Mullen and MSU history

[4Dawgs4Life]

I wonder if our fanbase realizes how far Mullen has actually brought our program. Think about the history of the football program. We have been mired in mediocrity or even less for the last 40 years. Other than the 98 season (a down year for several programs) you have to go all the way back to 1941 to find any meaningful success for football here. We have only been to 17 bowl games and Mullen is responsible for 3 of those. We had one of the smallest stadiums and lowest attendance in the league. Because of Mullen that has improved, DRASTICALLY! Because of Mullen we actually tailgate now, we show and have some passion now.

I realize with the great success Mullen has had that expectations and passion has risen. So I think Mullen is actually becoming a victim of his own success. Use to we didn't care. We just knew we would win in baseball and basketball and just wanted to be able to beat TSUN now and then in football.

So just realize what you might get when you guys are calling for Mullen's head and wanting Hud to replace him. I mean what has Hudspeth done anyway? He isn't proving anything ULLafayette. I suppose what's next is some will want to hire a girl's basketball coach. Bucky's offense won't be sustainable in the SEC and neither will Hud's. Mullen has his QB now and next year will be a huge year with Dak starting from the get go and having experience on the team. Also as I hear we will make a huge splash for a big time WR in recruiting. We are also in on a big time RB. So relax guys. This is the down year before we come back with vengance next year

Go Dawgs!

Beat the hell out of JFF

[CadaverDawg]

You lost me at "because of Mullen we tailgate". This shit is terrible.

[cheewgumm]

I don't even know where to begin, so I won't.

[4Dawgs4Life]

So you saw passion at MSU tailgating before the last four years?

[CadaverDawg]

So you saw passion at MSU tailgating before the last four years?

Yes.

But that's only one of the ridiculous things you said. You need to stop before someone that cares enough decides to shred your post

[4Dawgs4Life]

So you think we had passion and cared for football during the Felker, Croom and hell even Sherrill. It improved with Jackie but still we cared more about baseball and basketball.

All I'm saying is us trying to win in football is sort of like TSUN trying in basketball and baseball. They were way way behind. Mainly because they didn't care. Now they do and they have gotten better but still way behind us when it comes to those sports (Ray will get us back to our rightful place). But the point is they have never had success in those sports so it's much harder to overcome that history. For us it is just with football.

So personally think Mullen has done a much better job than even is apparent by Bowl wins and win/lose record.

[CadaverDawg]

Sorry, but I'm not wasting my time arguing with you man. You are completely clueless about what you're talking about. Welcome to the board, but I'll let someone else take this one if they feel like it.

[4Dawgs4Life]

I guess unless you are a Negative Nancy here you don't like em?

Would you prefer me start a thread about how we need to fire Mullen and go after Petrino?

Yea let's fire Mullen in the middle of stadium expansion. Let's reset the fan base next year when we barely fill the stadium now. How will the next two years look like in our stadium with a rebuild going on? Espcecially with the increased seating capacity. What if Hud or Petrino don't succeed good enough? Do we pay another buyout and look again? There is something to be said about stability ya know. I mean one bad year and people are jumbping ship. We must stay the course! Don't faze now. You guys are letting Freeze and that pathetic fan base dictate to you guys what we should do and what our expectations should be.

[CadaverDawg]

I guess unless you are a Negative Nancy here you don't like em?

Would you prefer me start a thread about how we need to fire Mullen and go after Petrino?

Yea let's fire Mullen in the middle of stadium expansion. Let's reset the fan base next year when we barely fill the stadium now. How will the next two years look like in our stadium with a rebuild going on? Espcecially with the increased seating capacity. What if Hud or Petrino don't succeed good enough? Do we pay another buyout and look again? There is something to be said about stability ya know. I mean one bad year and people are jumbping ship. We must stay the course! Don't faze now. You guys are letting Freeze and that pathetic fan base dictate to you guys what we should do and what our expectations should be.

No dumbass, I would rather you start a thread that makes some damn sense. Just stop. I could pick your OP apart but it's been done a thousand times over the last week or two.

This has nothing to do with negative vs positive...it has to do with you not knowing what the hell you're talking about. Ok?

There is seriously so many things wrong with every one of your posts in this thread, that it would take hours to list them all.

[HunterDawg]

I think a lot of our current unhappiness is due to our OOC schedule. At first, winning was winning. Now, we just don't get much satisfaction out of pounding SWAC teams or lower level Sunbelt teams, and beating Ky just isn't that rewarding.

So, now, once the creampuffs are gone, we are staring at Alabama, LSU, A&M etc. and nothing in between. All of a sudden our "big win" so far is Ky??

We need to schedule some OOC games we can win and still be proud of. It would help us a lot. Not Okla St. but not Alcorn St, either.

We need some positive vibes and we can't get those any more from beating cupcakes. Just can't. We can't impress recruits talking about that big win over Jackson St., either. Our losses suck, but our wins aren't much better, so where does that leave us?

[4Dawgs4Life]

Wow dumbass? I suppose that is ok talk on message boards nowadays huh?

This is one of our problems. We would rather infight and call each other dumbasses than all get behind Coach Mullen and this football team. You don't think those players know that we are trying to replace there coach? They see these type of things from boards like this. I mean it doesn't have to be all koolaid but sheesh.

So what do you think the problem is? If you can discuss with civility that is. Remeber I didn't name call.

[preachermatt83]

Dan.... Is that you?

[Apoplectic]

So what do you think the problem is? If you can discuss with civility that is. Remeber I didn't name call.

Well you can start with coaching then there's a lack of leadership and oh yea dont overlook VERY! POOR! COACHING!!!

[Dawg61]

Wow dumbass? I suppose that is ok talk on message boards nowadays huh?

This is one of our problems. We would rather infight and call each other dumbasses than all get behind Coach Mullen and this football team. You don't think those players know that we are trying to replace there coach? They see these type of things from boards like this. I mean it doesn't have to be all koolaid but sheesh.

So what do you think the problem is? If you can discuss with civility that is. Remeber I didn't name call.

The problem is this argument has occurred about a thousand times on this board in the last month. Nobody has the energy to keep saying the same shit like a Chatty Cathy doll. Quick summary. Nobody wants just Hud. It's Hud PLUS a complete overhaul in the compliance department AND the athletic department PLUS hiring 20+ new positions that MSU currently doesn't have. Welcome to the board and try to read a little at first before quickly jumping into posting the same subjects we've all already had 1,000 times over.

[engie]

Yay, it's this thread again...

Tailgating - an MSU tradition since 2009!!1!1

[Dawgbite]

Besides, anybody that was in their High School band and now has a computer with internet access obviously knows more about running a SEC athletic dept than a damn Yankee and the prodigal son in law. Just because they have spent their whole lives in this field and have steadily been promoted, doesn't mean they know what they are doing. *******

[Churchill]

If it ain`t Dan, it`s close relative or department employee.

[DownwardDawg]

I wonder if our fanbase realizes how far Mullen has actually brought our program. Think about the history of the football program. We have been mired in mediocrity or even less for the last 40 years. Other than the 98 season (a down year for several programs) you have to go all the way back to 1941 to find any meaningful success for football here. We have only been to 17 bowl games and Mullen is responsible for 3 of those. We had one of the smallest stadiums and lowest attendance in the league. Because of Mullen that has improved, DRASTICALLY! Because of Mullen we actually tailgate now, we show and have some passion now.

I realize with the great success Mullen has had that expectations and passion has risen. So I think Mullen is actually becoming a victim of his own success. Use to we didn't care. We just knew we would win in baseball and basketball and just wanted to be able to beat TSUN now and then in football.

So just realize what you might get when you guys are calling for Mullen's head and wanting Hud to replace him. I mean what has Hudspeth done anyway? He isn't proving anything ULLafayette. I suppose what's next is some will want to hire a girl's basketball coach. Bucky's offense won't be sustainable in the SEC and neither will Hud's. Mullen has his QB now and next year will be a huge year with Dak starting from the get go and having experience on the team. Also as I hear we will make a huge splash for a big time WR in recruiting. We are also in on a big time RB. So relax guys. This is the down year before we come back with vengance next year

Go Dawgs!

Beat the hell out of JFF

Wow. Hud has proven EVERYTHING he needs to. This shows you have no idea what you are talking about. He'll have a big time job very soon. Also, he runs a run first spread offense, something that is very sustainable for an SEC team.

[MrKotter]

I guess unless you are a Negative Nancy here you don't like em?

Would you prefer me start a thread about how we need to fire Mullen and go after Petrino?

Yea let's fire Mullen in the middle of stadium expansion. Let's reset the fan base next year when we barely fill the stadium now. How will the next two years look like in our stadium with a rebuild going on? Espcecially with the increased seating capacity. What if Hud or Petrino don't succeed good enough? Do we pay another buyout and look again? There is something to be said about stability ya know. I mean one bad year and people are jumbping ship. We must stay the course! Don't faze now. You guys are letting Freeze and that pathetic fan base dictate to you guys what we should do and what our expectations should be.
Do you believe anything you have been saying or are you just trying to be cute and stir the pot?

[4Dawgs4Life]

Wow. Hud has proven EVERYTHING he needs to. This shows you have no idea what you are talking about. He'll have a big time job very soon. Also, he runs a run first spread offense, something that is very sustainable for an SEC team.



Uh he barely beat Troy last night. Did you watch that game? Heck without a KO return he doesn't win. Yea great offense! Dan slaughtered that D and Hud couldn't outscore em.

[PMDawg]

Uh he barely beat Troy last night. Did you watch that game? Heck without a KO return he doesn't win. Yea great offense! Dan slaughtered that D and Hud couldn't outscore em.

you're embarrassing yourself with every post. For your own good, just stop. I'm embarrassed for you.

[Political Hack]

Since we beat Florida in the Swamp in 2010, the only other teams to do it are South Carolina, Florida State, and Bama. Let that sink in. We can win big games with CDM.

We beat (destroyed) college footballs all time winningest program in the Gator Bowl.

We've beaten our in-state rival 3 out of 4.

We haven't had any embarrassing losses to Maine, Jacksonville State, Troy, etc... under CDM.

CDM is tied for most bowl wins ever at MSU.

Until last year, CDM had given us the longest active bowl won streak in the nation.

CDM has taken to three consecutive bowl games in only four years.

in the end, it's not the coach. It's the program that's holding us back. To take this myopic viewpoint that CDM is the only thing that impacts wins and losses is extremely narrow minded.

CDM + the Ninja ='d excellence. We need changes, but we're pointing the fingers in the wrong direction.

[Jack Lambert]

You lost me at "because of Mullen we tailgate". This shit is terrible.

When I was at State tailgating was sitting in the back seat of your car eating a sandwich because you were too cheap to buy food in the stadium. I remember walking by DWS on Fridays and all you saw was big RV's where the Junction is now and everyone was inside watching Soaps on the TV. It has change a bunch over the past five years. There is way more excitement before games now then there was six years ago. It was a hard decision to pack up, drive two hours and watch Miss State when Croom was there. Not so much when JWS but every other coach other then Mullen and JWS it was a struggle to get motivated to go. You could buy season tickets every year if you wanted or you could skip a year and the next buy them. You lost your seating but you could buy tickets. Now if you let your season tickets go good luck getting them back. That's the fact.

[AROB44]

Since we beat Florida in the Swamp in 2010, the only other teams to do it are South Carolina, Florida State, and Bama. Let that sink in. We can win big games with CDM.

We beat (destroyed) college footballs all time winningest program in the Gator Bowl.

We've beaten our in-state rival 3 out of 4.

We haven't had any embarrassing losses to Maine, Jacksonville State, Troy, etc... under CDM.

CDM is tied for most bowl wins ever at MSU.

Until last year, CDM had given us the longest active bowl won streak in the nation.

CDM has taken to three consecutive bowl games in only four years.

in the end, it's not the coach. It's the program that's holding us back. To take this myopic viewpoint that CDM is the only thing that impacts wins and losses is extremely narrow minded.

CDM + the Ninja ='d excellence. We need changes, but we're pointing the fingers in the wrong direction.

You nailed it!!! Problems are greater that the head football coach.

[smootness]

CDM + the Ninja ='d excellence. We need changes, but we're pointing the fingers in the wrong direction.

I agree with most of your post, but can we please stop with this, at least until someone can show me what Byrne did that Stricklin isn't?

[RougeDawg]

And the reason we are light years behind most other SEC programs. For most of you then and now a football game is just an event to socialize. **** that. If I wanted to socialize I would spend my fall weekends staggering down bourbon street and the garden district, saving me time and gas money. This shitvartifudr is the reason I get yelled at for standing up and yelling on big plays. This same attitude provoked my response to call the "don't give a shitters" behind me that they needed to stop being pussies.

Why in the **** would ever you not give a shit if we were successful in football, because we were successful in other sports? **** that also. I want to be the best at everything. I know it's not possible but being complacent and satisfied with anything less than #1 is unacceptable. This bullshit attitude is the reason we remain amongst the have nots in SEC football.

I've only left one game early ever (12 egg bowl on Oxford) since I've been attending 8+ games a year, starting in 98. I stay because I have passion and want so badly to be a top half SEC program. Problem is, we only have a small portion of our fan base that wants it that bad. We still have too many "Saturday social" ***** fans to take that next step. The way I see it, it's going to be another 10-15 years to purge enough of these out of the stands and influential positions for us to take that next step. New mentality fans would have let Mullen know at end of last year that changes needed to be made on the coaching staff other than DC. Old mentality sits back and allows same shit to happen in 13. Any stagnant yr is a year more you fall behind and we are about to head into a 3rd straight yr of stagnation in 14, unless someone forced a change.

[Jack Lambert]

And the reason we are light years behind most other SEC programs. For most of you then and now a football game is just an event to socialize. **** that. If I wanted to socialize I would spend my fall weekends staggering down bourbon street and the garden district, saving me time and gas money. This shitvartifudr is the reason I get yelled at for standing up and yelling on big plays. This same attitude provoked my response to call the "don't give a shitters" behind me that they needed to stop being pussies.

Why in the **** would ever you not give a shit if we were successful in football, because we were successful in other sports? **** that also. I want to be the best at everything. I know it's not possible but being complacent and satisfied with anything less than #1 is unacceptable. This bullshit attitude is the reason we remain amongst the have nots in SEC football.

I've only left one game early ever (12 egg bowl on Oxford) since I've been attending 8+ games a year, starting in 98. I stay because I have passion and want so badly to be a top half SEC program. Problem is, we only have a small portion of our fan base that wants it that bad. We still have too many "Saturday social" ***** fans to take that next step. The way I see it, it's going to be another 10-15 years to purge enough of these out of the stands and influential positions for us to take that next step. New mentality fans would have let Mullen know at end of last year that changes needed to be made on the coaching staff other than DC. Old mentality sits back and allows same shit to happen in 13. Any stagnant yr is a year more you fall behind and we are about to head into a 3rd straight yr of stagnation in 14, unless someone forced a change.

I'm not blue hair but I think you need to grow up a little. I think you could make your point with out the F bomb.

[Tbonewannabe]

Since we beat Florida in the Swamp in 2010, thei only other teams to do it are South Carolina, Florida State, and Bama. Let that sink in. We can win big games with CDM.

We beat (destroyed) college footballs all time winningest program in the Gator Bowl.

We've beaten our in-state rival 3 out of 4.

We haven't had any embarrassing losses to Maine, Jacksonville State, Troy, etc... under CDM.

CDM is tied for most bowl wins ever at MSU.

Until last year, CDM had given us the longest active bowl won streak in the nation.

CDM has taken to three consecutive bowl games in only four years.

in the end, it's not the coach. It's the program that's holding us back. To take this myopic viewpoint that CDM is the only thing that impacts wins and losses is extremely narrow minded.

CDM + the Ninja ='d excellence. We need changes, but we're pointing the fingers in the wrong direction.

In the present, you don't let someone completely tear down the program before you make a change. All of last year everyone believed that we were saving something for Bama. We struggled to win against everyone but jsu. We weren't even competitive against all the teams with a heartbeat. I didn't go to any games in 2008 because I knew what it was going to be like with Croom.

Sometimes a coach just loses it and can't get it back. The team is fighting but this team lacks cohesion that a coach brings. Maybe Dan can't be head coach and call plays. It is like we don't have a head coach but an offensive coordinator filling in.

[OldFatDog]

I wonder if our fanbase realizes how far Mullen has actually brought our program. Think about the history of the football program. We have been mired in mediocrity or even less for the last 40 years. Other than the 98 season (a down year for several programs) you have to go all the way back to 1941 to find any meaningful success for football here. We have only been to 17 bowl games and Mullen is responsible for 3 of those. We had one of the smallest stadiums and lowest attendance in the league. Because of Mullen that has improved, DRASTICALLY! Because of Mullen we actually tailgate now, we show and have some passion now.

I realize with the great success Mullen has had that expectations and passion has risen. So I think Mullen is actually becoming a victim of his own success. Use to we didn't care. We just knew we would win in baseball and basketball and just wanted to be able to beat TSUN now and then in football.

So just realize what you might get when you guys are calling for Mullen's head and wanting Hud to replace him. I mean what has Hudspeth done anyway? He isn't proving anything ULLafayette. I suppose what's next is some will want to hire a girl's basketball coach. Bucky's offense won't be sustainable in the SEC and neither will Hud's. Mullen has his QB now and next year will be a huge year with Dak starting from the get go and having experience on the team. Also as I hear we will make a huge splash for a big time WR in recruiting. We are also in on a big time RB. So relax guys. This is the down year before we come back with vengance next year

Go Dawgs!

Beat the hell out of JFF

Hey man, cadaver negotiated a truce. Lets honor that. You started a useless thread. Having said that, I can't resist saying this. While I agree with your ultimate point of keeping Mullen, your tailgate argument hurts the cause. It is such a bad argument that it drowns any other points you try to make. Lets stick to the ceasefire on this topic.

[OldFatDog]

I'm not blue hair but I think you need to grow up a little. I think you could make your point with out the F bomb.

I am a blue hair. What the **** is wrong with F bombs? Cursing is an artistic exercise. While RougeDawg used the word liberally, he did use it correctly.

[It_Could_Happen]

I think a lot of our current unhappiness is due to our OOC schedule. At first, winning was winning. Now, we just don't get much satisfaction out of pounding SWAC teams or lower level Sunbelt teams, and beating Ky just isn't that rewarding.

So, now, once the creampuffs are gone, we are staring at Alabama, LSU, A&M etc. and nothing in between. All of a sudden our "big win" so far is Ky??

We need to schedule some OOC games we can win and still be proud of. It would help us a lot. Not Okla St. but not Alcorn St, either.

We need some positive vibes and we can't get those any more from beating cupcakes. Just can't. We can't impress recruits talking about that big win over Jackson St., either. Our losses suck, but our wins aren't much better, so where does that leave us?

I like this. Why can't we schedule a team like this:

Arizona
Washington
Minnesota
Boston College
Virginia
Iowa State

[smootness]

I like this. Why can't we schedule a team like this:

Arizona
Washington
Minnesota
Boston College
Virginia
Iowa State

To some degree, you run the risk of them being better than they were when you scheduled them. Take GT for example...we just happened to get them for a couple of years when they were really good. Same with Oregon. You don't really run that risk with the teams from lower conferences...even if they're on an upswing, they're probably not going to be so good that they become a toss-up.

But I do agree. I would like to see us throw in a game or two a year against ok teams from BCS conferences...Maryland, Indiana, or the teams you mentioned.

[4Dawgs4Life]

Lambert and Hack get it!

Can folks discuss without the F words and name call?

Some if you just want to follow tsun example and they have nothing to do with our program. Let them do what they do and we will keep a relentless effort toward excellence! Remember Mullen drive that group to firing Nutt and made them rabid crazy. Now he's going to put that fake preacher in his place!

MSU 48
TSUN 14

[Jack Lambert]

I am a blue hair. What the **** is wrong with F bombs? Cursing is an artistic exercise. While RougeDawg used the word liberally, he did use it correctly.

It usually means you think like an insect. Normally when someone uses words like that in a sentence it means they are insecure with what they are saying and trying to mask it. You probably need to grow up as well.

[ckDOG]

Dan Mullen is not doing anything extraordinary that dozens of other coaches couldn't do at MSU. Going to a bowl game is not a reward for an extraordinary season any longer. Dan Mullen is capitalizing off 12 attempts to win 6 games, 4 of which are typically patsies. Throw in the wrinkle of 3 patsies vs the usual 4 and look at us worrying about bowl eligibility this year.

Does that mean I think we should fire Dan Mullen and go with someone else? No. We know what we have with Mullen and, assuming he works on his stubborn personality, he has the opportunity to improve on his weaknesses and potentially take us from bottom tier SEC program to middle of the pack. Then, we can sing high praises for Dan Mullen.

My point is - MSU has always been mediocre and we are still mediocre to this day. You are just getting the better rewards for mediocrity in 2013 and higher cost to play the game confused with actual improvement and greater success. We still are in our place and it's at the very bottom. Look it up.

[MadDawg]

Since we beat Florida in the Swamp in 2010, the only other teams to do it are South Carolina, Florida State, and Bama. Let that sink in. We can win big games with CDM.

We beat (destroyed) college footballs all time winningest program in the Gator Bowl.

We've beaten our in-state rival 3 out of 4.

We haven't had any embarrassing losses to Maine, Jacksonville State, Troy, etc... under CDM.

CDM is tied for most bowl wins ever at MSU.

Until last year, CDM had given us the longest active bowl won streak in the nation.

CDM has taken to three consecutive bowl games in only four years.

in the end, it's not the coach. It's the program that's holding us back. To take this myopic viewpoint that CDM is the only thing that impacts wins and losses is extremely narrow minded.

CDM + the Ninja ='d excellence. We need changes, but we're pointing the fingers in the wrong direction.


BRAVO!!

[engie]

When I was at State tailgating was sitting in the back seat of your car eating a sandwich because you were too cheap to buy food in the stadium. I remember walking by DWS on Fridays and all you saw was big RV's where the Junction is now and everyone was inside watching Soaps on the TV. It has change a bunch over the past five years. There is way more excitement before games now then there was six years ago. It was a hard decision to pack up, drive two hours and watch Miss State when Croom was there. Not so much when JWS but every other coach other then Mullen and JWS it was a struggle to get motivated to go. You could buy season tickets every year if you wanted or you could skip a year and the next buy them. You lost your seating but you could buy tickets. Now if you let your season tickets go good luck getting them back. That's the fact.

The Junction was designed in 05 and looked identical to current form when I was there in 07. It may be "new" -- but it isn't Dan Mullen new -- and giving him credit for it is ridiculous.

[MadDawg]

And the reason we are light years behind most other SEC programs. For most of you then and now a football game is just an event to socialize. **** that. If I wanted to socialize I would spend my fall weekends staggering down bourbon street and the garden district, saving me time and gas money. This shitvartifudr is the reason I get yelled at for standing up and yelling on big plays. This same attitude provoked my response to call the "don't give a shitters" behind me that they needed to stop being pussies.

Why in the **** would ever you not give a shit if we were successful in football, because we were successful in other sports? **** that also. I want to be the best at everything. I know it's not possible but being complacent and satisfied with anything less than #1 is unacceptable. This bullshit attitude is the reason we remain amongst the have nots in SEC football.

I've only left one game early ever (12 egg bowl on Oxford) since I've been attending 8+ games a year, starting in 98. I stay because I have passion and want so badly to be a top half SEC program. Problem is, we only have a small portion of our fan base that wants it that bad. We still have too many "Saturday social" ***** fans to take that next step. The way I see it, it's going to be another 10-15 years to purge enough of these out of the stands and influential positions for us to take that next step. New mentality fans would have let Mullen know at end of last year that changes needed to be made on the coaching staff other than DC. Old mentality sits back and allows same shit to happen in 13. Any stagnant yr is a year more you fall behind and we are about to head into a 3rd straight yr of stagnation in 14, unless someone forced a change.

That is some of the stupidest shit I've ever read on a message board.

"being complacent and satisfied with anything less than #1 is unacceptable"

You are going to have a long, hard life buddy. I feel sorry for anyone that knows you.

[OldFatDog]

George Carlin and I disagree.

[engie]

Since we beat Florida in the Swamp in 2010, the only other teams to do it are South Carolina, Florida State, and Bama. Let that sink in. We can win big games with CDM.

You do realize just how damn close you are to having to include another name on this list don't you? It was a Florida miracle to escape with that win. And that was a Sugar Bowl Florida. http://espn.go.com/ncf/recap?id=323150057

[Jack Lambert]

George Carlin and I disagree.

George can't agree or disagree anymore. Just saying.

[Jack Lambert]

The Junction was designed in 05 and looked identical to current form when I was there in 07. It may be "new" -- but it isn't Dan Mullen new -- and giving him credit for it is ridiculous.

Giving Mullen credit for the change in excitement before and during games you dang straight. Ten years prior it was pretty horrible around there. Man you got some pretty serious hate going on. You might want to lie off for a while. Have you posted anything positive in the past month here or at Six Pack? You are developing a bad persona and you could end up with an egg in your face.

[SoJackDog]

I'm not ready to throw anybody out here but certainly am not sold on Hudspeth. I agree with the Ole Miss baseball and basketball analogies.

[HunterDawg]

To some degree, you run the risk of them being better than they were when you scheduled them. Take GT for example...we just happened to get them for a couple of years when they were really good. Same with Oregon. You don't really run that risk with the teams from lower conferences...even if they're on an upswing, they're probably not going to be so good that they become a toss-up.

But I do agree. I would like to see us throw in a game or two a year against ok teams from BCS conferences...Maryland, Indiana, or the teams you mentioned.

Sure there is some risk to it. There is no reward without risk. Playing teams that have absolutely no chance of beating us just doesn't mean much, not even to us anymore.

And, it isn't fooling anyone, recruits included. "Bowl eligibility" is no longer a big accomplishment and certainly shouldn't be all we are trying to accomplish.

Pick some teams that have good names because they were once good, but now suck, and beat them. It will take you a lot further than whomping Jackson St.

[engie]

Giving Mullen credit for the change in excitement before and during games you dang straight. Ten years prior it was pretty horrible around there. Man you got some pretty serious hate going on. You might want to lie off for a while. Have you posted anything positive in the past month here or at Six Pack? You are developing a bad persona and you could end up with an egg in your face.

Egg on my face because sheep want to give Mullen credit for stuff he had little-to-nothing to do with? Sure, he was a tremendous shot in the arm for our program his first 3 years. No one denies that. But the Junction was bad ass in 2007 -- and Mullen had jack shit to do with that. Mullen is slow-killing the program these past two. The excitement died in 2012. The place has legitimately sold out ONCE this year -- LSU. And we're going to pack an extra 6200 seats against little sisters of the poor? Who are you kidding? Maybe we can find a wealthy alum to buy the last 8000 tickets instead of only the last 2000 tickets so we can claim a "continued sell out streak" though. That's a microcosm of my whole damn problem right now. We've got a significant portion of the fanbase that want to fight to continue the ILLUSION of something -- instead of stepping up and demanding that it be reality.

Alcorn - 55085
Troy - 55096
LSU - 57113
BG - 55148
UK - 55102

But that'll become clear when the stadium fills with Red and Blue on Thanksgiving. Actually, it probably won't -- because people that can't see it yet are unlikely to ever see it -- short of a Croomish Egg Bowl beat down at home.

I hope I do get "egg on my face" if it means MSU being successful. I'm tired of seeing laughable "we believe" threads every week when we're a 20 point underdog under a coach whose greatest underdog victory was as a 6.5 point underdog 50 damn games ago -- and having ZERO faith in our coaching staff whatsoever to step up and win us a game.

[smootness]

Sure there is some risk to it. There is no reward without risk. Playing teams that have absolutely no chance of beating us just doesn't mean much, not even to us anymore.

Very true. I was basically just responding to the thought that it would be good to play someone from a BCS conference that we can beat but should still avoid teams like Oklahoma State. There's always a risk you could lose the better competition you schedule, but my point was that you can't guarantee, several years out, what kind of competition you'll actually be facing.

We could schedule someone like Maryland now; then, within 2-3 years, they could be a top-20 team, and suddenly everyone's complaining that we've scheduled a team that is too good, even those that were calling for us to schedule better teams.

That was my only point.

[4Dawgs4Life]

So please tell us if Mullen can't get it done who do you think MSU can hire to get it done? Oh I know let's hire Saban. Maybe Miles? Oh I forgot Hudspeth, you know the guy who list two a bad Arkansas team and a bad big 12 team and barely beat a poor Troy team, is our savior.

At least set out sights for a big time hire. Get someone who has proven he can't win in the sec. Someone like Petrino. Not a sunbelt coach.

[smootness]

Someone like Petrino. Not a sunbelt coach.

Ok, troll has fully outed himself. Haha.

[Political Hack]

we scheduled West Virginia when they were awful, but they were a top ranked team challenging for BCS spots when we played them.

Schedule:
1 SWAC
1-2 CUSA
1-2 Sunbelt

I'd love to have our one OOC away game rotate between Memphis, Tulane, UAB, & Ga State.

[4Dawgs4Life]

Ok, troll has fully outed himself. Haha.

So you think Huddy is a better coach than Petrino? If you say yes you are either being intellectually dishonest or you just don't know much about football.

Ask Bo Bounds about Petrino. Ask the experts about Petrino. They all say if you want to win then hire Petrino. Let preachers, at tsun, worry about morality and we will worry about winning.

[smootness]

I was simply pointing out that you said we need Petrino and not a Sun Belt coach and apparently either didn't see the hilariousness of that statement or were just trolling.

Come on, man.

[JeanPeesSittingDown]

Mullen is remaining our coach. PERIOD.

Everyone wants Hud, but he won't come here. He's going to go to Iowa IMO.

[engie]

So please tell us if Mullen can't get it done who do you think MSU can hire to get it done? Oh I know let's hire Saban. Maybe Miles? Oh I forgot Hudspeth, you know the guy who list two a bad Arkansas team and a bad big 12 team and barely beat a poor Troy team, is our savior.

At least set out sights for a big time hire. Get someone who has proven he can't win in the sec. Someone like Petrino. Not a sunbelt coach.

Read more, post less.

[engie]

So you think Huddy is a better coach than Petrino? If you say yes you are either being intellectually dishonest or you just don't know much about football.

Ask Bo Bounds about Petrino. Ask the experts about Petrino. They all say if you want to win then hire Petrino. Let preachers, at tsun, worry about morality and we will worry about winning.

Did you miss Hudspeth destroying Petrino on his home field and completely shutting is ass down in the second half?

Petrino is good for a flash in the pan -- and a program left in shambles. He's literally proven this THREE times already. He's not a long-term answer.

[4Dawgs4Life]

Did you miss Hudspeth destroying Petrino on his home field and completely shutting is ass down in the second half?

Petrino is good for a flash in the pan -- and a program left in shambles. He's literally proven this THREE times already. He's not a long-term answer.

You just said it "long term" if that is what you want then you stay consistent and keep Mullen. But if you want results now then hire Petrino. Who yes us not a sunbelt coach. He is an sec coach who has to coach there for a year while in Exodus. You watch some program will take him and do big time things.

With Petrini we become an instant contender in the media for the west with Hudspeth we reset and start a rebuild and if, IF, he is successful he then leaves for a bigger job. Thus putting us back at square one. That's why you stay with Mullen and not blink and keep the relentless effort

[CadaverDawg]

You just said it "long term" if that is what you want then you stay consistent and keep Mullen. But if you want results now then hire Petrino. Who yes us not a sunbelt coach. He is an sec coach who has to coach there for a year while in Exodus. You watch some program will take him and do big time things.

With Petrini we become an instant contender in the media for the west with Hudspeth we reset and start a rebuild and if, IF, he is successful he then leaves for a bigger job. Thus putting us back at square one. That's why you stay with Mullen and not blink and keep the relentless effort

You're either 12, a girl, or a troll. My guess would be all 3

[smootness]

Alcorn - 55085
Troy - 55096
LSU - 57113
BG - 55148
UK - 55102

Are those attendance numbers? Because considering the opponents, that ain't too bad. It definitely doesn't rise to the level of, 'We're losing support! The HC has to go!'

[engie]

This place was setup to "get away from the pack" -- yet is becoming more unbearable than it has ever been over there with the amount of Rebel trolls here ONLY to stir the pot as faux Bulldog fans. It literally CAN NOT get anymore obvious.

[smootness]

Hey, 4Dawgs4Life, let me you ask you a question...is Urban Meyer a MAC coach? Or is Jim Tressel just an FCS coach?

Dang it, why am I engaging?!

[engie]

Are those attendance numbers? Because considering the opponents, that ain't too bad. It definitely doesn't rise to the level of, 'We're losing support! The HC has to go!'

That's paid attendance, yes. All games other than LSU had tickets remaining at kickoff and none of the other 4 ever had a full stadium.

Someone in our fanbase is buying a bunch of them at the last second -- probably for pennies on the dollar -- to preserve the sell-out streak. The "losing support" part will become obvious when revenue numbers come out.

[DownwardDawg]

you're embarrassing yourself with every post. For your own good, just stop. I'm embarrassed for you.

Me too. When I read that response I knew there was no need for me to even try.

[CadaverDawg]

This place was setup to "get away from the pack" -- yet is becoming more unbearable than it has ever been over there with the amount of Rebel trolls here ONLY to stir the pot as faux Bulldog fans. It literally CAN NOT get anymore obvious.

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121224184749/glee/images/a/ad/Weird_guy_this.gif

[DownwardDawg]

Since we beat Florida in the Swamp in 2010, the only other teams to do it are South Carolina, Florida State, and Bama. Let that sink in. We can win big games with CDM.

We beat (destroyed) college footballs all time winningest program in the Gator Bowl.

We've beaten our in-state rival 3 out of 4.

We haven't had any embarrassing losses to Maine, Jacksonville State, Troy, etc... under CDM.

CDM is tied for most bowl wins ever at MSU.

Until last year, CDM had given us the longest active bowl won streak in the nation.

CDM has taken to three consecutive bowl games in only four years.

in the end, it's not the coach. It's the program that's holding us back. To take this myopic viewpoint that CDM is the only thing that impacts wins and losses is extremely narrow minded.

CDM + the Ninja ='d excellence. We need changes, but we're pointing the fingers in the wrong direction.

The day Greg Byrne left MSU, we were sent right back to where we belong, the cellar of the SEC. He had us thinking different than we ever have. He had other SEC programs taking note and talking about us. People would ask me what happens when Mullen leaves State? My response, "who gives a shit. It's not about Mullen it's Byrne. He'll go out and hire somebody BETTER than Mullen."
Sigh....those days are gone. Imagine Hud taking a big job next year, Mullen winning 8 or 9 games next year and then taking another job elsewhere. Scott Stricklin would head up the coaching search for our football team.

[PMDawg]

You just said it "long term" if that is what you want then you stay consistent and keep Mullen. But if you want results now then hire Petrino. Who yes us not a sunbelt coach. He is an sec coach who has to coach there for a year while in Exodus. You watch some program will take him and do big time things.

With Petrini we become an instant contender in the media for the west with Hudspeth we reset and start a rebuild and if, IF, he is successful he then leaves for a bigger job. Thus putting us back at square one. That's why you stay with Mullen and not blink and keep the relentless effort

the point with Hud is that it wouldn't be a reset and rebuild. we already have the players to fit his system. He already coached this exact same offense under Mullen (not coincidentally for the 2 years that our offense was the most exciting it has been under Mullen).

You keep harping on him losing to SEC teams and barely beating sunbelt teams. News flash, genius, he's coaching a sunbelt team, not an SEC team. A historically terrible sunbelt team who is suddenly competing for sunbelt championships under Hud. If you really can't see any of this, then you're not a smart person. At all. I would wager a lot of money that my 6 year old is smarter than you. Otherwise, you're just a troll. Either way, I hope we get a mass purge of this idiocy soon (I'm looking at you, Mods). This is terrible.

[PMDawg]

Since we beat Florida in the Swamp in 2010, the only other teams to do it are South Carolina, Florida State, and Bama. Let that sink in. We can win big games with CDM.

We beat (destroyed) college footballs all time winningest program in the Gator Bowl. And we haven't beaten anyone since

We've beaten our in-state rival 3 out of 4. get back to me in 3 weeks

We haven't had any embarrassing losses to Maine, Jacksonville State, Troy, etc... under CDM. You're right. But if feels like we are getting awfully close lately

CDM is tied for most bowl wins ever at MSU. This has been discussed ad naseum. apples to oranges these days

Until last year, CDM had given us the longest active bowl won streak in the nation. totally meaningless, and he only had 2 of those

CDM has taken to three consecutive bowl games in only four years. see 2 posts above

in the end, it's not the coach. It's the program that's holding us back. To take this myopic viewpoint that CDM is the only thing that impacts wins and losses is extremely narrow minded. It's both.

CDM + the Ninja ='d excellence. We need changes, but we're pointing the fingers in the wrong direction. The ninja hasn't been calling our plays or coaching our players for the last 3 seasons

[RougeDawg]

That is some of the stupidest shit I've ever read on a message board.

"being complacent and satisfied with anything less than #1 is unacceptable"

You are going to have a long, hard life buddy. I feel sorry for anyone that knows you.

Long life for striving to be the best at whatever you do? Is that what I'm hearing? You are a moron and loser if you do anything where you do not strive for the best and to do your best. Not acceptin failure and underperformance. Jesus Christ some of you have no drive and accept shit.

What's the point of doing something at all, if you are ok and complacent with mediocrity? Your statement and others in tho thread are further proving the fact I am trying to make. Our fan base overall is satisfied with mediocrity. I'm not but I can't do everything and change the mindset of our fans who are ok with the occasional 8 win season, while our team consistently shits the bed in big games.

[4Dawgs4Life]

You're either 12, a girl, or a troll. My guess would be all 3

Once someone starts name calling you know you've won the argument. I see you rarely win any. In fact I don't know how you get away with the name calling.

[4Dawgs4Life]

Hey, 4Dawgs4Life, let me you ask you a question...is Urban Meyer a MAC coach? Or is Jim Tressel just an FCS coach?

Dang it, why am I engaging?!

You are naming TWO coaches. Really? For everyone if those coaches I could name 10 that bombed. That us a silly example.

[JeanPeesSittingDown]

This place was setup to "get away from the pack" --

If I'm not mistaken, the point you are arguing for seems like it is WITH the pack. I feel like myself and few others on this board are the ones that are not with the pack on this one.

[4Dawgs4Life]

No I guess we gotta scream like a bunch of chicken littles to fit in over here!

Sheesh I guess I would have been accepted if I had come on here and started a thread titled "Fire Mullen now and Hire HUD!"

[PassInterference]

Other than the 98 season (a down year for several programs) you have to go all the way back to 1941 to find any meaningful success for football here.

Sherrill had several great years. 3 or 4 times were were in the driver's seat or in the race for the SEC West - right down the last week or two of the season.


We had one of the smallest stadiums and lowest attendance in the league. Because of Mullen that has improved, DRASTICALLY! Because of Mullen we actually tailgate now, we show and have some passion now.

A big stadium expansion happened under Sherrill. Before that expansion, the stadium only sat 42,000 but we packed it and got rowdy. Sherrill saw the expansion to 55,000 - and we packed it and got rowdy. Even through the first 2-3 years of Croom we had good attendance (trust me you don't want to argue attendance with FlabLoser).

Tailgating? Been happening a long time. It hit a new level when The Junction was built and that happened before Mullen.




I realize with the great success Mullen has had that expectations and passion has risen. So I think Mullen is actually becoming a victim of his own success. Use to we didn't care. We just knew we would win in baseball and basketball and just wanted to be able to beat TSUN now and then in football.

There is some truth to this. Mullen has raised the floor and we expect more.

It would be more accurate to say that outside of a terrible coaching hire in Sly Croom, MSU football has been steadily on the rise since 1990. That's not to say there is never a down year, or never a couple of down years. But football here has been on the rise for a long time. Its just taking a while to recover from the Croom mistake where we went backwards while most of the SEC kept moving forwards.

Look, Alabama can sign so many players. And they can only play 11 at a time. There is plenty of opportunity for us to keep getting better as a program. We'll get back to being competitive for the top of the SEC West. We just need to make some administrative tweaks to help us get there.

[engie]

No I guess we gotta scream like a bunch of chicken littles to fit in over here!

Sheesh I guess I would have been accepted if I had come on here and started a thread titled "Fire Mullen now and Hire HUD!"

You'd have been accepted if you came here reading and giving your thoughts -- instead of starting a bunch of ridiculous threads that had been done 20 times in the past 6 weeks.

[4Dawgs4Life]

You'd have been accepted if you came here reading and giving your thoughts -- instead of starting a bunch of ridiculous threads that had been done 20 times in the past 6 weeks.

Wasn't here six weeks ago. But instead of being an ass how about just not open the thread and reply? I mean is someone there forcing your finger to clikc the mouse?

[engie]

Wasn't here six weeks ago. But instead of being an ass how about just not open the thread and reply? I mean is someone there forcing your finger to clikc the mouse?

Threads are saved for a reason. If you wouldn't start stupid threads, I wouldn't open them and tell you how stupid they are.

Starting a new thread to beat a totally dead horse -- in a totally redundant manner without a single fresh idea whatsoever -- is going to get you slaughtered on here. Simple fact of life.

[4Dawgs4Life]

A big stadium expansion happened under Sherrill. Before that expansion, the stadium only sat 42,000 but we packed it and got rowdy. Sherrill saw the expansion to 55,000 - and we packed it and got rowdy. Even through the first 2-3 years of Croom we had good attendance (trust me you don't want to argue attendance with FlabLoser).

I can agree with most of that. Yes it has been on the rise. I realize tailgating has been happening and the junction was created before Mullen. But is there really an argument that passion got to an all time high with Mullen's 2nd and 3rd years?

That's all I'm trying to say. I do appreciate the intelligent response without the name calling though. Awesome reply

[Todd4State]

I like this. Why can't we schedule a team like this:

Arizona
Washington
Minnesota
Boston College
Virginia
Iowa State

Because even if those teams are an easy win they are going to want a return game or an outrageous sum to play one game in Starkville. That means fewer home games in Starkville, which means lost revenue and one less game that recruits have a chance to go to, and money that MS has to spend to send the team to somewhere like Ames, Iowa. They also aren't going to create any more excitement than playing Louisiana Tech or any other Sun Belt team. So, in other words- it doesn't make any sense for us and either way win or lose it doesn't make any sense for us financially.

There's a lot more to the schedule than the "just get six wins" accusation. Nevermind the fact that the whole reason I and most fans with a brain want a manageable schedule is to give us a better chance at 8-10 wins rather than just to squeak by with 6. Not to mention the fact that we've noticed that going with that scheduling philosophy hasn't worked for us historically- so of course, we have fans that want to keep doing what hasn't worked historically in the name of "interesting".

[Todd4State]

A big stadium expansion happened under Sherrill. Before that expansion, the stadium only sat 42,000 but we packed it and got rowdy. Sherrill saw the expansion to 55,000 - and we packed it and got rowdy. Even through the first 2-3 years of Croom we had good attendance (trust me you don't want to argue attendance with FlabLoser).

I can agree with most of that. Yes it has been on the rise. I realize tailgating has been happening and the junction was created before Mullen. But is there really an argument that passion got to an all time high with Mullen's 2nd and 3rd years?

That's all I'm trying to say. I do appreciate the intelligent response without the name calling though. Awesome reply

This is wrong. Sincerely, 1998 Arkansas.

[4Dawgs4Life]

Agree with Todd don't really remember, with the exception of a game here and there, it being nearly as good as the last few years. Now granted this year fans are jumping ship and we couldn't fill the stadium for a Thursday night sec television audience. But for the most part we have done pretty well with attendance. But that Thursday looked really bad on TV once I got home and watched replay.

[HunterDawg]

Because even if those teams are an easy win they are going to want a return game or an outrageous sum to play one game in Starkville. That means fewer home games in Starkville, which means lost revenue and one less game that recruits have a chance to go to, and money that MS has to spend to send the team to somewhere like Ames, Iowa. They also aren't going to create any more excitement than playing Louisiana Tech or any other Sun Belt team. So, in other words- it doesn't make any sense for us and either way win or lose it doesn't make any sense for us financially.

There's a lot more to the schedule than the "just get six wins" accusation. Nevermind the fact that the whole reason I and most fans with a brain want a manageable schedule is to give us a better chance at 8-10 wins rather than just to squeak by with 6. Not to mention the fact that we've noticed that going with that scheduling philosophy hasn't worked for us historically- so of course, we have fans that want to keep doing what hasn't worked historically in the name of "interesting".

So, with $30 million in TV money we still can't afford to play anybody? Can't afford to play a game that would be on national TV and get us great exposure? Can't afford a game that would sell tons of tickets and season tickets? Maybe we are just too cheap to participate in big time football. Can't afford the hotel rooms for the players?

All we ever do on national TV is get pounded by SEC powerhouses. All big time recruits ever see is us getting blasted. Recruits in other states don't get the Alcorn game and darn few even see the Ky game. Play BYU on Thursday night on ESPN and see if beating them doesn't help.

National recruiting is all about national exposure and we will never get there with only instate talent. We have to establish a presence and our OOC games aren't going to do that for us. We can't hide under the porch and run with the big dogs.

Do you think the CWS helped our baseball recruiting or was it just a waste of money to go up there?

[Todd4State]

So, with $30 million in TV money we still can't afford to play anybody? Can't afford to play a game that would be on national TV and get us great exposure? Can't afford a game that would sell tons of tickets and season tickets? Maybe we are just too cheap to participate in big time football. Can't afford the hotel rooms for the players?

All we ever do on national TV is get pounded by SEC powerhouses. All big time recruits ever see is us getting blasted. Recruits in other states don't get the Alcorn game and darn few even see the Ky game. Play BYU on Thursday night on ESPN and see if beating them doesn't help.

National recruiting is all about national exposure and we will never get there with only instate talent. We have to establish a presence and our OOC games aren't going to do that for us. We can't hide under the porch and run with the big dogs.

Do you think the CWS helped our baseball recruiting or was it just a waste of money to go up there?

It's not a question of "can we afford it?" as much as it is about "what is the smartest way to spend our money?" We can afford to do it- but is it smart? Financially it's not because it would cost us home games along with the other things I mentioned.

All recruits see are wins and losses. They look at the bottom line. And if you have a lot of wins and are going to good bowls- that's what is attractive to them. Not us playing Maryland. How many recruits are going to say "Yeah! I saw State play Boston College." The best exposure we can possibly have is beating Alabama, LSU, and the other big boys in the SEC. That's the truth. Everything else is Scott blowing smoke up everyone's ass. See the Oklahoma State debacle this year where all the National media talked about was Oklahoma State and we got embarrassed and beat up and the Kentucky Thursday night game that was "the only game on" if you don't count the NFL game and the World Series.

If we want to start to beat SEC powerhouses- you don't do it by getting yourself beat up playing BYU and not developing your depth. If our head coach can't take advantage of that- that's on him and it should be addressed, but the way to address it is not to play BYU. It's up to the coach and the players to start beating better teams- but it's up to the MSU AD to put them in a situation to do it.

How many MSU fans do you know that sit around the Junction and say- "gee I really want to see us play Iowa State"? Probably about as many that sit around and say "I want to see us play Bowling Green." So, why if you are the athletic director would you not take the cheaper option and better chance to win?

And as far as recruiting nationally- we're MUCH better off focusing on Mississippi than trying to pick all the talent out of Iowa or Maryland. Mississippi is where we are and where most of our top recruits come from. We can build a very solid program with Mississippi talent and then adding in some players from the surrounding area- Louisiana in particular. Again, we just need a coach that can manage the roster a little bit better and use the schedule to his advantage. Don't believe me? Look at where our recent top draft picks are from- Sherrod, Cox, Banks, and now Gabe Jackson. And in the very near future- Chris Jones.

Who is hiding under the porch and hiding from the big boys? We play Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, and Auburn every year. Arkansas and Ole Miss are respectable programs most years- plus whatever team we play from the east not named Kentucky. It's that redneck "I'm a tough guy" attitude that led to us playing Auburn, Alabama, LSU, and Ole Miss all in a row on the road in the 50's and 60's that has led to our current state of the program. And you're wanting to go back to it? Who are you trying to impress? ESPN? Recruits with our losing record? Recruits in Utah? It's not about being scared- it's about being smart. If we were USM in their heyday, I'd be all for playing people like Alabama, LSU, etc non-conference. Because otherwise they don't play anyone in conference worth a darn. We are the opposite. We play in the most difficult conference in America.

Wait a minute- we scheduled a CWS appearance? Someone tell Bianco you can do that. I think it helped us just like going to the Sugar Bowl would help the football program. Oh wait- the best way to do that would be with a manageable schedule. And before you argue "well our SOS would be too low!" - remember last year we were just outside the top 10 in the BCS last year when we were undefeated. Right before we played the top teams in the SEC- Bama, LSU, and A&M. And winning those three would have vaulted us to the top not to mention beating Georgia in the SEC championship game.

The formula to win big is there, but we have too many fans with their heads in the sand to see it. Instead we have morons that think all we're going for is 6-6 so that we can keep Dan. All the while proposing a model that would actually cost us more money and hurt our recruiting even more and has been proven to not work.

[engie]

Nailed that one Todd...

[HunterDawg]

It's not a question of "can we afford it?" as much as it is about "what is the smartest way to spend our money?" We can afford to do it- but is it smart? Financially it's not because it would cost us home games along with the other things I mentioned.

All recruits see are wins and losses. They look at the bottom line. And if you have a lot of wins and are going to good bowls- that's what is attractive to them. Not us playing Maryland. How many recruits are going to say "Yeah! I saw State play Boston College." The best exposure we can possibly have is beating Alabama, LSU, and the other big boys in the SEC. That's the truth. Everything else is Scott blowing smoke up everyone's ass. See the Oklahoma State debacle this year where all the National media talked about was Oklahoma State and we got embarrassed and beat up and the Kentucky Thursday night game that was "the only game on" if you don't count the NFL game and the World Series.

If we want to start to beat SEC powerhouses- you don't do it by getting yourself beat up playing BYU and not developing your depth. If our head coach can't take advantage of that- that's on him and it should be addressed, but the way to address it is not to play BYU. It's up to the coach and the players to start beating better teams- but it's up to the MSU AD to put them in a situation to do it.

How many MSU fans do you know that sit around the Junction and say- "gee I really want to see us play Iowa State"? Probably about as many that sit around and say "I want to see us play Bowling Green." So, why if you are the athletic director would you not take the cheaper option and better chance to win?

And as far as recruiting nationally- we're MUCH better off focusing on Mississippi than trying to pick all the talent out of Iowa or Maryland. Mississippi is where we are and where most of our top recruits come from. We can build a very solid program with Mississippi talent and then adding in some players from the surrounding area- Louisiana in particular. Again, we just need a coach that can manage the roster a little bit better and use the schedule to his advantage. Don't believe me? Look at where our recent top draft picks are from- Sherrod, Cox, Banks, and now Gabe Jackson. And in the very near future- Chris Jones.

Who is hiding under the porch and hiding from the big boys? We play Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, and Auburn every year. Arkansas and Ole Miss are respectable programs most years- plus whatever team we play from the east not named Kentucky. It's that redneck "I'm a tough guy" attitude that led to us playing Auburn, Alabama, LSU, and Ole Miss all in a row on the road in the 50's and 60's that has led to our current state of the program. And you're wanting to go back to it? Who are you trying to impress? ESPN? Recruits with our losing record? Recruits in Utah? It's not about being scared- it's about being smart. If we were USM in their heyday, I'd be all for playing people like Alabama, LSU, etc non-conference. Because otherwise they don't play anyone in conference worth a darn. We are the opposite. We play in the most difficult conference in America.

Wait a minute- we scheduled a CWS appearance? Someone tell Bianco you can do that. I think it helped us just like going to the Sugar Bowl would help the football program. Oh wait- the best way to do that would be with a manageable schedule. And before you argue "well our SOS would be too low!" - remember last year we were just outside the top 10 in the BCS last year when we were undefeated. Right before we played the top teams in the SEC- Bama, LSU, and A&M. And winning those three would have vaulted us to the top not to mention beating Georgia in the SEC championship game.

The formula to win big is there, but we have too many fans with their heads in the sand to see it. Instead we have morons that think all we're going for is 6-6 so that we can keep Dan. All the while proposing a model that would actually cost us more money and hurt our recruiting even more and has been proven to not work.

You lost me at "all recruits see are wins and losses. They look at the bottom line".

You think 4 and 5 star recruits from Florida and Texas and Georgia, etc. are that stupid? You think they are equally impressed by us beating Alcorn St. while all the other teams recruiting them are getting big time wins on national TV? You think they go to sleep at night dreaming of getting that big touchdown catch against Jackson St?

You think visiting us when we play Troy is a good thing?

You are putting all of our eggs in one basket. Everything rides on us beating Alabama, LSU, A&M, etc. Alcorn one week then Alabama, Troy, then LSU, Jackson St. then A&M is what we are doing now. Is is working?

For credibility and a national presence, we need to win some higher profile games. Do the teams actually have to be good? Nope. They just have to have a name that is recognizable outside of the northern half of Mississippi. Had not thought of Boston College. Might work. Several ACC teams would. Some crappy Mountain West teams, whoever.

It does matter, in the end, who we beat. It matters a lot. A win is not a win when it comes to the big time recruits. If we continue to put all of our hopes in knocking off Alabama and LSU back to back, things will not change. Not gonna happen.

[Political Hack]

Todd nailed it. We play big games in conference. We don't need to schedule #10 to prove a point because we already play #1, #3, #11, and #15. This isn't rocket science.

[Churchill]

And what have we proven playing #1, #3, #11, and #15 ? That we can lose and not even be competitive with good teams ? Hack, with all due respect our program is broken and has become a laughing stock for not being able to compete at a much higher than SWAC level. It was our dirty little secret til mid season last year and now we`re not a secret anymore. Our coaching is poor,our recruiting is stagnant and leadership has totally left the building. I`m in no way saying it can`t be turned around even possibly by Mullen but scheduling gimmicks can only carry us so far.

[Coach34]

My point is - MSU has always been mediocre and we are still mediocre to this day. You are just getting the better rewards for mediocrity in 2013 and higher cost to play the game confused with actual improvement and greater success. We still are in our place and it's at the very bottom. Look it up.

See- this is bullshit

We are one of only 7 SEC teams to go to 3 straight bowls- that's top half of the SEC
We have won 2 of those 3 bowls- that's top half of the SEC
2 of the last 3 years we have gone 4-4 in conference- that's top half of the SEC

We are not on the bottom of the SEC and you know it- stop being a dumbass

[bluelightstar]

Are you serious? We are easily in the bottom quarter of the conference.