Todd4State
10-23-2016, 01:20 AM
We?re probably going to go 3-9 this year. Now, as you know this doesn?t totally surprise me as I said in December that by keeping Dan we would decline as a program. I think everyone sees what I was talking about now. That said, how do we fix it? Because I?m not really happy that I am correct- just that I caught a lot of grief over it last year.
We must hire a new coach. I think if we do that in the offseason I think we can turn our program around fairly quickly. If we don?t I think we could be looking at a 2-3 year rebuilding project not including a losing season next year so really four years basically.
Why do I think we can turn it around quickly with a new coach?
First the chicken before the egg- we must hire a coach that wants to be at MSU, has energy, passion, and can recruit. And we need someone that will make sound coaching decisions. That in and of itself would probably have us at 4-2, maybe even 5-1 right now. As it is you look at the results of our season right now and we have a loss where we missed a field goal at the end of the game, a three point loss where we rallied late against a prevent defense, a loss in overtime, and now a loss on a last second field goal. That tells me that we?re not that far off from being at least a bowl team again. It also tells me that with a coach that is able to get our players a little more focused, better coached, and maybe a better coaching decision or two and we?re right back where we were around 2013 at least if not better. Better recruiting could also lead to a player or two that could make a difference for us in those close games. And of course a coach willing to put those immediate impact type players on the field sooner and utilize them better.
We do need a new S&C coach as well. Not because I think we?re necessarily out of shape, but S&C coaches have another important role. They help set the tone and attitude of the team in the offseason. See Alabama?s S&C coach. There are a number of videos on youtube of him- Scott Cochran- and I think you will see what I mean if you see one of his videos. Our team never seems to come out with as much emotion as the other team. And yes, some of that is on Dan and his attitude, but I think the S&C is also a part of that. It?s also the job of the S&C coach to challenge the players in the offseason which in theory will help them when they face challenges during the season. And no, I?m not at every workout with the players, but I have a feeling that is the root of some of our problems.
And the last thing is while I don?t subscribe to the ?we?re young? line that Dan is trying to sell our fans, I will say that our younger players are in a lot of cases our best players. Fitzgerald has a lot of promise is has shown a similar career arc statistically as Dak, Dear and Mixon are underclassmen and maybe a new coach would use them as slot WR?s 50% of the time and running backs 50% of the time. Aeris has been productive and I thought Nick Gibson played pretty well tonight also. I really like Jamal Couch?s potential and he is only learning the WR position. Same with Farrod Green at TE. I expect Elgton Jenkins and Michael Story to continue to improve and with a new o-line coach they could make some major strides. Simmons is probably going to play in the NFL one day and looks every bit as good as Cox and Chris Jones at this stage of their career. Leo Lewis is already emerging as a leader on our team and he is only a redshirt freshman. Marquiss Spencer is going to be a very productive player for us. Gerri Green has had a rough year, but I still like his potential. Mark McLaurin has been an upgrade at safety for us and has made big plays the past two games for us. Jamal Peters has shown how athletic he is while learning a new position. The common thread here is all of those players are freshmen or sophomores which means that they should get better. I think a new face might help them to get there sooner or be able to showcase their abilities a little bit better. And maybe get some of the new JUCO guys on the field sooner which is much needed because there are some holes here and there as well.
That?s just how I see it. We?ll have to see how the season plays out and if we by miracle can pull out an upset or two. And hopefully Keenum and the new AD whomever that is will make the best decision for our football program when the season is over.
We must hire a new coach. I think if we do that in the offseason I think we can turn our program around fairly quickly. If we don?t I think we could be looking at a 2-3 year rebuilding project not including a losing season next year so really four years basically.
Why do I think we can turn it around quickly with a new coach?
First the chicken before the egg- we must hire a coach that wants to be at MSU, has energy, passion, and can recruit. And we need someone that will make sound coaching decisions. That in and of itself would probably have us at 4-2, maybe even 5-1 right now. As it is you look at the results of our season right now and we have a loss where we missed a field goal at the end of the game, a three point loss where we rallied late against a prevent defense, a loss in overtime, and now a loss on a last second field goal. That tells me that we?re not that far off from being at least a bowl team again. It also tells me that with a coach that is able to get our players a little more focused, better coached, and maybe a better coaching decision or two and we?re right back where we were around 2013 at least if not better. Better recruiting could also lead to a player or two that could make a difference for us in those close games. And of course a coach willing to put those immediate impact type players on the field sooner and utilize them better.
We do need a new S&C coach as well. Not because I think we?re necessarily out of shape, but S&C coaches have another important role. They help set the tone and attitude of the team in the offseason. See Alabama?s S&C coach. There are a number of videos on youtube of him- Scott Cochran- and I think you will see what I mean if you see one of his videos. Our team never seems to come out with as much emotion as the other team. And yes, some of that is on Dan and his attitude, but I think the S&C is also a part of that. It?s also the job of the S&C coach to challenge the players in the offseason which in theory will help them when they face challenges during the season. And no, I?m not at every workout with the players, but I have a feeling that is the root of some of our problems.
And the last thing is while I don?t subscribe to the ?we?re young? line that Dan is trying to sell our fans, I will say that our younger players are in a lot of cases our best players. Fitzgerald has a lot of promise is has shown a similar career arc statistically as Dak, Dear and Mixon are underclassmen and maybe a new coach would use them as slot WR?s 50% of the time and running backs 50% of the time. Aeris has been productive and I thought Nick Gibson played pretty well tonight also. I really like Jamal Couch?s potential and he is only learning the WR position. Same with Farrod Green at TE. I expect Elgton Jenkins and Michael Story to continue to improve and with a new o-line coach they could make some major strides. Simmons is probably going to play in the NFL one day and looks every bit as good as Cox and Chris Jones at this stage of their career. Leo Lewis is already emerging as a leader on our team and he is only a redshirt freshman. Marquiss Spencer is going to be a very productive player for us. Gerri Green has had a rough year, but I still like his potential. Mark McLaurin has been an upgrade at safety for us and has made big plays the past two games for us. Jamal Peters has shown how athletic he is while learning a new position. The common thread here is all of those players are freshmen or sophomores which means that they should get better. I think a new face might help them to get there sooner or be able to showcase their abilities a little bit better. And maybe get some of the new JUCO guys on the field sooner which is much needed because there are some holes here and there as well.
That?s just how I see it. We?ll have to see how the season plays out and if we by miracle can pull out an upset or two. And hopefully Keenum and the new AD whomever that is will make the best decision for our football program when the season is over.