WMD's Quick Thoughts

[War Machine Dawg]

Evening, peeps. Gave myself time after the game to calm down, but I still get pissed every time I think about it. But hopefully it doesn't color my analysis too much.

1. Ferrie missing the FG was a huge turning point in the game. Why do our kickers regress the longer we have them? I can't remember the last one we had that actually improved over his career.

2. Shapen should've had to walk home after the game. He isn't the answer at QB. As much as I rightfully dogged on Rogers, he at least won SEC games. It's not even the pick at the end I'm mad about. It's overthrowing his WR twice on guaranteed TDs. We should have been up 2-3 TDs and not needing a FG to win at the end. Which leads me to...

3. I'm ready to start the KT Era. I'm aware he's raw and not ready yet. But if we aren't winning games with Shapen, then there's no reason not to start KT. He can run and avoid pressure, unlike Shapen. I'm willing to live with his growing pains and mistakes. I've had enough of the Baylor fraud.

4. Our OL sucks. We didn't spend nearly enough on upgrading it. I saw Reese getting bullied multiple times Saturday. We're going to piss away a golden opportunity for a bowl season because we didn't invest in the one area everyone knew we needed the most improvement. Inexcusable.

5. That last play call was one of the dumbest I've ever seen. Put in KT and run power or go old school Wild Cat and direct snap it to Booth. The ball should never leave the hands of whoever takes the snap in that situation. The one thing you should never do is throw the damn ball. Honestly, that call is so bad, it should get someone fired.

6. We went out and got a kicker from the portal with NFL leg strength for just that kind of situation. Lebby has to trust his guy there. You're telling me there's some huge difference between a 37 yard FG and a 41 yard FG? Sell that somewhere else. Ferrie has already made one from 50+ this year that would've been good from 60. It makes that last call even worse.

7. We're better than last year, but that was a very low bar. I've seen people in other threads talking about needing to score improvement next year. This was the year to make a bowl and win a couple of SEC games. Next year's schedule is a nightmare. Our ceiling outcome might be 4 or 5.

8. This is why your AD shouldn't be hiring his buddies. We're in a position that I don't envy Selmon having to make a decision: If we don't beat one or two of Texas, Arkansas, Mizzou and Northern Miss, Lebby is a dead man walking. So do we pull the plug now? If so, whoever is next is next is setup for an awful year one with that schedule. The flip side is if you keep Lebby, you're wasting time paying a guy you end up firing anyway. It's continuity for the sake of continuity. The players will check out early. And if you wait until after next season, we'll be breaking in a new stag with a new system in the year where we actually have a favorable schedule with at least 6 subs on it. Is it more beneficial to get the new guy in, get the system in place knowing next season is going to be terrible so everything is in place and ready to go for 27? This is why they get paid the big bucks. There's no easy answers, only hard choices.

[gtowndawg]

Evening, peeps. Gave myself time after the game to calm down, but I still get pissed every time I think about it. But hopefully it doesn't color my analysis too much.

1. Ferrie missing the FG was a huge turning point in the game. Why do our kickers regress the longer we have them? I can't remember the last one we had that actually improved over his career.

2. Shapen should've had to walk home after the game. He isn't the answer at QB. As much as I rightfully dogged on Rogers, he at least won SEC games. It's not even the pick at the end I'm mad about. It's overthrowing his WR twice on guaranteed TDs. We should have been up 2-3 TDs and not needing a FG to win at the end. Which leads me to...

3. I'm ready to start the KT Era. I'm aware he's raw and not ready yet. But if we aren't winning games with Shapen, then there's no reason not to start KT. He can run and avoid pressure, unlike Shapen. I'm willing to live with his growing pains and mistakes. I've had enough of the Baylor fraud.

4. Our OL sucks. We didn't spend nearly enough on upgrading it. I saw Reese getting bullied multiple times Saturday. We're going to piss away a golden opportunity for a bowl season because we didn't invest in the one area everyone knew we needed the most improvement. Inexcusable.

5. That last play call was one of the dumbest I've ever seen. Put in KT and run power or go old school Wild Cat and direct snap it to Booth. The ball should never leave the hands of whoever takes the snap in that situation. The one thing you should never do is throw the damn ball. Honestly, that call is so bad, it should get someone fired.

6. We went out and got a kicker from the portal with NFL leg strength for just that kind of situation. Lebby has to trust his guy there. You're telling me there's some huge difference between a 37 yard FG and a 41 yard FG? Sell that somewhere else. Ferrie has already made one from 50+ this year that would've been good from 60. It makes that last call even worse.

7. We're better than last year, but that was a very low bar. I've seen people in other threads talking about needing to score improvement next year. This was the year to make a bowl and win a couple of SEC games. Next year's schedule is a nightmare. Our ceiling outcome might be 4 or 5.

8. This is why your AD shouldn't be hiring his buddies. We're in a position that I don't envy Selmon having to make a decision: If we don't beat one or two of Texas, Arkansas, Mizzou and Northern Miss, Lebby is a dead man walking. So do we pull the plug now? If so, whoever is next is next is setup for an awful year one with that schedule. The flip side is if you keep Lebby, you're wasting time paying a guy you end up firing anyway. It's continuity for the sake of continuity. The players will check out early. And if you wait until after next season, we'll be breaking in a new stag with a new system in the year where we actually have a favorable schedule with at least 6 subs on it. Is it more beneficial to get the new guy in, get the system in place knowing next season is going to be terrible so everything is in place and ready to go for 27? This is why they get paid the big bucks. There's no easy answers, only hard choices.

Dead on, totally agree with all of this.

[viverlibre]

good points, but there's no possibility Levee gets fired this year (barring an off the field issue).

[confucius say]

We didn't get Ferrie from the portal.
And it wasn't his leg strength that was the issue. It was his accuracy. He had already missed from 41 and we were looking at 47.

Also, the analytics said pass there fwiw. I was saying run it though.

[Goldendawg]

I agree with you on every point. I have been riding this MSU roller coaster in person since 1963. Unless we beat Texas, this year is shot.

We, the roller coaster, has had far too many assistant coaches hired to be on the job training head coaches in my lifetime. With Davis through potentially Lebby, I am tired of reading here how much better we are this year compared to last year when the bar last year was about as low as I have seen in my lifetime.

A 15 game SEC losing streak with Arnett through Lebby to date is an embarrassment. You can't tell me any opponent fears playing us at Starkville or on the road at this point.

Yes, my family has spent many dollars supporting MSU over 6 decades of watching our football program including 58 years of consecutive season tickets, 8-12 per year.

If we lose Saturday, bring on Hawk or KT (I know it's not Keytaon Thompson) and let one of them have a chance. Maybe one of them might play well and want to hang around next year. I am one of those who post here that did only play high school football but I know bad coaching and bad playcalling when I see it from many of the failures at head coach that our so called powers to be have hired in my lifetime expecting different results. It's too late for me to give up but on the trip home to Starkville postgame Saturday night I ask my MSU grad school son if this loss to Florida was the most sickening finish in his short life as a MSU fan. His reply was "No, I am used to losing." This is very sad for his generation of hardcore state fans. JMO.

SEC coaches make millions of dollars and now a lot of players make big bucks also. I dare say many of the ex-coaches on elitedawgs could have gone 2-10, 0-8 last year and 0-3 in the SEC this year for a lot cheaper payout. With NIL and the portal it is a what have you done for me lately college football world and we have done nothing for 2 and a half years but be one of the worst programs in the SEC. 0-15 says it all. Done with my rant, fire away.

[gtowndawg]

Yes, my family has spent many dollars supporting MSU over 6 decades of watching our football program including 58 years of consecutive season tickets, 8-12 per year.

Dang, you deserve a medal or sainthood. Something.

[msstate7]

We didn't get Ferrie from the portal.
And it wasn't his leg strength that was the issue. It was his accuracy. He had already missed from 41 and we were looking at 47.

Also, the analytics said pass there fwiw. I was saying run it though.

For his career, he's 12/20 from 40+. Give the ball to booth and get that fg to the low 40s and I'm good with whatever happens. Throwing with a guy that almost never throws it away and an oline that's give up the 3rd most sacks is just too risky for me. I'm biased though bc I don't trust Shapen

[War Machine Dawg]

good points, but there's no possibility Levee gets fired this year (barring an off the field issue).

I tend to agree that Lebby gets next year regardless. But if he's 0-fer in conference play in two seasons, why are we supposed to believe next year will be better when we have the conference schedule from Hell next season? Especially if the only experience we've given to Kamario is running the old Wild Cat. Everyone knows he's not giving it on the sweep and he's damn sure not throwing it. That isn't exactly investing in his development. And are we going to spend the money necessary to 1) keep the key players from this group together and 2) get an OL group capable of playing at the required level? Because if the answer to either of those is "no," then Lebby or any other coach is being set up to fail. Like I said, there is no easy answer for where we are, and I don't envy those in the position to be making that decision. I'm on record as saying we're done as a competitive team, barring 1) serious regulation and enforcement of NIL and the portal or 2) we luck into a couple of billionaire donors who are willing to bankroll football. We just don't have the money to compete in the current environment. It's why programs like Vandy are ahead of us now. They've got plenty of money to spend and they're willing to spend it now that NIL has brought the money out from under the table and into the light.

[Quaoarsking]

good points, but there's no possibility Levee gets fired this year (barring an off the field issue).

We heard that about Moorhead, Lemonis, and Arnett at some point of the seasons where they were ultimately fired.

[War Machine Dawg]

We heard that about Moorhead, Lemonis, and Arnett at some point of the seasons where they were ultimately fired.

Also a solid point. Again, there's no easy answer. And if we aren't committing to being competitive financially, then what's the point? No one is going to win with the budget we have right now.

[BeardoMSU]

To be fair, that FG was good...

[Coach34]

Lebbo is not getting fired after this year. He was guaranteed 3 years. Only way it happens is if someone writes a $20MM check to demand it. And that aint happening considering how much better we look. Want to get better? Donate $5MM to NIL to buy better players if u want OL depth and a better QB

[Quaoarsking]

Lebbo is not getting fired after this year. He was guaranteed 3 years. Only way it happens is if someone writes a $20MM check to demand it. And that aint happening considering how much better we look. Want to get better? Donate $5MM to NIL to buy better players if u want OL depth and a better QB

Just a few months ago you insisted that we probably weren't going to fire Lemonis, and if we did, it would absolutely be at the end of the season, not during the season. And after you were wrong about those, you insisted we wouldn't hire Brian O'Connor.

I think you may not have the best sources.

[Todd4State]

Yeah. You're so pissed let's completely tank the season by playing a freshman QB "who can scramble" and then fire Lebby to double down on the insanity. And then you'll be pissed that we weren't patient when none of it works out.

[Todd4State]

Just a few months ago you insisted that we probably weren't going to fire Lemonis, and if we did, it would absolutely be at the end of the season, not during the season. And after you were wrong about those, you insisted we wouldn't hire Brian O'Connor.

I think you may not have the best sources.

Lemonis didn't double his win total from 24 to 25. We're not firing Lebby this year. Now, if he doesn't start winning some games in 2026 then it's probably in the discussion. But it's not happening this offseason barring a scandal.

Also, our schedule this year is bullshit. That's the only way I can describe it. Next years schedule is more favorable and hell it almost has to be.

[Quaoarsking]

We're not firing Lebby this year.

It wouldn't be so certain of that. No other FBS school in the last 20 years has let a coach start out 0-fer in their conference for his first 2 years and then bring the coach back for year 3, SEC or otherwise, with the only exception being Georgia State in their first 2 years of playing FBS football.

It would be a lot of history to go against, and while Lebby did walk into a bad situation and we've had a tougher than average schedule, neither is completely unprecedented.

I hope Lebby gets the win Saturday and ends the speculation.

[Todd4State]

It wouldn't be so certain of that. No other FBS school in the last 20 years has let a coach start out 0-fer in their conference for his first 2 years and then bring the coach back for year 3, SEC or otherwise, with the only exception being Georgia State in their first 2 years of playing FBS football.

It would be a lot of history to go against, and while Lebby did walk into a bad situation and we've had a tougher than average schedule, neither is completely unprecedented.

I hope Lebby gets the win Saturday and ends the speculation.

The only reason why I wouldn't be so certain of that is because MSU has done stupid shit before like hire Arnett so I guess nothing is completely off the table.

But no- we're not firing him after this year. It's about our situation and the fact that we need stability. Lebby is bringing us that. And we have improved. This isn't like Moorhead or Chad Morris where he has lost the team or anything like that.

I'm 99% sure he is not going to be fired.

[Todd4State]

And if Shapen is the main issue- well he isn't coming back anyway no matter what so problem solved.

[MoreCowbell]

Yeah. You're so pissed let's completely tank the season by playing a freshman QB "who can scramble" and then fire Lebby to double down on the insanity. And then you'll be pissed that we weren't patient when none of it works out.

My sentiments exactly

[MoreCowbell]

Can just anyone do a weekly self titled breakdown of every game?