Sunday Morning Thoughts-If This Is Not Rock Bottom, It is Pretty Damn Close

[StarkVegasSteve]

I do not have a lot of words for last night. It is probably easier to list what we are doing right more than we are doing wrong. This season is shot and needs to be about developing talent and attempting to build hope.

1. Last night was as bad as I have felt as an MSU fan since 2005ish. To watch us get pushed around and physically beaten by a G5 team, even though they are good, was embarrassing.

2. We have to get better talent. Right now our talent at MULTIPLE spots(DL, OL, DB, RB just to name a few) is at a G5 to FCS level. I am not trying to be too negative but I do not know if you could point to any player that plays one of those positions for us that could start for many G5 teams, much less P4 teams.

3. We have to gain some continuity within the program. I know in this day and age we will never have double digit 3rd and 4th year guys but to look out there and have 2-3 guys that have been in the program is embarrassing.

4. The game is still won and lost on the LOS. Unfortunately, our LOS recruiting has been shit outside of a few players here and there since Mullen left. That is not just on one coach. It is on multiple.

5. Danies needs to be the back going forward. He actually looks for the hole and has some acceleration burst.

6. We have to find a way to hold on to our offensive skill pieces. Craver and Coleman are extremely electric. Whittemore, when we actually see him, is electric. I have high hopes for Gayten out of the backfield and would love to see him more.

7. We are going to have to find a true dual threat QB in the portal. I thought it might make sense to try to get the SMU kid, but we need a guy more in the Cam Ward mold. If our line is going to be bad, we need someone who can extend the pocket and extend the play but also take off and run.

8. This may sound obvious, but the defensive staff needs to be overhauled. We need to go hire an experienced DC and just pay the money to bring in the staff that he wants. No clue if that makes any sort of difference this year, but I know it would not have hurt.

9. We are going to need around 10 million dollars to rebuild this roster. That is a conservative estimate as well. If we want to give ourselves a chance to compete next year, then we will have to make a significant investment in the roster. It can be done, but you have to get THE RIGHT PLAYERS. I think we had to take the available players this past offseason. We already need staffers identifying portal targets.

10. Lebby is not being fired. He?s getting 3 years. As I said earlier with continuity, we need some. 3 HCs in 3 years and 5 in 7 years is the exact opposite of that.

11. This year is going to be bad. There is simply no way around that. Just do not lose faith in the program. Continue to give if you can and this ship can be turned around.

12. Brighter days can be ahead. But the support can?t stop. I always harp on a Dan Mullen quote when it comes to rebuilding a program. ?It?s not win first and then the fans show up. Fans show up, start believing in the program and the wins will come.?

Hail State and see you all next week.

[msstate7]

Showing up for a team that loses when they actually compete can and should happen. Showing up for that? There's no way I would judge anyone for skipping

[civildawg]

The fans have been supporting this program. I'm tired of people saying show up, give money, buy tickets. We have been and we got blown out at home to Toledo. Screw that crap. How about the players and coaches start winning first

[Activated Alpha]

I think you need to throw in a new S&C program too. So many of our players on defense are getting carried

[Jacknut]

#4 and #10 for sure. Starts and ends on the LOS for both sides of the ball. Agree on the continuity. Lebby can get it done, but it won't be this year.

[StarkVegasSteve]

The fans have been supporting this program. I'm tired of people saying show up, give money, buy tickets. We have been and we got blown out at home to Toledo. Screw that crap. How about the players and coaches start winning first

Literally read the quote. That is the exact opposite of the quote. You can disagree with it, that is fine. I am just telling you, we will not be successful with front runners. You have no real fan support with front runners and no real players with front runners. If you are only going to be here when times are good then go be a UGA fan. You have to keep doing all those things that you mentioned because that is how you build a winning culture in your fan base. OM fans get this and ours do not. They showed up from the jump for Kiffin and now it is paying off. It is a simple as being bought in.

To add, this is what I hated about the Mullen era. We had all these “fans” who claimed they were bought in and the moment Dan left and adversity ultimately hit, they bolted and then started screaming that they were bought in but they would not show back up til we were winning

[StarkVegasSteve]

I think you need to throw in a new S&C program too. So many of our players on defense are getting carried

Not sure I am there yet, but I am close. The amount of injuries we have is also concerning.

[Offshore Dawg]

#6; forget it, no loyalty anymore. Will go to the highest bidder next year.

[StarkVegasSteve]

#6; forget it, no loyalty anymore. Will go to the highest bidder next year.

I mean would you stay to go 3-9 if you had aspirations to win

[DawgFromOxford]

Literally read the quote. That is the exact opposite of the quote. You can disagree with it, that is fine. I am just telling you, we will not be successful with front runners. You have no real fan support with front runners and no real players with front runners. If you are only going to be here when times are good then go be a UGA fan. You have to keep doing all those things that you mentioned because that is how you build a winning culture in your fan base. OM fans get this and ours do not. They showed up from the jump for Kiffin and now it is paying off. It is a simple as being bought in.

To add, this is what I hated about the Mullen era. We had all these “fans” who claimed they were bought in and the moment Dan left and adversity ultimately hit, they bolted and then started screaming that they were bought in but they would not show back up til we were winning

This take would be fine if it hasn?t been years of suckage outside a Leach year since Dan Mullen left in 2017. It?s been 7 years since then and we?ve had 1 season to get excited about.

I also hate how this board puts Ole Miss on a pedestal. Our fans would/can be just as bought into Lebby as they are with Kiffin if the team had anything to get excited about. Kiffin came in annd started winning games. Instead we?re getting pushed around at home by a MAC team so excuse me if I?m hesitant to spend my hard earned money and limited weekend time on this mess of a season.

Everybody knows winning cures all. So win some games, or better yet just have the team look competent in games.

[Bothrops]

I would make the OL have to carry manhole lids with both hands just in front of their chest and walk across the field every day. One OL at a time, then in groups of five.

[Santiago]

Jason Candle flat out coached our inexperienced staff. His team was more disciplined and had a better team culture.

We need to "youthanize" this place....Michael Scott ***

[Ranchdawg]

#12 That is what I have screamed about for a year now. Selmon and Lebby both need to be on tv, radio, print media, podcast, anywhere telling the fans their vision for OUR football program. But yet it has been crickets. Running a football program is about x”s and o’s and recruiting but it is also lightning a fire within your fan base. I am tired of seeing the same crap on the field. Seeing OUR team get skull dragged by a MAC team.

Come out and tell me that you are going to try harder and tell me that kind of crap is not going to happen again. Whether it is the truth or not does not matter just give the fan base some hope that all is not lost. But yet again crickets!

[BoomBoom]

We have to replace both lines from the portal this off season. We don't need any other position. Just the lines. Compete on the LoS, and you compete in the game.

[R2Dawg]

We have to replace both lines from the portal this off season. We don't need any other position. Just the lines. Compete on the LoS, and you compete in the game.

Yep JWS understood this and that is how you win. I think Mullen did too. Those high paid skill positions are flashy but it don't mean crap if you don't have the right guys in trenches.

We got a few guys I like on D - T.Williams, Dinkins, Jones, maybe McClendon but we need to good experienced guys now. These guys are mostly freshmen or RS. I think Dinkins and Williams can be really good in few years, they already show flashes.

[Cooterpoot]

We have to replace both lines from the portal this off season. We don't need any other position. Just the lines. Compete on the LoS, and you compete in the game.

I hate to break it to everybody, but the portal isn't some guarantee of improvement. Unless you're signing up blue chip transfers that played somewhere big, it's hit and miss, especially on the lines.
I bet you we all thought this line would whip Toledo, & we were all wrong. Until we develop players to the point we can mix in transfers, it's going to be trouble.
The portal won't completely rebuild everything suddenly. It can improve you, or it can hurt you.

[StarkVegasSteve]

I hate to break it to everybody, but the portal isn't some guarantee of improvement. Unless you're signing to blue chip transfers that played somewhere big, it's hit and miss, especially on the lines.
I bet you we all thought this line would whip Toledo, & we were all wrong. Until we develop players to the point we can mix in transfers, it's going to be trouble.
The portal won't completely rebuild everything suddenly. It can improve you, or it can hurt you.

Correct. The portal should be supplemental to recruiting. Now there are ways to quick fix out of the portal but you need to make sure you are evaluating correctly. I think we had to take what we could get this portal cycle and hope we could mesh it together well enough for 6 wins.

[Homedawg]

We have to replace both lines from the portal this off season. We don't need any other position. Just the lines. Compete on the LoS, and you compete in the game.

no.............we need way more than just lines, that's the problem. The lines are just a start.

[StarkVegasSteve]

no.............we need way more than just lines, that's the problem. The lines are just a start.

They are just a start, but as I stated, this is a LOS league. You have to be able to compete at the LOS or the rest won't matter. We need to get better there first. Or at least get better on the O Line so we can try to turn everything into a track meet.

[Wink&aPrayer]

This take would be fine if it hasn?t been years of suckage outside a Leach year since Dan Mullen left in 2017. It?s been 7 years since then and we?ve had 1 season to get excited about.

I also hate how this board puts Ole Miss on a pedestal. Our fans would/can be just as bought into Lebby as they are with Kiffin if the team had anything to get excited about. Kiffin came in annd started winning games. Instead we?re getting pushed around at home by a MAC team so excuse me if I?m hesitant to spend my hard earned money and limited weekend time on this mess of a season.

Everybody knows winning cures all. So win some games, or better yet just have the team look competent in games.

Team was competitive in all games,sans Bama and won 3 of final 6. 2024 there's no hope. None.

[StarkVegasSteve]

Team was competitive in all games,sans Bama and won 3 of final 6. 2024 there's no hope. None.

We got beat by Auburn 49-24 and got beat by Arkansas 42-21. We also gave up 42 to Ga Tech who ran 3 plays the entire game. They ran Veer, Option, and they'd raise up and throw it out to Demaryius Thomas. We had a late score in that one to make it respectable. We had some highs that season, but I know I was good and pissed off at our defense more than one time leaving that stadium in 09.

[Coursesuper]

Sadly this isn?t the bottom yet. I really want to see how poor the attendance is for the next couple of home games. The A&M game will be telling after the team plays at home after two top ten road games with an open date in between. This just flat out blows.

[StarkVegasSteve]

Sadly this isn?t the bottom yet. I really want to see how poor the attendance is for the next couple of home games. The A&M game will be telling after the team plays at home after two top ten road games with an open date in between. This just flat out blows.

This weekend will be quite telling. 11 AM kicks are not usually well attended by our fan base to begin with. Add in to the fact we just got shellacked by Toledo and I would be very surprised if there's 45K there at kick.

[Coursesuper]

This weekend will be quite telling. 11 AM kicks are not usually well attended by our fan base to begin with. Add in to the fact we just got shellacked by Toledo and I would be very surprised if there's 45K there at kick.

If there are 40k I will be surprised. We will be able to tell what it will be by traffic on campus and in town Friday afternoon. My point is that there could be less than 30k after that road trip and real apathy beings to set in.

[StarkVegasSteve]

If there are 40k I will be surprised. We will be able to tell what it will be by traffic on campus and in town Friday afternoon. My point is that there could be less than 30k after that road trip and real apathy beings to set in.

I don't think you're wrong. I see a world where Mizzou takes over our stadium the last home game if they're really good and we continue on this track we are on. Hell our fans let opposing teams take over our stadium when we're good, see UGA 2022. Imagine what it's going to be like if we're bad?

Also thank you for a tiebreaker question for the Prediction Thread this week re. Attendance.