Mullen:

[CadaverDawg]

Mullen: "It's not like it's the end of the deal for us. I thought we played a half-way decent game. There are things we can take from this."

[msstate7]

I'll probably get ripped for this, but I agree with him. We just aren't good enough to win the west. I said 9-3 to start the year and that's still attainable. It won't be easy; but if we finish 9-3, this was a very successful year IMO esp if we win the bowl

[Todd4State]

I obviously have higher standards than Dan.

[Todd4State]

I'll probably get ripped for this, but I agree with him. We just aren't good enough to win the west. I said 9-3 to start the year and that's still attainable. It won't be easy; but if we finish 9-3, this was a very successful year IMO esp if we win the bowl

The only problem is we haven't really made a step forward. Agree 9-3 isn't bad.

[Liverpooldawg]

I agree with Dan and you.

[CadaverDawg]

I obviously have higher standards than Dan.

Me too. And personally, I prefer our head coach to be somewhat pissed after a 31-6 loss.

[Liverpooldawg]

The only problem is we haven't really made a step forward. Agree 9-3 isn't bad.

The step forward was last year. This one is about not losing the piton we drove in last year. The climber will live and eventually progress provided the piton holds. so far it has.

[Liverpooldawg]

Me too. And personally, I prefer our head coach to be somewhat pissed after a 31-6 loss.

No surprise, perfect example of old MSU.

[HoopsDawg]

Me too. And personally, I prefer our head coach to be somewhat pissed after a 31-6 loss.

That doesn't do any good. We have to regroup and win these next 3 games for a heck of season.

[msstate7]

Me too. And personally, I prefer our head coach to be somewhat pissed after a 31-6 loss.

Would you rather he say we blew it and our season is shot? I think he knows his job is to get this behind us and be ready Saturday night

[Dawgface]

He wasn't too happy at the half time interview. Maybe he was just happy we only lost the 2nd half by 7 points. ;)

[Todd4State]

The step forward was last year. This one is about not losing the piton we drove in last year. The climber will live and eventually progress provided the piton holds. so far it has.

Agree we haven't lost ground.

[Dawg61]

He wasn't too happy at the half time interview. Maybe he was just happy we only lost the 2nd half by 7 points. ;)

He had conceded the loss after those 3 long TDs.

[CadaverDawg]

Would you rather he say we blew it and our season is shot? I think he knows his job is to get this behind us and be ready Saturday night

Did I say that?

I would rather he call a bad outing a bad outing.

[djaymsu5]

When you get to the redzone that many times and can't score a TD we don't deserve to win. His play calling against good teams is about as predictable as a wasp on speed. I'm sick of him coaching scared. What do we have to freaking lose? Yea 9-3 would be a good season but I am so sick and tired of us just bending over and taking it from bama.

[Coach007]

1 did you see freeze throw his players under the bus..... sorry preacher ain't he....


1b-- I just want him to,act like freeze.

[Coach007]

What play would u have called that would have worked given the OL being horrible? What play,was going to work?..

[msstate7]

Did I say that?

I would rather he call a bad outing a bad outing.
I know what you meant, but Mullen is trying to regroup. He has to sat something to the effect IMO to keep his team going

[msstate7]

What play would u have called that would have worked given the OL being horrible? What play,was going to work?..
I think a roll out pass run option would have given us a chance anyway

[HancockCountyDog]

I'll probably get ripped for this, but I agree with him. We just aren't good enough to win the west. I said 9-3 to start the year and that's still attainable. It won't be easy; but if we finish 9-3, this was a very successful year IMO esp if we win the bowl

If not this year, then when?

Dak, two draft picks at Wr, at least two draft picks on the DL, two LBs that will at least get a cup of coffee in the NFL, and a corner that will get drafted.

Going at best 5-3 in a year where you get to play the two worst teams from the East, and have Dak as your QB is depressing. It's basically telling me that this is our ceiling, a top 15-20 team.

Also, next year will be a rebuilding year.

[gravedigger]

Mullen: "It's not like it's the end of the deal for us. I thought we played a half-way decent game. There are things we can take from this."

does it seem like dan's more interested in creating an nfl qb than doing the things that win in division 1 football?

I think we are scared of the wrong thing. Dans not auditioning for georgia. He's attempting to disprove that he only produces non nfl qb's like tebow.

[msstate7]

If not this year, then when?

Dak, two draft picks at Wr, at least two draft picks on the DL, two LBs that will at least get a cup of coffee in the NFL, and a corner that will get drafted.

Going at best 5-3 in a year where you get to play the two worst teams from the East, and have Dak as your QB is depressing. It's basically telling me that this is our ceiling, a top 15-20 team.

Also, next year will be a rebuilding year.

We were flawed though on the oline. I know that's dan's fault, but it's a flawed team nevertheless.

Until Saban leaves, winning the west will be difficult

[DownwardDawg]

We were flawed though on the oline. I know that's dan's fault, but it's a flawed team nevertheless.

Until Saban leaves, winning the west will be difficult

Impossible

[Dawg61]

does it seem like dan's more interested in creating an nfl qb than doing the things that win in division 1 football?

I think we are scared of the wrong thing. Dans not auditioning for georgia. He's attempting to disprove that he only produces non nfl qb's like tebow.

Alex Smith and Cam Newton say hi

[gravedigger]

Alex Smith and Cam Newton say hi

Cam newton was so impressed with mullen he chose a different coach. And alex smith is a successful nfl qb for what team?

[Dawg61]

Cam newton was so impressed with mullen he chose a different coach. And alex smith is a successful nfl qb for what team?

Dan still gets to claim him. You gonna give the credit to the junior college coach for Blinn? Gene Chizik? Gus Malzahn? Alex Smith is the starting QB for the Kansas City Chiefs. He has had a successful NFL career.

[starkvegasdawg]

When you get to the redzone that many times and can't score a TD we don't deserve to win. His play calling against good teams is about as predictable as a wasp on speed. I'm sick of him coaching scared. What do we have to freaking lose? Yea 9-3 would be a good season but I am so sick and tired of us just bending over and taking it from bama.

When we get in the red zone you can't immediately start getting dumbass penalties. Seems we did that every time tonight and in the game last season.

[BankerDog]

He's probably still trying to figure out if he should run a QB draw on 3rd and 12...it's his bread and butter play.

[gravedigger]

Dan still gets to claim him. You gonna give the credit to the junior college coach for Blinn? Gene Chizik? Gus Malzahn? Alex Smith is the starting QB for the Kansas City Chiefs. He has had a successful NFL career.

No, alex smith isnt by any rational standards. Cam is good but nobody with a brain attributes his success to mullen. The sacks today were directly attributable to mullen's* lack of appreciation for his lines ability and his oppontents. Throwing the ball away would have been better than finding a 3rd route.

What dan is doing is forcing a round peg in a square hole. Our ol cannot support 3 checks vs the teams that matter. If he does this vs ark and om we will struggle.

[WeWonItAll(Most)]

No surprise, perfect example of old MSU.
Old MSU is saying "aww shucks, let's just be thankful we goin to a bowl game this year!"

[Liverpooldawg]

Did I say that?

I would rather he call a bad outing a bad outing.

If so you confirm my opinion of you. You have NO clue whatsoever about what it takes to win football games. You are as dumb as a post when it comes to a winning football program.

[Liverpooldawg]

Old MSU is saying "aww shucks, let's just be thankful we goin to a bowl game this year!"

Actually old MSU is getting pissed and start bashing the coach and therefore making his job impossible. Then we fire him. THAT my friend has been MSU in my lifetime. We have never had a coach leave for a better job. We are our own worst enemy. This board is LOADED with old MSU every time we lose. Not so much when we win. I've heard you in every regime we have had since I have been alive. It's time for a change.

[Dawg61]

Actually old MSU is getting pissed and start bashing the coach and therefore making his job impossible. Then we fire him. THAT my friend has been MSU in my lifetime. We have never had a coach leave for a better job. We are our own worst enemy. This board is LOADED with old MSU every time we lose. Not so much when we win. I've heard you in every regime we have had since I have been alive. It's time for a change.

Great. Here comes the thought police again.

[Boya]

This is with his first recruiting classes....2017 will be the team that gets us to the sec lchampionship or Dan will have run his course

[Liverpooldawg]

Great. Here comes the thought police again.

So presenting an opinion you don't like is thought police is it? I thought dissenting opinions were welcomed here. Perhaps those opinions are only welcome when they bash MSU and its current coaches?

[msstate7]

This is with his first recruiting classes....2017 will be the team that gets us to the sec lchampionship or Dan will have run his course

Hopefully Saban is done by then. I do think we'll be good in '17. How good is yet to be determined

[Dawg61]

No, alex smith isnt by any rational standards.

So rational standards don't include 10 year NFL careers with 61 wins to 54 losses. If you start for a decade and still have a winning record you can consider your career successful.

[Dawg61]

So presenting an opinion you don't like is thought police is it? I thought dissenting opinions were welcomed here. Perhaps those opinions are only welcome when they bash MSU and its current coaches?

Good job you typed it just like you practiced 1,000 times in your head.

[Coach007]

If not this year, then when?

Dak, two draft picks at Wr, at least two draft picks on the DL, two LBs that will at least get a cup of coffee in the NFL, and a corner that will get drafted.

Going at best 5-3 in a year where you get to play the two worst teams from the East, and have Dak as your QB is depressing. It's basically telling me that this is our ceiling, a top 15-20 team.

Also, next year will be a rebuilding year.

Slow down. The only for gone conclusions are Dak... And Jones. Bear said he will leave if projected high enough. Lbs?? Who is jumping to the NFL? Cb? Redmond ??? Maybe... But all of those positions are covered.

The only concern any of us should have is the OL.....

[Liverpooldawg]

Good job you typed it just like you practiced 1,000 times in your head.

I have, over about 40 years. It's the same old same old. Why not try something different? What we have always done has never worked.

[Taog Redloh]

If not this year, then when?

Dak, two draft picks at Wr, at least two draft picks on the DL, two LBs that will at least get a cup of coffee in the NFL, and a corner that will get drafted.

Going at best 5-3 in a year where you get to play the two worst teams from the East, and have Dak as your QB is depressing. It's basically telling me that this is our ceiling, a top 15-20 team.

Also, next year will be a rebuilding year.
Truth hurts.

[Dawg61]

I have, over about 40 years. It's the same old same old. Why not try something different? What we have always done has never worked.

Did you watch our offensive line? What about our RBs? Bama sacked us NINE TIMES. We ran Brandon Holloway up the middle for nothing fifteen times. It's year 7 dude. Those are some glaring weaknesses. If Dan was a golfer his offensive line play would be equivalent to him duck hooking every tee shot out of bounds. Do that on the PGA Tour and you're gone real quick. Get sacked nine times and don't fix it and you're gone as a SEC coach. It's that simple. Fix the OL. Fix the RBs. Or be gone.

[Todd4State]

Actually old MSU is getting pissed and start bashing the coach and therefore making his job impossible. Then we fire him. THAT my friend has been MSU in my lifetime. We have never had a coach leave for a better job. We are our own worst enemy. This board is LOADED with old MSU every time we lose. Not so much when we win. I've heard you in every regime we have had since I have been alive. It's time for a change.

So, it's our fault that Croom and Felker couldn't get a better job? Jackie and Emory were near the end anyway.

[Todd4State]

Did you watch our offensive line? What about our RBs? Bama sacked us NINE TIMES. We ran Brandon Holloway up the middle for nothing fifteen times. It's year 7 dude. Those are some glaring weaknesses. If Dan was a golfer his offensive line play would be equivalent to him duck hooking every tee shot out of bounds. Do that on the PGA Tour and you're gone real quick. Get sacked nine times and don't fix it and you're gone as a SEC coach. It's that simple. Fix the OL. Fix the RBs. Or be gone. Or at the very least the o-line coach.

[Todd4State]

I have, over about 40 years. It's the same old same old. Why not try something different? What we have always done has never worked.

We also weren't paying our coaches 4 million 40 years ago. Expectations increase because of that alone.

[Todd4State]

This is with his first recruiting classes....2017 will be the team that gets us to the sec lchampionship or Dan will have run his course These players were recruited after our Gator Bowl season.

[Boya]

These players were recruited after our Gator Bowl season.

That was the spring board that got us to last years team And last years team is the spring board that will logically get us to the next level. As much as we like to ignore our past as a program....There are no quick fixes...only the long game and 2017 will be the culmination of what Mullen can do as coach and leader of the football program

[djaymsu5]

When we get in the red zone you can't immediately start getting dumbass penalties. Seems we did that every time tonight and in the game last season.
I agree on the penalties but the first time we got down there and went for it on 4th down. If Dak hands that ball off to the receiver in motion he walks in for 6. Everybody in their mother knew Dak was running it. That's two years in a row that we have done that against them.

[ShotgunDawg]

It's basically telling me that this is our ceiling, a top 15-20 team.

Last year we finished 11th & the year of the first Gator Bowl, we finished 12th. So that's are ceiling right now.

That is our ceiling for now, but it depends on how you look at it. If we were in the Big 12 or ACC, our ceiling would be higher.

Mullen has gotten us consistent enough to where being a top 15-20 should absolutely be the expectation, but the only way we will have a chance of raising our ceiling will be to recruit better. Alabama has 18 5 star players on the roster. That's more than A&M & Georgia combined.

So, how do we recruit better?

1. We could cheat like Ole Miss

2. We can continue to win & gradually rise up the recruiting rankings. This will take time, but this is what we are doing right now. At some point, we MUST expand our recruiting base into other parts of the country. Our 5 hour radius simply will never produce enough talent to compete with Bama. We can beat everyone else, but Bama is a different animal & you must have elite players to beat them.

We must improve our recruiting if we are to raise our ceiling. How do we do that? It's not about sweet talking. Can Howland provide Mullen some insight? Can we identify 2 elite players a year to target?

[sleepy dawg]

The only problem is we haven't really made a step forward. Agree 9-3 isn't bad.

9-3 isn't bad? We play in the toughest division in football. 9-3 is damn good. If we went 11-1, would we at least make it to "pretty good"?

[Todd4State]

9-3 isn't bad? We play in the toughest division in football. 9-3 is damn good. If we went 11-1, would we at least make it to "pretty good"?

11-1 would be a step forward for our program- one we failed to make this year.

It's not just about wins- it's also about who you beat as well and how you go about doing it. The real "old MSU"- not the one in Liverpool's dreams- would also schedule West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Houston, etc. We basically have five wins plugged in with the way we have scheduled + Kentucky since Greg Byrne arrived minus the Scott Stricklin Oklahoma State fiasco. Our schedule is teed up for Dan to have success relative to our history.

That said, we lost to LSU because Dan mismanaged the game at the end. We lost Texas A&M and Alabama because we were not physical enough and were outmanned on the o-line yet we are SEC caliber at pretty much every other position group exept maybe safety- and even there we have some outstanding young talent. The good news is those are things that are correctable for us.

So yes, we could go 9-3 and have it argued that we underachieved.

[sleepy dawg]

11-1 would be a step forward for our program- one we failed to make this year.

It's not just about wins- it's also about who you beat as well and how you go about doing it. The real "old MSU"- not the one in Liverpool's dreams- would also schedule West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Houston, etc. We basically have five wins plugged in with the way we have scheduled + Kentucky since Greg Byrne arrived minus the Scott Stricklin Oklahoma State fiasco. Our schedule is teed up for Dan to have success relative to our history.

That said, we lost to LSU because Dan mismanaged the game at the end. We lost Texas A&M and Alabama because we were not physical enough and were outmanned on the o-line yet we are SEC caliber at pretty much every other position group exept maybe safety- and even there we have some outstanding young talent. The good news is those are things that are correctable for us.

So yes, we could go 9-3 and have it argued that we underachieved.

I pretty much agree to most of that, but you could also argue that 9-3 in the SEC West is a really good season, and better than almost all other 9-3 seasons out there.

Alabama fans probably think that anything less than a NC is an underachievement, but that doesn't mean that season can't still be a good one and one to be happy about.

[QuadrupleOption]

11-1 would be a step forward for our program- one we failed to make this year.

It's not just about wins- it's also about who you beat as well and how you go about doing it. The real "old MSU"- not the one in Liverpool's dreams- would also schedule West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Houston, etc. We basically have five wins plugged in with the way we have scheduled + Kentucky since Greg Byrne arrived minus the Scott Stricklin Oklahoma State fiasco. Our schedule is teed up for Dan to have success relative to our history.

That said, we lost to LSU because Dan mismanaged the game at the end. We lost Texas A&M and Alabama because we were not physical enough and were outmanned on the o-line yet we are SEC caliber at pretty much every other position group exept maybe safety- and even there we have some outstanding young talent. The good news is those are things that are correctable for us.

So yes, we could go 9-3 and have it argued that we underachieved.

Todd, if we go 9-3 how in the Hell have we underachieved anything this year? Did you honestly expect us to go undefeated and win the national championship?

[Todd4State]

Todd, if we go 9-3 how in the Hell have we underachieved anything this year? Did you honestly expect us to go undefeated and win the national championship?

My expectations were/are 10 wins with this team. Read my above post again on how we can underachieve with 9 wins. We have a Heisman contender caliber QB and we actually outgained Alabama on offense- and have 6 points to show for it.

[Todd4State]

I pretty much agree to most of that, but you could also argue that 9-3 in the SEC West is a really good season, and better than almost all other 9-3 seasons out there.

Alabama fans probably think that anything less than a NC is an underachievement, but that doesn't mean that season can't still be a good one and one to be happy about.

I think it's possible to underachieve and have a "good" season. This team should they go 9-3 really won't have a "special" win for the year aside from the Egg Bowl assuming they do indeed win that. We had a chance to be "special" and we blew it against LSU and today against Bama.

[Blackout]

11-1 would be a step forward for our program- one we failed to make this year.

It's not just about wins- it's also about who you beat as well and how you go about doing it. The real "old MSU"- not the one in Liverpool's dreams- would also schedule West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Houston, etc. We basically have five wins plugged in with the way we have scheduled + Kentucky since Greg Byrne arrived minus the Scott Stricklin Oklahoma State fiasco. Our schedule is teed up for Dan to have success relative to our history.

That said, we lost to LSU because Dan mismanaged the game at the end. We lost Texas A&M and Alabama because we were not physical enough and were outmanned on the o-line yet we are SEC caliber at pretty much every other position group exept maybe safety- and even there we have some outstanding young talent. The good news is those are things that are correctable for us.

So yes, we could go 9-3 and have it argued that we underachieved.

This is so spot on. There is one team that we physically can't compete against. Look at the other losses and the blame gets shifted directly to Dan. It's not about records, it's not about history, it's about did you maximize this teams potential and I say hell no.

11-1 with the one being Alabama gets us in the playoffs. Our best win is Southern Miss. This is 2012.

[Barking 13]

11-1 would be a step forward for our program- one we failed to make this year.

It's not just about wins- it's also about who you beat as well and how you go about doing it. The real "old MSU"- not the one in Liverpool's dreams- would also schedule West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Houston, etc. We basically have five wins plugged in with the way we have scheduled + Kentucky since Greg Byrne arrived minus the Scott Stricklin Oklahoma State fiasco. Our schedule is teed up for Dan to have success relative to our history.

That said, we lost to LSU because Dan mismanaged the game at the end. We lost Texas A&M and Alabama because we were not physical enough and were outmanned on the o-line yet we are SEC caliber at pretty much every other position group exept maybe safety- and even there we have some outstanding young talent. The good news is those are things that are correctable for us.

So yes, we could go 9-3 and have it argued that we underachieved.

This is by far the most rational thing you have posted all year... 4 missed tackles... look at it again.. 4 missed tackles = 28 points! Our 2nd or 3rd rate OL was going up against a DL that has 14 NFL players in the rotation. Their secondary played lights out and PI'ed like crazy and got away with it. Yes, we are a good team, but we are limited and the elite teams exploit your weaknesses. Now we have to win the next three.