Quote Originally Posted by CadaverDawg View Post
I don't like it.

Because I'm scared we'll lose?? Hell no.

I don't like it bc it's a lose/lose for us. It benefits them and only them. If we win by 100, we did what we were supposed to do....they win either way, by playing with us every now & then, and by collecting a check from us. There's a reason Alabama doesn't play UAB imo, and it isn't bc we have football figured out and they don't.

But I'm fine with disagreeing with those of you saying you like it. I just see absolutely zero benefit whatsoever to MSU. It's not like beating them helps recruiting...we out-recruit them anyway. But what if once every 10 times we play them they pull a South Alabama on us.....that's not being scared, that's just real life.....and that small risk alone in conjunction with the fact that we have nothing at all to gain, makes it very simple for me to say it's dumb. Just makes no sense. At least we got a 2 for 1, I guess that's a little less dumb than the home & home
Everything you just said applies to every nonconference game we play ever, except for against Power 5 teams. But our fanbase has this pride thing about not wanting to prop up USM in any way, shape, or form. If people would look at them as what they are (a Group of 5 team that is occasionally somewhat competitive but never has and never will be on the level of even a bottom tier SEC school), then it wouldn't be such a big deal. We've played dozens of teams like them over the years, some on the road too. But instead, there's a paranoid obsession that we are "giving them exposure" or "letting them climb the ladder at our expense". It's all completely false....they will never be on our level as a program or anywhere close to it, even if they beat us. Just like UAB won't (and they beat us), and La Tech won't (beat us multiple times), or South Alabama won't (you get the idea).

In the end, it all comes down to money. We can compete with the big boys of the SEC. But we have to do it by spending smarter than they do. I'd much rather put that money in places where that money packs a punch, like facilities upgrades and coaching salary increases. The flip side to that is throwing it away to play some out of state G5 school that is in high demand for everyone in the SEC, ACC, and Big 12 to give them a game all because we are too prideful to get a bargain deal on a similar caliber team in-state.

Also, Auburn played Jacksonville State a few years back, so it's not unheard of for other SEC schools to do either.