What could have been?

For discussion and pure boredom purposes, what would have happened had we hired Mike Leach originally instead of Joe Moorhead?

At the end of 2017 when Dan left us, Mike was coming off a 9-3 season at Wash St. He lost his bowl game to Mich St, so he finished with a 9-4 season. His record the previous two years plus that year was 26-13 (9-4, 8-5, 9-4). Granted, his 11-2 season came the next year, so we wouldn't have known he was capable of pulling off a top tier season like that, but the general direction he had Wazzou going was up. He had shown he could win at a difficult place (again), and I think it would've been viewed as a solid hire.

Our 2018 team went on to have the #1 defense in the country that year, so it's safe to say Mike would've inherited the best defense he had ever had by far. The only kink in the whole thing would be having Nick Fitzgerald as your QB in an air raid offense. But when you go back and look at Mike's 2018 season at WSU, what made it so special? It was a well-traveled, underrated grad-transfer named Gardner Minshew who grew up 2 hours from Starkville and would've literally given his left nut to play for MSU. Is it crazy to think that if Mike Leach and Gardner Minshew arrive in Starkville during the spring of 2018 that we have a similar season that WSU has (11-2) or even better? We would have avoided the soft culture Joe instilled. We would have had a competent offense to go with our elite defense. The only knock I can find is our lack of WRs. But if you pick up a grad transfer or two, that can be fixed. Food for thought.

You're a suck man for bringing this depression into my life**

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Originally Posted by KOdawg1

For discussion and pure boredom purposes, what would have happened had we hired Mike Leach originally instead of Joe Moorhead?

At the end of 2017 when Dan left us, Mike was coming off a 9-3 season at Wash St. He lost his bowl game to Mich St, so he finished with a 9-4 season. His record the previous two years plus that year was 26-13 (9-4, 8-5, 9-4). Granted, his 11-2 season came the next year, so we wouldn't have known he was capable of pulling off a top tier season like that, but the general direction he had Wazzou going was up. He had shown he could win at a difficult place (again), and I think it would've been viewed as a solid hire.

Our 2018 team went on to have the #1 defense in the country that year, so it's safe to say Mike would've inherited the best defense he had ever had by far. The only kink in the whole thing would be having Nick Fitzgerald as your QB in an air raid offense. But when you go back and look at Mike's 2018 season at WSU, what made it so special? It was a well-traveled, underrated grad-transfer named Gardner Minshew who grew up 2 hours from Starkville and would've literally given his left nut to play for MSU. Is it crazy to think that if Mike Leach and Gardner Minshew arrive in Starkville during the spring of 2018 that we have a similar season that WSU has (11-2) or even better? We would have avoided the soft culture Joe instilled. We would have had a competent offense to go with our elite defense. The only knock I can find is our lack of WRs. But if you pick up a grad transfer or two, that can be fixed. Food for thought.

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Ouch; in pure MSU style.

It's amazing how things never seem to work out for MSU.

What Cam Newton and Gardner Minshew could have done for MSU.

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Originally Posted by MaroonFlounder

It's amazing how things never seem to work out for MSU.

What Cam Newton and Gardner Minshew could have done for MSU.

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I personally don't feel we would've won the title with Newton. We got smoked at LSU and at Bama, would just adding him be that much of a swing?

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Originally Posted by msu15

I personally don't feel we would've won the title with Newton. We got smoked at LSU and at Bama, would just adding him be that much of a swing?

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Never know. Auburn was smoked by Bama till second half then Cam.

we still would have needed someone who could catch the ball

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Originally Posted by msu15

I personally don't feel we would've won the title with Newton. We got smoked at LSU and at Bama, would just adding him be that much of a swing?

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We lost to an LSU team that had 250 yards. W Newton w could have scored and the pressure wouldn't have been so much on our defense.

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Originally Posted by KOdawg1

For discussion and pure boredom purposes, what would have happened had we hired Mike Leach originally instead of Joe Moorhead?

At the end of 2017 when Dan left us, Mike was coming off a 9-3 season at Wash St. He lost his bowl game to Mich St, so he finished with a 9-4 season. His record the previous two years plus that year was 26-13 (9-4, 8-5, 9-4). Granted, his 11-2 season came the next year, so we wouldn't have known he was capable of pulling off a top tier season like that, but the general direction he had Wazzou going was up. He had shown he could win at a difficult place (again), and I think it would've been viewed as a solid hire.

Our 2018 team went on to have the #1 defense in the country that year, so it's safe to say Mike would've inherited the best defense he had ever had by far. The only kink in the whole thing would be having Nick Fitzgerald as your QB in an air raid offense. But when you go back and look at Mike's 2018 season at WSU, what made it so special? It was a well-traveled, underrated grad-transfer named Gardner Minshew who grew up 2 hours from Starkville and would've literally given his left nut to play for MSU. Is it crazy to think that if Mike Leach and Gardner Minshew arrive in Starkville during the spring of 2018 that we have a similar season that WSU has (11-2) or even better? We would have avoided the soft culture Joe instilled. We would have had a competent offense to go with our elite defense. The only knock I can find is our lack of WRs. But if you pick up a grad transfer or two, that can be fixed. Food for thought.

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You're acting like he would've inherited the 85' bears***

Would contended for a national champ with that defense........

I think we would have had a special season with Minchew and Leach but I think there would have been a meltdown about Fitz having to basically leave after his horrific injury and with him being so close to some SEC records rushing the ball for a guy that was totally unproven.

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Originally Posted by msu15

I personally don't feel we would've won the title with Newton. We got smoked at LSU and at Bama, would just adding him be that much of a swing?

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Looking at the loses for 2010, with the Mule Properly Rented

Auburn 21-7 W

LSU 24-22 W ... more possession and more confidence

@ Alabama 28-24 W....all hell breaks loose after the game, Cam would be suspended by NCAA that Monday

Arkansas 38-31 W....with Relf as QB, electric atmosphere ...us against the world...

SEC Championship Game ... CBS hating us and calling us evil Rednecks, Ole Miss demand for FBI investigation
South Carolina 48-14 W....Relf Beats the brakes off the Gamecocks

National Championship Game....FBI already in Starkville and Mullen interviewing all over America
Oregon 45-38 in 3OTs W....Announcers say it was a total fluke, MSU has no QB to replace Cam or Relf...Dak enrolls the following fall

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Originally Posted by The Federalist Engineer

Looking at the loses for 2010, with the Mule Properly Rented

Auburn 21-7 W

LSU 24-22 W ... more possession and more confidence

@ Alabama 28-24 W....all hell breaks loose after the game, Cam would be suspended by NCAA that Monday

Arkansas 38-31 W....with Relf as QB, electric atmosphere ...us against the world...

SEC Championship Game ... CBS hating us and calling us evil Rednecks, Ole Miss demand for FBI investigation
South Carolina 48-14 W....Relf Beats the brakes off the Gamecocks

National Championship Game....FBI already in Starkville and Mullen interviewing all over America
Oregon 45-38 in 3OTs W....Announcers say it was a total fluke, MSU has no QB to replace Cam or Relf...Dak enrolls the following fall

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Great post! I would say that if we were undefeated with Newton as our QB I think we would get some preferential treatment at that point but may have to pay for it later. Similar to Ole Miss for beating Alabama in 2014-2015 with bought players.

Probably Sugar Bowl with Newton. We lacked firepower at receiver, and that would have made the difference.

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Originally Posted by The Federalist Engineer

Looking at the loses for 2010, with the Mule Properly Rented

Auburn 21-7 W

LSU 24-22 W ... more possession and more confidence

@ Alabama 28-24 W....all hell breaks loose after the game, Cam would be suspended by NCAA that Monday

Arkansas 38-31 W....with Relf as QB, electric atmosphere ...us against the world...

SEC Championship Game ... CBS hating us and calling us evil Rednecks, Ole Miss demand for FBI investigation
South Carolina 48-14 W....Relf Beats the brakes off the Gamecocks

National Championship Game....FBI already in Starkville and Mullen interviewing all over America
Oregon 45-38 in 3OTs W....Announcers say it was a total fluke, MSU has no QB to replace Cam or Relf...Dak enrolls the following fall

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Nailed it!

But does Mullen use this as his springboard? Does he wind up at Ohio State instead of Urban?

Leach would have had us in the national playoff.

Cam Newton makes us 11-1 at worst with a loss to Bama in 2010.

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Originally Posted by dotcomdawg

we still would have needed someone who could catch the ball

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May have gotten a couple of transfer receivers with Leach coming in 2018.

Well Newton did carry Auburn to a win over Bama and I believe we would've been a better team with Newton than Auburn was with Newton.