MSU football rolls in at #22 in ESPN preseason poll....TSUN AT #25.............

[99jc]

25. Ole Miss Rebels (11 points out of possible 125)

24. Michigan Wolverines (13 points)

23. Auburn Tigers (14 points)

22. Mississippi State Bulldogs (18 points)

21. Indiana Hoosiers (34 points)

One program that's widely-skewed according to preseason polls is Michigan, who wasn't ranked on three of the four chosen for this cumulative ranking. However, College Football News slotted the Wolverines inside its Top 15, giving Jim Harbaugh's team enough points to squeak into the Top 25 here. Michigan is confident quarterback play will improve this fall. ... Another is Mississippi State, who surprised all this month by coming in at No. 8 in ESPN's Football Power Index. We haven't seen the Bulldogs, who struggled last fall, ranked in any other preseason Top 25. There's no real explanation as to why Mississippi State is considered Top 10 by ESPN, but 247Sports analyst Brandon Marcello tried to explain the reasoning, here.

https://247sports.com/Article/Mississippi-State-football-FPI-ranking-explaining-why--164437874/

[msstate7]

Nice publicity. I don't see it though

[99jc]

to me this season rest squarely on the shoulders of the starting QB. If the air-raid is run properly it is a beast...and i believe in our defense . it will be fun to see what transpires.

[Duckdog]

to me this season rest squarely on the shoulders of the starting QB. If the air-raid is run properly it is a beast...and i believe in our defense . it will be fun to see what transpires.

exactly

[BrunswickDawg]

to me this season rest squarely on the shoulders of the starting QB. If the air-raid is run properly it is a beast...and i believe in our defense . it will be fun to see what transpires.

I agree with this.

However, this is what having a well established, proven winning coach with a stellar reputation for building programs gets you in year two - benefit of the doubt. This ranking is as much or more about Leach than anything else. People expect his teams to win.

[msstate7]

I agree with this.

However, this is what having a well established, proven winning coach with a stellar reputation for building programs gets you in year two - benefit of the doubt. This ranking is as much or more about Leach than anything else. People expect his teams to win.

Does FPI account for coaching? I take this as more of espn standing by their formula

[Ari Gold]

But but but the CL says otherwise

[Johnson85]

Does FPI account for coaching? I take this as more of espn standing by their formula

I think FPI does count coaching, but supposedly it's just coaching tenure. All I can think is that our SOS last year has broken the rankings. We do have a lot of returning starters, so it's logical it would show us improving, but I don't know how they get to top 8 unless playing an SEC only schedule has resulted in our offensive and defensive production for last year a lot higher than the W-L would indicate.

[BiscuitEater]

But .. But .. But ..The Clarion Ledger said the Bearshards were THE team in Mississippi! Can't be right!

[Jack Lambert]

NC State will be a good measuring stick.

[BrunswickDawg]

Does FPI account for coaching? I take this as more of espn standing by their formula

It accounts for coaching tenure - which I assume factors in staff turnover under a standing HC as well. FPI is all about returning production though - and we bring back a ton.
You could be right saying that ESPN is looking out for the FPI. But my Leach take probably factored into that as well. "Our FPI formula has them returning a ton of production, and they have Leach and kept the staff intact. Leach teams make a year 2 jump. And they are in the SECW. Sounds like a formula for a Top 25 team to me"

[StarkVegasSteve]

NC State will be a good measuring stick.

NC State and Memphis will determine our season. Wins those two and seven wins should be the floor.

[CadaverDawg]

You know this chaps the prick's asses, haha

[Todd4State]

You know this chaps the prick's asses, haha
Ha! Yep! Laying a turd in the punch bowl at the frat party.

[Todd4State]

It accounts for coaching tenure - which I assume factors in staff turnover under a standing HC as well. FPI is all about returning production though - and we bring back a ton.
You could be right saying that ESPN is looking out for the FPI. But my Leach take probably factored into that as well. "Our FPI formula has them returning a ton of production, and they have Leach and kept the staff intact. Leach teams make a year 2 jump. And they are in the SECW. Sounds like a formula for a Top 25 team to me"

Maybe FPI caused them to look at our team a little more closely rather than just at the helmet sticker.

[BrunswickDawg]

Maybe FPI caused them to look at our team a little more closely rather than just at the helmet sticker.

I don't think your statement is inconsistent with what I wrote. However, pre-FPI you are correct that we might have been missed because of the sticker on the helmet. 2014 is I think a classic example. We should have been a top 25 team going in, not to mention that we should have definitely been ranked prior to the LSU game. But, I also think that is where the Leach factor benefits us the most. He's a known quantity with a track record. If MSU was a Mike Leach coached team in 2014 we would have gotten deeper looks by the press and the rankings and probably started off the season as a Top 25 team - just like ESPN has us right now. The difference being that Dan Mullen hadn't proven much by 2014, and Mike Leach has a multi-school track record of success. The press and the rankings like known quantities in the pre-season, and they like to be able to talk about the guys they like to talk about. It's also why you have Ole Miss peeking in at #25 - that's not about Ole Miss and what they have coming back. That's Lane Kiffin and his rep as a coach. Again, known quantity with a track record that the press likes to talk about and hype.

Hopefully if works to our benefit this year, instead of creating something like our Bandwagon episode last year.

[Coach34]

Question is will we run the football like we did in our last 2 games? We are going to see a 3 man front every week. That's simply the new trend in college football- not just against us.

[HoopsDawg]

Question is will we run the football like we did in our last 2 games? We are going to see a 3 man front every week. That's simply the new trend in college football- not just against us.

are we going to keep those big ass splits?

[HoopsDawg]

Question is will we run the football like we did in our last 2 games? We are going to see a 3 man front every week. That's simply the new trend in college football- not just against us.

off topic question for you, when do high school coaches typically change jobs? Pretty soon after the season or usually in may-june. The reason I ask is because Corinth's head coach just quit 1 week into spring practice.

[Todd4State]

I don't think your statement is inconsistent with what I wrote. However, pre-FPI you are correct that we might have been missed because of the sticker on the helmet. 2014 is I think a classic example. We should have been a top 25 team going in, not to mention that we should have definitely been ranked prior to the LSU game. But, I also think that is where the Leach factor benefits us the most. He's a known quantity with a track record. If MSU was a Mike Leach coached team in 2014 we would have gotten deeper looks by the press and the rankings and probably started off the season as a Top 25 team - just like ESPN has us right now. The difference being that Dan Mullen hadn't proven much by 2014, and Mike Leach has a multi-school track record of success. The press and the rankings like known quantities in the pre-season, and they like to be able to talk about the guys they like to talk about. It's also why you have Ole Miss peeking in at #25 - that's not about Ole Miss and what they have coming back. That's Lane Kiffin and his rep as a coach. Again, known quantity with a track record that the press likes to talk about and hype.

Hopefully if works to our benefit this year, instead of creating something like our Bandwagon episode last year.

I agree. But I think Dan is sort of part of the reason for the ranking too in that we've been to 11 bowls in a row. After awhile that kind of thing gets noticed.

[Todd4State]

Question is will we run the football like we did in our last 2 games? We are going to see a 3 man front every week. That's simply the new trend in college football- not just against us.

Eventually I think we will settle into the 70/30 pass/run ratio that we typically see from Leach. I think we will run it better- more experienced backs, more experienced o-line, and having had a year in the system etc.

It's somewhat skewed with Leach because he throws a lot of swing passes, screens, and that toss play which I believe is recorded as a forward pass which is all part of his "run game".

[CadaverDawg]

Eventually I think we will settle into the 70/30 pass/run ratio that we typically see from Leach. I think we will run it better- more experienced backs, more experienced o-line, and having had a year in the system etc.

It's somewhat skewed with Leach because he throws a lot of swing passes, screens, and that toss play which I believe is recorded as a forward pass which is all part of his "run game".

Yeah Leach looks at those passes as an extension of the run game...the problem is that they aren't. Not when they take so long to develop and then you lob it out in the flat and give the D time to close in for a 1 yard gain. We need to either be more quick and crisp on those RB swing passes, or trade those for quick hitting dive plays up the middle. Can't give the defense enough time to react out of an 8 man zone and still tackle us for a gain of 1 or 2 yards...we have to make them pay with 4-5 yard carries when they drop 8, otherwise they'll never have a reason to stop. If they can drop 8 and hold us to a 2 yard swing pass or a 1 yard handoff, we'll never compete under Leach.

[Lord McBuckethead]

True, I still think we should establish a 10 year deal with NC State. We are very similar opponents and it would be good to build another long term opponent.

[Bubb Rubb]

NC State and Memphis will determine our season. Wins those two and seven wins should be the floor.

We'd better beat Memphis. They're not going to be very good next year. We'll probably be favored against NC State.

[Coach34]

off topic question for you, when do high school coaches typically change jobs? Pretty soon after the season or usually in may-june. The reason I ask is because Corinth's head coach just quit 1 week into spring practice.

Jobs open up in December and then again in March/April for HS coaches. By May most are done.

[Todd4State]

Yeah Leach looks at those passes as an extension of the run game...the problem is that they aren't. Not when they take so long to develop and then you lob it out in the flat and give the D time to close in for a 1 yard gain. We need to either be more quick and crisp on those RB swing passes, or trade those for quick hitting dive plays up the middle. Can't give the defense enough time to react out of an 8 man zone and still tackle us for a gain of 1 or 2 yards...we have to make them pay with 4-5 yard carries when they drop 8, otherwise they'll never have a reason to stop. If they can drop 8 and hold us to a 2 yard swing pass or a 1 yard handoff, we'll never compete under Leach.

And how about those slow developing screens to Osiris with Eiland attempting to block out for him? Terrible.

I think Tulu will help with the screens and I think the backs will be better at getting upfield and Rogers/Abraham should be able to get them the ball quicker.

[Turfdawg67]

Did Marshmallow actually say move over Penn State, Notre Dame and... North Carolina? I know NC is expected to be good, but elite? Or maybe that's around the same place they fell in the FPI? Weird he picked them.

[Lord McBuckethead]

Look I hope they see something I don't because with our complete captain check down Charlie offense, there is no way we compete at a level needed to win enough games to be ranked.

I know Leach's offense usually starts clicking year two..... I just don't see it as of now. Hope Sawyer is ready to be a baller that can really throw on the run, deep, and accurate. And our WRs remember that being quick and running crisp routes is how we have to do it.

[Coach34]

Look I hope they see something I don't because with our complete captain check down Charlie offense, there is no way we compete at a level needed to win enough games to be ranked.

I know Leach's offense usually starts clicking year two..... I just don't see it as of now. Hope Sawyer is ready to be a baller that can really throw on the run, deep, and accurate. And our WRs remember that being quick and running crisp routes is how we have to do it.

I'm curious about the switch to the 3-8 against the Air Raid and other pass happy Spreads. DC's have finally said "f'it" and gone to this. And it's working

[MedDawg]

The defenses beat us last year because we didn't give the QB enough time to look downfield (or the QBs just chose to throw it to the RB in the flat). Defenses figured out that they could send TWO linebackers to tackle the RB/WR in the flat. If they just sent one, we would have gained more yards from missed tackles. Those two linebackers were also able to run forward and tackle our RB running the ball. So while running the ball more opened things up a little, it didn't really open it up enough.

To make the defenses pay, we need to give the QB just a half second more to pump fake to the flat (and then pass somewhere else). Even if the two linebackers don't run forward, just hesitating for a second will open up receivers 10-12 yards downfield.

Of course, the best way to make the defenses pay is to give our QB enough time to find the guys open 20 yards or farther downfield. We did that a little better in the last few games of the season. No reason we shouldn't be able to stop 3-man lines from getting to our QB, or even if the defense blitzes a safety or LB.

[Offshore Dawg]

But but but the CL says otherwise

<17> the CL it's old miss ass sucking owners, and the shats.