Best case scenario:

[Bullmutt]

As has been pointed out in other threads, all the "Dak for Heisman" hype thus far has originated with other people and not us. I have been a Dawg fan for a long time and don't recall us having a player who was considered to be even a potential candidate for that award. That being the case, I've never paid much attention to the way given players gain momentum (other than winning) as a season progresses.

But, assuming we get off to a solid start and Dak is lighting it up, at what point do our PR boys start an actual campaign? After we beat LSU (assuming we do)? Or after we beat Auburn the next game (again, assuming we do)? At what point would it be too early to start one? At what point would it probably be too late?

[starkvegasdawg]

I sort of hope they don't start one. Look how much attention he has garnered so far without one person from MSU so much as lifting a finger. I kind of like the approach of letting on field performance dictate results in off field accolades. If you have to point it out yourself how good you are... If we have the kind of season we are capable of it will be due to Dak living up to what we all think he can do. If he does that then the heisman hype will take care of itself.

[preachermatt83]

I sort of hope they don't start one. Look how much attention he has garnered so far without one person from MSU so much as lifting a finger. I kind of like the approach of letting on field performance dictate results in off field accolades. If you have to point it out yourself how good you are... If we have the kind of season we are capable of it will be due to Dak living up to what we all think he can do. If he does that then the heisman hype will take care of itself.

This all day! I despise PR Heisman campaigns

[BulldogBear]

This all day! I despise PR Heisman campaigns

+1

[Reason2succeed]

I'm playing devil's advocate here but Dak will still need our marketing help to make it happen. Outside of Mississippi our school doesn't get national pub. This will be our opportunity to capitalize on that. Mullen will definitely want recruits to know that State is capable of getting you to New York just like Bama and LSU. Today recruits and their handlers can say that Tebow and Cam would have never happened in Starkville. We need to make sure that Dak gets the pub he deserves or his lack of push could be used against us in recruiting.

[Maroon Diapers]

I'm playing devil's advocate here but Dak will still need our marketing help to make it happen. Outside of Mississippi our school doesn't get national pub. This will be our opportunity to capitalize on that. Mullen will definitely want recruits to know that State is capable of getting you to New York just like Bama and LSU. Today recruits and their handlers can say that Tebow and Cam would have never happened in Starkville. We need to make sure that Dak gets the pub he deserves or his lack of push could be used against us in recruiting.

This is true. But if he puts up big numbers in conjunction with mowing down both LSU and Auburn, I do believe the media will be all over it. Especially with the SEC Network.

[jimbo352]

What do you mean the "Dak for Heisman" stuff didn't originate from us? Like, this site, or our school...? Because, a lot of our fans are definitely feeding the monster... I mean... No one outside the state is pushing this thing, so where else would it be coming from? Sorry if I misunderstood your post.

[War Machine Dawg]

This is true. But if he puts up big numbers in conjunction with mowing down both LSU and Auburn, I do believe the media will be all over it. Especially with the SEC Network.

This. Dak would have to be considered the SEC's frontrunner for the award at that point. And with the investment ESPN has made in the SEC Network, they'll be pushing him like crazy. You also gotta figure Slive will want the attention for the SEC. Dak will have plenty of exposure without us having to do any lobbying on our own. Hell, Mullen was asked about Dak being a Heisman dark horse just yesterday on SVP & Rusillo. Just let it play out is my advice. These things have a way of taking care of themselves.

[War Machine Dawg]

What do you mean the "Dak for Heisman" stuff didn't originate from us? Like, this site, or our school...? Because, a lot of our fans are definitely feeding the monster... I mean... No one outside the state is pushing this thing, so where else would it be coming from? Sorry if I misunderstood your post.

Uhhh......no. It started with Jesse Palmer during the Egg Bowl last December. MSU hasn't released one official bit of hype promoting him. This started outside us and continues to be driven by talking heads like Palmer.

[FISHDAWG]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if the talking heads read message boards from around the country

[sleepy dawg]

I don't even care... If Dak is even in contentions for a heisman, that means we have to be one of the best teams in the country, and that's all I need.

[The Croom Diaries]

To me, the idea that Dak is a Hiesman candidate is only to point to the idea/fact that he is a great player. To bring attention to MSU having a dynamic player at the most important position who could take the program to the next level. It's not about Hiesman campaigns or actually winning the award. If he's electrifying and we're 11-1 it will take care of itself. There's also a real good chance that he's electrifying and we go 8-4. At any rate, the "Hiesman love" is all about showing off Mississippi State as a destination spot for great players, in particular QBs, and changing that perception that has plagued us at that position for pretty much ever.

[TheRef]

To me, the idea that Dak is a Heisman candidate is only to point to the idea/fact that he is a great player. To bring attention to MSU having a dynamic player at the most important position who could take the program to the next level. It's not about Heisman campaigns or actually winning the award. If he's electrifying and we're 11-1 it will take care of itself. There's also a real good chance that he's electrifying and we go 8-4. At any rate, the "Heisman love" is all about showing off Mississippi State as a destination spot for great players, in particular QBs, and changing that perception that has plagued us at that position for pretty much ever.

FTFY

[Todd4State]

I'm playing devil's advocate here but Dak will still need our marketing help to make it happen. Outside of Mississippi our school doesn't get national pub. This will be our opportunity to capitalize on that. Mullen will definitely want recruits to know that State is capable of getting you to New York just like Bama and LSU. Today recruits and their handlers can say that Tebow and Cam would have never happened in Starkville. We need to make sure that Dak gets the pub he deserves or his lack of push could be used against us in recruiting.

I agree 100%. We need to not be humble good ol' MSU with this. And we need to have our fans that are "worried" about Ole Miss making fun of us for it if Dak doesn't win to get over it. It would be embarrassing if Dak was a Heisman candidate and we didn't have a campaign for him from MSU.

We should put up a billboard in Times Square like Oregon did with Joey Harrington.

Even if Dak doesn't win- and I don't expect him to personally- the publicity for MSU could be HUGE. I hear Scott talking about "exposure" all the time by doing ridiculous things like playing on Thursday. Putting Dak up for Heisman- THAT is the kind of exposure we need.

And if we did put a billboard up in Times Square, you know that Shepherd Smith's co-workers' are going to mention it on the air and rib him about it.

[Todd4State]

As has been pointed out in other threads, all the "Dak for Heisman" hype thus far has originated with other people and not us. I have been a Dawg fan for a long time and don't recall us having a player who was considered to be even a potential candidate for that award. That being the case, I've never paid much attention to the way given players gain momentum (other than winning) as a season progresses.

But, assuming we get off to a solid start and Dak is lighting it up, at what point do our PR boys start an actual campaign? After we beat LSU (assuming we do)? Or after we beat Auburn the next game (again, assuming we do)? At what point would it be too early to start one? At what point would it probably be too late?

I'm pretty sure Don Smith was the last Heisman candidate we had. I don't think Fred Smoot's campaign was very serious- and was in part in jest over Deuce for Heisman. I think MSU made whoever was doing it shut it down because it was against NCAA rules somehow. Bracky strikes again?

Honestly, there were a couple of guys that we probably could have put out there like Moulds or JJ Johnson, but LT very rarely promoted any of our players.

[jimbo352]

Uhhh......no. It started with Jesse Palmer during the Egg Bowl last December. MSU hasn't released one official bit of hype promoting him. This started outside us and continues to be driven by talking heads like Palmer.

I know the school hasn't done anything, and I know Palmer started it(before the egg bowl actually)... I'm just saying, if a large portion of our fanbase wasn't eating it up, it would disappear IMO.

As far as what I want... I absolutely want our admin/fanbase to start pushing this if we start off hot... In the end, it doesn't matter if Dak falls short, or we lose some games... The pub we would get from it would be great for Mullen on the recruiting trail. Putting players in the NFL and having players up for national awards, will help us more than anything else in recruiting... We all know how much we struggle outside of Mississippi for top prospects, a true Heisman candidate would open a lot of doors in Texas/Alabama/Louisiana/Georgia/Florida as far as I'm concerned.

[Bully13]

What do you mean the "Dak for Heisman" stuff didn't originate from us? Like, this site, or our school...? Because, a lot of our fans are definitely feeding the monster... I mean... No one outside the state is pushing this thing, so where else would it be coming from? Sorry if I misunderstood your post.

So wrong on so many fronts

[The Federalist Engineer]

How about...not doing a pr campaign? How about just winning games and let Lou, Jesse, and Mark talk you up or Not. I think MSU and Prescott are much better off as the quiet team that wins the appreciation of football connoisseurs and completely ignore peripheral rubbish. This is why baseball is my favorite college sport, the team wins and the fans don't cook up some embarrassing "we believe" campaign.

[LC Dawg]

I agree 100%. We need to not be humble good ol' MSU with this. And we need to have our fans that are "worried" about Ole Miss making fun of us for it if Dak doesn't win to get over it. It would be embarrassing if Dak was a Heisman candidate and we didn't have a campaign for him from MSU.

We should put up a billboard in Times Square like Oregon did with Joey Harrington.

Even if Dak doesn't win- and I don't expect him to personally- the publicity for MSU could be HUGE. I hear Scott talking about "exposure" all the time by doing ridiculous things like playing on Thursday. Putting Dak up for Heisman- THAT is the kind of exposure we need.

And if we did put a billboard up in Times Square, you know that Shepherd Smith's co-workers' are going to mention it on the air and rib him about it.

I agree. If we start off hot our administration should definitely campaign for Dak. After Manziel and Winston a man of character like Dak should be appealing to media and especially Heisman voters.

[Quaoarsking]

Just remember Jordan Lynch wouldn't have gotten invited to NYC if NIU hadn't spent over a year promoting him.

[drunkernhelldawg]

When we only have to win the Egg to get to the SECCG. That's plenty soon enough.

[Reason2succeed]

Oregon's Joey Harrington campaign did not hurt their national recruiting at all. Just sayin.

[RougeDawg]

If the university does not start some campaign after 4-0 or 5-0 potentially, a Mississippi State player will have an extremely difficult shot at winning a Heisman unless we go 11-1/12-0. There will be other great players on teNs that finish 10-2 or better. For a MSU player to jump them, without some type of push from the university, would take an act of God. Any perennial power program with a guy of comparable stats will get the votes to win. We need an extra push to help out if Dak does put up the stats that warrant a Heisman. Shit, even Utah State had started a push for Heisman for their QB. I've never heard of him. We need to do something to bring attention outside of the south. The rest of the nation is shrewdly bias against the SEC.

[War Machine Dawg]

Just remember Jordan Lynch wouldn't have gotten invited to NYC if NIU hadn't spent over a year promoting him.

Good point. But if we're winning, Dak should be getting plenty of exposure without us doing a formal campaign. An SEC team isn't NIU, especially with the SECN about to be in 80 million homes. That said, I have no problem with us pushing Dak if we start off hot. And we should push him.