to 2010. We should have been pretty competitve with a lower teir bowl. Mainly because of graduating Dixon. But, we played great against LSU, Just missed beating the NC. Trounced OM and won probably the 2nd most significant game in our programs history on New years day with a qb nobody ever suspected a year before could be an sec qb until the egg bowl2009.

Remember 2011. We were coming off a wonderful season, even higher hopes than the gator bowl. But we didnt live up to those expectations. Ended the season with big wins in the egg bowl and the bowl game, but overall, disapointed we didnt do better.

Remember going into last year? Schedule set up great. We won the games we were supposed to. But we just werent nearly as good as we thought. And now our expectations for the coming year are based on:

The dissapointing losses that defined last year (and the team chemistry, playcalling and uninspired play) with the prospect of the schedule that is more difficult has everyone on their heels to be even the slightest bit optomistic.

But the team that ended last year isnt playing this fall. And the teams we know from last year arent necessarilly any better or worse.

So why should we necessarilly struggle if teams change as the above example often indicate?

I dont say the egg bowl is nearly as literally important as it is in the minds of most of our fans to include me.

But I'll be damned if I'm going into this season hoping to be grateful for a 6-6 finish and bowl.

I think we will do better than most think. I have no idea why. I just do.

[Will James]

Well I think we gonna win at Kyle Field.

[gravedigger]

Pretty bold prediction there. I agree we'll be in the game and it will be a fight to the finish. I just dont know if we pull it out.

Main reason: I am not sold yet on the idea that we will play the type of offense that can score and control the clock to limit the other teams opportunities.

I'm sure our defense will be better and not let a game like that get out of hand. I'm just sceptical that we'll be able to put that game over the top in the scoring category.

But like I said before. I'm not putting it or any other game down as hopeless.

[engie]

I think we're going to improve as well -- and I could tell everyone why, but I'm sure that will come out over the coming months anyway. I'm just as excited going into this season as I was for last season...if not moreso...

What you are saying overall is that, in general, our fan base perception is fickle and weak-minded and revolves around a single game against Ole Miss -- which is true and what we already know. I don't know if people realize it, but many of us here work together tirelessly on changing the perception of our program from emotional(based solely on OM as the measuring stick) to logical(based on what we actually are and can be in relation to the rest of the country)...

[Pollodawg]

I agree. I think we will shock a few people too. Arky will be bad. Auburn will be better, but still bad. UK will be like AU, better, but we're still too much for UK at the moment. LSU's D will not be what we are used to. It will be.......human if you will.

I could see getting 8 wins again.

[FlabLoser]

I disagree with almost everything the OP said. The last couple games are important to the bowls, but that's it. The Egg Bowl doesn't set my expectations for the following year.

PS: we did suck in 2007. We just covered up the suck with Pick-6's.

[Todd4State]

Maybe more importantly, our team will be hungry.

[Todd4State]

I disagree with almost everything the OP said. The last couple games are important to the bowls, but that's it. The Egg Bowl doesn't set my expectations for the following year.

PS: we did suck in 2007. We just covered up the suck with Pick-6's.

It's more like the offense sucked. The team as a whole was OK. The real key was Adam Carlson having a career year and not missing some key field goals.

[slickdawg]

If we are going to beat LSU, this year is it.

They lost a ton of talent, have a new OC, and I'm not sold on Mettenberger. We play them in Vegas. It's time.

[Todd4State]

Honestly, I think a lot of fans are disappointed that we kept Les and they are taking a wait and see approach more than anything.

[Coach34]

Honestly, I think a lot of fans are disappointed that we kept Les and they are taking a wait and see approach more than anything.

Getting rid of Les wouldhave done no good. We run what Mullen wants to run anyway. Plus, there are rumors of him taking over playcalling full-time

[CadaverDawg]

It's more like the offense sucked. The team as a whole was OK. The real key was Adam Carlson having a career year and not missing some key field goals.

Speaking of field goals....they will play a major factor in our record this year IMO. Devon Bell needs to get his shit together and start performing like he's capable. Our schedule is too tough to be forced to go for it unless we are inside the damn 20 yard line because we can't count on him to make kicks.

To me, the season we be determined on defense and special teams. I think the defense will be much better, if for no other reason bc there is a major emphasis on it this season. So, that leaves special teams. We need kickoffs to go into the end zone, and we need field goals to go through the uprights. Do those things and we could win 8 games. Miss field goals and play average defense and we'll struggle to win 6.

[Todd4State]

Getting rid of Les wouldhave done no good. We run what Mullen wants to run anyway. Plus, there are rumors of him taking over playcalling full-time

If that rumor is true, that pumps me up. I know a lot of head coaches can't call plays and coach the team, but I think Dan could do both and be fine.

[Todd4State]

Speaking of field goals....they will play a major factor in our record this year IMO. Devon Bell needs to get his shit together and start performing like he's capable. Our schedule is too tough to be forced to go for it unless we are inside the damn 20 yard line because we can't count on him to make kicks.

To me, the season we be determined on defense and special teams. I think the defense will be much better, if for no other reason bc there is a major emphasis on it this season. So, that leaves special teams. We need kickoffs to go into the end zone, and we need field goals to go through the uprights. Do those things and we could win 8 games. Miss field goals and play average defense and we'll struggle to win 6.

I thought Bell did pretty well last year. He started off slow, but he was pretty effective by the end of the year.

[CadaverDawg]

I thought Bell did pretty well last year. He started off slow, but he was pretty effective by the end of the year.

He did ok. But what I'm talking about is having him be a go to guy that can get us a big kick when we need it. He was a pretty highly recruited guy, so we don't need to be hesitant or nervous when he trots out there this year.

He was a freshman and I get that...but maybe I was the only one that had very little confidence when he came in for a field goal. We need him to be able to get us a 45 yarder with the game on the line this year. He has the talent, but he didn't look much improved in the Spring game. Hopefully he has a good year.

[FlabLoser]

If that rumor is true, that pumps me up. I know a lot of head coaches can't call plays and coach the team, but I think Dan could do both and be fine.

Well you've got to have a really good, independent DC.

[maroonmania]

The thing about last year and how we finished that IS relevant to me is that in YEAR 4 with Mullen every upper level team we played either blew us off the field or had the game pretty much in hand by the 4th quarter. And that included OM and NW who I wouldn't really even consider "upper level". That HAS to change this year. If it doesn't my expectations and goals going forward with Mullen running the program will diminish significantly. The record last year was fine. Normally I would be pretty happy with an 8-5 year but I am not happy with an 8-5 year when the 8 wins were all against teams we should have beaten while the 5 losses were really not even that competitive. If we had been 8-5 and even lost the same 5 games but been competitive in most all of them down to the wire I would be feeling MUCH better right now than I do. To be honest deep down I feel very little hope of being able to compete or beat a team like OK ST and its strictly because of how we performed, or didn't perform, against Top 25 caliber teams last year. Right now Mullen is getting branded with the label that he just doesn't beat teams that he's not suppose to beat. Hopefully, for all our sakes, this year he is able to change some of that thinking.

[Coach34]

Our fanbase always has this feeling of impending doom coming. And they let Rebel fans affect their thinking wayyyy too much.

We went to a NYD Bowl
We have our entire OL returning
We have our top 2 QB's returning
We have all our RB's returning
We will be one of the best in the SEC at TE and LB
Our DL will be vastly improved
We have questions at WR and CB

I think Oklahoma St better be worried about our ass

[FlabLoser]

Our fanbase always has this feeling of impending doom coming. And they let Rebel fans affect their thinking wayyyy too much.

We went to a NYD Bowl
We have our entire OL returning
We have our top 2 QB's returning
We have all our RB's returning
We will be one of the best in the SEC at TE and LB
Our DL will be vastly improved
We have questions at WR and CB

I think Oklahoma St better be worried about our ass

Random point as we grow concerned about our then QB roster with injured QBs on it...

OK State has 6 QBs on the roster. Three of them have thrown for 1,100 to 1,600 yards each and a total of 34 TDs, all with more than a 60% completion rate.

[Coach34]

The thing about last year and how we finished that IS relevant to me is that in YEAR 4 with Mullen every upper level team we played either blew us off the field or had the game pretty much in hand by the 4th quarter.

Year 4 or Year 2 or Year 9 is really irrelevant. Players are on campus from 3-5 years and coaches have to mix and match. It's not a steady climb every season- it's an ebb and flow depending on what you had returning.
Chizik won a NC in Year 2, couldnt beat his own meat in Year 4.
Saban won a NC in Year 3- then lost 3 games in Year 4.
Jackie went to 2 straight bowl games, then had a losing season, then another bowl game in Year 4.

We got knocked around because Cox left early, our recruits at DT couldnt act right off the field, and Wilson did a shitty job as DC with personnel and scheme. Offensively we were adjusting to changes with Russell at QB- and did ok considering. Most teams have a severe drop when making big offensive changes like we did.

In 2013-we will be better on the OL and DL- and this is what it takes to compete and win in the SEC. That's why I'm excited about the coming season.