Why do people think we are going to suck this year?

[ShotgunDawg]

This is something I don't understand, after reading the South Carolina thread, I am under the impression that there are many people, media, our own fans, etc... that expect us to suck this year.

However, after reading the depth chart, I just don't get it. We have more than enough talent to be competitive and win most every game we play in this year, with the exception of Bama. If we aren't very competitive with the talent and don't play hard , then heads need to role.

For the people who are worried about how hard we played last year, if our coaches are so unaware that we still don't play hard this year or show energy, then they need to be gone as well.

All this to say, I think we are gonna be pretty good this year, and our coaches are going to come through. I think our coaches are going to have this team playing with a chip on their shoulder, and our talent level is good enough to win games. I guess I understand why the media feels the way they do, but I don't understand how our fans can look at our depth chart and the intangible factors, and not feel some sort of quiet confidence.

I like being the underdog, but this woe is me shit, just isn't indicative of the type of team we have.

[Dallas_Dawg]

I agree and hope that the support we have had from our fanbase under Mullen continues this year. Hope there is a lot of maroon in Houston and that we continue our home sellout streak.
However, if our fans don't bring it 100%, we cannot expect our team to.
We have a lot of depth and some of the best overall talent we have ever had. I look forward to a good solid year where we exceed expectations

[Jacksondevildog]

I feel that we messed up scheduling okie state. I understand its time to elevate the program and stop playing pushovers, but we need to remain bowl eligible. I would hate to go 5-7 and wish that we played Tulane instead.

I feel that the fanbase is frustrated on our lack of identity on offense. I feel that we will try to throw the ball and get out of our persona versus okie state, when we should be running the ball at will.
I also think that russell limits our balance on offense. Mullen needs a running quarterback. I don't care what type of yards we out up last year. I was frustrated with our offense and we forced the passing game too much. We couldn't move the ball against any big teams except LSU and we lost by 3 TD's there.

If we have a bad peeformance vs okie state, It will spiral downwards after that. We need to find a way to be 2-1 after our first 3 games. People are chalking up @ Arkansas as a win, but we've never won in little rock. We won't beat LSU or Bama in Starkville and we are not winning at AtM or South Carolina. We will probably have to beat ole miss to get to 6 and that won't be easy.

[Coach34]

Because most fans are simply uninformed and for some reason listen to their Rebel counterparts who tell them we are going to suck

1. Ole Miss won the last Egg Bowl- so that automatically means they will win this year in Starkville
2. Quay Evans and Nick James didnt play as well as Goss did as Freshmen- so that automatically means they are busts. Not to mention that Wilson played Cherry ahead of them
3. Our offensive line struggled to run block at times so there is no way they will be better with all of them returning this year. Players dont get better or develop cohesion the longer the play together
4. Our defense struggled last year even with two 2nd round picks playing CB- so with them gone, obviously the defense is going to be worse.

I could go on and on- but I'm running low on sarcasm

[Coach34]

I feel that we messed up scheduling okie state.
.

2.2 million dollar payday
National TV exposure in the 2:30 time slot
Playing a team we have matched or even bettered in the recruiting rankings the last 4 years

What are you going to say when we win?
Wonder if Arizona thought it was bad idea to play them last year when they drubbed them 59-38 last year?

[Jacksondevildog]

I understand the perks of playing them. I also understand that going possibly 5-7 with our in state rivals going bowling will hurt the momentum that we have been building for 4 years with an enlarged stadium about to be completed. It's a very attractive game for us, but I don't give a shit how good the schedule looks. I want to win.

If we win, I'll be as happy as any state fan. There's a reason why we are 2 TD underdogs right now. Vegas is kind of good at these things.

[ShotgunDawg]

I feel that we messed up scheduling okie state. I understand its time to elevate the program and stop playing pushovers, but we need to remain bowl eligible. I would hate to go 5-7 and wish that we played Tulane instead.

I feel that the fanbase is frustrated on our lack of identity on offense. I feel that we will try to throw the ball and get out of our persona versus okie state, when we should be running the ball at will.
I also think that russell limits our balance on offense. Mullen needs a running quarterback. I don't care what type of yards we out up last year. I was frustrated with our offense and we forced the passing game too much. We couldn't move the ball against any big teams except LSU and we lost by 3 TD's there.

If we have a bad peeformance vs okie state, It will spiral downwards after that. We need to find a way to be 2-1 after our first 3 games. People are chalking up @ Arkansas as a win, but we've never won in little rock. We won't beat LSU or Bama in Starkville and we are not winning at AtM or South Carolina. We will probably have to beat ole miss to get to 6 and that won't be easy.

First of all, playing OK State or not playing OK State doesn't determine how good we are, and has nothing to do with how we will play at SCAR. As for the rest of your statement, if our coaches our dumb enough to continue to try and bang a square peg into a round hole like a preschooler, then we have far bigger problems than scheduling OK State.

I think Mullen is a smart guy that implemented some coaches and schemes into situations that just didn't work. However, he is also smart enough to make off season adjustments. If you think we will continue to do the same things this year that we did last year, then you are basically saying that Mullen lacks awareness, intelligence, and feel for the game of football.

Good coaches experiment and try different things. Sometimes things don't work like you hoped. When that happens, it doesn't mean that the coach is bad or dumb. The key will be if he makes adjustments, and I think its a very tough argument to believe that he is so dumb that won't.

I mean, Coach 34, Engie and all these other message board guys know their football. However, I choose to believe that Mullen knows at least as much, if not more than them. If they can figure it out, then why can't Mullen? The answer is: yes he can.

[Coach34]

I understand the perks of playing them. I also understand that going possibly 5-7 with our in state rivals going bowling will hurt the momentum that we have been building for 4 years with an enlarged stadium about to be completed. It's a very attractive game for us, but I don't give a shit how good the schedule looks. I want to win.

If we win, I'll be as happy as any state fan. There's a reason why we are 2 TD underdogs right now. Vegas is kind of good at these things.

If we go 5-7 with the talent we have been gathering, then we need to change coaches. Our talent level is never going to be much higher than it is now

[BeastMan]

I'm excited as hell about this year and it starts with OSU. I don't think we'll suck it all. I think we're a much better team than last year but have a tougher schedule. I see no reason we shouldn't be in a bowl again.

[Coach34]

I agree- there is no doubt we will be better football team- we just have a tougher schedule. We're better than Auburn or UPig- we have to handle business on the road....we'll be about the same with Mississippi- we have to hold serve at home.

That's why we play the games

[HancockCountyDog]

I'm excited as hell about this year and it starts with OSU. I don't think we'll suck it all. I think we're a much better team than last year but have a tougher schedule. I see no reason we shouldn't be in a bowl again.

Totally agree.

There are going to be a lot of so called experts that are going to look foolish after we curb stomp OSU.

[ShotgunDawg]

Again, I understand why the media feels the way they do. They write about perception,not reality, and to sell magazines; thats fine. However, our fans have to be smarter than this.

If you disagree with me, then please take the time to read Beastman's depth chart at the top of the board, think about it for a while, and then come back to me and tell why we are going to suck. The key is that we have experience and talent at the MOST important positions on the field. QB, OL, DL, and LB. These are the most valued positions in the NFL for a reason.

We don't have a lot of star power this year, but I'll be damned if we don't have a chance to be a very fundamentally sound team, like Wisconsin or Tim Duncan, that finds ways to win games. We have enough talent and experience for that.

[WeWonItAll(Most)]

Some of y'all are going to be disappointed...yes we've been building good talent, but most of the teams on our schedule have been building great talent. I hate saying it, but it's the truth

[Quaoarsking]

If we go 5-7 with the talent we have been gathering, then we need to change coaches. Our talent level is never going to be much higher than it is now

So you want Mullen fired if we go 5-7?

I don't think we'll be 5-7, but I certainly won't be calling for Mullen's head if we do. Not yet at least.

[ShotgunDawg]

So you want Mullen fired if we go 5-7?

I don't think we'll be 5-7, but I certainly won't be calling for Mullen's head if we do. Not yet at least.

This is a short sighted argument. You can't look at it as 5-7. There are different kinds of 5-7s. Did we get blown out, or did we lose on the goal line to Bama, LSU, TAMU, and Scar? Did we get screwed on a back breaking, game deciding play by the refs?

It matters more how we got to 5-7 than it matters if we are 5-7 or not.... at least to me.

I could be different though. I watch games with my eyes and decide whether or not we are good or bad. I evaluate players, schemes, and competency. I know thats a tough argument to make on a message board, but its the best way to do it if you can.

[HancockCountyDog]

So you want Mullen fired if we go 5-7?

I don't think we'll be 5-7, but I certainly won't be calling for Mullen's head if we do. Not yet at least.

5-7 with our schedule would be a massive underachievement with all of the talent on our roster. Massive underachievement.

People are vastly underrating our talent.

[Coach34]

So you want Mullen fired if we go 5-7?

I don't think we'll be 5-7, but I certainly won't be calling for Mullen's head if we do. Not yet at least.

I'm saying that if Mullen goes 5-7 with:

5 starters returning on the OL- one a likely 1st rounder
A potential draft pick at QB
A potential draft pick at RB
A draft pick at DE- with 2 more future draft picks in the 2 deep
A 5-star and three 4-star DT's
A future draft pick at MLB
A likely draft pick at F/S

Then we need to figure out something- because our talent level will almost never be any higher than it will be in 2013

[Political Hack]

So you want Mullen fired if we go 5-7?

I don't think we'll be 5-7, but I certainly won't be calling for Mullen's head if we do. Not yet at least.

No, but Strick should be if we go 5-7. scheduling Okie State because he was dumb enough to believe Mike Slive that we'd get to play Vandy instead of S. Carolina was foolish. LT helps with SEC scheduling. Anyone with half a brain knows he wasn't going to do us any favors. So instead of having Vandy and Tulane, we get S. Car and Okie State. Getting bent over by the SEC office again and again a la LT is getting old. The Ninja didnt "accept our place" and we did just fine.

[bluelightstar]

No, but Strick should be if we go 5-7. scheduling Okie State because he was dumb enough to believe Mike Slive that we'd get to play Vandy instead of S. Carolina was foolish. LT helps with SEC scheduling. Anyone with half a brain knows he wasn't going to do us any favors. So instead of having Vandy and Tulane, we get S. Car and Okie State. Getting bent over by the SEC office again and again a la LT is getting old. The Ninja didnt "accept our place" and we did just fine.

So Stricklin should be fired for not lining up another patsy? Not Mullen for not being able to beat a team he's outrecruited?

[Political Hack]

So Stricklin should be fired for not lining up another patsy? Not Mullen for not being able to beat a team he's outrecruited?

if we miss a bowl because of Strick's boneheaded move and for bowing down to the SEC office, then yes.

Just for the record, this whole "out recruited" thing is irrelevant. OM "out recruits" us every year and we've got more talent than them right now.

[The Croom Diaries]

Putting my biases aside, if I was to take an objective look at our team as the magazine writers are trying to do - we are a team that will win 4-6 games unless we figure out a way to do something we haven't done under Mullen - beat really good teams. That's how hard our schedule looks RIGHT NOW. But things can change quick. Take a look at this time last year. We all had A&M marked down as a win and UPig as a loss. That changed quick. Ole Miss was a sure fire win and Tennessee and Auburn who swing games. Aubie and UT were awful last year and OM turned out to be good. Things will probably look a lot differently by the end of Sept. than they do now.

I agree with Shotgun, Mullen will make necessary changes. He got rid of Wilson like he needed to. I think he probably didn't get rid of Les because he's going to be calling the plays himself. Mullen isn't stupid.

Maybe the biggest intangible that is being created right now is leadership. We haven't had good leadership on this team in a while. Our best players have been quiet guys. We need Russell to step into his leadership role and guide this team. Coaches can set the tone, but we need leaders on the team to make it happen. That was the biggest problem the last month of the season last year. If you get 11 guys pulling in one direction instead of just one (see: A&M game) you stand a lot better chance.

[BHildreth3]

I'm saying that if Mullen goes 5-7 with:

5 starters returning on the OL- one a likely 1st rounder
A potential draft pick at QB
A potential draft pick at RB
A draft pick at DE- with 2 more future draft picks in the 2 deep
A 5-star and three 4-star DT's
A future draft pick at MLB
A likely draft pick at F/S

Then we need to figure out something- because our talent level will almost never be any higher than it will be in 2013

H U D S P E T H

[Westdawg]

biggest reason that so many are in the realm of thought that MSU will not be good this year is due to the "EGG" that we dropped the last few games of the year. terrible line of thought, but that is how it goes. I think that the key cog to last year's team was Fletcher Cox, and sadly, he left a year early. He was the vocal and physical leader, for the most part, of that group of seniors. Hope we have better leaders this year. .........along with the fact that our team caught on to the issues between Wilson and Mullen.

[Todd4State]

I think the feelings would be better if we didn't have Oklahoma State on the schedule and if we had gotten rid of Les.

It's cool for State fans on the Internet to be "rational" and of course that means showing a lack of optimism towards a game that we could possibly lose. I have heard rumors about Dan calling the plays as well as everyone else has- but the truth is we really don't know if that's the case until September. I certainly hope it's true because the rare occasions where Dan has called the plays, we moved the ball pretty well. I think it was Auburn 2011 when the head sets went out Dan called the plays and we almost erased a huge deficit.

[War Machine Dawg]

I'm in the camp that thinks we could absolutely be - and should be - a better team than last season, although I'm not sure the record will reflect that improvement.

Okie State in the opener is an absolute nightmare. Passing team vs a talented but relatively inexperienced secondary. And they're FAST at the skill positions. Granted, we should put up points on their D. But if Vegas has us as a 14-point dog, there's a reason. They're usually pretty good at the lines.

Bowling Green and Troy are teams that are more than capable of beating us if we try to sleepwalk through those games. We've beaten the teams we're supposed to beat under Mullen, and I look for that to continue, but it isn't outside the realm of possibility we could drop one of those.

We also play in the toughest division in football. Bama is a damn monster. LSU beats our ass every year. Auburn didn't lose all their talent overnight, and I look to see a big improvement for them with Malzahn running the show. We've never won in the state of Arkansas. aTm kept more guys than we thought and is on the way to becoming a juggernaut.

Freeze may be a snake oil salesman, but make no mistake, he's gotten the Bearz to buy into what he's selling. They play hard and with fire in the belly. We're still a better team, and we have them at home. Plus, I guaran-damn-tee Mullen is chomping at the bit to take them down a peg after dropping the last one. Nothing fires up a coach like losing to your rival. But you've also got to admit anything can, and usually does, happen in that game.

Another concern is whether or not Mullen will continue to beat the square peg into the round hole on offense. We've discussed it ad nauseum, and my opinion is well documented. I'm not looking for a big offensive improvement this season, for multiple reasons. On the flip side, I think the D has a chance to be special. A lot depends on how quickly our DBs develop and how our baby DLs play. But all indications coming out of spring look promising and give me reason for hope.

All in all, I think 8 wins is our absolute ceiling this season, but 6-7 is much more likely.

[maroonmania]

Look, I'm usually quite optimistic and this year even my optimism is waning. Its pretty simple, we lost 4 of our last 5 regular season games last year by an average of over 23 POINTS (17 points at OM was actually the closest). So its not just that we lost to the better competition we played last year it was that we weren't even competitive. Now we did replace Wilson and Smith with Turner and Townshend and we have Collins moving to DC but I really don't know what effect that will have until I see some games. And getting Gonzales for Brewster I am taking as a break even at this point.

And our schedule this year is a killer with OSU and SC replacing fairly easy wins last year that we had in South Alabama and TN. Then, I hear about all this talent we've amassed from some of you. Well yes, we've recruited decent over the last 4 years but the vast majority of our team are MS 3 stars. Other than maybe KY, every team in the SEC has recruited on paper as well are better than that on average. And we all know that the last 2 classes have been signficantly better than the 2 before that but those guys from the last 2 are still VERY young. I'm trying to be very cautiously optimistic but we are really going to have to step it up pretty good from how we played last year just to get to the 6 to 7 win type season. Much of it depends on how good Auburn and Arkansas are. I personally don't know how good either will be but I can assure you that BOTH will be better than last year when they were train wrecks.

[gravedigger]

I have a pretty simple answer for this. People are imagining we are playing this season starting the week after last season ended.

Now, could we play as poorly? sure. Could the difficulty in our opponents create a lower win total? sure. But other teams have changed from last season and so have we.

Ok State is going to be a challenge and a bigger one than Jackson State. But having good competition can help or hurt you based on how a team responds to adversity.

If we want to be an also ran for the rest of our lives in mediocre bowls we have the opportunity to choose that. I'd rather challenge it and risk the 5-7 season on the presumption that if we rise to a couple of those greater challenges, we have a shot at bigger things than we've ever known.

**** the pussified attitude of wanting decent bowls and considering the gator bowl our 'celing'. I want a shot at the big prize.

[Coach34]

Its pretty simple, we lost 4 of our last 5 regular season games last year by an average of over 23 POINTS (17 points at OM was actually the closest).

Then, I hear about all this talent we've amassed from some of you. Well yes, we've recruited decent over the last 4 years but the vast majority of our team are MS 3 stars.

1st comment response- what happened last year rarely means the same thing will happen the next season

2nd comment response:


From our 2-deep

Quay Evans, Denico Autry, Chris Jones (3)- 5 star

Tyler Russell, Robert Johnson, Damien Robinson, Micheal Carr, Dee Arrington, PJ Jones, Nick James, Caleb Eulls, AJ Jefferson, Richie Brown, Bennie Brown, Justin Cox, Will Redmond (13)- 4 star

We're playing with a little more than 3-star talent

[maroonmania]

1st comment response- what happened last year rarely means the same thing will happen the next season

2nd comment response:


From our 2-deep

Quay Evans, Denico Autry, Chris Jones (3)- 5 star

Tyler Russell, Robert Johnson, Damien Robinson, Micheal Carr, Dee Arrington, PJ Jones, Nick James, Caleb Eulls, AJ Jefferson, Richie Brown, Bennie Brown, Justin Cox, Will Redmond (13)- 4 star

We're playing with a little more than 3-star talent

Hey, nothing would make me happier than if we turn out to be significantly better than I think but I will just need to see it first. And maybe its a majority of 3 star talent and not vast majority but like I was saying most of the guys you listed that are above that level were recruited in the last 2 classes and several of the ones you listed that weren't and are older (Robinson, Eulls, Arrington) haven't really produced like 4 star talent at least so far.

[Coach34]

Hey, nothing would make me happier than if we turn out to be significantly better than I think but I will just need to see it first. And maybe its a majority of 3 star talent and not vast majority but like I was saying most of the guys you listed that are above that level were recruited in the last 2 classes and several of the ones you listed that weren't and are older (Robinson, Eulls, Arrington) haven't really produced like 4 star talent at least so far.

Well, there is always a trade-off. Gabe Jackson is listed as the 2nd best guard in the nation but only a 3-star...Bernadrick McKinney is a 2-star nobody from the Delta that is NFL bound. We can do this all day- but bottom line is we have good talent and shouldnt end up 5-7 this year

[HancockCountyDog]

2nd comment response:

From our 2-deep

Quay Evans, Denico Autry, Chris Jones (3)- 5 star

Tyler Russell, Robert Johnson, Damien Robinson, Micheal Carr, Dee Arrington, PJ Jones, Nick James, Caleb Eulls, AJ Jefferson, Richie Brown, Bennie Brown, Justin Cox, Will Redmond (13)- 4 star

We're playing with a little more than 3-star talent

Couldn't have said it better myself, this team is way more talented then it is being given credit for.

[ShotgunDawg]

1st comment response- what happened last year rarely means the same thing will happen the next season

2nd comment response:


From our 2-deep

Quay Evans, Denico Autry, Chris Jones (3)- 5 star

Tyler Russell, Robert Johnson, Damien Robinson, Micheal Carr, Dee Arrington, PJ Jones, Nick James, Caleb Eulls, AJ Jefferson, Richie Brown, Bennie Brown, Justin Cox, Will Redmond (13)- 4 star

We're playing with a little more than 3-star talent

Morrow was 4 star as well. (14 4 stars) I know he hasn't played like, but Alabama has 4 & 5 stars that don't play like it either. They just have more, and thus we don't ever hear about it.

[Political Hack]

we play five teams that could make a national title run. It's not how good we are, it's how hard our schedule is that has people thinking between 5-7 wins. Vegas has our win total at 5.5 and 14 point dog to Okie State. Scheduling them was stupid given how difficult the rest of our schedule is.

[mic]

Yeah Vegas is usually pretty close when it comes to making the lines.. But the best time to get Vegas and win money is the first 2 weeks of the football season. Not saying we win the game against OSU and I think we have a great shot, but that line to me is way too high
Like Coach said earlier this is a OSU team that got their ASS handed to them by Zona last year.. This isn't ur SEC type powerhouse team.. When is the last time a Bama , Lsu, Fla, USCe, UGA, went outside the conference and got hammered like that.. Yeah they score a shit load of points against very bad defenses but they gave up 20+ points on a weekly basis. So maybe that offense isn't in mid season form (see texas am) and we get out of there with a HUGE W...

[codeDawg]

Then we need to figure out something- because our talent level will almost never be any higher than it will be in 2013

I think a point that needs to be added is that not only do we have way more talent than we have had in the past, a majority of our Juniors would have been Seniors in the past years.

Let me restate this, we actually have a HUGE Sr. class playing as Jr.'s this year. There is a lot of experience on this team. We will really see the

On top of that, there is a lot of talent we did not see on the field last year because they were RS. The Browns are impact examples of that.

[Coach34]

Yeah Vegas is usually pretty close when it comes to making the lines


In 9 of our 13 games last year, the Vegas line was off by 8 or more points- 10 or more points in 6 of them. Vegas did a shitty job on us last season

[Raytoraid83]

Speaking of people that think we're gonna suck, ESPN rated our d-line as 10th best in the SEC (doesn't even mention the signing of Chris Jones) and has Ole Miss line that is basically one deep at every spot on the line ranked 5th (and of course praises the signing of nkemdichie)

[Coach34]

Speaking of people that think we're gonna suck, ESPN rated our d-line as 10th best in the SEC (doesn't even mention the signing of Chris Jones) and has Ole Miss line that is basically one deep at every spot on the line ranked 5th (and of course praises the signing of nkemdichie)

Our DL has to prove itself- and I'm confident it will

With Ward, Goss, Johnson, Kimdeechy, Hooks...their DL should be pretty good too

[ShotgunDawg]

Speaking of people that think we're gonna suck, ESPN rated our d-line as 10th best in the SEC (doesn't even mention the signing of Chris Jones) and has Ole Miss line that is basically one deep at every spot on the line ranked 5th (and of course praises the signing of nkemdichie)

Ive noticed this as well for the media. For some reason NK and Carl Lawson at Auburn get all this love from the media about how they are going to be so good this year, yet Jones was ranked right there with him, and he is already forgotten about. It blows my mind, they have already forgotten about him.

[Political Hack]

Yeah Vegas is usually pretty close when it comes to making the lines.. But the best time to get Vegas and win money is the first 2 weeks of the football season. Not saying we win the game against OSU and I think we have a great shot, but that line to me is way too high
Like Coach said earlier this is a OSU team that got their ASS handed to them by Zona last year.. This isn't ur SEC type powerhouse team.. When is the last time a Bama , Lsu, Fla, USCe, UGA, went outside the conference and got hammered like that.. Yeah they score a shit load of points against very bad defenses but they gave up 20+ points on a weekly basis. So maybe that offense isn't in mid season form (see texas am) and we get out of there with a HUGE W...

This is how I felt going into the NorthWestern game last year. I'm not saying I agree with it, but I can understand why other people can see 5-6 wins being our ceiling. The press always under estimates us and when they do it drastically is usually when we step up and punch people in the mouth. If we open 3-0, we'll set the world on fire. If we open 1-2, we're screwed and I'll be placing the blame squarely on the shoulders of the grasshopper.

The underlying politics to all of this is enough to make someone sick. There's still some people with heavy sway that don't want a Yankee running the show and Strick has been made well aware of that. He pissed a lot of people off with the basketball moves and knows he's going to have to do something to keep the $ happy now. In my opinion CDM is being set up for failure so we can go hire the golden child... who I love to death... but there's no excuse for sending this staff on mission impossible. Basically Dan is being told "be the best" because we can go hire a Mississippi guy who can win at least 6-7 games a year. Some people may think that's ok. However, I think we've been a coaching graveyard for decades and move like this would only reconstitute that legacy.

[Pollodawg]

This is how I felt going into the NorthWestern game last year. I'm not saying I agree with it, but I can understand why other people can see 5-6 wins being our ceiling. The press always under estimates us and when they do it drastically is usually when we step up and punch people in the mouth. If we open 3-0, we'll set the world on fire. If we open 1-2, we're screwed and I'll be placing the blame squarely on the shoulders of the grasshopper.

The underlying politics to all of this is enough to make someone sick. There's still some people with heavy sway that don't want a Yankee running the show and Strick has been made well aware of that. He pissed a lot of people off with the basketball moves and knows he's going to have to do something to keep the $ happy now. In my opinion CDM is being set up for failure so we can go hire the golden child... who I love to death... but there's no excuse for sending this staff on mission impossible. Basically Dan is being told "be the best" because we can go hire a Mississippi guy who can win at least 6-7 games a year. Some people may think that's ok. However, I think we've been a coaching graveyard for decades and move like this would only reconstitute that legacy.


If this is true--which I don't think it is--we deserve every shit kicking we get.

[Pollodawg]

I think we will be a lot better this year personally. Why should State be afraid of a team whose pass d ranked in the triple digits last season and who has a brand new O line, won't name a starting QB, and won't name a starting TB? Have they "outrecruited" us, a purely subjective notion anyway? No. Shouldn't they be just as afraid of us? Do you see their fans quaking in their boots? No. Why in blue hell are ours? Get that slit between the thighs fixed and let's do this. I hope the team has more cajones than most of our fans......

[Political Hack]

don't take it as a legitimate attempt to set him up for failure so much as a "chit or get off the pot" approach.

Either way, it's true. It's just a matter of how influential some of those folks can/will be.

[Pollodawg]

don't take it as a legitimate attempt to set him up for failure so much as a "chit or get off the pot" approach.

Either way, it's true. It's just a matter of how influential some of those folks can/will be.


I am sure you know more about than I do. No sarcasm intended. I am sure that you do. lol But I think Mullen has already shat. All he has done is win here.

[ShotgunDawg]

I am sure you know more about than I do. No sarcasm intended. I am sure that you do. lol But I think Mullen has already shat. All he has done is win here.

I agree with this, the only people the could possibly be upset with what Mullen has done are people that don't know anything about building a winning football program in this conference. Without cheating, we are going to have to win 6-8 games a year for about 8-10 years in order to build a solid enough foundation of recruiting areas, facilities, perception, and confidence in order to take the next step.

If influential people aren't Ok with that, then I would just rather them take their money somewhere else. Firing Mullen or giving up on this regime, would have to one of the dumbest moves in our university's history and one that would set us back much further than we are now.

Who would want this job if we fired a guy that had taken us to more bowl, games in a short amount of time, than any coach we've ever had?

Now, if Mullen goes 4-8 or 3-9 this year, then I have the right to change my tune, however, with this roster, he would have to do a pretty shitty coaching job to accomplish that.

[Political Hack]

Shotgun, I don't think 6-6 would put anyone on the hot seat, but the chatter will start if we end up with a losing record. People will direct it at CDM, but IMO, it's not his fault. He's building this team for success and I agree that it's going to take years to build a legitimate contender for a west title. If it's a bad season this year, it's on Strick for finalizing our OOC schedule before he knew what our SEC East schedule was.

[HancockCountyDog]

Shotgun, I don't think 6-6 would put anyone on the hot seat, but the chatter will start if we end up with a losing record. People will direct it at CDM, but IMO, it's not his fault. He's building this team for success and I agree that it's going to take years to build a legitimate contender for a west title. If it's a bad season this year, it's on Strick for finalizing our OOC schedule before he knew what our SEC East schedule was.

This pisses me off more than anything else that has been done, swapping South Alabama and UT at home for Oklahoma State (neutral site) and @SC is putting a ton of pressure on our team.

Luckily I think we come through against OSU and we get a pay day and a W. Am I the only one that can't wait to see what Dak's role in our offense will be? I still think it will be a lot more than the coaches are letting on.

[32 Dive]

OSU game = high risk, moderate reward.

Equivalent to a longshot bet on a crap table. You may get lucky and hit a couple. But in the long run, you'll lose your arse.

[blacklistedbully]

2.2 million dollar payday
National TV exposure in the 2:30 time slot
Playing a team we have matched or even bettered in the recruiting rankings the last 4 years

What are you going to say when we win?
Wonder if Arizona thought it was bad idea to play them last year when they drubbed them 59-38 last year?

And here I thought I was the only one who thinks we'll beat OSU. This is the B12 we're talking about, where they don't play defense. Frankly, I think part of the problem last year was Wilson bringing B12 defense to our team. Hell, I relish the thought of playing against a B12 defense. And with Collins calling the shots, I think OSU is in for a big surprise and a bitter disappointment.

[Political Hack]

I hope y'all are right. If so, it's all water under the bridge and it's going to be a fun, fun season. Thump Okie State and I fully expect 8-4 at the worst... maybe 9-3.

[MSUDawg4Life]

And here I thought I was the only one who thinks we'll beat OSU. This is the B12 we're talking about, where they don't play defense. Frankly, I think part of the problem last year was Wilson bringing B12 defense to our team. Hell, I relish the thought of playing against a B12 defense. And with Collins calling the shots, I think OSU is in for a big surprise and a bitter disappointment.

Nah, you're not the only one.

I think how our defense and WRs play will be the keys to the game. We can definitely beat them though.

[blacklistedbully]

I agree- there is no doubt we will be better football team- we just have a tougher schedule. We're better than Auburn or UPig- we have to handle business on the road....we'll be about the same with Mississippi- we have to hold serve at home.

That's why we play the games

Better than Auburn & UPig, I still think we're better than Ole Miss (they come back down to earth this year). We've come damn close against LSU in years they were loaded, and even last year's loss wasn't as bad as the final score indicated. Hell, we should or could have beaten LSU a couple of times out of the past 5 despite a plethora of injuries to starters. This year LSU doesn't look to be as strong as they have in the recent past, so why consider this a loss?

TAMU was damn good last year, with a domiant O-line and a QB playing out of his mind. They lose some of that line, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Johnny Football take a step back this year. Yes, we played like absolute garbage in several games last year, but I do think Wilson was a big problem for us. I also think Mullen will have the staff get more creative on offense this year.

SCar is supposed to be a Top 10 team, but the last time we played a SCAr team that finished Top 10, we narrowly lost a game we should have won. Spurrier has struggled against us lately, especially against a Mullen coached MSU. It'll be an upset if we win, but I'm sure as hell not "writing that one off", as some of our fans are.

I think we'll be a lot better than the "experts" think, and will surprise this year. The only game that I look at with little hope is Bama. They are just that damn good and have the best coaching in football.

[Political Hack]

This guy still there?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wkezITd1u8


He's good, but it's mostly fundamental hat on hat blocking why they run the ball so well. He carries the ball loose. If someone can pop it out early from the backside it'll get in his head early. I hope they tell our defense to punch the ball loose when coming from behind him.

[HancockCountyDog]

Better than Auburn & UPig, I still think we're better than Ole Miss (they come back down to earth this year). We've come damn close against LSU in years they were loaded, and even last year's loss wasn't as bad as the final score indicated. Hell, we should or could have beaten LSU a couple of times out of the past 5 despite a plethora of injuries to starters. This year LSU doesn't look to be as strong as they have in the recent past, so why consider this a loss?

TAMU was damn good last year, with a domiant O-line and a QB playing out of his mind. They lose some of that line, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Johnny Football take a step back this year. Yes, we played like absolute garbage in several games last year, but I do think Wilson was a big problem for us. I also think Mullen will have the staff get more creative on offense this year.

SCar is supposed to be a Top 10 team, but the last time we played a SCAr team that finished Top 10, we narrowly lost a game we should have won. Spurrier has struggled against us lately, especially against a Mullen coached MSU. It'll be an upset if we win, but I'm sure as hell not "writing that one off", as some of our fans are.

I think we'll be a lot better than the "experts" think, and will surprise this year. The only game that I look at with little hope is Bama. They are just that damn good and have the best coaching in football.

Im just glad that Im not alone. I think the SC game is less likely than the A&M game, but I don't think its like the Bama game.

I truly believe that this is our year against LSU. I have to put up with a bunch of LSU bullshit here on the coast, so I can't tell you how much that one would mean to me.

[HancockCountyDog]

This guy still there?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wkezITd1u8


He's good, but it's mostly fundamental hat on hat blocking why they run the ball so well. He carries the ball loose. If someone can pop it out early from the backside it'll get in his head early. I hope they tell our defense to punch the ball loose when coming from behind him.

He was drafted by Dallas, he won't be there. Just another big hit for OSU that the experts are missing.

[Political Hack]

He's solid for sure. I think they lose a few OL too. They're loaded at QB and WR, but they always are.

[32 Dive]

I don't necessarily think we will get drummed. I just think, from a program building perspective, we aren't quite ready for taking OOC scheduling risks.

[missouridawg]

I think we will be a lot better this year personally. Why should State be afraid of a team whose pass d ranked in the triple digits last season and who has a brand new O line, won't name a starting QB, and won't name a starting TB? Have they "outrecruited" us, a purely subjective notion anyway? No. Shouldn't they be just as afraid of us? Do you see their fans quaking in their boots? No. Why in blue hell are ours? Get that slit between the thighs fixed and let's do this. I hope the team has more cajones than most of our fans......

Because our pass O was pretty average and our spread D was well below par. If we played OK-State in a bowl game last year, they would've beat us worse than aTm did. We might beat them, but if we played them 10 times, they'd win 8 or 9 of those games.

[Coach34]

Because our pass O was pretty average and our spread D was well below par. If we played OK-State in a bowl game last year, they would've beat us worse than aTm did. We might beat them, but if we played them 10 times, they'd win 8 or 9 of those games.

Did Bracky self-impose another penalty that we have to play them with last year's team and coaches?

I think this year's team would beat OK State 6 out of 10 with an overtime loss in Game 8

[MSUDawg4Life]

Because our pass O was pretty average and our spread D was well below par. If we played OK-State in a bowl game last year, they would've beat us worse than aTm did. We might beat them, but if we played them 10 times, they'd win 8 or 9 of those games.

That would have been true last year.

How do we match up with them this year?

[missouridawg]

Did Bracky self-impose another penalty that we have to play them with last year's team and coaches?

I think this year's team would beat OK State 6 out of 10 with an overtime loss in Game 8

Coach - You and I agree on a lot of things, but this just ain't going to be one them. And I swear on everything holy, that I hope I'm wrong... but we lost a LOT of leadership on D (Banks, Slay, Broom, Lawrence, Boyd). Our entire secondary, sans Nickoe, will be new. Ok-State's entire offense returns minus a few lineman. If Quay, Nick, PJ, Preston, Denico, and the rest of the front 4 have their shit together, we've got a punchers chance. Our offense will get between 24 and 38 this game... but will our D hold them below 30? Not many defense have done that to Ok-State... much less a defense that's brining in 5 new starters and purged a lot off the 2-deep.

I really, really, really hope I'm wrong, but I just don't see our defense doing much this game that prevent Ok-State from scoring. In college football there are 3 or 4 spread teams/coaches that are elite. Oregon, Kevin Sumlin (at Houston and aTm), and Ok-State are ALL going to get their points.

[missouridawg]

That would have been true last year.

How do we match up with them this year?

After hearing Mullen talk this spring, I don't expect our offense to be much different than last year... so we're most likely going to be pretty average again unless we learned how to throw a screen pass or to our tight ends.

Our defense is being re-branded and it is definitely the wild-card in this. If it's the kind of turnaround that Manny did from Torchbush in 2010, then we've got a shot to win... but we're so damn young on defense that I just don't see us coming out on fire in game 1.... especially against the best offense after Oregon, year-in year-out, in the country.

[Coach34]

They lost 4 of their 5 starters on the OL- that's huge. They lost half of their Secondary also- and it was shitty to begin with.

I'll be surprised if we don't score 35-40 points

[mic]

After hearing Mullen talk this spring, I don't expect our offense to be much different than last year... so we're most likely going to be pretty average again unless we learned how to throw a screen pass or to our tight ends.

Our defense is being re-branded and it is definitely the wild-card in this. If it's the kind of turnaround that Manny did from Torchbush in 2010, then we've got a shot to win... but we're so damn young on defense that I just don't see us coming out on fire in game 1.... especially against the best offense after Oregon, year-in year-out, in the country.

taking nothing away from OSU very very good offense.. But the best all around defense that they played against last year was TCU from a stats stand point.. ranked around #20 and they only faced 3 in the tpo 50 and one of those was Texas tech.. 6 teams they faced finished with an overall def of 86 to 119.. Baylor coming in at 119 Arizona at 118 and Kansas at 113.. they lost 2 of those games and squeaked by Kansas..
we should be from an athletic stand point as good as they have faced in a while.. saying that they may put up 50. but I don't see it.. and they finished around #80 in defense.. we may put up some good numbers against them..
so yes we have a punchers chance for sure...

[Political Hack]

oh, it'll be a shoot out. they score and are damn efficient on offense. we don't have to mess up, blow a coverage, get beat, miss a tackle or anything else for them to get 6.

[Pollodawg]

Well, God forbid we got better in the off season or anything.

[Coach34]

Young on defense?

We are going to start:

3 Sr's
7 Jr's (many of them redshirts)
1 Soph

[missouridawg]

Young on defense?

We are going to start:

3 Sr's
7 Jr's (many of them redshirts)
1 Soph

Remember the last time we lost 3 Nfl players off of a defense in pernell, white, and wright? Our defense struggled early in 2011. We lost slay, banks, and Boyd this year... As well as our defensive captain and another 4 year starter. We have experience if you look at the game day program.... But if you look at actual game reps, we are young.

[mic]

Young on defense?

We are going to start:

3 Sr's
7 Jr's (many of them redshirts)
1 Soph

the 2nd string DL we have could turn out to be as good if not better than the first string before years end.. and the 2nd string LB's can come in and we wont miss a beat from an athletic stand point..

[mic]

Remember the last time we lost 3 Nfl players off of a defense in pernell, white, and wright? Our defense struggled early in 2011. We lost slay, banks, and Boyd this year... As well as our defensive captain and another 4 year starter. We have experience if you look at the game day program.... But if you look at actual game reps, we are young.

we also lost Manny that next year.. and we all saw the past 2 years that Wilson was not the answer..
I think we got a pretty good idea of what Coach Collins can do at the Bowl game with only 2 weeks to prepare for it.. and I KNOW DT is an upgrade over old man Melvin.. and Coach Turner is as good as Wilson with the DL..

[Coach34]

Remember the last time we lost 3 Nfl players off of a defense in pernell, white, and wright? Our defense struggled early in 2011. We lost slay, banks, and Boyd this year... As well as our defensive captain and another 4 year starter. We have experience if you look at the game day program.... But if you look at actual game reps, we are young.

They only game we struggled early in 2011 was vs Auburn- and that was a coaching issue on how we played them.

Skinner, Whitley, McKinney, Eulls, Autry have all started for at least 1 season
Love, Smith, Jones, Wells, and Hughes played in every game last season...Love was our nickel guy, Smith led us in sacks, PJ has played a good bit the last 2 years, Wells has started a game or two, and Hughes was outplaying #25 the last 1/3 of the season
Cox is coming in from juco

I just dont see all this inexperience you talk about...that's the whole reason we are redshirting people and slowly putting them in for experience- so we wont ever be real inexperienced

[mic]

They only game we struggled early in 2011 was vs Auburn- and that was a coaching issue on how we played them.

Skinner, Whitley, McKinney, Eulls, Autry have all started for at least 1 season
Love, Smith, Jones, Wells, and Hughes played in every game last season...Love was our nickel guy, Smith led us in sacks, PJ has played a good bit the last 2 years, Wells has started a game or two, and Hughes was outplaying #25 the last 1/3 of the season
Cox is coming in from juco

I just dont see all this inexperience you talk about...that's the whole reason we are redshirting people and slowly putting them in for experience- so we wont every be real inexperienced

agree

[Political Hack]

There will be some inexperience in the two deep, but the starting 11 should all be experienced players minus Cox and he's not a pup.

Autry
Smith
PJ
Eulls
Skinner
McKinney
Wells
Cox
Jiles/Love
Nickoe
Hughes

That's in all likelihood going to be the lineup game 1.

[engie]

There will be some inexperience in the two deep, but the starting 11 should all be experienced players minus Cox and he's not a pup.

Autry - Started 10 for us last year -- played in 13. Yes -- Wilson actually didn't start probably our best defensive player in 3 games.
Smith - Played in all 13 in 2012. Played in last 8 in 2011.
PJ - Played in 9 last year(suspended first 4). Played in 13 in 2011 and drew one start.
Eulls - Started 13 for us last year. Started 13 in 2011.
Skinner - Started 13 for us last year. Played in 13 in 2011 -- started 11 of those. Played in 10 in 2010.
McKinney - Started 10 for us last year -- played in 13. Yes -- Wilson actually didn't start probably our best defensive talent in 3 games.
Wells - Started 4 for us last year -- played in 13. Started 3 in 2011 -- played in 13.
Cox - incoming JUCO. Was the best DB in the NJCAA last year.
Jiles/Love - Jiles played in first 3 last year. Love started 2 games and played in 12 last year(suspended first game). Love played in 13 in 2011.
Nickoe - Started all 13 last year. Started 7 in 2011 -- played in 9 prior to injury. Yes -- Wilson actually started Bonner ahead of him twice. Started 11 in 2010 and played in all 13.
Hughes - Started final 4 games and played in all 13 last year. Played in 13 games in 2011.

That's in all likelihood going to be the lineup game 1.

So, we bring back 13, 21, 22, 26, 36, 13, 26, JUCO, 3/25, 35, 26 games of experience.

The JUCO is jumping a guy with 13 games of experience. If Jiles offseats Love, he will be jumping a guy with 25 games of experience. Personally, I expect both Jiles and Love to start against OK State -- and us to be in nickel practically the entire game...

I don't see the inexperience that everyone is talking about.

The "we only bring back one person in the secondary" line is BS as well. Jay Hughes took Broomfield's spot prior to the final 4 games of the season -- and Jamerson Love was our nickel CB all year last year. In actuality, we bring back 3 of 5 in nickel -- and we've got another corner that got a ton of experience in Calhoun that has been injured and surpassed by the talent that is Justin Cox...

[MSUDawg4Life]

So, we bring back 13, 21, 22, 26, 36, 13, 26, JUCO, 3/25, 35, 26 games of experience.

The JUCO is jumping a guy with 13 games of experience. If Jiles offseats Love, he will be jumping a guy with 25 games of experience. Personally, I expect both Jiles and Love to start against OK State -- and us to be in nickel practically the entire game...

I don't see the inexperience that everyone is talking about.

The "we only bring back one person in the secondary" line is BS as well. Jay Hughes took Broomfield's spot prior to the final 4 games of the season -- and Jamerson Love was our nickel CB all year last year. In actuality, we bring back 3 of 5 in nickel -- and we've got another corner that got a ton of experience in Calhoun that has been injured and surpassed by the talent that is Justin Cox...

You can go further than that. The only people without experience on the entire two-deep or who will play significant minutes on the defense are Beni Brown, Richie Brown and Chris Jones. Everybody else has played. Even in the secondary.

[HancockCountyDog]

So, we bring back 13, 21, 22, 26, 36, 13, 26, JUCO, 3/25, 35, 26 games of experience.

The JUCO is jumping a guy with 13 games of experience. If Jiles offseats Love, he will be jumping a guy with 25 games of experience. Personally, I expect both Jiles and Love to start against OK State -- and us to be in nickel practically the entire game...

I don't see the inexperience that everyone is talking about.

The "we only bring back one person in the secondary" line is BS as well. Jay Hughes took Broomfield's spot prior to the final 4 games of the season -- and Jamerson Love was our nickel CB all year last year. In actuality, we bring back 3 of 5 in nickel -- and we've got another corner that got a ton of experience in Calhoun that has been injured and surpassed by the talent that is Justin Cox...

This type of analysis is exactly the opposite of what every major publication does. Every publication simply looks at guys lost (Lawrence, Boyd, Slay, Banks) and thinks wow MSU lost a lost, their defense is going to be young. What they don't do is actually look at the stats of the players coming back and realize that they spent a lot of time on the field and have been successful.

The more and more I Think about this year, the more excited I get. Plus if you need to get pumped even more, just watch this:

Go to the 19:15 mark, and enjoy yourself


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR-v7xorO9g

[Bullmutt]

Alright, gentlemen! Based on the evidence presented, you've convinced me. If we play our best on both sides, it's a 50-50 proposition. If OSU comes in thinking all they have to do is show up, we kick dey ass!

[Coach34]

Plus, they dont take into account one of the problems we had defending Spread teams last year was that we were playing with 2 Strong LB's in Lawrence and Skinner, instead of a smaller, faster hybrid LB to play the Weak LB spot. Skinner moving to SLB, which is his natural position, and Wells sliding in to WLB gives us more speed at LB. Wells can line up and play the run or he can bump out and play a WR in coverage if he needs to. Skinner struggled some last year doing that because he was simply out of position- but too good to be on the sideline watching

[ShotgunDawg]

Well....., I' glad I started this thread, and we were able to get this discussion out of the way before media days begin.

Here is what we have established in this thread:

1. We have experience at important positions

2. Our schedule is brutal

3. Although our schedule is brutal, it doesn't mean that the games are un-winnable.

4. Much of the perception of us is shaped due to how we played in the final games last year. However, that has nothing to do with this year, and could actually motivate this team more than they otherwise would have been. Our team and coaches haven't been sulking for the past 7 months.

Next week, SEC media days begin Birmingham. There is an exceptional chance that we are going to be picked 6th or 7th in the SEC West. However, when that happens, just remember this conversation. We will have a damned good team that is capable of winning most every game they play this year. Don't let the Hugh Kellenberger's and the fat faced Bama writer discourage your excitement for our season when they make fun of us next week and laugh when Mullen says our goal is to get to Atlanta(Because you know he going to say that, as he should).

For the people who said that the Tucson article was really good, they had us ranked 64th and that is totally absurd when you when look at our depth chart. The point is that the perception the media has/is shaping for this team is completely due to our schedule and lack of research on their part. I am not being a Pollyanna that only sees things through maroon colored glasses in this thread. There are some years where that could be said, but not this year. We are a top 30 quality team and program right now, and our schedule, the perception, and how we finished last season (which has nothing to do with year) is the only thing that keeps people from realizing that.

Don't let the media discourage you, we have a good team, will be underdogs a lot, but have the players and team to shock many many people this year.

[TexasDawg]

For the people who said that the Tucson article was really good, they had us ranked 64th and that is totally absurd when you when look at our depth chart.

The Tucson article hit the nail on the head, the rankings they were using were USA Today's and that writer was just using that as a basis.