Am I the only one who really doesn't care

[horshack.sixpack]

about "going to a bowl game"? Last year 80 teams went bowling and 15 did so without a winning record. There are only 6 bowls that really matter. This reeks of the everybody gets a trophy mentality and we have fans with actual angst that we might not get that trophy that means nothing.

I realize I'm in the minority but I'd rather play at least one really good team to start the season than ever play a USA just to "guarantee" a win toward a bowl that means nothing. If MSU is good enough to get to a bowl game that matters that game won't be too significant given we have to do well in the SEC West gauntlet to have a chance anyway. Do that and you make a good bowl with or without that victory.

 

[TBone.sixpack]

I enjoy that it's one more time to see State football before 8 months without. Most of the time that is.

 

[121Josey]

Yes. 12 games are already too many for you. Next time Holloway goes up the middle, you'll boycott.

 

[Sapsdawg]

Normally I would say the extra practice time is the big benefit, but clearly it is not much of one judging by last Saturday.

 

[patdog]

I care about going to a bowl game because 6 wins > 5 wins. We have a road game at a pretty good BYU team so your bitching about the schedule is ******** anyway.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

I haven't boycotted through a lot worse (even Tech and 10), but one more up the middle might be the straw.

#thisismyhaventbeatatop25teamobsession

 

[LTblows]

For me, the additional practices are pretty important. If our SEC competition gets more practices in a year than we do, it's going to be hard for MSU to keep up with the Joneses. It's already hard, let's not make it worse on ourselves.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

And we only need 5 wins anyway because it is so prestigious now.

 

[FQDawg]

I'll say the same thing I say every holiday season...

When people start bitching about the number of bowls...

If you think there are too many bowl games, you aint' gotta watch 'em. If enough people feel the same way, the ratings drop, they become unprofitable and go away.

But the evidence shows that you are very much in the minority. I, for one, would rather State be in a bowl game than not. And I'm always happy to watch East Nowhere State play Central Bum17 University during that holiday break.

In my mind, more football is always preferable to less football.

 

[PBRME]

Bowl game. Every minute of the day. Every day of the month. Every month of the year. You want to talk about the ultimate fail then sit your *** at home while the teams you're recruiting again't are getting the spotlight.

 

[aTotal360]

I'm not that callused...yet.

 

[Dawgzilla]

I think the players enjoy it. I haven't talked to any of the players in over a decade, but it seems like a holiday trip and some nice swag is more enjoyable than ending your season on Thanksgiving weekend. Probably helps with recruiting some, although I guess your argument is that Mullen hasn't taken advantage of that aspect either.

However, I like the rule requiring the SEC teams to play at least one power 5 non-conference opponent, and I wouldn't mind opening with them either.

 

[Vice]

I think the players enjoy it. I haven't talked to any of the players in over a decade, but it seems like a holiday trip and some nice swag is more enjoyable than ending your season on Thanksgiving weekend. Probably helps with recruiting some, although I guess your argument is that Mullen hasn't taken advantage of that aspect either.

However, I like the rule requiring the SEC teams to play at least one power 5 non-conference opponent, and I wouldn't mind opening with them either.

This all day. Play that team on the first game of the season. Opening with teams like USA just sucks all the way around. It's a game people don't care about so you get the 11am kick which sucks, it's hot as hell, it's Labor Day weekend so no one goes to the game, it's hot as hell, the players don't give a damn and it shows, no excitement at all. Open with a power 5 team just to get the season started off strong. If you lose, you're in the same position we are now.

 

[thatsbaseball]

Funny how things have changed. Years ago when there weren`t so many bowl games, having a big name none conference opponent on the schedule was a primary recruiting tool.

 

[Hanmudog]

Holy ****, do we not play a brutal enough schedule as it is? If anything try and get the SEC to give us a home opener against another SEC school but putting another Top 25 school on the schedule is suicide for a program like us right now.

 

[MSU601Dawg]

about "going to a bowl game"? Last year 80 teams went bowling and 15 did so without a winning record. There are only 6 bowls that really matter. This reeks of the everybody gets a trophy mentality and we have fans with actual angst that we might not get that trophy that means nothing.

I realize I'm in the minority but I'd rather play at least one really good team to start the season than ever play a USA just to "guarantee" a win toward a bowl that means nothing. If MSU is good enough to get to a bowl game that matters that game won't be too significant given we have to do well in the SEC West gauntlet to have a chance anyway. Do that and you make a good bowl with or without that victory.

I agree, bowls don't mean anything anymore when 5-7 teams consistently go to them. Also when we've been to 6 in a row, no one gets excited for the Liberty Bowl, it's more of a disappointment than anything. Now when we're in a trend where we've missed a bowl 3-4 years in a row, any bowl game is exciting.

I also think the extra practices giving your young players a huge boost is overrated. I actually think that the motivation gained by missing a bowl gives your program more of a boost than going 6-6 and getting 20 extra practices. Last time State and Ole Miss each missed a bowl they came out extremely hungry the next year.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

It's an interesting dichotomy. Not going to a bowl is a certain sign that you suck because so many teams go to a bowl now. However because so many teams go to a bowl now it doesn't have much prestige so we effectively get worked up about missing out on something that matters less. I would hate it if we don't make a bowl because that means we suck. By the same token I don't care about the bowls other than the top 6 to 10...

 

[Wesson Bulldog]

Don't forget this one:

I haven't boycotted through a lot worse (even Tech and 10), but one more up the middle might be the straw.

#thisismyhaventbeatatop25teamobsession

Tay Galloway 12 runs up the middle leading to 4 straight 3 and outs to start the game vs Tennessee in 1990.
If y'all think Mullen is stubborn, then be glad y'all weren't around for Rocky's last 3 years.

 

[fishwater99]

Who are you kidding, we won't win enough games this year to qualify. Mullen is on borrowed time..

 

[johnson86-1]

Holy ****, do we not play a brutal enough schedule as it is? If anything try and get the SEC to give us a home opener against another SEC school but putting another Top 25 school on the schedule is suicide for a program like us right now.

It blows my mind that people want us to have a top 5 SOS every year. If you were talking about making every power five school move to a schedule where you could play one non-power 5 school for homecoming but otherwise had to play power 5 schools, I could at least slightly understand it. I'm not sure that would work out well for MSU, but I get the desire. But I can't imagine why people think we should play a top 5 SOS every year.

 

[Crazy Cotton]

that pretty much captures my feelings perfectly. We lose by a few touchdowns to a top 20 program, well, there you go. We lose by 1 to a bottom of the barrel team, on our field, and that taint is on you for the rest of the season, no matter what else happens. Would you rather have our loss or OM's at this point?

 

[ByersFarm]

I'd like to see us open against a power 5 opponent. At least if we shat the bed against a quality team it wouldn't be so bad. Of course I like going to a bowl game, but they're all consolation prizes excluding one.

 

[BulldogBlitz]

I enjoy going to the bowl games... unless of course I drive through the entire state of florida, spend my new years eve in the stadium to watch us get run out, and then get a photo ticket because I turned right on red at 2 AM getting the 17 out of dodge.

 

[tatedog]

Normally I would say the extra practice time is the big benefit, but clearly it is not much of one judging by last Saturday.

I can only imagine the beating South Alabama would've put on us with two extra weeks of bowl practice.

 

[Go Budaw]

However, I like the rule requiring the SEC teams to play at least one power 5 non-conference opponent, and I wouldn't mind opening with them either.

Personally I'd prefer ditching the Power 5 requirement and just go to a 9 game conference schedule. That would do a lot more to further the brand of the SEC. We can generate a lot more TV revenue that way as the SEC can renegotiate the terms with ESPN. That is compounded by no longer losing revenue in road / neutral season opening games like these kickoff classics and what not.

All that happens when you make each SEC team play a Power 5 team is it helps prop up those other conferences and helps their collective SOS much more than that of the SEC teams. Schools like Florida, UGA, and Clemson would probably complain since they have permanent OOC Power 5 rivals at the end of the year and would get one less gimme game. However, that doesn't really hold a lot of water when you consider UGA stepped out to play UNC in the opener when they already had Georgia Tech at the end of the year, and FSU and Clemson are both playing two SEC teams a piece in addition to a 9 game ACC schedule. Not to mention, individual athletic departments also wouldn't have to worry about the headache of constantly finding big name teams from out of conference and maintaining those contracts and dealing with contingencies. More revenue + more conference cameraderie + less scheduling issues with other Power 5 teams = win/win/win.