For the "we can win 8-9 games next year" crowd

[lamont]

When I evaluate teams heading into next year, I look at experience returning plus what they have in the trenches. It has served me pretty well over the years in predicting who can do what. So lets look at us and then our opponents:

Offense- we return 7 starters and a very good QB. Downside is we lose 3 OL starters and one of the SEC's best WR's.
Defense- we basically lose 7 starters- altho Jiles will apply for a 6th year and could very well get it. Simmons started alot down the stretch so we could drop that total to 6

So lets say we return 13 starters if Jiles gets another year. We had some young guys that will grow and some jucos coming. The only juco to step right in and play well from the 1st snap during the Mullen tenure has been Vick Ballard. So there is some angst there.

Georgia- returns 18 starters and currently has the #3 signing class in the country. They have some work to do on the OL- but return every skill player. Had the #1 rated QB and #1 TE freshmen starting for them this past season who should be bigger impacts in 2017. Return 10 of 11 starters on D. Huge plus for them. We play at their place making it very unlikely we win this game

Kentucky- returns 16 starters from a team that beat us and ran over us. Lost only 1 guy out of 10 of their 2-deep on the OL. Return their QB and TB. Return 8 starters on D- must replace 2 in the Secondary. Should be a good game at our place

Alabama- we're not beating them

LSU- returns 12 starters but could lose 1 or 2 more to the draft. Talent wont be a problem for this bunch and they will be better coached on offense in 2017. Currently has the 5th rated recruiting class in the country. Unlikely to win this game- as we never beat LSU. Gonna be tough for us to compete in the trenches with them. Could be vulnerable but anything other than a loss would be a pleasant surprise.

Auburn- returns 16 starters but could lose a couple more to the NFL draft. Adding a 5-star QB transfer that is a proven college QB. Returns every skill player except their leadinga WR for 2016. His 29 catches should be very replaceable. Return probably 7 starters on D when you consider Lawson likely to leave. Play at Auburn- unlikely win.

UPig- returns 13 starters . 4 of 5 return on their OL. They signed a 4-star juco WR and a 4-star juco TE to fill in on offense. Return QB and top 2 RB's. Question marks on their DL where they lose 3 of 4. Lose 1 LB and one in the Secondary. We play at their place- which makes things tough. But if they dont fix their DL- gives us a chance

Texas A&M- returns 14 starters unless another Jr or 2 leaves besides Garrett. Have WR's to burn and return 3 starters on the OL. Have to find a new QB and thats always a big deal. Lose both DE's on D- but most everything else is fixable. Lots of Jr's on this team- will be Sr-heavy in 2017. 7th ranked recruiting clas in the country coming to provide some depth. We play at their play and have never won there. Tall task to win there as usual.

BYU wont be a pushover but of course we expect to win that. Same with La Tech and OM

I see 4 sure losses in Georgia, Bama, LSU, and Auburn. Then you are asking us to win every one of Kentucky, A&M, and UPig. Thats a tough task in 2017- especially if the jucos take 1/2 season to adjust to SEC ball. LSU in game 3, Georgia in game 4, and Auburn in game 5 make for a helluva early season schedule- as all should be top 20 teams.

[Reason2succeed]

Georgia and Auburn are sure losses?!? Go tell that to mullen's record against those teams.

[Jarius]

Georgia is not a good football team. That's not a for sure loss. Other than that, I agree with most of the rest.

[lamont]

Georgia was a very young football team this past season and return the most starters in the SEC. They will be vastly improved

[lamont]

Georgia and Auburn are sure losses?!? Go tell that to mullen's record against those teams.

Auburn will be the SEC's 2nd best football team in 2017

[Goldendawg]

UNM slaughtered Ga. I guess it's how much they improve vs. how much we can improve in '17.

[MarketingBully]

I think we go 8-4 with a bowl win to go 9-4. Arkansas has a terrible run defense and so does A&M. Remember, we only have great running backs now for Mullen to choose from so no more Holloway or Shumpert up the middle. Only four stars will be in the backfield. We will be okay.

[MarketingBully]

Auburn will be the SEC's 2nd best football team in 2017

Last I saw, we only play them once on our schedule.

[Jarius]

We don't know how much they will improve. Smart looked in over his Head for half the year and went 7-5 in the SEC east. It's not a For sure loss. It's a toss up.

[QuadrupleOption]

Won't argue too much but I think we can beat Kentucky and Arkansas next year given that we'll have a QB with a full year in the system (have to expect some improvement) and some improvement on defense.

As for Georgia, they play in a weak-ass division against pretty weak competition. It'll be tough to beat them in Athens but I'm not conceding that one yet.

I think 8 wins is in the realm of possibility for sure but we can't have a shitty kicking game and a piss-poor defense again or we'll be looking at another 4-5 win season.

[Goldendawg]

We are all fans which we know is short for "fanatics". Every program has them, but it takes a special person to bleed Maroon and White. Fans at other programs are circling their sure wins, toss ups, and losses for '17 also. After this 5 -7, you can bet KY and BYU fans circle us as a sure win. We will have to prove differently in these and every game in 2017. We should never lose an OOC game or to an East team at this point in the growth of our program.

[Jarius]

Mulen's refusal to get a kicker that we can count on is mind boggling. We would probably have been 7-5 this year with just an average kicker.

[lamont]

Smart looked in over his Head for half the year and went 7-5 in the SEC east.

Smart looked like he coached a very young team with a true freshman QB

They still won 7 games and beat Kentucky and Auburn teams that we couldnt

[Goldendawg]

With this influx of JC players, do you think we start the best 22 available or will they have to wait their turn behind players already in the system 2 to 4 years? Times were different, but Jackie's bringing in too many JC's late in his tenure was a disaster.

[Jarius]

Smart looked like he coached a very young team with a true freshman QB

They still won 7 games and beat Kentucky and Auburn teams that we couldnt

And got the breaks beat off of him by a team we beat by 35 points. We had a first year QB (not a true freshman but a former option QB who was getting his first real action this year). We also played a lot of redshirt freshmen and first time starters. We weren't as young as Mullen wanted people to believe but we were inexperienced.

Also, Smart lost to Vandy and nearly lost to Nichols State who is really bad. I'm not saying we will win, but it is at least a toss up.

[GTHOM]

Gotta love 2017 predictions in december before we even play our bowl game. We can win 8-9 games. UGA, Auburn, LSU are all winnable at home. Next week you'll be shitting on Smart and Malzahn

[TUSK]

I don't always agree with you, but I believe MSU will be significant 'dogs @UGA and @AU... (in addition to LSU & Bammer)

Also, road games @TAMU & @Arkie, I'd expect them to be 3-7 point underdogs...

However, provided you cats don't get upset by anyone, get a couple of upsets on the road, and win a bowl game, 9-4 is possible....

[Coach007]

Defense- we basically lose 7 starters-

Such a flawed statement. Go back and look at every depth chart. Look at PT. Example, Jung. In game 12, listed as #3 yet he started. Thomas... started at DT alot. Yes Adams started more, but he only had 3 more tackles than Thomas and Thomas had more TFLs.

So looking at it:

DT- Thomas split starting with a SR. That's not a loss.

NT- Simmons.. Seriously need to check it if you think he's not better than James. Simmons is the TOP SEC frshman DL. More tackles than any other.

DE- Jefferson. Yep, gotta replace him. But we just signed one of the top pass rushers from JUCO and Adams did a decent job as a Fr.

Star- Gray.. a JR started. Jung is behind him.

Viper- Spencer.. true freshman who played in 11 games.

MLB -- Harris is a Jr.

WLB-- Lewis Fr

CB... Graham ..JR...

FS.. Koman Sr... Replaced by Bryant. That's a massive upgrade.

SS- McLaurin So.

CB... Jiles a SR.. 2 of his back up started for a total of 8 games. Yet you count a 4 game starter as a loss?

[Coach007]

UNM slaughtered Ga. I guess it's how much they improve vs. how much we can improve in '17.

Man don't you know!?!? MSU doesn't improve. Mullen didn't improve MSU after taking over from Croom.... wait.. Maybe. Mullen didn't improve MSU by coaching up players like DAK. Mullen didn't take MSU to #1 by finding and developing unknown, not offered players! Wait....

Some would say to you that you are the issue with MSU. You refuse to see the writing on the wall! MULLEN is bad and you are keeping what's best away from MSU.... that's the next coach. Like the back up QB. It's not the people that want Mullen gone for recruiting a no name hack like Dak and for taking us to #1.

They are right! MSU CAN NEVER IMPROVE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE! LMAO! You are the one with messed up backwards thinking!

[dawgs]

Experience is more than just starters. Look at who played snaps and how many they played, losing a starter when you have a talented backup with plenty of playing time stepping into the starting spot isn't a big deal. Chris jones wasn't a "starter" until his last season at state (stupid 1a/1b bullshit). Pretty sure Phil Steele does that analysis each year.