Orange bowl almost here

[msstate7]

How you guys feel about it?

I really like our chances. I think we're gonna roll offensively and play well enough defensively

[Maroonthirteen]

Heart says we are going to win. Head says, beat down. Gt played uga and FSU well. We had difficulty scoring v ark, Bama and OM. Early on OM was able to get to edge with no problem. Our secondary didn't tackle well. Maybe the extra practice has addressed all that.....

I don't like how we seemingly get a penalty everytime we get into the redzone. We have no return game and give up field position. I'm worried.

[Coach34]

Heart says we are going to win. Head says, beat down. Gt played uga and FSU well. We had difficulty scoring v ark, Bama and OM. Early on OM was able to get to edge with no problem. Our secondary didn't tackle well. Maybe the extra practice has addressed all that.....

I don't like how we seemingly get a penalty everytime we get into the redzone. We have no return game and give up field position. I'm worried.

Ga Tech was 66th in Total D

Bama and OM were top 15...Arkansas was 22nd

4 weeks to get ready for the option...4 weeks

[HoopsDawg]

We are favored by 7 which is a little weird b/c GT hasn't lost a game by more than 6 all year. They beat UGA, steam rolled Clemson and only lost by 2 to FSU.

I think we should put up big numbers on offense unless Dak and especially J-Rob are thinking about the NFL.

Defensively, we have no coordinator. I don't know who is even calling the plays and who knows if we have other unrest on the defensive staff. If we come out flat at all on defense, we won't be able to stop them.

I expect to win, but not overly confident.

[quickstrike2]

I'm not overly confident about winning, if I had to pick I'd say we lose. I am very hopeful that we play solid football and take it down, but I am discouraged with our defensive showing in the egg bowl and have not shook it off just yet.

[Drugdog]

I'm not overly confident about winning, if I had to pick I'd say we lose. I am very hopeful that we play solid football and take it down, but I am discouraged with our defensive showing in the egg bowl and have not shook it off just yet.

I agree. 2 out 3 terrible performance. If we lose it will take a lot of air out of the season.
However I think we come out and dominate like we did vs AU and A&M.

[PendingTransaction]

We are favored by 7 which is a little weird b/c GT hasn't lost a game by more than 6 all year. They beat UGA, steam rolled Clemson and only lost by 2 to FSU.

I think we should put up big numbers on offense unless Dak and especially J-Rob are thinking about the NFL.

Defensively, we have no coordinator. I don't know who is even calling the plays and who knows if we have other unrest on the defensive staff. If we come out flat at all on defense, we won't be able to stop them.

I expect to win, but not overly confident.

These is what bothers me. Remember when we had coaching changes before the Gator Bowl with Northwest, the team looked totally lost. I hope the team stays focused amidst all of the possible coaching changes.

[blacklistedbully]

Those other teams did not have 4 weeks to prep for the Flexbone.

[msstate7]

These is what bothers me. Remember when we had coaching changes before the Gator Bowl with Northwest, the team looked totally lost. I hope the team stays focused amidst all of the possible coaching changes.

We looked "totally lost" for more than the bowl game that season.

[thunderclap]

I just hope like hell we come to play and wash away this bad taste from the egg bowl.

[Miss. Stake]

It's very possible we find a way to lose this and on the other hand, I think Ole Miss whips TCU.. boy o boy would it be humbling to finish with the same record as OM but with a loss to them.

[Bothrops]

I think we play well offensively, I don't think we'll play well on defense. This one goes to the wire in a showdown of different offensive styles. Big points scored.

[Pokerdawg44]

http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/vegas-sharp-breaks-down-sec-bowls-part-i/

Vegas sharps say msu -7 is the strong play
Public is betting ga tech

[State82]

I've seen nothing the last half of the season to give me confidence in this game.

[Coach34]

I've seen nothing the last half of the season to give me confidence in this game.

I disagree- the team that put 300 yards on Bama in the 2nd half and nearly won that damn game is the one I want to see. If Bama's QB doesnt convert those three 3rd and longs on that last drive- we win that ballgame.

[blacklistedbully]

I've seen nothing the last half of the season to give me confidence in this game.

Granted, we played like shit @ TSUN, but we didn't do that badly @ #1 Bama. They were a MUCH tougher opponent at home this year. We were the only team they played there they didn't beat soundly, and we actually out-'stat'ed them. While that's still a negative due to the loss, it's not all bad. We sandwiched in the complete domination of a bad Vandy team 51-0 using a TON of backups.

As C34 said in another thread, if our guys don't play selfishly, or uninspired, we should handle these guys with all the time we've had to prepare.

There are many key factors in successfully defending the Flexbone, but one of the BIGGEST factors is our LB's (especially our Mike) being able to quickly diagnose the play and get in position to fill a gap or make the tackle the right way at the right time. Our LB's are going to be an absolute nightmare for GT in this regard. Think about Bennie Brown and/or B-Mac sniffing out plays early, then using their size & speed to make the play. Those guys aren't just big & fast, they have high football IQ's. And it's not just those 2. Matt Wells, Richie Brown, Holmes, Antoine, Ward, Jackson, ....man, we can roll some guys out there that can eat GT alive if our D-linemen just play disciplined, assignment football, block-down-step-down, keep their shoulders square, fill gaps and keep their hands on those GT O-linemen long enough to give our LB's space.

Yes, there will be stunts that will need to be performed correctly, etc, but we've had time to get that stuff ready. Trust our Mike to recognize and make the right calls. Trust our LB's to make the correct reads and then the correct play. They are smart enough, and have practiced enough to know not to rush up field too quickly, to play the inside shoulder, to step inside when the A-back folds back inside, etc.

I truly think the only thing we need to worry about is our CB's or Safeties getting burned on passes if GT QB Thomas plays lights-out. I don't worry about Redmond at all, but do have some concern on the rest, and do worry just a little that they may miss "switched assignments" occasionally leaving us exposed.

That said, GT will have a hard time stopping our offense on every drive. I think our defense will limit GT's opportunities significantly, and they will need to score nearly every drive to beat us. That's just not going to happen. We're going to force many more 4th downs than they will. We will also put them in far too many 3rd & long situations, something that will kill them over the course of the game. Conversely, I like our chances versus their D, even in 3rd & long, though I don't think we'll see it often.

Offensively, we're gonna be 3rd & 5 or less over & over & over, and they will not be able to handle Dak & Co in those situations.

The more I think on it, the more I believe this is going to be a rout in our favor.

[Coach34]

I say look at Mullen's history in bowls vs Johnson at Ga Tech...seems that hasnt gotten enough notice to me....Mullen's only bowl loss was due to Tyler Russell playing like dogshit. We wont see that from Dakota vs that defense

[blacklistedbully]

I say look at Mullen's history in bowls vs Johnson at Ga Tech...seems that hasnt gotten enough notice to me....Mullen's only bowl loss was due to Tyler Russell playing like dogshit. We wont see that from Dakota vs that defense

Good point. If Tyler had played even a moderately poor game, we would've beaten Northwestern. It took an absolutely abysmal performance on his part to get that result.

[HoopsDawg]

Good point. If Tyler had played even a moderately poor game, we would've beaten Northwestern. It took an absolutely abysmal performance on his part to get that result.

Or if Mullen had just left Dak and J-rob in.

[Barking 13]

I hope GT plays like USM or Vanderbilt***

[msstate7]

Anyone watching Rutgers rape UNC? UNC beat GT. There's no excuse to not beat GT.

[blacklistedbully]

I hope GT plays like USM or Vanderbilt***

How about like LSU or Auburn? Do they have to be USM or Vandy bad for you to think we should beat their ass?

[Maroonthirteen]

It is going to be an interesting match up with OMs defense and TCUs offense. I think they slow tcu considerably but tcu will still manage 30 points. It will be if OM can match them.

I think Ohio state may jump up and bite Bama.

I agree with another poster. Our game will be high scoring. It will be a matter of us finishing drives and not shooting ourselves in the foot in the redzone.

[TaleofTwoDogs]

Depends on which team shows up - 1a or 1b and I'm not talking about the 1st and 2nd sting. I'm talking about the 1a team that kicked LSU, A&M and Auburn or the 1b team that showed up for UAB, Bama & Ole Miss.

Let's hope it's the 1a team.

[Barking 13]

How about like LSU or Auburn? Do they have to be USM or Vandy bad for you to think we should beat their ass?

no, I just want it to be very dominant... did you not see the ***? I hope to see Williams before the 3rd quarter...

[blacklistedbully]

no, I just want it to be very dominant... did you not see the ***? I hope to see Williams before the 3rd quarter...

Saw the ***, thought you were being sarcastic about my post. Sorry for the misunderstanding.