The tipping point...Baton Rouge 2014

[gravedigger]

If you never have read gladwell's books you should. If next season winds up 'magical' for us, the reason will be Baton Rouge. "'The tipping point" explains.

Essentially, major things hinge on unique moments in time. It's strange and then again it's not.

We should win the first 3 and excitement about Lsu should build. Of course most state fans are used to us losing to them so we are aptly trained to expect a loss and go on. We'd still be expected to win 8-9 games.

But if we won, the mindset for the team would change. Suddenly nobody on the schedule looks like a probable loss. Yea, a&m and auburn, right? Nope. Not for the players. Bama? Not after getting past the aggies and plainsmen.

It would be tough to make this run next season no doubt. But I saw us do something just as wild in 1980. We ran murders row with a freshman qb.

Of course we also lost to usm that year. So nothing is given. Nor is it destiny. We will earn it or not.

But I say that the first year of the new system gives us a unique shot to get in the final four. And it tips off in Baton Rouge.

This is why that book is so important. You don't "run the table" because you are better than everyone all the time. Sometimes you catch a powerful wave and it sweeps you.

Bama has conditioned the nation to believe that only the dominant win. I contend that is true most if the time, but not all the time.

[starkvegasdawg]

So, you believe?

[gravedigger]

That it could happen? Yes
That it's likely? No

Sounds like you are referring to the viral message thAt went around in 2012.

My point is state fans don't have to believe in the fairy tale that we are on the level with bama to wind up in the picture for the big prize.

We just have to win a game that serves as a tipping point.

No opponent in 2012 prior to the bama "thud" did.

[RougeDawg]

Makes sense. Auburn should have lost to us and could have easily dropped their early game with Wash. state. We win a couple like that early in 14 and we could be next years Auburn. It's not that unreasonable, considering the QB/Coaching situations on our schedule.

[ShotgunDawg]

I have read the book, and very much agree with this. Baton Rouge in 2014 is the tipping point.

[Dawg61]

I was thinking about this last night and there will be some players we aren't expecting that pop up next year and make some of these SEC teams better than we are expecting. Just like we saw with Henry from Bama. There will be enough of them to make our road difficult as usual. We are also discounting Vandy. We shouldn't. Vandy ain't Vandy right now. But say we do something ridiculous like go 13-0. Now we've got Oregon, Michigan St. and a 1 loss Bama (just examples) awaiting us in the playoffs. An extra game to win it all. It's basically ****ing impossible to win a National Championship at MSU now that an extra game has been added.

[BulldogBear]

You don't "run the table" because you are better than everyone all the time. Sometimes you catch a powerful wave and it sweeps you.

This^ ...is essentially Auburn in 2013

[ShotgunDawg]

I was thinking about this last night and there will be some players we aren't expecting that pop up next year and make some of these SEC teams better than we are expecting. Just like we saw with Henry from Bama. There will be enough of them to make our road difficult as usual. We are also discounting Vandy. We shouldn't. Vandy ain't Vandy right now. But say we do something ridiculous like go 13-0. Now we've got Oregon, Michigan St. and a 1 loss Bama (just examples) awaiting us in the playoffs. An extra game to win it all. It's basically ****ing impossible to win a National Championship at MSU now that an extra game has been added.

What does an extra game have to do with it, if we beat all the teams we would have to beat to get there? I would love to play Michigan State or Stanford in a semi-final.

[Dawg61]

What does an extra game have to do with it, if we beat all the teams we would have to beat to get there? I would love to play Michigan State or Stanford in a semi-final.

Because we are assuming the SEC is down which it definitely looks like but that means we now have to get through winning an SECCG and beating the two best teams in the nation. Oregon/Stanford/Ohio St./Florida St. whoever it is will almost assuredly be ranked higher and be better than anyone we have faced all year and we'll have to beat two of them. I'll go so far as to think we have a legit shot at winning the West and even the SECCG and that Dak can win the Heisman but the NC. Come on man. Let's atleast beat one top 20 team first.

[I seen it dawg]

I was thinking about this last night and there will be some players we aren't expecting that pop up next year and make some of these SEC teams better than we are expecting. Just like we saw with Henry from Bama. There will be enough of them to make our road difficult as usual. We are also discounting Vandy. We shouldn't. Vandy ain't Vandy right now. But say we do something ridiculous like go 13-0. Now we've got Oregon, Michigan St. and a 1 loss Bama (just examples) awaiting us in the playoffs. An extra game to win it all. It's basically ****ing impossible to win a National Championship at MSU now that an extra game has been added.

And there's the downer in the thread. It's not impossible. Auburn is there. Is it going to be a shocker and hard as hell? Yep.

[I seen it dawg]

Because we are assuming the SEC is down which it definitely looks like but that means we now have to get through winning an SECCG and beating the two best teams in the nation. Oregon/Stanford/Ohio St./Florida St. whoever it is will almost assuredly be ranked higher and be better than anyone we have faced all year and we'll have to beat two of them. I'll go so far as to think we have a legit shot at winning the West and even the SECCG and that Dak can win the Heisman but the NC. Come on man. Let's atleast beat one top 20 team first.

I think the point of the thread was by beating LSU(top 20 for you) that it could be that tipping point like Auburn had this year.

[MetEdDawg]

I was thinking about this last night and there will be some players we aren't expecting that pop up next year and make some of these SEC teams better than we are expecting. Just like we saw with Henry from Bama. There will be enough of them to make our road difficult as usual. We are also discounting Vandy. We shouldn't. Vandy ain't Vandy right now. But say we do something ridiculous like go 13-0. Now we've got Oregon, Michigan St. and a 1 loss Bama (just examples) awaiting us in the playoffs. An extra game to win it all. It's basically ****ing impossible to win a National Championship at MSU now that an extra game has been added.

I don't care who their coach is next year. We will not lose to Vandy. They lose 8 starting players on defense and 5 on offense. Vandy will never come in to Starkville losing 13 starters and beat us. They are definitely better than they were, but they just can't replace that many guys and beat us with our most talented team in years. Franklin has done an amazing job, but they would have missed a bowl game with our schedule this year. The West is just that much tougher, but next year I think is the year we can make noise because of the favorable schedule and the number of players we have returning compared to what everyone else is losing.