We could easily be 7-1 heading into Nov. 2016

[Tbonewannabe]

I predict we start 8-0 and nationally ranked top 10. We going to be better than most outside people think. We will beat both LSU and Auburn.

If we beat LSU in Baton Rouge someone on our team will be getting mentions for a Heisman. We don't have the secondary to cover LSU's receivers one on one like you have to because you load the box to stop Fournette.

[Tbonewannabe]

I know everyone is in agreement that Dak is the best QB in MSU history. But most of the posters on here think we will completely suck next year because we are losing him. For one, we didn't use Dak in 2015 like we did in 2014. Secondly, while Dak was great his floor was much lower than the 2 QB's we have coming back. Both of our QB's coming back have a much higher ceiling than Dak and based on Mullen's previous QB development, only the ignorant can think that one, if not both, of our QB's will surpass what Dak has accomplished. Everyone acts like we are replacing Dak with a Relf. We are replacing Dak with a less experienced, more talented (at the same point in career) Dak type QB. I do not see is missing much of a beat with whoever takes snaps for us next season and the back loaded schedule only helps them. Our offense and QB has 7-8 weeks to get up to speed and get some nice wins under their belt. I do not expect much of a dropoff and see every game as winnable next year. As long as we fix OLine issues, anything less than 8 wins next year will be disappointing.

Fitz has went through 3 bowl practices, 3 spring trainings, and 3 summers before he is asked to start. The only thing he lacks is big game experience. We are a lot better off than if we went a got a Juco QB to start next year. As long as the talent is there which between Fitz, Staley, and Tiano looks like it is, we are in a good position.

[CadaverDawg]

Saying we "Should" start 5-1 is a little extreme. Is it possible? Sure...but SEC games for first year starting QB's are never easy. Auburn will be better, South Carolina won't be a game we just show up and win, & at BYU is never a gimme.

I'm all for being positive, and I can see 7+ wins at first glance on that schedule if everything goes as planned....but setting an early expectation of starting "5-1" or "7-1" is being a bit ridiculous IMO. It's also setting yourself up for major disappointment & for some of our more fickle fans to be ready with torches & pitchforks to go after Mullen at the sign of a 5-2 start or something.

I'll go ahead and say, anything 7 wins or better next year, & nobody should say a thing about Mullen's seat being hot. 6 road games & a first year starting QB in the West....really 6+ next year is a win in my book. 8-9 should get serious Coach of the Year looks unless the teams on our schedule fall on their faces.

But that's just me.

[mparkerfd20]

I predict we start 8-0 and nationally ranked top 10. We going to be better than most outside people think. We will beat both LSU and Auburn.

I agree. We will be a LOT better than most think we will be...Even most here. BUT, I will NOT predict we'll be 8-0. I think we could very well be 7-1 though.

[Beaver]

Saying we "Should" start 5-1 is a little extreme. Is it possible? Sure...but SEC games for first year starting QB's are never easy. Auburn will be better, South Carolina won't be a game we just show up and win, & at BYU is never a gimme.

I'm all for being positive, and I can see 7+ wins at first glance on that schedule if everything goes as planned....but setting an early expectation of starting "5-1" or "7-1" is being a bit ridiculous IMO. It's also setting yourself up for major disappointment & for some of our more fickle fans to be ready with torches & pitchforks to go after Mullen at the sign of a 5-2 start or something.

I'll go ahead and say, anything 7 wins or better next year, & nobody should say a thing about Mullen's seat being hot. 6 road games & a first year starting QB in the West....really 6+ next year is a win in my book. 8-9 should get serious Coach of the Year looks unless the teams on our schedule fall on their faces.

But that's just me.

I said we "Could" start 7-1. It's not my expectation. I won't have an "expectation" until July or August.

[TrapGame]

We will have more of the Relf look next year. Mullen is going to tailor the playbook to Fitz's strengths. There will be a good mix of run/pass a lot closer to Relf than Dak.

In other words, 7-1 is very possible going into November.

[HSVDawg]

Yes.. But Mullen wins the games he's supposed to win. We'll be favored in at least 6 of those first 8 games.

Mullen lost the title of being the guy who "wins the games he's supposed to win" after the Egg Bowl and A&M games last year. And arguably the LSU game also.

[OdaMaeBrown]

Saying we "Should" start 5-1 is a little extreme. Is it possible? Sure...but SEC games for first year starting QB's are never easy. Auburn will be better, South Carolina won't be a game we just show up and win, & at BYU is never a gimme.

I'm all for being positive, and I can see 7+ wins at first glance on that schedule if everything goes as planned....but setting an early expectation of starting "5-1" or "7-1" is being a bit ridiculous IMO. It's also setting yourself up for major disappointment & for some of our more fickle fans to be ready with torches & pitchforks to go after Mullen at the sign of a 5-2 start or something.

I'll go ahead and say, anything 7 wins or better next year, & nobody should say a thing about Mullen's seat being hot. 6 road games & a first year starting QB in the West....really 6+ next year is a win in my book. 8-9 should get serious Coach of the Year looks unless the teams on our schedule fall on their faces.

But that's just me.

They just won't understand it if we come out of the gate on fire and then have a bad ending to the season.

[Really Clark?]

Mullen lost the title of being the guy who "wins the games he's supposed to win" after the Egg Bowl and A&M games last year. And arguably the LSU game also.

Don't think we were favored in those games. I think that what most allude to when saying win the games he is suppose to win.

[Coach34]

I predict we start 8-0 and nationally ranked top 10. We going to be better than most outside people think. We will beat both LSU and Auburn.

LSU will be undefeated when Bama comes to Tiger Stadium next year. They are loaded.

[Coach34]

And we could be 0-8...I have no idea why you think these guys are going to fall off the map now that Dak is gone. This is not the old MSU you grew up on.

my pessimism is more about our D than O. Our O will be solid until we play upper level D-Lines. Our CB play plus questions on the DL as well at safety give me nothing but worry on D next year. We lost 5 starters on D and wont be replacing them with someone as good.

[HancockCountyDog]

AU getting Lawson back is just a huge deal. That is a swing game in my opinion. Their defense should be pretty damn good, and I keep hearing they are going to run the ball 70-75% of the time next year with Jovon and Kerryon. They could be sneaky good next year.

Also, don't sleep on A&M. They have so much talent, and now that they added the OU QB, they are going to be problem. They have the best DE tandem in the country and they return everyone at WR. If the get just competent QB play, they will be extremely tough.

[engie]

Mullen lost the title of being the guy who "wins the games he's supposed to win" after the Egg Bowl and A&M games last year. And arguably the LSU game also.

We were 4 point underdogs to aTm.
We were 3 point underdogs to LSU.
We were 2 point underdogs to OM.
We were 6 point underdogs to Arky.

We won one game as an underdog last year and lost zero as a favorite. Care to reexamine your position on that?

[Coach34]

AU getting Lawson back is just a huge deal. That is a swing game in my opinion. Their defense should be pretty damn good, and I keep hearing they are going to run the ball 70-75% of the time next year with Jovon and Kerryon. They could be sneaky good next year.

Also, don't sleep on A&M. They have so much talent, and now that they added the OU QB, they are going to be problem. They have the best DE tandem in the country and they return everyone at WR. If the get just competent QB play, they will be extremely tough.

exactly-both these teams will likely be better than us in 2016. Auburn has a couple of bigtime DE and WR recruits coming in also

[engie]

exactly-both these teams will likely be better than us in 2016. Auburn has a couple of bigtime DE and WR recruits coming in also

Everyone else is going to get better and we are going to get worse. The early 2013 narrative coming from the opposite side now off of 19 wins vs off a 5-11 stretch.

Auburn has bigtime recruits coming in -- that's a reason they will be much better. MSU has bigtime recruits coming in and coming off of redshirt -- "we lost starters and their replacements aren't as good".

[bulldawg28]

my pessimism is more about our D than O. Our O will be solid until we play upper level D-Lines. Our CB play plus questions on the DL as well at safety give me nothing but worry on D next year. We lost 5 starters on D and wont be replacing them with someone as good.

On defense Jones, Calhoun, (Redmond was replaced last year) So we're looking at really 2 positions that lesser talent comes in. Both Brown's will be replaced with better talent.

[fishwater99]

It all comes back to the O-line. They gel, let Fitz/Staley establish themselves, and get us back to having a run game, and this becomes plausible. Week 2 & 3 are the key tests. We handle USCe and maybe gain the confidence to pull another "no one knows what's about to take this field" in Red Stick???

Why did you say Fitz/Staley? I believe that Fitz will be our starter, Staley is with the Basketball team right now..

[SheltonChoked]

We are probably going to take at least a small step back next year. We are losing a lot. You don't lose the best player in the history of school and not step back a little. Especially when that player was the qb.

Signed 1998 Tennessee.

[bulldawg28]

exactly-both these teams will likely be better than us in 2016. Auburn has a couple of bigtime DE and WR recruits coming in also

Auburn's DE were there last year Lawson won't beat us by himself. I know Lawson didn't play against us last year. However, honestly we should have blown Auburn out of the water last year. Until Auburn shows me they have a Qb I'm not worried about any new WR. Auburn gets top talent every year. Gus has been figured out I'm not concerned unless Cam lines up for them next year

[engie]

Calvin >/= Ryan Brown. I know, I know, he's coach's multi-year man crush that was going to dominate this year. Until it didn't materialize and AJ was the one that dominated.

We will see a drop from Jones to whoever takes that spot -- but should get better on the 2nd grouping with Adams rotating off redshirt and Thomas having more experience now. We can probably expect Nick James will improve as well. And I've yet to see a reason to believe AJ doesn't take another step forward.

We will be better at LB by proxy of Jackson being gone. Beni was really good but not irreplaceable. Not with Richie still here to head up the D.

We will be better at S.

We have young talent at corner. Alot of it. And a pretty good JUCO coming to compete for time as well. Anyone notice Jiles this year after the Redmond injury? I didn't. Meaning he was doing his job while Cleveland was getting picked on. If we don't start Cleveland strictly on seniority -- there is no reason we can't still be pretty good at this position. Elite talent doesn't necessarily translate to elite play at the position under this regime anyway. We saw that this year when we were soft zoning with Redmond and Calhoun the same way we soft zoned with Slay and Banks.