We could easily be 7-1 heading into Nov. 2016

Thanks to another poster I spent some time looking at our 2016 schedule.

Sept. 3 SOUTH ALABAMA -- Win (1-0)
Sept. 10 SOUTH CAROLINA * -- It's at home vs an inferior SEC opponent...we should win (2-0)
Sept. 17 at LSU * -- Not enough talent to win in Baton Rouge again. (2-1)
Sept. 24 at UMass -- Away game for MSU, but almost a home game for Mullen. (3-1)
Oct. 1 Open -- Bye week to prepare for AU
Oct. 8 AUBURN * -- Another home SEC game. Auburn could be better, but they will have 2 or 3 losses coming into this game (4-1).
Oct. 15 at BYU -- Tough road game. However, BYU's schedule is brutal (They could have 5 losses coming in). Oh, and they lost to Mizzou this year. (5-1).
Oct. 22 at Kentucky * -- Another tough road matchup, but haven't seen much out of Stoops so far. MSU is just better. (6-1)
Oct. 29 SAMFORD -- Cupcake heading into a brutal November (7-1)

I don't think I'm being unrealistic here thinking we can win 7 games before November.

Nov. 5 TEXAS A&M * -- Program is in disarray, but they got a pretty nice transfer QB. No clue on this one but at least we get at home them later in the season.
Nov. 12 at Alabama * -- Nope.
Nov. 19 ARKANSAS * -- Got the pigs at home without their veteran QB and their best RB. Toss-up game with advantage to MSU for being in Starkville.
Nov. 26 at Ole Miss * -- Records go out the window in the Egg Bowl, but Ole Miss will have the SEC's best QB assuming Kelly stays.

Now, we could go 0-4 in November, but if we can just win the home games, we'd finish 9-3. Honestly, 8-4 is a pretty reasonable prediction given the way our schedule sets up. Long way to go until September, but I not throwing 2016 in the dumpster like some people already are.

I told a friend that exact same thing the other day.

Sets up eerily similar to 2012.

But you ate right. 9-3 is not out of the question.

We are probably going to take at least a small step back next year. We are losing a lot. You don't lose the best player in the history of school and not step back a little. Especially when that player was the qb.

But we absolutely should start the season at 7-1 and then things are going to get dicey. We should be TAMU, but we also should have beat them last year. We could lose 3 out of our last 4 and very likely will lose the EB at the end of the season. This will be Mullen's most difficult year to date. He is going to have to coach is ass off to get us more than 8 wins which normally would be acceptable in most years, but if all the wins happen at the beginning of the year and we have a bad losing streak at the end, Mullen seat will be on fire.

I wish we would hire a damn DC already. WTF is going on there? Are we the only team in the nation that doesn't have a DC right now? The dead period ends in a couple of days and i don't know how you hold only any defensive commits when you don't have a DC during the most important stretch of the recrooting season.

We will go to a bowl next year

We are not talented enough to compete for the West

BYU, Auburn, Arkansas, Texas A&M, & MAYBE Ole Miss are all toss-up games, with Kentucky as a mild toss-up game. Alabama & LSU are losses.

It's going to be an interesting year with many close games.

Would be nice if the Arky game wasn't sandwiched between Bama and UM.

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Originally Posted by engie

Sets up eerily similar to 2012.

But you ate right. 9-3 is not out of the question.

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It all comes back to the O-line. They gel, let Fitz/Staley establish themselves, and get us back to having a run game, and this becomes plausible. Week 2 & 3 are the key tests. We handle USCe and maybe gain the confidence to pull another "no one knows what's about to take this field" in Red Stick???

I think 9-3 is the ceiling and 7-5 is the floor. November looks brutal but honestly every one of those teams could take a step back.

We could also very easily 5-3

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Originally Posted by OdaMaeBrown

I wish we would hire a damn DC already. WTF is going on there? Are we the only team in the nation that doesn't have a DC right now? The dead period ends in a couple of days and i don't know how you hold only any defensive commits when you don't have a DC during the most important stretch of the recrooting season.

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I expect us to have a DC here when our official visitors get here Friday. We're not losing any commits because of this.

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Originally Posted by ShotgunDawg

We will go to a bowl next year

We are not talented enough to compete for the West

BYU, Auburn, Arkansas, Texas A&M, & MAYBE Ole Miss are all toss-up games, with Kentucky as a mild toss-up game. Alabama & LSU are losses.

It's going to be an interesting year with many close games.

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Agreed. 6 win floor, 8 win ceiling in my mind. Not that we couldn't win 9 games, I just don't think it's likely with everything we're losing. I'll be ecstatic next year if we win 8 regular season games because 2017 is where things will really line up for us, especially if we get the recruiting class in the door next month that we should get. Gonna be a TON of great talent on the field in '17.

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Originally Posted by Ifyouonlyknew

I expect us to have a DC here when our official visitors get here Friday. We're not losing any commits because of this.

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Related question for you IYOK- you think that picking up Buckley helps us get any commits that aren't currently in the boat. No need to be super specific, just looking for a general feeling on the matter.

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Originally Posted by SDDawg

Agreed. 6 win floor, 8 win ceiling in my mind. Not that we couldn't win 9 games, I just don't think it's likely with everything we're losing. I'll be ecstatic next year if we win 8 regular season games because 2017 is where things will really line up for us, especially if we get the recruiting class in the door next month that we should get. Gonna be a TON of great talent on the field in '17.

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I need to see our QB play before making any judgments.

Fitz & Staley are talented, but do they have instincts? Can they get us in the correct play? Can they read a defense? Can they lead the offense?

All these are questions that have not been answered & the answers to these questions will determine how many of those toss-up games we win or lose. At this point, we just don't know.

We don't even know what all Dak did for us.

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Originally Posted by Coach34

We could also very easily 5-3

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Yes.. But Mullen wins the games he's supposed to win. We'll be favored in at least 6 of those first 8 games.

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Originally Posted by SDDawg

Related question for you IYOK- you think that picking up Buckley helps us get any commits that aren't currently in the boat. No need to be super specific, just looking for a general feeling on the matter.

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I think he could help assist on a few guys but the only guy he'd have a legit stamp on would be Dez Fitzpatrick.

I predict we start 8-0 and nationally ranked top 10. We going to be better than most outside people think. We will beat both LSU and Auburn.

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Originally Posted by OdaMaeBrown

I wish we would hire a damn DC already. WTF is going on there? Are we the only team in the nation that doesn't have a DC right now? The dead period ends in a couple of days and i don't know how you hold only any defensive commits when you don't have a DC during the most important stretch of the recrooting season.

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Tucker is still coaching so Georgia doesn't have a DC yet. Tenn just got Shoop even though they were working on getting him for a little while. Oregon, Arizonia, Purdue, and Wisconsin have all been without one longer than we have. It took Auburn nearly a month to get a guy.

Next year is basically almost the opposite of this year. We lose our QB but bring back almost everybody else. Basically on offense we lose Dak and Bear. What we return a better Oline from this year than anything we lost. On Defense we lose Calhoun and Redmond (half a year), Ryan Brown (Calvin played better at the end), Chris Jones, and Benni Brown. We also rotate a lot on Defense so the impact isn't as bad as losing Dak.

I will say Fitz looked as good against the crap teams as any QB could look. We don't know what he will do when he really gets in the fire but at this point he is as good or better than Dak was. Dak made HUGE strides in the off season so we will just hope Fitz learned how to do the work from Dak.

My biggest worry is that we will continue to let our best RBs sit on the bench while our Offense struggles to run the ball. Fitz isn't going to be able to make up for the lack of running game like Dak did. He won't need someone like Vick Ballard to help like Relf but he will need more than Concrete shoes and Holloway.

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Originally Posted by OdaMaeBrown

We are probably going to take at least a small step back next year. We are losing a lot. You don't lose the best player in the history of school and not step back a little. Especially when that player was the qb.

But we absolutely should start the season at 7-1 and then things are going to get dicey. We should be TAMU, but we also should have beat them last year. We could lose 3 out of our last 4 and very likely will lose the EB at the end of the season. This will be Mullen's most difficult year to date. He is going to have to coach is ass off to get us more than 8 wins which normally would be acceptable in most years, but if all the wins happen at the beginning of the year and we have a bad losing streak at the end, Mullen seat will be on fire.

I wish we would hire a damn DC already. WTF is going on there? Are we the only team in the nation that doesn't have a DC right now? The dead period ends in a couple of days and i don't know how you hold only any defensive commits when you don't have a DC during the most important stretch of the recrooting season.

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I know everyone is in agreement that Dak is the best QB in MSU history. But most of the posters on here think we will completely suck next year because we are losing him. For one, we didn't use Dak in 2015 like we did in 2014. Secondly, while Dak was great his floor was much lower than the 2 QB's we have coming back. Both of our QB's coming back have a much higher ceiling than Dak and based on Mullen's previous QB development, only the ignorant can think that one, if not both, of our QB's will surpass what Dak has accomplished. Everyone acts like we are replacing Dak with a Relf. We are replacing Dak with a less experienced, more talented (at the same point in career) Dak type QB. I do not see is missing much of a beat with whoever takes snaps for us next season and the back loaded schedule only helps them. Our offense and QB has 7-8 weeks to get up to speed and get some nice wins under their belt. I do not expect much of a dropoff and see every game as winnable next year. As long as we fix OLine issues, anything less than 8 wins next year will be disappointing.

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Originally Posted by Coach34

We could also very easily 5-3

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And we could be 0-8...I have no idea why you think these guys are going to fall off the map now that Dak is gone. This is not the old MSU you grew up on.

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Originally Posted by NEMSDOG

I predict we start 8-0 and nationally ranked top 10. We going to be better than most outside people think. We will beat both LSU and Auburn.

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If we beat LSU in Baton Rouge someone on our team will be getting mentions for a Heisman. We don't have the secondary to cover LSU's receivers one on one like you have to because you load the box to stop Fournette.

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Originally Posted by RougeDawg

I know everyone is in agreement that Dak is the best QB in MSU history. But most of the posters on here think we will completely suck next year because we are losing him. For one, we didn't use Dak in 2015 like we did in 2014. Secondly, while Dak was great his floor was much lower than the 2 QB's we have coming back. Both of our QB's coming back have a much higher ceiling than Dak and based on Mullen's previous QB development, only the ignorant can think that one, if not both, of our QB's will surpass what Dak has accomplished. Everyone acts like we are replacing Dak with a Relf. We are replacing Dak with a less experienced, more talented (at the same point in career) Dak type QB. I do not see is missing much of a beat with whoever takes snaps for us next season and the back loaded schedule only helps them. Our offense and QB has 7-8 weeks to get up to speed and get some nice wins under their belt. I do not expect much of a dropoff and see every game as winnable next year. As long as we fix OLine issues, anything less than 8 wins next year will be disappointing.

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Fitz has went through 3 bowl practices, 3 spring trainings, and 3 summers before he is asked to start. The only thing he lacks is big game experience. We are a lot better off than if we went a got a Juco QB to start next year. As long as the talent is there which between Fitz, Staley, and Tiano looks like it is, we are in a good position.

Saying we "Should" start 5-1 is a little extreme. Is it possible? Sure...but SEC games for first year starting QB's are never easy. Auburn will be better, South Carolina won't be a game we just show up and win, & at BYU is never a gimme.

I'm all for being positive, and I can see 7+ wins at first glance on that schedule if everything goes as planned....but setting an early expectation of starting "5-1" or "7-1" is being a bit ridiculous IMO. It's also setting yourself up for major disappointment & for some of our more fickle fans to be ready with torches & pitchforks to go after Mullen at the sign of a 5-2 start or something.

I'll go ahead and say, anything 7 wins or better next year, & nobody should say a thing about Mullen's seat being hot. 6 road games & a first year starting QB in the West....really 6+ next year is a win in my book. 8-9 should get serious Coach of the Year looks unless the teams on our schedule fall on their faces.

But that's just me.

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Originally Posted by NEMSDOG

I predict we start 8-0 and nationally ranked top 10. We going to be better than most outside people think. We will beat both LSU and Auburn.

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I agree. We will be a LOT better than most think we will be...Even most here. BUT, I will NOT predict we'll be 8-0. I think we could very well be 7-1 though.

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Originally Posted by CadaverDawg

Saying we "Should" start 5-1 is a little extreme. Is it possible? Sure...but SEC games for first year starting QB's are never easy. Auburn will be better, South Carolina won't be a game we just show up and win, & at BYU is never a gimme.

I'm all for being positive, and I can see 7+ wins at first glance on that schedule if everything goes as planned....but setting an early expectation of starting "5-1" or "7-1" is being a bit ridiculous IMO. It's also setting yourself up for major disappointment & for some of our more fickle fans to be ready with torches & pitchforks to go after Mullen at the sign of a 5-2 start or something.

I'll go ahead and say, anything 7 wins or better next year, & nobody should say a thing about Mullen's seat being hot. 6 road games & a first year starting QB in the West....really 6+ next year is a win in my book. 8-9 should get serious Coach of the Year looks unless the teams on our schedule fall on their faces.

But that's just me.

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I said we "Could" start 7-1. It's not my expectation. I won't have an "expectation" until July or August.

We will have more of the Relf look next year. Mullen is going to tailor the playbook to Fitz's strengths. There will be a good mix of run/pass a lot closer to Relf than Dak.

In other words, 7-1 is very possible going into November.

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Originally Posted by Beaver

Yes.. But Mullen wins the games he's supposed to win. We'll be favored in at least 6 of those first 8 games.

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Mullen lost the title of being the guy who "wins the games he's supposed to win" after the Egg Bowl and A&M games last year. And arguably the LSU game also.

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Originally Posted by CadaverDawg

Saying we "Should" start 5-1 is a little extreme. Is it possible? Sure...but SEC games for first year starting QB's are never easy. Auburn will be better, South Carolina won't be a game we just show up and win, & at BYU is never a gimme.

I'm all for being positive, and I can see 7+ wins at first glance on that schedule if everything goes as planned....but setting an early expectation of starting "5-1" or "7-1" is being a bit ridiculous IMO. It's also setting yourself up for major disappointment & for some of our more fickle fans to be ready with torches & pitchforks to go after Mullen at the sign of a 5-2 start or something.

I'll go ahead and say, anything 7 wins or better next year, & nobody should say a thing about Mullen's seat being hot. 6 road games & a first year starting QB in the West....really 6+ next year is a win in my book. 8-9 should get serious Coach of the Year looks unless the teams on our schedule fall on their faces.

But that's just me.

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They just won't understand it if we come out of the gate on fire and then have a bad ending to the season.

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Originally Posted by HSVDawg

Mullen lost the title of being the guy who "wins the games he's supposed to win" after the Egg Bowl and A&M games last year. And arguably the LSU game also.

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Don't think we were favored in those games. I think that what most allude to when saying win the games he is suppose to win.

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Originally Posted by NEMSDOG

I predict we start 8-0 and nationally ranked top 10. We going to be better than most outside people think. We will beat both LSU and Auburn.

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LSU will be undefeated when Bama comes to Tiger Stadium next year. They are loaded.

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Originally Posted by bulldawg28

And we could be 0-8...I have no idea why you think these guys are going to fall off the map now that Dak is gone. This is not the old MSU you grew up on.

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my pessimism is more about our D than O. Our O will be solid until we play upper level D-Lines. Our CB play plus questions on the DL as well at safety give me nothing but worry on D next year. We lost 5 starters on D and wont be replacing them with someone as good.

AU getting Lawson back is just a huge deal. That is a swing game in my opinion. Their defense should be pretty damn good, and I keep hearing they are going to run the ball 70-75% of the time next year with Jovon and Kerryon. They could be sneaky good next year.

Also, don't sleep on A&M. They have so much talent, and now that they added the OU QB, they are going to be problem. They have the best DE tandem in the country and they return everyone at WR. If the get just competent QB play, they will be extremely tough.

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Originally Posted by HSVDawg

Mullen lost the title of being the guy who "wins the games he's supposed to win" after the Egg Bowl and A&M games last year. And arguably the LSU game also.

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We were 4 point underdogs to aTm.
We were 3 point underdogs to LSU.
We were 2 point underdogs to OM.
We were 6 point underdogs to Arky.

We won one game as an underdog last year and lost zero as a favorite. Care to reexamine your position on that?

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Originally Posted by HancockCountyDog

AU getting Lawson back is just a huge deal. That is a swing game in my opinion. Their defense should be pretty damn good, and I keep hearing they are going to run the ball 70-75% of the time next year with Jovon and Kerryon. They could be sneaky good next year.

Also, don't sleep on A&M. They have so much talent, and now that they added the OU QB, they are going to be problem. They have the best DE tandem in the country and they return everyone at WR. If the get just competent QB play, they will be extremely tough.

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exactly-both these teams will likely be better than us in 2016. Auburn has a couple of bigtime DE and WR recruits coming in also

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Originally Posted by Coach34

exactly-both these teams will likely be better than us in 2016. Auburn has a couple of bigtime DE and WR recruits coming in also

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Everyone else is going to get better and we are going to get worse. The early 2013 narrative coming from the opposite side now off of 19 wins vs off a 5-11 stretch.

Auburn has bigtime recruits coming in -- that's a reason they will be much better. MSU has bigtime recruits coming in and coming off of redshirt -- "we lost starters and their replacements aren't as good".

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Originally Posted by Coach34

my pessimism is more about our D than O. Our O will be solid until we play upper level D-Lines. Our CB play plus questions on the DL as well at safety give me nothing but worry on D next year. We lost 5 starters on D and wont be replacing them with someone as good.

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On defense Jones, Calhoun, (Redmond was replaced last year) So we're looking at really 2 positions that lesser talent comes in. Both Brown's will be replaced with better talent.

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Originally Posted by BrunswickDawg

It all comes back to the O-line. They gel, let Fitz/Staley establish themselves, and get us back to having a run game, and this becomes plausible. Week 2 & 3 are the key tests. We handle USCe and maybe gain the confidence to pull another "no one knows what's about to take this field" in Red Stick???

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Why did you say Fitz/Staley? I believe that Fitz will be our starter, Staley is with the Basketball team right now..

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Originally Posted by OdaMaeBrown

We are probably going to take at least a small step back next year. We are losing a lot. You don't lose the best player in the history of school and not step back a little. Especially when that player was the qb.

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Signed 1998 Tennessee.

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Originally Posted by Coach34

exactly-both these teams will likely be better than us in 2016. Auburn has a couple of bigtime DE and WR recruits coming in also

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Auburn's DE were there last year Lawson won't beat us by himself. I know Lawson didn't play against us last year. However, honestly we should have blown Auburn out of the water last year. Until Auburn shows me they have a Qb I'm not worried about any new WR. Auburn gets top talent every year. Gus has been figured out I'm not concerned unless Cam lines up for them next year

Calvin >/= Ryan Brown. I know, I know, he's coach's multi-year man crush that was going to dominate this year. Until it didn't materialize and AJ was the one that dominated.

We will see a drop from Jones to whoever takes that spot -- but should get better on the 2nd grouping with Adams rotating off redshirt and Thomas having more experience now. We can probably expect Nick James will improve as well. And I've yet to see a reason to believe AJ doesn't take another step forward.

We will be better at LB by proxy of Jackson being gone. Beni was really good but not irreplaceable. Not with Richie still here to head up the D.

We will be better at S.

We have young talent at corner. Alot of it. And a pretty good JUCO coming to compete for time as well. Anyone notice Jiles this year after the Redmond injury? I didn't. Meaning he was doing his job while Cleveland was getting picked on. If we don't start Cleveland strictly on seniority -- there is no reason we can't still be pretty good at this position. Elite talent doesn't necessarily translate to elite play at the position under this regime anyway. We saw that this year when we were soft zoning with Redmond and Calhoun the same way we soft zoned with Slay and Banks.