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Thread: Travis Haney ESPN Insider article

  1. #1
    Senior Member Wade Garrett's Avatar
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    Travis Haney ESPN Insider article

    Link if you have insider access

    http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/trav...y/post?id=2717


    As we count down 50 days until the start of the 2014 college football season, ESPN Insider Travis Haney is answering at least one big question a day until South Carolina and Texas A&M?s kickoff on Aug. 28. Heisman contenders, breakout freshmen, conference winners ? it will all be covered as part of Insider?s Ultimate Season Preview.

    Today?s question: How can the Mississippi State Bulldogs become this year?s breakout SEC team?

    When I talked last summer with Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen, he bemoaned the lack of veteran leadership on his team. He spent about 10 or 15 seconds going through the roster in his mind, trying to think of scholarship seniors who would actually play in 2013. He came up with six, and a list that included at least one specialist.

    ?It?s something we are missing,? Mullen told me then, referring to the team's lack of an experienced leader.

    Things have changed since then. I view Mississippi State as the SEC?s most viable sleeper in 2014. If there is an Auburn or Missouri story in the SEC in 2014, I think it's the Bulldogs.

    Here's why they can make a leap this season:

    Dak attack

    If you haven?t noticed, there aren't many returning QBs in the SEC this year.

    Dak Prescott, a name only now becoming familiar to the region (let alone to the country), could very well be the second-team SEC QB behind the Auburn Tiger?s Nick Marshall. (Bo Wallace could receive votes, as well, as the signal caller for the Ole Miss Rebels.)

    Prescott went for five total TDs in the bowl win against Rice as a redshirt junior, demonstrating that he could be due for a big year in 2014.

    With all apologies to the other dual-threat QBs listed above, they are not built like running backs, like the 6-foot-2, 235-pound Prescott is. Which reminds me ...

    The Bulldogs look the part

    I had an SEC assistant tell me late last season that Mississippi State passed the eye test as much as anyone in the league, including Alabama.

    ?They have some monsters,? he said. ?I thought they were the strongest [defensive] front we saw all year.?

    The Bulldogs were so physically stacked on both lines that he wondered why they weren?t winning more games.

    Going back to Mullen?s point from a year ago, the team could start as many as four seniors on the offensive line and three seniors -- plus junior All-America candidate Benardrick McKinney at MLB -- in the front seven on defense.

    The schedule ... is what it is

    You?re never going to have an ideal schedule in the SEC West, but it?s no help to the Bulldogs that they have to go to LSU (Sept. 20) and Alabama (Nov. 15). On the bright side, at least those games are split in different parts of the season; that worked in Auburn's favor last season, even though the Tigers ended up losing to LSU.

    This year, it's beneficial for the Bulldogs to catch LSU and its young offense early in the season rather than in October or November.

    There are also absolutely no nonconference threats on the schedule in 2014. Some schools in other conferences might find that upsetting, but it?s something that stands to benefit a dark-horse playoff contender. If MSU ends up winning two of three against 'Bama, Auburn and LSU, the committee will certainly take notice.

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    Senior Member BeardoMSU's Avatar
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    Ah fuuck.......


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    Our Pretentious Preacher preachermatt83's Avatar
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    #11-1 anyone ready to get on the wagon??? Just remember, when at the end of the year and we are 11-1 and in the discussion for the playoff, who it was that called it. ... oh and ill be expecting my 30,000 vcash!

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    Senior Member thf24's Avatar
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    "The Bulldogs were so physically stacked on both lines that he wondered why they weren?t winning more games."

    Not sure why some of our own insist on believing that we have a mediocre O-line.

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    Senior Member Lloyd Christmas's Avatar
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    Ah dear lord. This season can't get here fast enough

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    Senior Member War Machine Dawg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by preachermatt83 View Post
    #11-1 anyone ready to get on the wagon??? Just remember, when at the end of the year and we are 11-1 and in the discussion for the playoff, who it was that called it. ... oh and ill be expecting my 30,000 vcash!
    It's the roller coaster of hope that this program keeps us on that makes it hell being a State fan. - CadaverDawg, 10/15/22


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    Our Pretentious Preacher preachermatt83's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by War Machine Dawg View Post

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    Senior Member War Machine Dawg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by preachermatt83 View Post
    This made me literally LOL.
    It's the roller coaster of hope that this program keeps us on that makes it hell being a State fan. - CadaverDawg, 10/15/22


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    Our Pretentious Preacher preachermatt83's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by War Machine Dawg View Post
    This made me literally LOL.
    haha! I figured it would.

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    "The Bulldogs were so physically stacked on both lines that he wondered why they weren't winning more games."

    Because our mother17ing special teams cost us 10 points a game.

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    Senior Member maroonmania's Avatar
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    Well Damien Robinson looks great coming off the bus...

    Quote Originally Posted by thf24 View Post
    "The Bulldogs were so physically stacked on both lines that he wondered why they weren?t winning more games."

    Not sure why some of our own insist on believing that we have a mediocre O-line.
    no argument from me on that one. Seriously, I think our OL is serviceable but it is certainly not the strength of our team IMO. If we just had one or two elite OL guys to add to the mix of what we have it would make a world of difference but it is what it is. Just hope Malone is fully back and our starters stay healthy. Biggest issue with our OL the past couple of seasons has been the running game. Just don't open up many holes for our RBs against the top defenses and now Gabe Jackson is gone.

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    General Public Political Hack's Avatar
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    Line to get into DWS August 30th.

    image.jpg

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    Senior Member MetEdDawg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by maroonmania View Post
    no argument from me on that one. Seriously, I think our OL is serviceable but it is certainly not the strength of our team IMO. If we just had one or two elite OL guys to add to the mix of what we have it would make a world of difference but it is what it is. Just hope Malone is fully back and our starters stay healthy. Biggest issue with our OL the past couple of seasons has been the running game. Just don't open up many holes for our RBs against the top defenses and now Gabe Jackson is gone.
    I think Day, Clausell, and Clayborn are more than serviceable. And if Malone starts at RT that makes 4 pretty good OL that have a ton of experience. Beckwith at the other guard spot has played a ton as well. There have definitely been worse OLs out there, but I think a Malone, Clayborn, Day, Beckwith, Clausell OL can get the job done no question. There's a lot of experience and games played with that OL and I trust them to get the job done. It also helps that we aren't really going to be running any guys like Perkins up the middle or around the edge. Robinson, Griffin, and Shump are built guys that have speed and power. That OL will get it done and move folks around. Add Dak to that equation and I don't think we are going to have many problems there unless we get knocked with OL injuries.

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    Super Moderator CadaverDawg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Political Hack View Post
    Line to get into DWS August 30th.

    image.jpg
    That's great, Hack. Haha

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    Senior Member maroonmania's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MetEdDawg View Post
    I think Day, Clausell, and Clayborn are more than serviceable. And if Malone starts at RT that makes 4 pretty good OL that have a ton of experience. Beckwith at the other guard spot has played a ton as well. There have definitely been worse OLs out there, but I think a Malone, Clayborn, Day, Beckwith, Clausell OL can get the job done no question. There's a lot of experience and games played with that OL and I trust them to get the job done. It also helps that we aren't really going to be running any guys like Perkins up the middle or around the edge. Robinson, Griffin, and Shump are built guys that have speed and power. That OL will get it done and move folks around. Add Dak to that equation and I don't think we are going to have many problems there unless we get knocked with OL injuries.
    I'm talking serviceable as a unit. I mean Day is probably in the Top 5 SEC centers and Clausell is now starting for his fourth year so those guys are solid. Clayborn has a lot of promise but has big shoes to fill assuming he is taking over for Jackson. Malone is coming off of injury and has never played Tackle so that one is a question mark in my view and Beckwith, though originally a walkon, appears to do a pretty good job when he is in there. Behind that its sort of a crapshoot though I'm sure D. Robinson will be a backup at either Tackle position. I mean we have guys that can play but I don't really see a 1st or 2nd team All-SEC type player anywhere across our OL. Would love to see some guys jump up and perform at that level and surprise me though.

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    Senior Member BossDawg's Avatar
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    Damnit, It just seems too good to be true to me....just a big ol' jinx. Please, football gods, for one time don't be dipshits about things.

    And listening to H2H as well as other reports from the media days, I'm astonished at the hype OM is getting. I don't understand it and wonder what they have to be so optimistic about. When people are talking up State, they reference specific people like Dak, Jones, BMac, etc.... But when they talk about OM, it's just "They're my dark horse" or something vague like that. Who is supposed to anchor their team? And why? Seems like people are just
    throwing OM in there because State is brought up.

  17. #17
    Senior Member MetEdDawg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BossDawg View Post
    Damnit, It just seems too good to be true to me....just a big ol' jinx. Please, football gods, for one time don't be dipshits about things.

    And listening to H2H as well as other reports from the media days, I'm astonished at the hype OM is getting. I don't understand it and wonder what they have to be so optimistic about. When people are talking up State, they reference specific people like Dak, Jones, BMac, etc.... But when they talk about OM, it's just "They're my dark horse" or something vague like that. Who is supposed to anchor their team? And why? Seems like people are just
    throwing OM in there because State is brought up.
    Obviously a lot has to come into play in order to even be able to consider being a dark horse like schedule, player attrition, etc. But to me the difference in being a dark horse and just a good team are two things:

    1. Do you have the difference maker at QB to beat upper level teams?
    2. Who are the leaders you will look to during the tough times to rally your team.

    So let's compare:

    1. Dak Prescott vs. Bo Wallace

    I mean is this even a debate right now? Prescott can carry the team with both his passing and running. He's got a full offseason under his belt and is already light years ahead of where he was last year. And he took OM almost by himself, wasn't 100%, and played less than 1 quarter. Wallace has a career TD/INT ratio of 40:27 over 2 full years. We've already seen how Wallace handles the camera and the scrutiny after the Egg Bowl. Then we've witnessed how Dak carried himself today at SEC Media days. I take Dak here all day.

    2. Leadership

    Let's just look at who went to SEC media days for these teams. That is who you expect to represent your team and draw your character from. We brought Dak, McKinney, and Hughes. All leaders and respected. Not a bad word has ever come out of their mouth and every one of them have represented us 100% of the time in the best way possible. OM took Bo Wallace, Cody Prewitt and CJ Johnson. I don't see how you could choose their leadership over ours at all. We've got 3 MSU guys with a lot of mileage, they have 2 me guys and Prewitt. Not true leaders except Prewitt. I just can't imagine drawing my strength from CJ Johnson, or even thinking that would be ideal over McKinney and Hughes. I think we win here.

    To me we've got the pieces in place to do it. We are deep in a lot of places, we return the second most starters of any SEC team, and we have those two essential components. The QB and the leadership. That gives us the dark horse edge over them in my opinion.
    Last edited by MetEdDawg; 07-15-2014 at 05:51 PM.

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    Senior Member FISHDAWG's Avatar
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    he might have meant it differently but I'm pretty sure Dak was a redshirt soph. @ last yrs Liberty Bowl
    OXFORD, Miss. (WTVA) - Ole Miss campus police ask students to behave at future baseball games following a recent incident.
    The university said students were reportedly throwing rocks at Georgia baseball players during last weekend's series.

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