Picked last in the SEC WEST by 247

[Lord McBuckethead]

Neither times were first time HC. O had already coached before and so had Notre Dame guy. Arnett, to the best of my knowledge, has never been a HC before including peewee football.

[confucius say]

I think Arnett & staff will do well, but think about it.

Allegiances aside, we would not pick a middle of the pack SEC team not named Mississippi State to light the world on fire with a first time head coach, new coordinators, new scheme, and playing an SEC schedule.

All the tossups in conference (except the Egg Bowl) are on the road.

KY is home

[bigbub50]

Picked last is perfect for our blue collar head coach and program. Great locker room material. A good coach can use this as motivation. I?d rather be underestimated than picked higher than usual. I love it. Fires me up.

[TaleofTwoDogs]

Here's the deal, some of you guys need to step back from the keyboards and go to YouTube and watch the highlight videos of all of last year's wins (remember we won 9 of 13 ). Contary to internet message board ranting, our offense did some really good things. Probably the most disappointing part of our O-game last year was Rogers lack of physicality. A running QB can change the landscape of a game completely. But because Rogers was really the only viable QB we had on the roster, I'm sure CML drilled into Rogers a stay safe command. We need a strong backup (Wright?) to allow Rogers to mentally focus on being a complete QB. Is Will another Dak, hell no, but he needs to play for fun again and let the chips fall as they may. If the whole team is focused as much as CZA there is no reason a 10 win season is not doable.

[R2Dawg]

Lather, rinse, repeat. We'll never be picked high and always to finish last or near last. OM will always be picked higher than us even if they suck. Just two things you can count on every year.

Now how we finish is a different story. I like the underdog view, the Dawgs tend to like it too.

[Dawgology]

There’s an excuse to pick State last every year. New coach, new OC, new offense, new color jersey, it didn’t rain, etc. it’s always something. Picked last because Leach was our coach. Picked last because we lost Leach as our coach. End of the day it’s because we have the smallest fanbase in the west and their revenue is generated by clicks.

[msudawg1200]

There’s an excuse to pick State last every year. New coach, new OC, new offense, new color jersey, it didn’t rain, etc. it’s always something. Picked last because Leach was our coach. Picked last because we lost Leach as our coach. End of the day it’s because we have the smallest fanbase in the west and their revenue is generated by clicks.

This is the correct answer, except we have the 2nd smallest fanbase in the West. Ole Miss is the smallest, but they pay for all of this preseason love they get every year.

[Todd4State]

Even if we struggle on offense I still think we will be OK because I think the defense will pick up the slack.

That has certainly happened to us before- see Joe Moorhead's first season.

The only way I see us having a bad year is if we struggle on both sides of the ball. I guess that could happen- but I don't think it will. Mostly because we have a ton of experience coming back.

One thing about Barbay is IF he really does adapt to his personnel and since he doesn't claim to have an offensive identity we could certainly run some of Air Raid stuff we do well and probably be fine if we had to. No guarantee that's how it plays out but I guess it's on the table. I know he has said that he Y-Cross and I would imagine he has four verts in the playbook at least. If he adds Y-stick and mesh in there which may be in already he'll have over half the playbook in!**

[StarkVegasSteve]

Even if we struggle on offense I still think we will be OK because I think the defense will pick up the slack.

That has certainly happened to us before- see Joe Moorhead's first season.

The only way I see us having a bad year is if we struggle on both sides of the ball. I guess that could happen- but I don't think it will. Mostly because we have a ton of experience coming back.

One thing about Barbay is IF he really does adapt to his personnel and since he doesn't claim to have an offensive identity we could certainly run some of Air Raid stuff we do well and probably be fine if we had to. No guarantee that's how it plays out but I guess it's on the table. I know he has said that he Y-Cross and I would imagine he has four verts in the playbook at least. If he adds Y-stick and mesh in there which may be in already he'll have over half the playbook in!**

This is the biggest key. Defensively we are going to be just as good, if not better, than last year with all we return. Just having the same offensive production as we had last year will get us 7 wins.

[Todd4State]

This is the biggest key. Defensively we are going to be just as good, if not better, than last year with all we return. Just having the same offensive production as we had last year will get us 7 wins.

You might be underselling us at 7 wins considering our schedule is easier this year. I'm fully expecting us to win 9 games no matter what the offense does. With a chance at 10.

[Captain Falcon]

You might be underselling us at 7 wins considering our schedule is easier this year. I'm fully expecting us to win 9 games no matter what the offense does. With a chance at 10.

I have us at 8-4 just because I don’t love having so many toss ups on the road with a first year head coach, but I can be talked into 9-3 I think.

Right now I feel like we lose to LSU, Bama, and at Auburn (just a weird hunch on that one). I tend to think we lose one more beyond that but can’t pinpoint which one, and I definitely think we have a chance in the LSU and Auburn games.

[maroonmania]

This is the correct answer, except we have the 2nd smallest fanbase in the West. Ole Miss is the smallest, but they pay for all of this preseason love they get every year.

Never ending cycle, we get negative bias in these preseason predictions because we don't buy enough subscriptions or give enough clicks and then in protest we boycott them by buying less subscriptions and giving less clicks and the cycle is reinforced. Best thing is just don't worry about it because it will never change.

[confucius say]

This is the biggest key. Defensively we are going to be just as good, if not better, than last year with all we return. Just having the same offensive production as we had last year will get us 7 wins.

Some would argue that we don't have a replacement on the roster for cam young, Forbes, or wheat.
Some would add jalen green and Jackie Matthews to that list.

[StarkVegasSteve]

Some would argue that we don't have a replacement on the roster for cam young, Forbes, or wheat.
Some would add jalen green and Jackie Matthews to that list.

Forbes I will agree with. However, the others are replaceable imo. But I also think that D Cam having to play opposite of Forbes last year grew him up in the same way Forbes grew up playing opposite Emerson and Emerson grew up playing opposite Dantzler.

[Dawgology]

Forbes I will agree with. However, the others are replaceable imo. But I also think that D Cam having to play opposite of Forbes last year grew him up in the same way Forbes grew up playing opposite Emerson and Emerson grew up playing opposite Dantzler.

Every team replaces key pieces every year. We have plenty of talented/ SEC quality athletes stepping in. If you swapped the State logo for about any other team logo in the west the media would be praising the move to keep our coaching staff largely intact and calling for a 8-9 win season.

[Tater]

Forbes I will agree with. However, the others are replaceable imo. But I also think that D Cam having to play opposite of Forbes last year grew him up in the same way Forbes grew up playing opposite Emerson and Emerson grew up playing opposite Dantzler.

We were noticeably a step faster on defense during the spring game. Looked like we had "SEC speed" that I haven't seen out of the spring game since 2018. Maybe it's maroon colored glasses.

[Cowbell]

We were noticeably a step faster on defense during the spring game. Looked like we had "SEC speed" that I haven't seen out of the spring game since 2018. Maybe it's maroon colored glasses.

I think the same thing. Our defense will be the best it has been since 2018

[MedDawg]

We were noticeably a step faster on defense during the spring game. Looked like we had "SEC speed" that I haven't seen out of the spring game since 2018. Maybe it's maroon colored glasses.

Our offense must have been slower***

[Lord McBuckethead]

Wheat was a DUDE. I can?t wait to see what new DUDE becomes a force.

[R2Dawg]

Wheat was a DUDE. I can?t wait to see what new DUDE becomes a force.

Oh and those dudes are there. Can't wait to see who shows up.