Is Dan going to be Dan this year - or will he take the next step...

[Dawgheadcheese]

There is no doubt that Mullen has had some questionable coaching decisions over the past few years. But he is younger than most head coaches - especially ones that have reached number 1 - and I couldn't be happier with him as the lead Dawg. Here are some things i will be watching out for early on:

1. Protect Dak - Limiting unnecessary hits / wear and tear early in the season (not LSU) in lopsided games. Dan should have a number in mind of how many downs to run him. Last year was too many as evidenced in his play down the stretch. For us to have a shot at finishing 2015 strong, we have to have an LSU '14 performing Dak - not a Alabama '14 performing Dak. Dan has got to get this right.

2. No "brainfart" calls in games - was watching a replay of the Auburn game and it still gives me a migraine when I see us go for that fake punt. One of the craziest calls I have ever seen and i have watched a whole lot of football. I think it was simply a sign of immaturity - the question is, has Mullen learned from this and won't let a crazy call result in a loss that could disrupt the entire season.

3. Not be hardheaded - we all know the importance of the LSU game. He needs to be quicker to make adjustments if things are not going well. For instance, I hope Shumpert comes out on fire and can be a feature back - but I haven't seen evidence of that yet. If Shumpert is being shut down against LSU, will Dan be willing to bring in Dontavian Lee (if he in fact has shown the most potential in practice)? Again, rather than running Prescott to death which goes back to point 1.

[missouridawg]

There is no doubt that Mullen has had some questionable coaching decisions over the past few years. But he is younger than most head coaches - especially ones that have reached number 1 - and I couldn't be happier with him as the lead Dawg. Here are some things i will be watching out for early on:

1. Protect Dak - Limiting unnecessary hits / wear and tear early in the season (not LSU) in lopsided games. Dan should have a number in mind of how many downs to run him. Last year was too many as evidenced in his play down the stretch. For us to have a shot at finishing 2015 strong, we have to have an LSU '14 performing Dak - not a Alabama '14 performing Dak. Dan has got to get this right.

2. No "brainfart" calls in games - was watching a replay of the Auburn game and it still gives me a migraine when I see us go for that fake punt. One of the craziest calls I have ever seen and i have watched a whole lot of football. I think it was simply a sign of immaturity - the question is, has Mullen learned from this and won't let a crazy call result in a loss that could disrupt the entire season.

3. Not be hardheaded - we all know the importance of the LSU game. He needs to be quicker to make adjustments if things are not going well. For instance, I hope Shumpert comes out on fire and can be a feature back - but I haven't seen evidence of that yet. If Shumpert is being shut down against LSU, will Dan be willing to bring in Dontavian Lee (if he in fact has shown the most potential in practice)? Again, rather than running Prescott to death which goes back to point 1.


Limiting the number of runs Dak has is stupid. He needs to run the offense a certain way in order to be most comfortable. I'd hate to have Dak take a bunch of sacks against Auburn because he was scared to scramble because of the run limits in 2 of the first 3 games.

What Dan needs to do, is make sure Dak understands that there are many, many situations in football in which a QB can run and not take a hit. Slide, jump out of bounds, don't lunge for the 1st down if it's 1st or 2nd, that kind of thing...

Everyone hates fake punts when they don't work. Had Richie not fell down, everyone would be excited about our special teams. Remember when Brauchle onside kicked against Auburn in 2011 coming out of the half and it worked? It's risk vs. reward. We all complained about Dan not stepping on the throat of LSU three weeks prior to the Auburn game last year... It appears, to me, that Dan was trying to step on the throat of Auburn and if a player hadn't lost his footing, it would've worked and pushed us even further in front.

The blocking ability of Dontavian Lee will determine his snaps much moreso than the performance of Ashton running the ball. Dan highly values blocking ability with his RB... and this year, it's even more important as the RB will be the last line of defense for a blitzing LB trying to hurt Dak.

[Liverpooldawg]

Yeah, we certainly don't want him to be the same coach that lead us to #1 for the first time in our history.***** Sheesh.

[5 Star]

He's already taken that step. Going 10-2 at a non-elite school in the SEC is top the line. Even Bobby Petrino could not muster better than a 10-2 regular season at a non-elite school. 10-2 in the SEC is like 11-1 in any other conference, so, apply that evenly.

Only certain schools, at present, can muster the resources and talent to win a national championship. For everyone else, what I just stated above applies. Dan Mullen is in that elite level of coaches at this point.

[Dawgheadcheese]

Limiting the number of runs Dak has is stupid. He needs to run the offense a certain way in order to be most comfortable. I'd hate to have Dak take a bunch of sacks against Auburn because he was scared to scramble because of the run limits in 2 of the first 3 games.

What Dan needs to do, is make sure Dak understands that there are many, many situations in football in which a QB can run and not take a hit. Slide, jump out of bounds, don't lunge for the 1st down if it's 1st or 2nd, that kind of thing...

Everyone hates fake punts when they don't work. Had Richie not fell down, everyone would be excited about our special teams. Remember when Brauchle onside kicked against Auburn in 2011 coming out of the half and it worked? It's risk vs. reward. We all complained about Dan not stepping on the throat of LSU three weeks prior to the Auburn game last year... It appears, to me, that Dan was trying to step on the throat of Auburn and if a player hadn't lost his footing, it would've worked and pushed us even further in front.

The blocking ability of Dontavian Lee will determine his snaps much moreso than the performance of Ashton running the ball. Dan highly values blocking ability with his RB... and this year, it's even more important as the RB will be the last line of defense for a blitzing LB trying to hurt Dak.

I'm saying that if Dan runs Prescott as heavy as he did last year, he won't be 100% for the entire season. That is a fact. It is the job of a top tier coach to understand this. Dak can play his game, get his key carries and be just as successful for us and yet have his number of touches managed better. That is what needs to be done.

[Dawgheadcheese]

Yeah, we certainly don't want him to be the same coach that lead us to #1 for the first time in our history.***** Sheesh.

That was a great accomplishment - doesn't mean that he doesn't have glaring room for improvement. And at his pay rate, that is what we should expect. Foolish to think otherwise.

[Dawg61]

Yeah, we certainly don't want him to be the same coach that lead us to #1 for the first time in our history.***** Sheesh.

The original post is a good one. Dan is roughly 5-30 vs ranked teams. If we are to truly take the next step into being a perennial top 20 program it will take Dan being better IN GAME vs the other HC across the field. This is Dan's biggest weakness imo. He doesn't approach games like he himself is about to go toe to toe mentally against the other guy. I want a pissed off with something to prove Mullen in every single game for 60 minutes. Our ceiling is only as high as Dan is willing to fight for.

[Johnson85]

That was a great accomplishment - doesn't mean that he doesn't have glaring room for improvement. And at his pay rate, that is what we should expect. Foolish to think otherwise.

It's not so simple to tweak performance of highly successful individuals. What you see as "glaring room for improvement" are probably decisions that are the result of personality traits and/or ways of thinking that contribute a lot to his overall success. Strengths often come paired with weaknesses and you can't just say, I'll take all the good from having a coach that thinks outside of the box, but just without the decisions taht don't work out. You can't say, I want the disciplien and character of a team that comes from rewarding players who do things the right way on and off the field over the most talented backs, but I'd like that while playing Robinson over Perkins. Not the way the world works.

Not saying Mullen can't or won't improve, just that it's not as easy as you make it sound to improve when you're at the level he's at.

[LC Dawg]

That was a great accomplishment - doesn't mean that he doesn't have glaring room for improvement. And at his pay rate, that is what we should expect. Foolish to think otherwise.

Glaring room for improvement? Come on. Dan Mullen is the best thing that's ever happened to our football team. We were ranked #1 for 5 weeks. We won 10 games and finished ranked 11th. Coach Mullen may make some mistakes but what coach doesn't? Using glaring seems a little over the top to me.

[Dawgheadcheese]

He's already taken that step. Going 10-2 at a non-elite school in the SEC is top the line. Even Bobby Petrino could not muster better than a 10-2 regular season at a non-elite school. 10-2 in the SEC is like 11-1 in any other conference, so, apply that evenly.

Only certain schools, at present, can muster the resources and talent to win a national championship. For everyone else, what I just stated above applies. Dan Mullen is in that elite level of coaches at this point.

We will just disagree. Elite is elite. Elite coaches don't make the kind of basic coaching mishaps made annually by Mullen in his young career. He may or may not become an elite coach - he needs to show improvement each season. And by the way, I am not saying it takes a national championship to be labeled elite. I do agree with your comparison of what a record in the SEC would translate to in any other conference.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

We will just disagree. Elite is elite. Elite coaches don't make the kind of basic coaching mishaps made annually by Mullen in his young career. He may or may not become an elite coach - he needs to show improvement each season. And by the way, I am not saying it takes a national championship to be labeled elite. I do agree with your comparison of what a record in the SEC would translate to in any other conference.

Saban is 1 of the 5 greatest coaches ever but he still makes the same mistakes against spread teams. I understand your point & every coach always can improve.

[5 Star]

We will just disagree. Elite is elite. Elite coaches don't make the kind of basic coaching mishaps made annually by Mullen in his young career. He may or may not become an elite coach - he needs to show improvement each season. And by the way, I am not saying it takes a national championship to be labeled elite. I do agree with your comparison of what a record in the SEC would translate to in any other conference.
There are always things that he could do better. I think he's braindead on special teams, but that could be delegated. Honestly, to amend my previous post, to really be considered in that level of elite coaches, he needs to follow up last year with another 2 loss maximum season (3 if Dak wins the Heisman I guess). Petrino did that, so did Spurrier. Of course, that's pretty good company so if we don't do that, it's not really a slight to Mullen - he's still a very good coach.

In other words, I sort of see your point.

[Dawgheadcheese]

Glaring room for improvement? Come on. Dan Mullen is the best thing that's ever happened to our football team. We were ranked #1 for 5 weeks. We won 10 games and finished ranked 11th. Coach Mullen may make some mistakes but what coach doesn't? Using glaring seems a little over the top to me.


OK, "glaring" was too strong - he has made some "poor decisions". Things he can improve on. When MSU runs a play and every single person watching goes "what the f___", that is not the sign of an elite coach. Against OM, running Dak up the middle on 3rd and forever, that is a WTF moment. When we look at our roster of kickers, that is a WTF moment. When you run a fake punt last year against Auburn, that is a WTF moment.

[SallyStansbury]

It's not so simple to tweak performance of highly successful individuals. What you see as "glaring room for improvement" are probably decisions that are the result of personality traits and/or ways of thinking that contribute a lot to his overall success. Strengths often come paired with weaknesses and you can't just say, I'll take all the good from having a coach that thinks outside of the box, but just without the decisions taht don't work out. You can't say, I want the disciplien and character of a team that comes from rewarding players who do things the right way on and off the field over the most talented backs, but I'd like that while playing Robinson over Perkins. Not the way the world works.

Not saying Mullen can't or won't improve, just that it's not as easy as you make it sound to improve when you're at the level he's at.

This is a thoughtful, in depth post. I think you are correct. Is Dan satisfied with good, or does he aspire to be great? It will be fun to watch this unfold over the next several years because I have been around MSU long enough to as a fan be completely satisfied with "good" but I think Dan is a competitor who wants to be great. I love that in him; we are fortunate to have him as our coach.

[SheltonChoked]

I think some of the hits on Dak in lopsided games will take care of itself. This year we have 2 very promising large QB's that need snaps. Bringing in Staley and Fitz for mop up time will limit Daks runs and keep him fresh for the big games.

I could also envision packages with One of them being the short yardage QB, if they are as good as people think.

[shoeless joe]

Always room to improve but some folks just don't understand the thought process that goes into every single scrutinized game decision. It's never as simple as fans make it seem. And because of that I think the original post is off base.

As mentioned above, Saban is an elite coach...he doesn't make mistakes? Did he take much state to #1? While at Koch state did he not have questionable decisions? This is just one example...there are many more.

[Liverpooldawg]

Shaking my head at this thread. Some of "our" fans can be down right ...............sometimes.

[5 Star]

Shaking my head at this thread. Some of "our" fans can be down right ...............sometimes.
Hey man, never forget 2013. Hud-Gate in full effect. We are just one bad game from that happening again. God forbid we somehow go 6-6 or 7-5 this year.

[DancingRabbit]

Saban had some brain farts at the end of the 2013 Iron Bowl. It happens to the best.

Dan and Dak will learn from last year's shortcomings, but both of them will still make some mistakes this year.

[Liverpooldawg]

Hey man, never forget 2013. Hud-Gate in full effect. We are just one bad game from that happening again. God forbid we somehow go 6-6 or 7-5 this year.

Yeah, and we went 10-2 the next year too. Shaking my head.

[TUSK]

Saban had some brain farts at the end of the 2013 Iron Bowl. It happens to the best.

Dan and Dak will learn from last year's shortcomings, but both of them will still make some mistakes this year.

Yup, he's also had a "clock mgmt" issue, and has let his OC "get away" from him play callin wise a couple of times....

[Tbonewannabe]

Saban is 1 of the 5 greatest coaches ever but he still makes the same mistakes against spread teams. I understand your point & every coach always can improve.

Saban also kicked a long fg without even thinking of a return even though Auburn put a return man back there. Coaches make mistakes but some coaches have enough talent to overcome when they do something wrong.

[Really Clark?]

I'm saying that if Dan runs Prescott as heavy as he did last year, he won't be 100% for the entire season. That is a fact. It is the job of a top tier coach to understand this. Dak can play his game, get his key carries and be just as successful for us and yet have his number of touches managed better. That is what needs to be done.

How is that a fact when he just did it last year? And who do you think is 100% at the end of the year? Nobody is 100%.

[FISHDAWG]

some folks will never be satisfied ... not even if Vince Lombardi rose from the grave and took over .... this thread is EPIC fail

[5 Star]

Yeah, and we went 10-2 the next year too. Shaking my head.
I'm agreeing with you. I am making fun of the fans who wanted to fire Mullen and hire Hudspeth.

[BulldogBear]

Limiting the number of runs Dak has is stupid. He needs to run the offense a certain way in order to be most comfortable. I'd hate to have Dak take a bunch of sacks against Auburn because he was scared to scramble because of the run limits in 2 of the first 3 games.

What Dan needs to do, is make sure Dak understands that there are many, many situations in football in which a QB can run and not take a hit. Slide, jump out of bounds, don't lunge for the 1st down if it's 1st or 2nd, that kind of thing...

Everyone hates fake punts when they don't work. Had Richie not fell down, everyone would be excited about our special teams. Remember when Brauchle onside kicked against Auburn in 2011 coming out of the half and it worked? It's risk vs. reward. We all complained about Dan not stepping on the throat of LSU three weeks prior to the Auburn game last year... It appears, to me, that Dan was trying to step on the throat of Auburn and if a player hadn't lost his footing, it would've worked and pushed us even further in front.
The blocking ability of Dontavian Lee will determine his snaps much moreso than the performance of Ashton running the ball. Dan highly values blocking ability with his RB... and this year, it's even more important as the RB will be the last line of defense for a blitzing LB trying to hurt Dak.
This^^^

Mullen was just going for the kill. If that play works the game is over right there in the first half and the final likely ends up something like 55-14. Not a great decision but I rank it along the lines of a combo of learning to be aggressive and youth.

[Dawg61]

some folks will never be satisfied ... not even if Vince Lombardi rose from the grave and took over .... this thread is EPIC fail

Critiquing isn't the same thing as not being satisfied.

[Really Clark?]

Critiquing isn't the same thing as not being satisfied.

Depends on what is being critiqued. The idea that the offense is going or needs to limit itself, running the ball with the QB, when that is what this offense is based on and is at its highest level long before Dan came here, is not a logical critique. That is the offense at its best.

[maroonmania]

This^^^

Mullen was just going for the kill. If that play works the game is over right there in the first half and the final likely ends up something like 55-14. Not a great decision but I rank it along the lines of a combo of learning to be aggressive and youth.

Yea, but there is a difference between taking your foot off the gas (LSU) by taking out your starters with 6 minutes still left in the game against a dangerous team at their place and doing something that was just flat out stupid by attempting a fake punt in your own territory when you are up multiple touchdowns. I agree it IS risk vs. reward. There is little risk in having the starters play a little longer to nail down a vital victory but there is MUCH more risk in a fake punt when you already have the lead and the momenturm than there is reward. We could have made that first down on the fake punt as a reward and still have been held in the next series to punt anyway versus the risk of giving Auburn a short field to gift them back into the game. The reward in no way was worth the risk EVEN IF IT HAD WORKED.

[Tbonewannabe]

I'm agreeing with you. I am making fun of the fans who wanted to fire Mullen and hire Hudspeth.

I think a lot of people, myself included underestimated how well Mullen's offense works with the right QB. Also it looked horrible against good to great defenses with the wrong type of QB.

[BulldogBear]

Yea, but there is a difference between taking your foot off the gas (LSU) by taking out your starters with 6 minutes still left in the game against a dangerous team at their place and doing something that was just flat out stupid by attempting a fake punt in your own territory when you are up multiple touchdowns. I agree it IS risk vs. reward. There is little risk in having the starters play a little longer to nail down a vital victory but there is MUCH more risk in a fake punt when you already have the lead and the momenturm than there is reward. We could have made that first down on the fake punt as a reward and still have been held in the next series to punt anyway versus the risk of giving Auburn a short field to gift them back into the game. The reward in no way was worth the risk EVEN IF IT HAD WORKED.
Oh, I'm not for calling the play, I'm saying that I'm not worried by the fact that he did.

[maroonmania]

Oh, I'm not for calling the play, I'm saying that I'm not worried by the fact that he did.

Yea, that was the only play for the year last year that when it happened I turned to the guy next to me at the game and said "What the he!! is Dan thinking with that?"

[Pollodawg]

Do you all realize that at MSU, a team that didn't go a bowl or win more than three games in a single season between 2001-2007, was the #1 team in the country last year for almost half of the season and hasn't had a losing season in five years. Let's think about that for a minute the next time we (me included) flip out over a bone head call.

[Coach34]

I'm saying that if Dan runs Prescott as heavy as he did last year, he won't be 100% for the entire season. That is a fact. It is the job of a top tier coach to understand this. Dak can play his game, get his key carries and be just as successful for us and yet have his number of touches managed better. That is what needs to be done.

To run our offense effectively, the QB has to run the ball 15 times per games- unless we just overmatch the other team. As we saw with Russell- it just doesn't work without a mobile QB

[Dawgheadcheese]

How is that a fact when he just did it last year? And who do you think is 100% at the end of the year? Nobody is 100%.

No Clark, he didn't do it last year. Prescott was not the same player the last few games as we was agains LSU, Auburn and Texas A&M. That is because he had been ran too much and taken too many hits. Nobody can take the hits I watched every game and be able to make it through 12/13 games. If we don't want to see a repeat of that, Mullen has to do a better job of pacing Prescott. He has to be more aware of the damage he is taking each week. It isn't rocket science. Coaches do it all the time.

[Dawgheadcheese]

Do you all realize that at MSU, a team that didn't go a bowl or win more than three games in a single season between 2001-2007, was the #1 team in the country last year for almost half of the season and hasn't had a losing season in five years. Let's think about that for a minute the next time we (me included) flip out over a bone head call.

I would trade that #1 ranking for a 100% Prescott against Bama and OM last year - but that's just me. As for the 5 winning seasons, I have higher aspirations than winning 7 games a year.

[Dawgheadcheese]

To run our offense effectively, the QB has to run the ball 15 times per games- unless we just overmatch the other team. As we saw with Russell- it just doesn't work without a mobile QB


Actually, Dak had the following number of runs / game:

LSU (22)
Texas A&M (23)
AUB (21)
ALA (22)
OM (24)

I agree that in our system the QB has to run it 15 times a game - but he is running it a whole lot more than that and it adds up over a season.

[Eric Nies Grind Time]

Every coach makes boneheaded mistakes. Nick Saban makes boneheaded mistakes. Nick Saban just has the talent to cover up most of the errors he makes.

[Really Clark?]

Actually, Dak had the following number of runs / game:

LSU (22)
Texas A&M (23)
AUB (21)
ALA (22)
OM (24)

I agree that in our system the QB has to run it 15 times a game - but he is running it a whole lot more than that and it adds up over a season.

He averaged 16.15 runs per game. You can't pick and choose only certain games to fit your agenda. It's never, in the history of any sport, where you will have an exact number of plays you run every game.

[5 Star]

Starting to think we are getting trolled in this thread.

- DawgheadCHEESE (Sounds like a bear-tard made up name)
- Concern trolling about Dan Mullen (specifically taking the 'next step', something they would probably be insecure about regarding Hugh Freeze)
-
I would trade that #1 ranking for a 100% Prescott against Bama and OM last year - but that's just me. As for the 5 winning seasons, I have higher aspirations than winning 7 games a year.

Hmmmm

[Really Clark?]

No Clark, he didn't do it last year. Prescott was not the same player the last few games as we was agains LSU, Auburn and Texas A&M. That is because he had been ran too much and taken too many hits. Nobody can take the hits I watched every game and be able to make it through 12/13 games. If we don't want to see a repeat of that, Mullen has to do a better job of pacing Prescott. He has to be more aware of the damage he is taking each week. It isn't rocket science. Coaches do it all the time.

You are seeing what you want to for your agenda. You are not even looking at execution and play calling which have as much to do with the struggles at the end than any perceived injury you think he had. You would actually have a better case if you brought up the middle of the season as him being tweaked. Never mind the fact that one of the games that you're pointing to, Bama, was against the top rushing defense in the league. But that doesn't have any factor at all I guess.

[Really Clark?]

I would trade that #1 ranking for a 100% Prescott against Bama and OM last year - but that's just me. As for the 5 winning seasons, I have higher aspirations than winning 7 games a year.

Well you should be happy then. We are averaging over 8 wins a season over the last five years.

[Homedawg]

You are seeing what you want to for your agenda. You are not even looking at execution and play calling which have as much to do with the struggles at the end than any perceived injury you think he had. You would actually have a better case if you brought up the middle of the season as him being tweaked. Never mind the fact that one of the games that you're pointing to, Bama, was against the top rushing defense in the league. But that doesn't have any factor at all I guess.

Thank you. This gets an award!!! Someone gets it.

[DancingRabbit]

I don't Dawgheadcheese is trolling, just being a little overly critical.

I actually think we may see some of what he's calling for - a few less called Dak runs.

I think some of those runs are on Dak, rather than Dan's play-calling. With an off-season to review last season it wouldn't surprise me to see things tweaked a little.

But I don't think it was the quantity of runs that slowed Dak in the late season. It only takes one play, and I think it was that TD run at Kentucky where he got a bruised thigh and sprained ankle. Never was talked about much officially but after that play he never seemed to have the burst or moves quite the same.



Starting to think we are getting trolled in this thread.

- DawgheadCHEESE (Sounds like a bear-tard made up name)
- Concern trolling about Dan Mullen (specifically taking the 'next step', something they would probably be insecure about regarding Hugh Freeze)
-

Hmmmm

[drunkernhelldawg]

There is no doubt that Mullen has had some questionable coaching decisions over the past few years. But he is younger than most head coaches - especially ones that have reached number 1 - and I couldn't be happier with him as the lead Dawg. Here are some things i will be watching out for early on:

1. Protect Dak - Limiting unnecessary hits / wear and tear early in the season (not LSU) in lopsided games. Dan should have a number in mind of how many downs to run him. Last year was too many as evidenced in his play down the stretch. For us to have a shot at finishing 2015 strong, we have to have an LSU '14 performing Dak - not a Alabama '14 performing Dak. Dan has got to get this right.

2. No "brainfart" calls in games - was watching a replay of the Auburn game and it still gives me a migraine when I see us go for that fake punt. One of the craziest calls I have ever seen and i have watched a whole lot of football. I think it was simply a sign of immaturity - the question is, has Mullen learned from this and won't let a crazy call result in a loss that could disrupt the entire season.

3. Not be hardheaded - we all know the importance of the LSU game. He needs to be quicker to make adjustments if things are not going well. For instance, I hope Shumpert comes out on fire and can be a feature back - but I haven't seen evidence of that yet. If Shumpert is being shut down against LSU, will Dan be willing to bring in Dontavian Lee (if he in fact has shown the most potential in practice)? Again, rather than running Prescott to death which goes back to point 1.

Great post. Well chosen examples. Agree completely.

[MadDawg]

I think Dawgheadcheese would be happy if Dan had just beat Alabama and Mississippi last year.

This thread sucks.

[Coach34]

I think Dawgheadcheese would be happy if Dan had just beat Alabama and Mississippi last year.

This thread sucks.

We lost those games because they were on the road and we just werent quite good enough to overcome our mistakes teams make when on the road in hostile environments

[smootness]

I think Dawgheadcheese would be happy if Dan had just beat Alabama and Mississippi last year.

This thread sucks.

I was going to post and simply say, 'This thread sucks,' but you covered it.

Anyone who thinks Mullen has glaring weaknesses that keep him from being a top coach, mostly based on a disagreement over play calls here and there, is insane.

Is Pete Carroll not an elite coach because the Seahawks threw the ball instead of running Lynch to end the Super Bowl?

[SheltonChoked]

The game dak got hurt is was vs Kentucky. On a play he scored. We could have rested him there and lost to them instead of to Alabama. Would that have made you feel better?

[SheltonChoked]

So a loss to Kentucky while saving Dak for Bama and Ole Miss, costing us the number one ranking would be better. Got ya. That seems like a great plan***********

[Dawg61]

I was going to post and simply say, 'This thread sucks,' but you covered it.

Anyone who thinks Mullen has glaring weaknesses that keep him from being a top coach, mostly based on a disagreement over play calls here and there, is insane.

Is Pete Carroll not an elite coach because the Seahawks threw the ball instead of running Lynch to end the Super Bowl?

And the strength coach is never nice when you're trying to break records. Do we want to win a National Championship or not? Cause those of you bitching about this thread obviously don't understand what it takes to win one. Dan made mistakes last year in our 2 regular season losses. We and he can take advantage of that experience and learn from them or we can do what some of yall are doing and blast anyone that says anything critiquing Dan because yall are either superstitious and don't want to piss off some weird 'good football gods' or you're afraid to say anything that might be considered negative about Dan because you're afraid it will piss him off and he'll leave. Maybe the strength coach should talk to the players all sweet like too? I'm sure they'll be breaking records that way.

[pilldawg]

Would Nick Saban have had a better record with MSU's talent last year? I say, no. When I watch Alabama, they have ultra talented players all over the field. I think Saban gets away with out talenting more than outcoaching. He is also great at developing those talented players, but I don't think a lot of Saban's flaws are covered up by elite talent vs. elite coaching. In college recruiting is part of the entire equation, so Saban is great, but from an overall coaching decision standpoint, I am not sure I don't take Mullen over Saban.

[Really Clark?]

And the strength coach is never nice when you're trying to break records. Do we want to win a National Championship or not? Cause those of you bitching about this thread obviously don't understand what it takes to win one. Dan made mistakes last year in our 2 regular season losses. We and he can take advantage of that experience and learn from them or we can do what some of yall are doing and blast anyone that says anything critiquing Dan because yall are either superstitious and don't want to piss off some weird 'good football gods' or you're afraid to say anything that might be considered negative about Dan because you're afraid it will piss him off and he'll leave. Maybe the strength coach should talk to the players all sweet like too? I'm sure they'll be breaking records that way.

The problem is too many people having tunnel vision concerning Dan. Because you are not a fan of Bama or OSU or FSU you can't see their issues that those fan bases nitpick. EVERY coach and teams have issues. And it is pretty egotistical for fans to think they know what it takes to win a national title when the coach you are criticizing has two rings. I think he has a much clearer picture than most on here.

[sleepy dawg]

I'm pretty sure dawgheadcheese doesn't watch a whole lot of football. He probably watches State, and keeps up with sports, watches a few minutes of the Ole Miss game, checks some scores then watches sportscenter. If you watched the elite teams for multiple games, you will see many mistakes... by every team/coach.

What Mullen has done with our program is something very few coaches in this country could do in this amount of time... very few. He has raised our base level and our ceiling tremendously, and we continue to trend upward. It wasn't that long ago we were one of the worst teams in the country for while, playing in the hardest division in the hardest conference in the country. We have been surrounded with powerhouse schools with long standing traditions that have made it almost impossible to breathe. To get where we are now with the all that around us in just 6 years is just flat out unreal. He accepted a challenge nobody wanted, and to say he has risen to the occasion, is a vast understatement.

[HSVDawg]

I think we can all think of a play call here or a drive there when Dan had a WTF moment. However, the one thing that sticks out to me is we still won all those games. Fake punt against Auburn last year, pulling our starting Center in the 4th against LSU, etc. Not making excuses for stupidity but it hasn't cost us as of yet. That shows me most of these decisions were calculated, acute lapses in judgment in the midst of an otherwise sound gameplan.

The one game in 6 years that I felt Dan singlehandedly lost it for us was at Auburn in 2013. The uber conservative, play not to lose playcalling in our final drive was and still is inexcuseable. However, that is only one game in 6 years and it was largely aided by an equally awful defensive series that followed which gave Auburn the W. All in all, I think there are far more games that Mullen has won for us than lost and will certainly take the odds he has given us so far on any given Saturday with his management of the offense and our team as a whole.

[shoeless joe]

The problem is too many people having tunnel vision concerning Dan. Because you are not a fan of Bama or OSU or FSU you can't see their issues that those fan bases nitpick. EVERY coach and teams have issues. And it is pretty egotistical for fans to think they know what it takes to win a national title when the coach you are criticizing has two rings. I think he has a much clearer picture than most on here.

EXACTLY. And this goes for every coach folks bitch about. ..except ray

[DancingRabbit]

The problem is too many people having tunnel vision concerning Dan. Because you are not a fan of Bama or OSU or FSU you can't see their issues that those fan bases nitpick. EVERY coach and teams have issues. And it is pretty egotistical for fans to think they know what it takes to win a national title when the coach you are criticizing has two rings. I think he has a much clearer picture than most on here.

Nailed it.

[ScoobaDawg]

Starting to think we are getting trolled in this thread.

- DawgheadCHEESE (Sounds like a bear-tard made up name)
- Concern trolling about Dan Mullen (specifically taking the 'next step', something they would probably be insecure about regarding Hugh Freeze)
-

Hmmmm

Nah..I just checked him out. He is a Dawg.

[TUSK]

Would Nick Saban have had a better record with MSU's talent last year? I say, no. When I watch Alabama, they have ultra talented players all over the field. I think Saban gets away with out talenting more than outcoaching. He is also great at developing those talented players, but I don't think a lot of Saban's flaws are covered up by elite talent vs. elite coaching. In college recruiting is part of the entire equation, so Saban is great, but from an overall coaching decision standpoint, I am not sure I don't take Mullen over Saban.

Be careful... some here might not agree with this...*

[BoomBoom]

I was going to post and simply say, 'This thread sucks,' but you covered it.

Anyone who thinks Mullen has glaring weaknesses that keep him from being a top coach, mostly based on a disagreement over play calls here and there, is insane.

Is Pete Carroll not an elite coach because the Seahawks threw the ball instead of running Lynch to end the Super Bowl?

I dont think its insane at all. I think its quite obvious that Dan does not adjust in-game very well, or even in-season. It has been a glaring weakness every year. Last year woke everyone up to our offense, opposing coaches have had time to adjust. Dan will have to anticipate and adjust as well, not just rely on his system. We'll see, this year will tell.

[Dawgheadcheese]

He averaged 16.15 runs per game. You can't pick and choose only certain games to fit your agenda. It's never, in the history of any sport, where you will have an exact number of plays you run every game.

Yeah, don't want to pick the key SEC games last season as reference.

[Dawgheadcheese]

Well you should be happy then. We are averaging over 8 wins a season over the last five years.

I am happy - but the SEC West is only stronger. Every team is doing things to make themselves better.

[Really Clark?]

Yeah, don't want to pick the key SEC games last season as reference.

You are trying to change now to fit your argument. You are wrong. C34 said he should avg about 15 carries per game in this system. You cherry picked SEC games to make a point that he was running well over the 15. You also left off a key Ark game that we barely win with him running just 13 times. Why would you do that? He avg 16.15 per game. Like coach said it is a per game avg. For the obtuse, that does not mean only 15 rushes each game but the avg for the season per game. He had limited rushes in OOC games and Vandy. Which people are harping on doing, ignorant of the fact we did it last year. The So. Alabama game we didn't but at the time many were very worried after UAB and with LSU coming up why we were not running our full offense with running Dak to get ready. And not too many were bringing this up after beating 3 of those teams you mentioned and you would not have brought it up either if we beat UNM and GT. This thought wouldn't be crossing your mind. And that's is the only reason it's an issue. We lost to UNM and that game had everything to do with execution, play calling and game planning to a degree as well. If you want to look at something how bout the fact that the three games we threw the ball the most were our three losses.

But to be clear, this is the offense, it will not change much and shouldn't because it is a proven winner. So suck it up buttercup and learn to embrace it or shut up about it. Or better yet go to Ohio States board and see what they think? A national title with this offense and had an injury before going into the playoffs. And Urban didn't and will not change a thing.

[Really Clark?]

I am happy - but the SEC West is only stronger. Every team is doing things to make themselves better.

Same thing has been said every year since Dan came here. Every year that exact thing is said. And you know what, last year I don't think that was the case. Is it a strong division? Yes. But I think 2010 was the strongest it has ever been.

[Really Clark?]

I dont think its insane at all. I think its quite obvious that Dan does not adjust in-game very well, or even in-season. It has been a glaring weakness every year. Last year woke everyone up to our offense, opposing coaches have had time to adjust. Dan will have to anticipate and adjust as well, not just rely on his system. We'll see, this year will tell.

I'm sorry but if opposing coaches haven't seen this offense enough before last season then they were not doing their homework. It's been in place since Tebow days and they have the last few years at OSU to study as well. There are wrinkles, sure, but the bulk of the offense last year is the same as it has been for years with those type of QB's. The biggest change was when we had Tyler as QB. Otherwise you have a lot of video you can study prior to last season. Even the simplified playbook the year before when Dak came in should have given them a good bit to learn from. If we execute, it is very very hard for most defenses to stop. No matter the preparation. There will be tweaks, like Dan has done every single year. The in game stuff, sure there were and always will be bad calls. Did we adjust or execute better the second half against Bama. I think it was both and we had a great shot to pull it out if not for the defense. I think he adjusts about avg or little better like most coaches. Saban is not great at adjusting at times it just get covered up by the fact they are well coached. We are well coached but every team has to execute to have a chance to win a bunch of games in this league.

[Dawgheadcheese]

You are trying to change now to fit your argument. You are wrong. C34 said he should avg about 15 carries per game in this system. You cherry picked SEC games to make a point that he was running well over the 15. You also left off a key Ark game that we barely win with him running just 13 times. Why would you do that? He avg 16.15 per game. Like coach said it is a per game avg. For the obtuse, that does not mean only 15 rushes each game but the avg for the season per game. He had limited rushes in OOC games and Vandy. Which people are harping on doing, ignorant of the fact we did it last year. The So. Alabama game we didn't but at the time many were very worried after UAB and with LSU coming up why we were not running our full offense with running Dak to get ready. And not too many were bringing this up after beating 3 of those teams you mentioned and you would not have brought it up either if we beat UNM and GT. This thought wouldn't be crossing your mind. And that's is the only reason it's an issue. We lost to UNM and that game had everything to do with execution, play calling and game planning to a degree as well. If you want to look at something how bout the fact that the three games we threw the ball the most were our three losses.

But to be clear, this is the offense, it will not change much and shouldn't because it is a proven winner. So suck it up buttercup and learn to embrace it or shut up about it. Or better yet go to Ohio States board and see what they think? A national title with this offense and had an injury before going into the playoffs. And Urban didn't and will not change a thing.

Dude, you are going off the deep end on this. I am the biggest MSU homer around. We finally have the coaching staff, facilities and players to compete with anyone. But this is my point - we are never going to have the depth of blue chip players that an Alabama, Auburn or LSU will have. We can't just "reload" as we go through the season. It is my opinion, after watching 40 years of football, that Dan made some unwise decisions last year (and years prior) that need to be cleaned up. It's hard enough to win in this league without shooting yourself in the foot. He is being paid a fortune and should be expected to improve each year - that is what I am hoping to see.

[Really Clark?]

Dude, you are going off the deep end on this. I am the biggest MSU homer around. We finally have the coaching staff, facilities and players to compete with anyone. But this is my point - we are never going to have the depth of blue chip players that an Alabama, Auburn or LSU will have. We can't just "reload" as we go through the season. It is my opinion, after watching 40 years of football, that Dan made some unwise decisions last year (and years prior) that need to be cleaned up. It's hard enough to win in this league without shooting yourself in the foot. He is being paid a fortune and should be expected to improve each year - that is what I am hoping to see.

And now you change the argument again. Here is the deal as simple as I can make it. Running Dak 170+ times this season is NOT bad coaching or an unwise decision or bad play calling. That is the offense we run. That is the Myer Mullen offense. So why complain or critique something that was been proven to work time and time again. Players playing like crap has nothing to do with bad coaching decisions. Look at the OSU Va Tech game last year. Urban didn't change his offense after that game and the loss was not just because he made bad decisions. You nor anybody else gave a rip with how many rushes Dak had against LSU. But because our execution looked bad at the end of the season it was because of bad coaching decisions? No. Now I agree he has and will make bad game calls. So will every other coach but it's only because we are so invested in our team that it is a glaring problem. I do think it is an area he can really improve on but I also recognize you do not win as many games as he has in this league with our history and not actually make better decisions than the bulk of the fan base realize.

[BoomBoom]

I'm sorry but if opposing coaches haven't seen this offense enough before last season then they were not doing their homework. It's been in place since Tebow days and they have the last few years at OSU to study as well. There are wrinkles, sure, but the bulk of the offense last year is the same as it has been for years with those type of QB's. The biggest change was when we had Tyler as QB. Otherwise you have a lot of video you can study prior to last season. Even the simplified playbook the year before when Dak came in should have given them a good bit to learn from. If we execute, it is very very hard for most defenses to stop. No matter the preparation. There will be tweaks, like Dan has done every single year. The in game stuff, sure there were and always will be bad calls. Did we adjust or execute better the second half against Bama. I think it was both and we had a great shot to pull it out if not for the defense. I think he adjusts about avg or little better like most coaches. Saban is not great at adjusting at times it just get covered up by the fact they are well coached. We are well coached but every team has to execute to have a chance to win a bunch of games in this league.

Well, we went from.empty LB sets from LSU in 3rd and short situations, to teams selling out on stopping Dak. We didnt seem to have any adjustment to that at all.

"Execution" is the biggest copout in sports. If you execute, every single play should work. Coaching is about putting your players in better position to execute/succeed.

We're not Bama. We already are at a disadvantage with the refs. We cant be outadjusted and win most games in the SEC West. We have to at least break even on the sideline if we are going to win tough SEC games on the field.

[Dawgheadcheese]

Well, we went from.empty LB sets from LSU in 3rd and short situations, to teams selling out on stopping Dak. We didnt seem to have any adjustment to that at all.

"Execution" is the biggest copout in sports. If you execute, every single play should work. Coaching is about putting your players in better position to execute/succeed.

We're not Bama. We already are at a disadvantage with the refs. We cant be outadjusted and win most games in the SEC West. We have to at least break even on the sideline if we are going to win tough SEC games on the field.

Wow, a ray of light in an otherwise sea of darkness. Thanks BoomBoom.

[Really Clark?]

Well, we went from.empty LB sets from LSU in 3rd and short situations, to teams selling out on stopping Dak. We didnt seem to have any adjustment to that at all.

"Execution" is the biggest copout in sports. If you execute, every single play should work. Coaching is about putting your players in better position to execute/succeed.

We're not Bama. We already are at a disadvantage with the refs. We cant be outadjusted and win most games in the SEC West. We have to at least break even on the sideline if we are going to win tough SEC games on the field.

Execution is a copout? Look individual game calling is one thing and yeah there were head scratchers. I think it was too much at the Egg Bowl but that defense blew up our line a lot. Either it was execution or just getting their butts whipped at the point of attack. But you also have to look at the whole picture. JRob was giving us nothing rushing the ball and Dak was the 8th leading rusher in the league last year. You have to still give him runs. Take away the sacks and he ran 24 times for 72 yards. And at the selling out to stop Dak on 3rd and 4th down and short yardage. We converted on 50% of Dak's runs. One was a 3 and goal at the one for a TD. My problem was really only a couple of plays offensively. In the second 4 & 3 at OM 35 the run for no gain but it didn't hurt us other than kept us in bad field position for the remainder of the half. I don't punt there but maybe a different play call. Play action pass, Dak fake run to pass, etc. The 3rd and 6 call at the 18 when we missed the FG but I can see trying to get points there but maybe too conservative. But on the flip side, if you are going to argue against adjusting to Dak's runs then you can't disagree with the 3 straight passes from OM 4 yard line. I call a running play on at least one of those attempts. Again, we execute better (especially on the line) make a few different calls (which can be said in every game) we possibly win that game and nobody says a word about Dan's adjustments. And lest not forget the adjustment to give Shump more carriers that game was a good adjustment.

Eta. Go back a look at the LSU game and see just how many 3 and shorts we had with the first team. I know everybody is thinking of the big TD run of Dak but we were in an empty backfield 5 wide set. You are not going to have LB's right behind the DL in that set. You had one LB up in the line to rush. The safety's or at least one was out of position. Bad execution or defensive call.

[Liverpooldawg]

I swear reading this thread it seems like we were at best average last year, esp on offense. Good lord folks we had something like the 4th best offense in SEC history last year. We had one of the top 5 seasons in school history. Many of "our" fans aren't happy unless that can whine and complain about something. Our own coaches and players always seem to be the favorite targets. Poor Old State.

One more comment: If teams are even slightly close to the same talent level, the team that executes it's scheme (no matter how simple or complicated) the best almost always wins. You want to see it in action sometime go watch South Panola against one of the better 6A teams. Some of those teams are as talented as they are. South Panola really doesn't do anything fancy but they usually do what they do very, very well. They execute. That dates all the way back to Willis Wright, who at another school once beat a team by 50+ points and only ran one play the entire ballgame.

[drunkernhelldawg]

I agree that Dan is the best coach we've ever had. The point though is that championship teams have coaches that perform at a championship level. That's why I'm a fan of the original post in this thread. Not that we need fans nitpicking and second guessing every call, but coaching is often the difference in football games played at high levels of performance.

[Really Clark?]

I agree that Dan is the best coach we've ever had. The point though is that championship teams have coaches that perform at a championship level. That's why I'm a fan of the original post in this thread. Not that we need fans nitpicking and second guessing every call, but coaching is often the difference in football games played at high levels of performance.

So Urban coached at a Championship level against VA Tech last year? That's is one of the problems with this line of thinking. Teams and coaches do not preform at championship level all the time. And most of these discussions derive from the Egg Bowl loss. But OSU fans were bemoaning same type of things early in the year. It's not we can't improve, including coaching, but certain parts of the criticisms are asinine. The offense it not going to drastically change away from running the QB. That is what lead us to one of the most prolific offenses in SEC history. It has always been the main cog in this offense even before we hired Mullen. Even in their first title at Flordia, Leake and Tebow ran for over 160 times. Leak ran 77 times for 30 yards. A .4 yard average for the season. And people think we should lower what our Top 10 SEC rusher will do significantly? If the offense will run Leak 77 times for 30 yards Dak will get at least 150 rushes. And honestly I think that number would only be because of blowouts against teams we don't anticipate blowing out. I think it will be around 170-180. Less than last year but only by 2-3 rushes per game. And that is because of hopefully and increased passing attack that is succeeding. Still should be around 60-40 rushing to passing.

[drunkernhelldawg]

So Urban coached at a Championship level against VA Tech last year? That's is one of the problems with this line of thinking. Teams and coaches do not preform at championship level all the time. And most of these discussions derive from the Egg Bowl loss. But OSU fans were bemoaning same type of things early in the year. It's not we can't improve, including coaching, but certain parts of the criticisms are asinine. The offense it not going to drastically change away from running the QB. That is what lead us to one of the most prolific offenses in SEC history. It has always been the main cog in this offense even before we hired Mullen. Even in their first title at Flordia, Leake and Tebow ran for over 160 times. Leak ran 77 times for 30 yards. A .4 yard average for the season. And people think we should lower what our Top 10 SEC rusher will do significantly? If the offense will run Leak 77 times for 30 yards Dak will get at least 150 rushes. And honestly I think that number would only be because of blowouts against teams we don't anticipate blowing out. I think it will be around 170-180. Less than last year but only by 2-3 rushes per game. And that is because of hopefully and increased passing attack that is succeeding. Still should be around 60-40 rushing to passing.

Excellent points, especially the one about the folly of expecting perfection. Also, Dak has to play to his strength, as you say. I just want solid football, not cute and clever stuff. Sometimes it seems like we are trying to outsmart our SECW rivals. That will not work.

[SallyStansbury]

Excellent points, especially the one about the folly of expecting perfection. Also, Dak has to play to his strength, as you say. I just want solid football, not cute and clever stuff. Sometimes it seems like we are trying to outsmart our SECW rivals. That will not work.

football is a chess match. ReallyClark? brings up VA Tech vs OSU. Please follow these links to see what VA Tech did to stuff OSU.

http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2014/10/41670/film-breakdown-tackling-the-bear

http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2015/04/53022/film-study-why-bud-fosters-bear-defense-could-still-be-a-problem

The bear defense reminds me lot of what Olemiss and Bama did to stuff Dak. We didn't have the counter move to these defensive alignments. Either Dak was hurt from running too much earlier in the year, or we didn't have the Oline to generate time to throw or holes for backs/Dak to run, or we couldn't complete the "bear killer" pass plays. Call it schematic, call it execution, call it a failure, call it olemiss and bama have superior defenses....it is a mix of all of those things. I want to see us kick the shit out of Olemiss next year, same for Bama. It is going to take something different and I hope Coach Mullen is working on it.

[confucius say]

Would Nick Saban have had a better record with MSU's talent last year? I say, no. When I watch Alabama, they have ultra talented players all over the field. I think Saban gets away with out talenting more than outcoaching. He is also great at developing those talented players, but I don't think a lot of Saban's flaws are covered up by elite talent vs. elite coaching. In college recruiting is part of the entire equation, so Saban is great, but from an overall coaching decision standpoint, I am not sure I don't take Mullen over Saban.

To your point, saban was a 7-4 coach at mich st.

[Really Clark?]

football is a chess match. ReallyClark? brings up VA Tech vs OSU. Please follow these links to see what VA Tech did to stuff OSU.

http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2014/10/41670/film-breakdown-tackling-the-bear

http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2015/04/53022/film-study-why-bud-fosters-bear-defense-could-still-be-a-problem

The bear defense reminds me lot of what Olemiss and Bama did to stuff Dak. We didn't have the counter move to these defensive alignments. Either Dak was hurt from running too much earlier in the year, or we didn't have the Oline to generate time to throw or holes for backs/Dak to run, or we couldn't complete the "bear killer" pass plays. Call it schematic, call it execution, call it a failure, call it olemiss and bama have superior defenses....it is a mix of all of those things. I want to see us kick the shit out of Olemiss next year, same for Bama. It is going to take something different and I hope Coach Mullen is working on it.

All of that is great but you are missing one little issue. OSU beat the crap out of Bama. They had the Va Tech film and our game and the fact OSU had to simplify the offense for a third string QB. And Urban ran a lot of the same stuff and ran the QB over 15 times in that game and the Oregon game. And Jones really wasn't that big of a threat running the ball. But that is the offense and you have to keep the defense honest.