Mullen?s best chance for a Natty was 2018

[cheewgumm]

And he blew it and let Bozo take over our program.

Mullen missed his chance due to greener pastures .

Sad really

[1eyedog]

I always go back to the article about Clemson (that defeated the high scoring bama team In the championship game) pointed to the “DOG” defense that limited Bama to under 30 points and almost none the second half. That was our chance besides 14.....

[Westdawg]

I still fume every time I think about it. What a squandered opportunity.

[Todd4State]

We definitely beat Florida with Dan. Probably beat Kentucky and mayyybe LSU. It's pretty clear the officials weren't going to let us beat Bama.

From my business world experience though- you never really know because when someone is burned out or really doesn't want to be somewhere- and Dan did not want to be at MSU- then more often than not they underachieve.

And as good as our defense was our offense was really lacking at the WR position and passing was never going to be Nick Fitzgerald's forte. That team needed Fred Ross or even Bear really badly. Dan would have utilized Kylin and Aeries better though. I know he didn't do it very often but he may have split their reps.

[StarkVegasSteve]

We definitely beat Florida with Dan. Probably beat Kentucky and mayyybe LSU. It's pretty clear the officials weren't going to let us beat Bama.

From my business world experience though- you never really know because when someone is burned out or really doesn't want to be somewhere- and Dan did not want to be at MSU- then more often than not they underachieve.

And as good as our defense was our offense was really lacking at the WR position and passing was never going to be Nick Fitzgerald's forte. That team needed Fred Ross or even Bear really badly. Dan would have utilized Kylin and Aeries better though. I know he didn't do it very often but he may have split their reps.

Dan was just ready to go. He told Keenum and Cohen he was leaving in October. He felt it was his time and he'd hit his ceiling of what he could. He knew he could get the Tennessee job when it came open, because Jimmy Sexton told him it was his and that was the job he was gunning for.

[Coach34]

What's funny to me is Jeremy Foley- who never liked Mullen- seething after Fla striking out on a number of coaches. Then having to look at Loafers and tell him to call Mullen.

[R2Dawg]

We definitely beat Florida with Dan. Probably beat Kentucky and mayyybe LSU. It's pretty clear the officials weren't going to let us beat Bama.

From my business world experience though- you never really know because when someone is burned out or really doesn't want to be somewhere- and Dan did not want to be at MSU- then more often than not they underachieve.

And as good as our defense was our offense was really lacking at the WR position and passing was never going to be Nick Fitzgerald's forte. That team needed Fred Ross or even Bear really badly. Dan would have utilized Kylin and Aeries better though. I know he didn't do it very often but he may have split their reps.

You don't have to be great in all phases of the game to compete for a NC. We were good enough passing and dominant running with #1 D. Look at Fitz's stats, they were good enough - like 2500 yards passing or something. That formula gets you in 4 team playoffs. We are the only team still with #1 D that never made playoffs.

[PGHBulldogBG]

I was always a big Mullen fan, but he was checked out at that point. I?m not sure if he had really stayed another year that we would?ve beaten UK, Bama or LSU. He probably would?ve beat UF at home, but by that point he was over being here and ready to move on to a big 6 job in the SEC. The bigger issue was hiring JoMo because even if we had hired someone semi competent we would?ve won at least 10 games that year. I think even an average coach like Malzahn, PJ Fleck or Doeren would?ve won 10 games with that team. It might?ve faded off after that but JoMo was just the worst

[Political Hack]

Cam Newton was our best chance to win a natty. Cecil screwed that one up for us.

[StarkVegasSteve]

Cam Newton was our best chance to win a natty. Cecil screwed that one up for us.

No WE SCREWED THAT ONE UP. Because again, we had people try to go cheap. Just pay him the extra 30K. Hell we were already offering 150K, not like 30K was going to be too far a bridge to cross. They literally were giving us a 70K discount because Cam wanted to play for Mullen so bad. Auburn and OU raised the price over 200K and some of our boosters didn't want to renegotiate.

[BeardoMSU]

You don't have to be great in all phases of the game to compete for a NC. We were good enough passing and dominant running with #1 D. Look at Fitz's stats, they were good enough - like 2500 yards passing or something. That formula gets you in 4 team playoffs. We are the only team still with #1 D that never made playoffs.

We just needed to be OK on offense that year, and we go 10-2 at a minimum....

That was our year. Makes me sick every time i think about it.

[BeardoMSU]

No WE SCREWED THAT ONE UP. Because again, we had people try to go cheap. Just pay him the extra 30K. Hell we were already offering 150K, not like 30K was going to be too far a bridge to cross. They literally were giving us a 70K discount because Cam wanted to play for Mullen so bad. Auburn and OU raised the price over 200K and some of our boosters didn't want to renegotiate.

This too. Awe shucks, let's not pay the shady preacher father under the table for his son's services, lol.

But instead let's rat them out and get branded as SNITCH-U

[Todd4State]

You don't have to be great in all phases of the game to compete for a NC. We were good enough passing and dominant running with #1 D. Look at Fitz's stats, they were good enough - like 2500 yards passing or something. That formula gets you in 4 team playoffs. We are the only team still with #1 D that never made playoffs.

Are you talking about actually winning the NC or just competing for it? Because yes, we were good enough to get into the playoffs. But we had holes that would have prevented us from beating Bama and probably LSU during the regular season both on the road. And they would have reared their ugly heads in the playoffs too. Heck, it reared it's ugly head in the Outback Bowl and our loss to Florida. We had Osirus Mitchell wide open for a walk-in TD and we missed it. And Fitz threw a pass so bad to end the Outback Bowl I'm not sure if he missed the read or just overthrew it when he hit Guidry in the chest and it got picked off.

Statistically, Fitzgerald was only about 2-3 percentage points worse with Joe than he was with Dan as a passer and believe it or not Fitz actually ran the ball more under Joe than he did under Dan.

[Todd4State]

I was always a big Mullen fan, but he was checked out at that point. I?m not sure if he had really stayed another year that we would?ve beaten UK, Bama or LSU. He probably would?ve beat UF at home, but by that point he was over being here and ready to move on to a big 6 job in the SEC. The bigger issue was hiring JoMo because even if we had hired someone semi competent we would?ve won at least 10 games that year. I think even an average coach like Malzahn, PJ Fleck or Doeren would?ve won 10 games with that team. It might?ve faded off after that but JoMo was just the worst

Exactly. We did a poor job or replacing Dan. Heck, I think we would have been better off with Pruitt and a spread option OC like Hudspeth than with Joe. And sure that would have also ended in disaster for us but so did Joe and I think we would have had a much better 2018 season.

[CaptainObvious]

Keenum and Cohen KNEW in October and Mo'head is the best they could come up with? Keenum is worse than the guy at A&M who left Oled Miss?

[BrunswickDawg]

Are you talking about actually winning the NC or just competing for it? Because yes, we were good enough to get into the playoffs. But we had holes that would have prevented us from beating Bama and probably LSU during the regular season both on the road. And they would have reared their ugly heads in the playoffs too. Heck, it reared it's ugly head in the Outback Bowl and our loss to Florida. We had Osirus Mitchell wide open for a walk-in TD and we missed it. And Fitz threw a pass so bad to end the Outback Bowl I'm not sure if he missed the read or just overthrew it when he hit Guidry in the chest and it got picked off.

Statistically, Fitzgerald was only about 2-3 percentage points worse with Joe than he was with Dan as a passer and believe it or not Fitz actually ran the ball more under Joe than he did under Dan.

Not having a Fred Ross or healthy Donald Gray is really what kept '17 and '18 truly special. We didn't replace Ross and Gray was injured, and Fitz' passing numbers declined dramatically. Like 800 passing yards dramatically.
THAT is why missing on AJ Brown was such a kick in the nuts. Put AJ on the '17 and '18 teams and we are a NC contender both seasons.

[maroonmania]

Dan was just ready to go. He told Keenum and Cohen he was leaving in October. He felt it was his time and he'd hit his ceiling of what he could. He knew he could get the Tennessee job when it came open, because Jimmy Sexton told him it was his and that was the job he was gunning for.

But he actually probably didn't hit his ceiling. I also think 2018 would have been his best team. 2014 was great but that 2014 defense wasn't in the same league with the 2018 defense. Fitz trying to run a pro style offense under JoMo killed any chance we had of being elite that year though. Just wasn't something Fitz was cut out to do.

[StarkVegasSteve]

But he actually probably didn't hut his ceiling. I also think 2018 would have been his best team. 2014 was great but that 2014 defense wasn't in the same league with the 2018 defense. Fitz trying to run a pro style offense under JoMo killed any chance we had of being elite that year though. Just wasn't something Fitz was cut out to do.

Our receivers would've held us back in 18. We would've beaten FL but we still would've lost to one of LSU/Kentucky, lost to Bama, and maybe even lost one more due to Mullen shopping himself. We were still not going to the playoffs and Mullen would've bolted in 18, FOR ANYWHERE. My guess is that he probably would've taken the Ohio St job when Urban stepped down. But if he missed that one he would've just taken the Maryland job.

That's what people don't understand I guess. Mullen was done at Mississippi State after 2015. Hell he almost left after 16 and took the damn UCONN job. That's how much he was done with Mississippi State. He thought he had the Miami job in 15 and Richt swooped in and took it at the last minute. Then he tried to pivot and get the Maryland job but they were too far down the road with DJ Durkin.

[Dawgology]

All Cohen had to do was pay up. He didn’t want to. He would have had to way overpay but everyone knew the next year was it. The big one. Once again…cheap boosters and a sorry AD at the time. Even if we didn’t win a NC we would have been in the thick of it and in the playoffs. Money. Well. Spent. But oh well…let him go and look for a discount hahahahaha

[1eyedog]

My last college game to attend was Fitz running wild in the velvet ditch.....Cold, Beautiful skies, all the om kitties and cougars showing what they had, Fitz absolutely ********** them, MSU band playing baby shark, Mullen jawing with AJ on the sideline, and the last interception for a td. I guess if I had to go ....it was like my last concert was Gregg Allman a year before he passed......it was just meant to be.....and it just didn’t get any better......GO “DOGS”!!!!!!! That being said Fitz last year should have been incredible just like 14 SHOULD shoulda woulda coulda.....Dak and Fitz deserved to go out better.........JMHO