"Both Mississippi teams over-achieved last season...." what a load of bullshit.

[MadDawg]

bearsharks 2014 rankings

Preseason:
AP - 18
Coaches - 17

Postseason:
AP - 17
Coaches - 19

MSU 2014 Ranking:

Preseason:
AP - 36
Coaches - 29

Postseason:
AP - 11
Coaches - 12

what the holy f___.

[dickiedawg]

That's utilizing a fairly narrow understanding of what overachieving means. Both teams substantially overachieved with regard to program history, especially recent program history.

By using ratings to represent expectations, you could say we massively underachieved by not winning the national championship after spending 5 weeks at number one.

[MadDawg]

That's utilizing a fairly narrow understanding of what overachieving means. Both teams substantially overachieved with regard to program history, especially recent program history.

By using ratings to represent expectations, you could say we massively underachieved by not winning the national championship after spending 5 weeks at number one.

I'm comparing what the pollsters expected us to both be BEFORE the season began vs. the real results AFTER the season was over. The only poll that isn't affected by on-the-field results is the preseason poll. It's purely based off of expectations.

So yes, this does actually represent what was expected versus what actually happened.

[smootness]

I don't know who made this statement, but it's just a cheap shot at the history of both programs and a way to easily dismiss our chances going forward. Don't worry about it.

[BossDawg]

Honestly I think we underachieved. I still feel like we were very rattled at the beginning of Bama, and there's no way we should've lost to UMiss. Who knows what happened there, but I think Collins had a lot to do with it.....or maybe I'm just overly-biased.

[MadDawg]

Honestly I think we underachieved. I still feel like we were very rattled at the beginning of Bama, and there's no way we should've lost to UMiss. Who knows what happened there, but I think Collins had a lot to do with it.....or maybe I'm just overly-biased.

If you didn't go into the Egg Bowl worried we would lose, you just weren't being very realistic. History tells us that for a team to beat the other team ON THE ROAD, there must be a significant difference in the two teams. And whether our fans can admit it or not, the bears had one of the best defenses in the country last year. They were good. We were good. That usually means a home win.

[smootness]

Honestly I think we underachieved. I still feel like we were very rattled at the beginning of Bama, and there's no way we should've lost to UMiss. Who knows what happened there, but I think Collins had a lot to do with it.....or maybe I'm just overly-biased.

Well, we may have underachieved at the end given what the team ended up becoming, but we overachieved in every other respect imaginable. Our talent overachieved given their prospect rankings, our team overachieved given our history, etc. I get that State fans will say we didn't overachieve, we just found overlooked talent and so on, and I would agree...but everyone else would call it overachieving, just not in a derogatory manner.

[MSUDawg99]

Honestly I think we underachieved. I still feel like we were very rattled at the beginning of Bama, and there's no way we should've lost to UMiss. Who knows what happened there, but I think Collins had a lot to do with it.....or maybe I'm just overly-biased.

Collins mailed in that loss. He was already emotionally checked out at that point. He quit on the team before quitting the team.

[BossDawg]

Collins mailed in that loss. He was already emotionally checked out at that point. He quit on the team before quitting the team.

That's what I was thinking. We were hardly competitive anywhere, especially on defense. Just emotionally checked out. I was hoping at least for a competitive game, like the previous EB. It's a miracle UMiss didn't win that game or at least send it into another overtime. They came to play and I can't understand why we haven't the past two times we've traveled to Oxford, especially last year. Collins is the main thing I can think of.

[gravedigger]

"Both Mississippi teams exposed that we put exactly 30 seconds of research time into preseason polls"

"Lets see if they can do it again now that we put a whole 45 seconds in this year."

sincerely
EVERY idiot that puts out polls

[MadDawg]

That's what I was thinking. We were hardly competitive anywhere, especially on defense. Just emotionally checked out. I was hoping at least for a competitive game, like the previous EB. It's a miracle UMiss didn't win that game or at least send it into another overtime. They came to play and I can't understand why we haven't the past two times we've traveled to Oxford, especially last year. Collins is the main thing I can think of.

if you are going to blame anything, it has to be Collins. The bears had one gameplan - keep throwing the homerun and just hope to eventually get it - and that won them the game because we were so pathetic defensively.

[Jack Lambert]

That's what I was thinking. We were hardly competitive anywhere, especially on defense. Just emotionally checked out. I was hoping at least for a competitive game, like the previous EB. It's a miracle UMiss didn't win that game or at least send it into another overtime. They came to play and I can't understand why we haven't the past two times we've traveled to Oxford, especially last year. Collins is the main thing I can think of.

Collins did a outstanding job up to the Ole Miss game. I think he has already check out and knew he was leaving. I think Mullen knew he was leaving and that's why he through him under the bus after the game. Everyone was on Mullen's case about it but I think Mullen knew he was gone and was probalbly piss about the defense that night.

[MSUDawg99]

That's what I was thinking. We were hardly competitive anywhere, especially on defense. Just emotionally checked out. I was hoping at least for a competitive game, like the previous EB. It's a miracle UMiss didn't win that game or at least send it into another overtime. They came to play and I can't understand why we haven't the past two times we've traveled to Oxford, especially last year. Collins is the main thing I can think of.

EB is always won by the home team as history has shown us. You can pretty count it as a loss everytime we have to play in Oxpatch & on the flipside count it as a win in Starkvegas.

[Coach34]

The thing is- its not just Collins. I agree he did a piss poor job- but the players were still on the field. On the field fighting during an Egg Bowl. They have to have the pride and determination not to let shit like 91 yd runs happen- that wasnt on Collins.

Mullen's gameplans vs both Bammer and OM were shit in the 1st half. He made great adjustments at half- but wasting 2 Q's put us in a huge hole.

[maroonmania]

Well, we may have underachieved at the end given what the team ended up becoming, but we overachieved in every other respect imaginable. Our talent overachieved given their prospect rankings, our team overachieved given our history, etc. I get that State fans will say we didn't overachieve, we just found overlooked talent and so on, and I would agree...but everyone else would call it overachieving, just not in a derogatory manner.

No doubt there was a feeling of satisfaction or accomplishment that permeated the program and fanbase after the Auburn game and boy did it show. We NEVER played at the same level again for the rest of the season after that 3 game stretch that ended with us being ranked #1. Hopefully if we are fortunate enough for that to happen to us again we will handle it better. You can not play your best when you are not hungry and our team lost its hunger after going to #1.

[blacklistedbully]

EB is always won by the home team as history has shown us. You can pretty count it as a loss everytime we have to play in Oxpatch & on the flipside count it as a win in Starkvegas.

We are 1-2 over the past 3 at Oxford, and we had to shit-the-bed this past year to lose. I truly believe if we played that game again, we'd win. Until the back-breaking 91-yard rushing TD, we were in a position to take back momentum. No way in hell that should have been anything other than a loss or short gain. It was nothing TSUN did well, we just played so far below our capability on that play it killed us.

Stop them there, deep in their territory, down just 7 after playing like crap until that point, and give the ball back to Dak & Co on a short field, and I think we tie that game on the next drive. Do that and we're in a position to have won 2 of the past 3 in Oxford.

I do not buy that the home team always wins, not with what Mullen has accomplished building this team.

[MSUDawg99]

Yes 2010 was one of the "14 out of 16 years" exceptions. We did win there then but in 2012 & 2014 got humiliated. Wish Mullen had never made the comment that we'll never lose that team again. That came back to bite us in the ass. I do think that HFA has everything to do with it though. If both teams are having decent seasons then yes I think the home team will continue to win. That's just my opinion. It's not right or wrong. Just an opinion. I'm allowed to have them.

HOWEVER, if there happens to be another year where there happens to be an exception to that then we know Mullen can do it as he's done it before. Just not on Freeze's watch yet.

[blacklistedbully]

Yes 2010 was one of the "14 out of 16 years" exceptions. We did win there then but in 2012 & 2014 got humiliated. Wish Mullen had never made the comment that we'll never lose that team again. That came back to bite us in the ass. I do think that HFA has everything to do with it though. If both teams are having decent seasons then yes I think the home team will continue to win. That's just my opinion. It's not right or wrong. Just an opinion. I'm allowed to have them.

If you go back far enough with stats, you can start to sound like the Bears, and claim how much TSUN dominates us.

We did NOT get humiliated in 2014. We allowed one uncannily bad play to change the game from, us with the ball, a short field, and 7 points away from tying and seizing momentum, to us down 14 with less time to do anything, To me, that's far from a humiliation.

On our next possession we did march down and get a TD, but by then, it was 4th Q and only got us to within 7, and TSUN with the ball.

[Schultzy]

You have to win big for a decade before in order to get ranked highly pre season. The funny thing is if we win big this season we might get more respect next year even though Dak will be in the NFL.

[MSUDawg99]

we did NOT get humiliated in 2014. We allowed one uncannily bad play to change the game from, us with the ball, a short field, and 7 points away from tying and seizing momentum, to us down 14 with not enough time to do anything, To me, that's far from a humiliation.

K

[RiverCityDawg]

You have to win big for a decade before in order to get ranked highly pre season. The funny thing is if we win big this season we might get more respect next year even though Dak will be in the NFL.

Disagree. I think we could win the SEC this year and we would still be picked 6th or 7th in the West going into 2016 without Dak.

[BulldogBear]

Disagree. I think we could win the SEC this year and we would still be picked 6th or 7th in the West going into 2016 without Dak.

Yep, no matter what happens this year. With Dak and others gone next year the predicted nosedive will be worse than ever. If Sallee and his ilk say it every year eventually they'll be right... and think they are actually smart.

[RDawg90]

We overachieved last year, there is no doubt about it…. I'd say 1% of Mississippi State fans would've put any money on us reaching #1 for 4-5 weeks and finishing the regular season at 10-2 with an Orange Bowl bid. With that being said, I do think we are being disrespected this offseason, I 100000% believe we are better than Arkansas, A&M, and LSU.

[Schultzy]

It's not about players or recruiting it's about trusting the program.

Eta: I'll say this, the Mullen era has put us in a position to be trusted because of how well they have RS on the OL and DL.

[OurState]

The thing is- its not just Collins. I agree he did a piss poor job- but the players were still on the field. On the field fighting during an Egg Bowl. They have to have the pride and determination not to let shit like 91 yd runs happen- that wasnt on Collins.

Mullen's gameplans vs both Bammer and OM were shit in the 1st half. He made great adjustments at half- but wasting 2 Q's put us in a huge hole.


The game plan sucked. You beat that defense by running right up its gut and challenging their strength. We kept trying to run around / away from them and beat them to the edge. We played to their strength.