State #15 in Sporting News Early Top 25

[bluelightstar]

http://www.sportingnews.com/ca/ncaa-football/news/college-football-rankings-sns-pre-preseason-top-25-for-2019/18txxn5ac80fp1d08uj8ia1my8

Have to say, I didn?t see that coming. Maybe it?s not all doom and gloom.

[MetEdDawg]

For an odd numbered year we actually have a favorable schedule. Crossover with a depleted Kentucky team at home and get a rebuilding Tennessee team on the road after our bye week and the week after they play Georgia.

Our 4 non conference are very manageable. We get OM at home and a bad Arkansas team on the road. Auburn on the road but they don't have a QB. TAMU on the road but we have had their number the last 5 years.

I think the schedule is actually very favorable for 8-4. Outside of TAMU we should be favored in all but one of those football games I mentioned.

[BuckyIsAB****]

I only see 1 sure loss in Bama and that one is at home.

Im as mad at Moorhead as any but we're not going to go 3-9

[smootness]

LOL, that is stupid.

[Quaoarsking]

Can't be true. I read on Elite Dawgs that we're going to go 5-7 and probably lose to teams like Tennessee, Kentucky, and Kansas State.

[thf24]

Can't be true. I read on Elite Dawgs that we're going to go 5-7 and probably lose to teams like Tennessee, Kentucky, and Kansas State.

Yep, we're truly blessed to have all these guys around who are so smart that they don't have to have a shred of experience playing, coaching, or running a program at the college level to know exactly how things are going to turn out for us months and years in advance.

[Bdawg]

It's really hard for me to put a number on wins right now until I see how well KT can grasp this offense and any of our receivers take it to another level. Like the optimism from them though.

[Todd4State]

I think our season depends on how well Key does- or Shrader. We also are going to need some freshmen to step up and a couple of younger players like Whop and Marcus Murphy to step up as well. As of now I think they have us pegged correctly and honestly not a bad list for what is known at this point in the year. We have an unusual schedule. I think our OOC is slightly easier with K-State in Starkville instead of Manhatten, ULL will be a de facto home game for us in NOLA or neutral at worst. USM will be a big OOC game for us as they are one of our big 4-5 OOC rivals (USM, Memphis, Tulane, UAB, and La Tech), and the Abeline Christian is the same as Stephen F Austin. Our East schedule is easier too. UK is coming in for a payback game and Tennessee I agree with their assessment at the end. They could surprise next year and I think Pruitt will have us circled on the calendar. They will have to play Florida and Georgia back to back before they play us and then they have to go to Bama after us.

On the West schedule I think our odds of beating LSU and Bama are much better in Starkville. May or may not happen with LSU and won't happen with Alabama. Ole Miss to me- this is the one that is going to be payback for 2017 in my mind. Hopefully the team comes out with that attitude next year. Arkansas is still rebuilding but should be better. Not sure what to think about Auburn. I hope they are bad. They have to play Oregon and Texas A&M before us. I could see them winning or losing both. If they are bad it only helps us. Getting Derrick Brown back will help them out. A&M is probably our most difficult game on the SEC West road side. They should have losses to Clemson and Bama by the time we play them. They are also losing their RB, OC, TE, and a LB to the NFL along with a lot of their DL which was their strength last year. But they're recruiting well too.

[Lord McBuckethead]

It's really hard for me to put a number on wins right now until I see how well KT can grasp this offense and any of our receivers take it to another level. Like the optimism from them though.

If KT started from day one this season, we still would have gone 8-5 and KT would have an entire season under his belt and everyone here would be pushing a upcoming 10 win season. I love Fitz and I am glad he got the record, but i wish we would have moved on to KT.

[Todd4State]

If KT started from day one this season, we still would have gone 8-5 and KT would have an entire season under his belt and everyone here would be pushing a upcoming 10 win season. I love Fitz and I am glad he got the record, but i wish we would have moved on to KT.

Well, if we were going to go 8-5 either way I honestly would rather do it with Fitz in our situation. It would have caused a lot more discontent with our fans who would have been like "now we'll never know what would have happened with Fitz" plus benching a senior starter like that could have gotten used against us in recruiting. And Fitz frustrated the hell out of me.

I do think the offense would have worked slightly better with KT.

[BhamDawg205]

Well, if we were going to go 8-5 either way I honestly would rather do it with Fitz in our situation. It would have caused a lot more discontent with our fans who would have been like "now we'll never know what would have happened with Fitz" plus benching a senior starter like that could have gotten used against us in recruiting. And Fitz frustrated the hell out of me.

I do think the offense would have worked slightly better with KT.

I guess... We've seen HCs move on from successful starters, for a QB that does what their asking from that position better. Still wish one of the backups got more real game experience. Maybe JoMo felt he didn't have the standing to pull what Saban and Dabo did.

[Cooterpoot]

No QB on campus was close to Fitz. Anyone that saw practices can tell you that. KT has a lot to workout to be good. And he’s got competition. It’s not a given he’s the starter next year. I don’t see a top 15 team. Top 25 maybe. But who thought we’d be #1 in 2014? Maybe the stars align.

[RiverCityDawg]

If KT started from day one this season, we still would have gone 8-5 and KT would have an entire season under his belt and everyone here would be pushing a upcoming 10 win season. I love Fitz and I am glad he got the record, but i wish we would have moved on to KT.

You're forgetting how close the Auburn and A&M games really were. Based on what people actually around the team have said regarding Fitz being head and shoulders above KT (so far), there's no way anyone can confidently say we still would have won those games.

[msstate7]

We aren't top 20 this year with the #1 defense in the country, and this poll says we moving up into the top 15.

[BrunswickDawg]

Pre-Season Rating doesn't list MSU.
MSU Fan Reaction: "What a bunch of idiots. They know nothing."

Pre-Season Rating lists MSU: "What a bunch of idiots. They know nothing."

At least we are consistent.***

[Todd4State]

I guess... We've seen HCs move on from successful starters, for a QB that does what their asking from that position better. Still wish one of the backups got more real game experience. Maybe JoMo felt he didn't have the standing to pull what Saban and Dabo did.

Didn't have the standing? He's the head coach. And neither Hurts nor Bryant were seniors with school records on the line. Saban didn't pull Hurts until game 15 in the second half. And I'm not sure how reasonable it is to put the back up in any more than what we did without disrupting the offense even further. There's a reason why they are back-ups.

[msstate7]

Pre-Season Rating doesn't list MSU.
MSU Fan Reaction: "What a bunch of idiots. They know nothing."

Pre-Season Rating lists MSU: "What a bunch of idiots. They know nothing."

At least we are consistent.***

Any preseason poll, no matter what they say about us, is garbage if it's released pre-draft declaration and signing day

[Todd4State]

You're forgetting how close the Auburn and A&M games really were. Based on what people actually around the team have said regarding Fitz being head and shoulders above KT (so far), there's no way anyone can confidently say we still would have won those games.

Yeah. I'm not sure I buy the whole KT doesn't know the offense narrative. Wouldn't be the first time MSU leaked out false info to protect a struggling player. Hi Brandon Holloway and Rufus Warren! If he didn't know it we wouldn't have been running him out there at WR. It also doesn't show up in games like he doesn't know what he is doing when he plays.

[BrunswickDawg]

https://media.tenor.com/images/67af60f7cc12e5a71e15417fad5b31ed/tenor.gif
Any preseason poll, no matter what they say about us, is garbage if it's released pre-draft declaration and signing day

[smootness]

Pre-Season Rating doesn't list MSU.
MSU Fan Reaction: "What a bunch of idiots. They know nothing."

Pre-Season Rating lists MSU: "What a bunch of idiots. They know nothing."

At least we are consistent.***

Correct, we are consistent. What is funnier are the people who, when we're ranked last in the West, say, 'These people are stupid and know nothing,' which is accurate...but when the same outlets rank us high, say, 'Oh, see how wise they are.' They still know nothing, yet we're taking this as some sign we're actually going to be really good next year.

Also, the people who buy into this ranking seem to be the same ones defending Moorhead this year by saying all of our talent is on defense and we actually have putrid talent on offense. So somehow, by losing just about all of our elite talent on defense and keeping some of that putrid talent on offense, we will be better next year and top 15 in the country.

Next year is not going to be a very good year. This ranking does not change that.

[Liverpooldawg]

Anything above 6-6 is a welcome surprise next year.

[Jack Lambert]

We bitch about the bias against State every year with the media and when one comes out and is positive we have fans who has to shit on it. We have the worse fans far and above all others.

[CadaverDawg]

15? In football?

https://media.giphy.com/media/wYyTHMm50f4Dm/giphy.gif

[dawgday166]

No QB on campus was close to Fitz. Anyone that saw practices can tell you that. KT has a lot to workout to be good. And he?s got competition. It?s not a given he?s the starter next year. I don?t see a top 15 team. Top 25 maybe. But who thought we?d be #1 in 2014? Maybe the stars align.

I almost put down a longshot bet to win Natty going into 2014. Knew we'd blow it somehow tho (didn't trust Mullen to be consistent enough to win all but one game and also beat Bama in TTown).

Felt more confident about the talent coming back this year, but was concerned with turning over the new staff. It's almost unheard of for a whole new staff to come in with a new offense and keep the mojo going with a good team. I also was unsure with Marcus Johnson as Oline coach (not because of OM ties but because of youth and inexperience) and Shoop and the D staff. Also, new offenses take time to implement. I did think there were similarities between Mullen's and Joe's offenses and I did somewhat buy into a lot of the "around game 5 or 6, McSorley and PSU's offense took off under Moorhead" hype on here tho. So I thought that transition might be somewhat smooth. But then I saw a lot of issues in our 1st 3 games that concerned me. Didn't see us flubbing the KY game tho.

Gus struck lightening in a bottle in 2013, but that offense was also the same and AU also had a couple of real lucky breaks that year.

Next year ... I don't see a top 15 team at all. I'd be shocked if that happened. I think we're in for a 3 or 4 year roller coaster somewhat like Mullen from 2009 - 2013.

ETA: Part of Mullen's roller coaster were staff changes. If Joe can keep the staff changes to insignificant ones, then roller coaster may not be as long.

[RougeDawg]

We bitch about the bias against State every year with the media and when one comes out and is positive we have fans who has to shit on it. We have the worse fans far and above all others.

7 wants us to fail so he can C34 his chest that he was correct about Don being the only one who can win at State. Also remember that 7 said WR talent does not matter and has no impact on passing statistics, even though they are half of the equation in all passing stats. I?m still trying to figure out that math. Maybe he is using Common Core math instructions, where the answer is whatever you say it is, as long as you justify how you obtained it.

[msstate7]

7 wants us to fail so he can C34 his chest that he was correct about Don being the only one who can win at State. Also remember that 7 said WR talent does not matter and has no impact on passing statistics, even though they are half of the equation in all passing stats. I?m still trying to figure out that math. Maybe he is using Common Core math instructions, where the answer is whatever you say it is, as long as you justify how you obtained it.

"Another Fitz bashing thread. Give Fitz the receivers if just about any other SEC team and he is right up there with anyoothee SEC qb. Our lack of receivers has more to do with his passing than he did. Why are some so dense on this subject."

This is you in this thread...
https://www.elitedawgs.com/showthread.php?71978-Brandon-Wimbush-transferring-from-Notre-Dame

You think the only difference in tua, fitz, and Fromm passing is WR play. You're just not a smart person

[Commercecomet24]

We bitch about the bias against State every year with the media and when one comes out and is positive we have fans who has to shit on it. We have the worse fans far and above all others.

Rep Given!

[StarkVegasSteve]

We're a 7-5 team next year. We'll probably have some amazing highs and some frustrating lows. So in a nutshell.......a typical State football season

[MaroonFlounder]

What's gonna be funny is when we have a better passing QB and the same WRs with the dropsies...and these guys won't be able to bash Nicky Fitz.