SB Nation Preview

[Statefan]

I've been looking forward to our preview and it's finally here

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2014/8/4/5945597/mississippi-state-bulldogs-football-2014-preview-schedule-roster

[The Croom Diaries]

I can't imagine how much time that took to write. Kudos to SB Nation for actually writing about football and interesting material.

[BrunswickDawg]

I think it also shows why some writers (and some of us) have been taking a cautious "wait and see" approach. The potential is there - no doubt. But, can we overcome our history, our relatively young leadership, and our own shortcomings (both perceived and real) to take the next step?

That wool is growing thicker everyday, and I'm getting close to jumping on the 10 win wagon. There is nothing like that swagger we had in the late 90s as a team and as fans and I WANT THAT AGAIN. I NEED THAT AGAIN. And we are so damn close! As an athlete, there isn't a drug available that gives you a high like the one of knowing you can play with ANYONE and beat them. As a fan, it just takes some whiskey. But, that feeling of watching us knock Auburn and Alabama in the mouth - and the shock of it happening - I want that again!!!

The season can't get here fast enough!

[CadaverDawg]

I think they far undervalued our offense. Particularly due to injuries. And not only were there injuries, but having to swap back and forth between the styles of Russell, Dak, and Williams provided zero continuity from game to game.

I do agree that our WR's, while better than past years, are still an unknown. Lewis was good against weaklings, but not so much against good teams. But then again, how much did QB injuries play in to that timing and chemistry?

I am expecting teams to try and lock down Jameon, and force a different WR to beat them. Can DeRunnya be that guy? RoJo is more of a possession guy. Who will it be?

Overall not a terrible write up, even though many will hate how hard he was on our offense. Just another example of having to earn respect.

[PassInterference]

They consistently refer to our turnover margin as luck. They discount the fact that Coach Collins spends significant practice time on creating turnovers.

So if we prepare hard to create turnovers, then go out and do just that - is it luck? I don't think so.

[CadaverDawg]

They consistently refer to our turnover margin as luck. They discount the fact that Coach Collins spends significant practice time on creating turnovers.

So if we prepare hard to create turnovers, then go out and do just that - is it luck? I don't think so.

Bruiser say: If Ole Miss loses game, they unlucky...if MSU wins game, they lucky.

Or at least, that's what his stats/numbers show

[Pollodawg]

There is nothing lucky about TOs when you are taking them away from the likes of JMM and AJ McCaron. The research is well done and a breath of fresh air, but the conclusions are a little spotty.

"You could be good, bit you probably won't."

[Johnson85]

They consistently refer to our turnover margin as luck. They discount the fact that Coach Collins spends significant practice time on creating turnovers.

So if we prepare hard to create turnovers, then go out and do just that - is it luck? I don't think so.

Parts of it are luck. I think that recovered fumbles is luck. You are going to lose about half the balls you put on the ground and recover about half the fumbles you force. If you see yourself doing really well there, you probably shouldn't count on it continuing. But while luck can certainly push your turnover margin above or below where it should be, unless you are looking at something glaring like recovering 80% of the fumbles you force, I don't know why you'd assume that luck was driving the margin and not skills.

[Johnson85]

I can't imagine how much time that took to write. Kudos to SB Nation for actually writing about football and interesting material.

That's literally the first season preview I've ever read where they didn't say something obviously ridiculous that sticks out like a sore thumb (although on first read it sounded like they expected Gabe Jackson to be back). Just knowing which players are back and having a reasonable understanding of where they stand in the depth chart is apparently too much to ask for from most of these publications, so combining that with pretty good analysis is a surprising treat.

[Political Hack]

There is nothing like that swagger we had in the late 90s as a team and as fans and I WANT THAT AGAIN. I NEED THAT AGAIN. And we are so damn close! As an athlete, there isn't a drug available that gives you a high like the one of knowing you can play with ANYONE and beat them. As a fan, it just takes some whiskey. But, that feeling of watching us knock Auburn and Alabama in the mouth - and the shock of it happening - I want that again!!!

ITS COMING.

[blacklistedbully]

Thing that stands out to me is how the author din't factor SCar as an outlier. The Scar game was such an abnormality for Dak it screams outlier, thus should have it's negative impact on Dak's and the offense's numbers discounted, particularly given Dak's understandable frame-of-mind in that game.

Half of Dak's t/o's for the season occurred in that game, and it's not as if SCar was known for being particularly good at creating t/o's. Another of the 3 games he mentions when discrediting Dak is the OSU game, a game Dak didn't start, and the first game of a season where Dak wasn't even able to participate in Spring camp, due to the surgery he had on his foot. IMO, really unfair to put much weight on either of those games, yet they are 2/3's of the case he makes against Dak.

[Pollodawg]

The LSU and Okie Lite games are horrible examples of Dak as a passer. He was asked to come back in the LSU game after the game was basically over, and he came off the bench cold in the Oklahoma State game.

[jumbo]

I love the line he wrote about our D "They let you make the first move, then react aggressively and violently"