Jordan Rodgers just said

[TrapGame]

MSU is a legit contender for the West. Our defense will be nasty. Our offense will be dangerous b/c JoMo calling plays and Getsy's work with the WRs.

And...He thinks we're better than Auburn.

The wool gettin' thick.

[ShotgunDawg]

I think it's a really good debate.

IMO, Auburn's greatest case is based around 2 things: Last year's score & recruiting rankings.

I think MSU's case is based around actually comparing the starters at each position, home field, & schedule.

While Auburn did blow us out last year, I believe it's important to remember a few things about that game:

1. It was the week after us getting blown out at UGA, who played in the natty
2. It was on the road at Jordan-Hare. Remember Auburn beat both UGA & Bama at Jordan Hare last year. They beat Bama by 12 & UGA 40-17. So getting blown out at Jordan Hare last year happened to the national title contenders.
3. We had a game changing scoop & score blown dead. Perhaps the game ends up the same, but that was a huge blow on the road with a team coming off getting blown out by UGA.

Comparing us to Auburn this year, I think it comes down to a few things:

1. Stidham is good but so is Fitz. I don't see a huge talent difference there. They are just different types of QBs
2. We can debate all day which front 7 is better. In the end, I don't think either team runs the ball all that well in the game anyway.
3. Auburn is replacing 4 starters on the OL while we are returning 4 guys. HUGE ADVANTAGE FOR MSU
4. Auburn is replacing their star RB while MSU not.

So, regardless if Auburn's front 7 is better than ours or not, I believe when we play them this year, our front 7 will play better in that game due to Auburn's young, inexperienced OL playing in their first true road game. I look for our defense to play very very well against them

Conversely, I don't see us having much success on the ground that day either. So, IMO, if MSU is able to throw the ball with any sort of consistency in that game & not give Auburn short fields, due to turnovers, MSU should have a great great chance to win.

[Commercecomet24]

I think it's a really good debate.

IMO, Auburn's greatest case is based around 2 things: Last year's score & recruiting rankings.

I think MSU's case is based around actually comparing the starters at each position, home field, & schedule.

While Auburn did blow us out last year, I believe it's important to remember a few things about that game:

1. It was the week after us getting blown out at UGA, who played in the natty
2. It was on the road at Jordan-Hare. Remember Auburn beat both UGA & Bama at Jordan Hare last year. They beat Bama by 12 & UGA 40-17. So getting blown out at Jordan Hare last year happened to the national title contenders.
3. We had a game changing scoop & score blown dead. Perhaps the game ends up the same, but that was a huge blow on the road with a team coming off getting blown out by UGA.

Comparing us to Auburn this year, I think it comes down to a few things:

1. Stidham is good but so is Fitz. I don't see a huge talent difference there. They are just different types of QBs
2. We can debate all day which front 7 is better. In the end, I don't think either team runs the ball all that well in the game anyway.
3. Auburn is replacing 4 starters on the OL while we are returning 4 guys. HUGE ADVANTAGE FOR MSU
4. Auburn is replacing their star RB while MSU not.

So, regardless if Auburn's front 7 is better than ours or not, I believe when we play them this year, our front 7 will play better in that game due to Auburn's young, inexperienced OL playing in their first true road game. I look for our defense to play very very well against them

Conversely, I don't see us having much success on the ground that day either. So, IMO, if MSU is able to throw the ball with any sort of consistency in that game & not give Auburn short fields, due to turnovers, MSU should have a great great chance to win.

Good analysis. Don't forget all the injuries to Auburn's WR group as well. Their offense is gonna scuffle some with new ols, rbs, and the injuries at wr.

[ShotgunDawg]

Good analysis. Don't forget all the injuries to Auburn's WR group as well. Their offense is gonna scuffle some with new ols, rbs, and the injuries at wr.

No doubt.

I do find it interesting how everyone points to them being so much better than us due the score of last year's game, but no one says that Auburn is better than UGA or Bama, even though they did practically the same thing to them last year at home.

[TrapGame]

Rodgers pointed out Auburn's OL as their big weakness. That's one of the reasons he puts us ahead of them.

[ShotgunDawg]

Rodgers pointed out Auburn's OL as their big weakness. That's one of the reasons he puts us ahead of them.

And he is correct.

It's just too early IMO to really handicap that game. There are simply too many unknowns at this point that will be knowns by the time we play:

Is Fitz fully healthy, meaning is he cutting & running at his max level?
Is there a drop off with Moorhead? As Brad Edwards said this morning, "Mullen was the best coach in MSU history. Is it really reasonable that they won't miss a beat with Moorhead?"
Is Auburn's new OL worth a damn?
Is Auburn's new feature RB worth a damn?
Will Stidham be the same QB while operating under more pressure due to lesser OL?

It's just a tough game to figure out on August 6th

[Liverpooldawg]

I'll wait till I see us against a good opponent before I get to excited.

[Todd4State]

I think the Auburn game will be based in part on how we do the week before against Florida. We win the Florida game and I think the Auburn game will be a 2014 MSU/Auburn game atmosphere. If we lose to Florida it's going to be hard to focus on getting focused back again for Auburn.

[Jack Lambert]

He also said that Moorhead was the best Hire of all the hires.

[justwin]

Didn’t auburn lose some dL too? Or was that the year before?

[TUSK]

One thing I thought Your former coach did well was slow the game down (vs Bammer) & limit plays/possessions.

I don’t know much about JoMo, is that style in his playbook?

[Walkerhill]

Well? When we slowed the game down in the second half Bama turned the screws and took control of the game. I can see how a Bama fan would like that, but ... not sure it was really good coaching,

[TUSK]

Well? When we slowed the game down in the second half Bama turned the screws and took control of the game. I can see how a Bama fan would like that, but ... not sure it was really good coaching,

Totally agree. However, I believe it gave you cats a chance.

Y’all hammered TOP & 3rd downs... and plays run, bc of that.

The inability to stop the Bammer run game was the death kneel.

[Lord McBuckethead]

And you know, Ridley getting to leave the field of play, come back in and catch the ball made it difficult.

[Cowbell]

Totally agree. However, I believe it gave you cats a chance.

Y?all hammered TOP & 3rd downs... and plays run, bc of that.

The inability to stop the Bammer run game was the death kneel.

Nope that wasn?t the issue. You guys couldn?t stop our run game but we couldn?t stop Ridley and contain Hurts when nobody was open.

[BiscuitEater]

Auburn's first 'real' away game will be @ DWS with 30,000+ cowbells ringing in their heads!

[MarketingBully]

I'll wait till I see us against a good opponent before I get to excited.

Of course, you probably also aren’t wooly on our men’s basketball team even though this is more talent then we have ever had on one team in our history. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the 2018-2019 MSU sports season. There aren’t going to be many that will collectively be as great as the one coming up.

[Bdawg]

I think it's a really good debate.

IMO, Auburn's greatest case is based around 2 things: Last year's score & recruiting rankings.

I think MSU's case is based around actually comparing the starters at each position, home field, & schedule.

While Auburn did blow us out last year, I believe it's important to remember a few things about that game:

1. It was the week after us getting blown out at UGA, who played in the natty
2. It was on the road at Jordan-Hare. Remember Auburn beat both UGA & Bama at Jordan Hare last year. They beat Bama by 12 & UGA 40-17. So getting blown out at Jordan Hare last year happened to the national title contenders.
3. We had a game changing scoop & score blown dead. Perhaps the game ends up the same, but that was a huge blow on the road with a team coming off getting blown out by UGA.

Comparing us to Auburn this year, I think it comes down to a few things:

1. Stidham is good but so is Fitz. I don't see a huge talent difference there. They are just different types of QBs
2. We can debate all day which front 7 is better. In the end, I don't think either team runs the ball all that well in the game anyway.
3. Auburn is replacing 4 starters on the OL while we are returning 4 guys. HUGE ADVANTAGE FOR MSU
4. Auburn is replacing their star RB while MSU not.

So, regardless if Auburn's front 7 is better than ours or not, I believe when we play them this year, our front 7 will play better in that game due to Auburn's young, inexperienced OL playing in their first true road game. I look for our defense to play very very well against them

Conversely, I don't see us having much success on the ground that day either. So, IMO, if MSU is able to throw the ball with any sort of consistency in that game & not give Auburn short fields, due to turnovers, MSU should have a great great chance to win.

This is the key to the game imo. Hopefully we pressure Stidham way more than they pressure Fitz, and they don't have that bruiser to hand it off to. May have to really watch out for their screen game to get the ball out fast to their WRs or smaller RB if they can't block us.

[BigEasyDawg]

No doubt.

I do find it interesting how everyone points to them being so much better than us due the score of last year's game, but no one says that Auburn is better than UGA or Bama, even though they did practically the same thing to them last year at home.

I totally agree man, good analysis. I really hope to see our Simmons, Montez, Gerri, and Rivers in Stidhams face the entire game. If we can do that and force throws, I can see Mclaurin, cole, and Dantzler with some INTS and we take the game.

[MarketingBully]

Totally agree. However, I believe it gave you cats a chance.

Y’all hammered TOP & 3rd downs... and plays run, bc of that.

The inability to stop the Bammer run game was the death kneel.

******* gave you guys a gift when he chose to decline the running into the kicker penalty and keep the field goal to only be up 7. If he accepted the penalty, it would have been 4th and 1 and the way we were running in you guys with Williams and Fitz we would have scored a TD and gone up 11. The only way you beat a team like Alabama if you are us or say Ole Miss is take chances. ******* never took chances against Bama hence 0-9.