Why we can't enjoy our success.

[bulldogcountry1]

I'm not and old fart by any means, but I've seen a lot of ups and downs between ours and the UM programs since the 90's. In the last 20 years, both teams have won as many as 10 and have lost as many as 10. There's been some really bad multi-season slumps for both, as well as some good times. Bother teams are experiencing the highest level of sustained success as they have had in recent memory.

Though all of this, though, I have noticed one thing that never seems to go away, not matter the records. Only fan base can be happy at a time. When one side is riding high, the other is panicking because they fear they are getting left behind. It's as if, no matter who we are playing, we are always playing against each other, and each side can never truly enjoy their own success when the other is just a little bit better at the time. Momentum can change sides weekly or even daily, depending on factors ranging from big wins to a commitment to arrest to an individual award. It never stops, and I don't care what any UM fan says. They are just as obsessed as we are. They are just better at pretending like we don't matter to them.

The last two seasons are a perfect example of this. While we were #1 for a month last season, UM fans couldn't even enjoy their own success. Every one of then I would know would fake a smile and say how cool it is for the state. Deep down, you could tell it was eating them up inside. This year, the tables have turned, and none of us seem to even care about the bowl game. We are too busy freaking out about Mullen and recruiting. Why? Because 8-4 and a nice bowl isn't acceptable? No. It's simply because UM is better than us right now and have steeper trajectory going forward. That's all that seems to matter. We can't look at our own teams and decide how we feel without looking at the other first.

[BoomBoom]

I'm not and old fart by any means, but I've seen a lot of ups and downs between ours and the UM programs since the 90's. In the last 20 years, both teams have won as many as 10 and have lost as many as 10. There's been some really bad multi-season slumps for both, as well as some good times. Bother teams are experiencing the highest level of sustained success as they have had in recent memory.

Though all of this, though, I have noticed one thing that never seems to go away, not matter the records. Only fan base can be happy at a time. When one side is riding high, the other is panicking because they fear they are getting left behind. It's as if, no matter who we are playing, we are always playing against each other, and each side can never truly enjoy their own success when the other is just a little bit better at the time. Momentum can change sides weekly or even daily, depending on factors ranging from big wins to a commitment to arrest to an individual award. It never stops, and I don't care what any UM fan says. They are just as obsessed as we are. They are just better at pretending like we don't matter to them.

The last two seasons are a perfect example of this. While we were #1 for a month last season, UM fans couldn't even enjoy their own success. Every one of then I would know would fake a smile and say how cool it is for the state. Deep down, you could tell it was eating them up inside. This year, the tables have turned, and none of us seem to even care about the bowl game. We are too busy freaking out about Mullen and recruiting. Why? Because 8-4 and a nice bowl isn't acceptable? No. It's simply because UM is better than us right now and have steeper trajectory going forward. That's all that seems to matter. We can't look at our own teams and decide how we feel without looking at the other first.

No, because we are on a down slope, and the old farts are intent on keeping us on it until the bottom, because of irrelevant history.

[AROB44]

No, because we are on a down slope, and the old farts are intent on keeping us on it until the bottom, because of irrelevant history.

This is total BS!!

[Jack Lambert]

No, because we are on a down slope, and the old farts are intent on keeping us on it until the bottom, because of irrelevant history.

I'll take a eight win season as a down year any time.

[ShotgunDawg]

This is total BS!!

Agree

Recruiting is actually improving.

We can't enjoy our success because you are either getting better or getting worse in this league. There is no joy until we win the SEC title & then that will only last for a few weeks before we start worrying about other things.

South Carolina had three straight 11 win season between 2011 & 2013 & now they are terrible. The moment you start thinking your good in this league and you slack off a little bitty bit, your done.

[Liverpooldawg]

No, because we are on a down slope, and the old farts are intent on keeping us on it until the bottom, because of irrelevant history.

Here we go again. We never learn from our history therefore we are doomed to repeat it over and over. For clarity booms view is the historical one.

[Leroy Jenkins]

The problem is not the record or perceived lack of success.... The problem is not playing to our potential. If the best we could do is 8-4 that's one thing, having a good team and settling for 8-4 is another, its year 7. The "history" excuse does not play anymore, the guys on this team were 11 or 12 years old when Dan took over; they don't know the old MSU.

Some people will be happy with finishing next to last in the division because, hey, we are not last.

[Maroon_and_white]

Enjoying success is directly correlated to expectations. MSU fans overall are pretty reasonable. This year, we went 8-4 with the best QB we've ever had with 3 HOME losses to LSU, Bama, and Ole Miss. My expectations were 9-3 this year with a big home win vs 1 of those 3 teams. That did not happen. This results in disappointment and anger in our fanbase. Next year, expectations are lower. Most agree 7-5 is expectation next year.

To add: I will never "expect" a 10 win season from MSU, however, I do expect us to be competitive for and perhaps achieve a 10 win season every 3-4 years. This is correlated to a mixture of recruiting and experience. As mentioned above, I do expect us to win the majority of our SEC home games. At the very least, split SEC home games 2-2. I'm not happy with paying a lot of money to watch our team play at home and lose (and lose embarrassingly) especially to our rival who we rarely have lost to at home over the last 20 years

[ShotgunDawg]

The problem is not the record or perceived lack of success.... The problem is not playing to our potential. If the best we could do is 8-4 that's one thing, having a good team and settling for 8-4 is another, its year 7. The "history" excuse does not play anymore, the guys on this team were 11 or 12 years old when Dan took over; they don't know the old MSU.

Some people will be happy with finishing next to last in the division because, hey, we are not last.

We were picked by Vegas to win 7 games & picked by the SEC media to finish last in the division.

So you don't think we are playing to our potential?

[SDDawg]

The problem is not the record or perceived lack of success.... The problem is not playing to our potential. If the best we could do is 8-4 that's one thing, having a good team and settling for 8-4 is another, its year 7. The "history" excuse does not play anymore, the guys on this team were 11 or 12 years old when Dan took over; they don't know the old MSU.

Some people will be happy with finishing next to last in the division because, hey, we are not last.

This was a 9-3 team and in my mind, we came up short. Problem is if we had beaten LSU and then lost to UMiss, people would still be singing the same tune. This is a tough business and fans have high expectations, which is why Dan makes the money he makes. Just part of the deal... and the fact that were terrible for so long really doesn't change it. Life in the SEC West...

[ShotgunDawg]

Enjoying success is directly correlated to expectations. MSU fans overall are pretty reasonable. This year, we went 8-4 with the best QB we've ever had with 3 HOME losses to LSU, Bama, and Ole Miss. My expectations were 9-3 this year with a big home win vs 1 of those 3 teams. That did not happen. This results in disappointment and anger in our fanbase. Next year, expectations are lower. Most agree 7-5 is expectation next year.

I think much of the frustration this year was tied to the fact that we played like crap at home against good teams. If we would've lost to Alabama & Ole Miss on the road & beaten Arkansas at home, things may be slightly better.

Everyone's gameday experience this season for big home games was crap. It's better to lose in road games on TV.

[SDDawg]

Enjoying success is directly correlated to expectations. MSU fans overall are pretty reasonable. This year, we went 8-4 with the best QB we've ever had with 3 HOME losses to LSU, Bama, and Ole Miss. My expectations were 9-3 this year with a big home win vs 1 of those 3 teams. That did not happen. This results in disappointment and anger in our fanbase. Next year, expectations are lower. Most agree 7-5 is expectation next year.

Only disagreement is that if we had beaten LSU and then lost to Ole Miss, this reaction would be mostly the same. Pretty much everyone expected to beat them, and if they didn't expect it they hoped beyond belief it would happen anyway. Just how it is...

[Maroon_and_white]

Only disagreement is that if we had beaten LSU and then lost to Ole Miss, this reaction would be mostly the same. Pretty much everyone expected to beat them, and if they didn't expect it they hoped beyond belief it would happen anyway. Just how it is...

The reaction to losing at Ole Miss @ home will always be bad, but if we had beaten LSU then perspective would have been more positive of the season overall. We would have had several weeks after LSU of great excitement and probably been a top 10 team again. The losses to Bama and Ole Miss would have stung since it was a repeat of last year, but we would have had at least had 1 big home win for the fans to enjoy. The fact of the matter was Bama and Ole Miss top to bottom were just more talented than us. I can live with that considering this was Ole Miss golden year and they still went 9-3.

[Red Sox Dawg]

No, because we are on a down slope, and the old farts are intent on keeping us on it until the bottom, because of irrelevant history.

Maybe the old farts should let the young sharts take over. You can take up my giving to MSU and I will let it go. Hope you can get us off the bottom.

[Leroy Jenkins]

We were picked by Vegas to win 7 games & picked by the SEC media to finish last in the division.

So you don't think we are playing to our potential?

Dude, who cares where the media picked us? If we were going to go off that why even play the games? Did the media pick us to be #1 last year? Cant have it both ways. The team the media picked to win the division finished LAST.
I hope the fans who follow the team closely have a better barometer for the teams actual potential than the media.

[ShotgunDawg]

Delete

[ShotgunDawg]

Dude, who cares where the media picked us? If we were going to go off that why even play the games? Did the media pick us to be #1 last year? Cant have it both ways. The team the media picked to win the division finished LAST.

I'm just giving you a consensus view.

If you are some elite talent evaluator & seriously believe that we are underachieving, then more power to you & I'd love to learn what you know about our players that I don't.

Recruiting will need to continue to improve for me to reasonably believe we should be winning more game.

[Blackout]

We were picked by Vegas to win 7 games & picked by the SEC media to finish last in the division.

So you don't think we are playing to our potential?

The media argument is something I expect from Liverpool or Homedawg

[ShotgunDawg]

The media argument is something I expect from Liverpool or Homedawg

I think we played at least to expectations this year. Particularly with that abortion that we called an offensive line & the injuries we sustained in our secondary.

Don't confuse that with fact that I'm also upset & embarrassed that Mullen shopped himself publicly & that our recruiting & development, especially on the offensive line, MUST improve.

Us meeting expectations this year with the players we have & us knowing what needs to happen for the program to improve, are two separate issues.

[Political Hack]

Nm