I am trying to remember

T-TownDawgg

All-Conference
Nov 4, 2015
4,725
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Dude, I'm honestly trying to channel my inner instinctual pessimism, but, for all you old school drag racers out there, a lot of "sleeper talent" is brewing.

Disclaimer: "a lot of talent" where Lebby's stupidassfukery doesn't get in the way.
 
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Dawgbite

Heisman
Nov 1, 2011
9,531
10,569
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The Croom years come to mind.
Croom was way better than this. We were finally getting out from under the dark cloud that was Larry Tinkle. We were getting positive press for hiring the first black coach in the SEC. We thought that we were an offensive coordinator away from actually being competitive. Next year we will go O fer in the SEC and very likely lose one or more non conference games.
 
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615dawg

All-Conference
Jun 4, 2007
7,121
4,444
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A time when I was less enthused than I am now for Mississippi State football?

I guess I am hoping ya'll will come up with something.
We just don't have the offensive line talent to be competitive. I'm sure we will roll ULM and Minnesota is the epitome of a tossup game. Say we win that one and split the SC/Mizzou games. We are 3-1 with four straight juggernauts.

Like others, Kamario has a chance to be special, and if the offensive line exceeds expectations, we could be more competitive than it looks like we will be. But the depressing thing about going 6-6/7-5 is that means Kamario was good enough to get attention from other programs. If we throw the bank at him a la Josh Hubbard we won't be able to get the talent he needs and we take a step back.

I hate what college sports has become.
 

The Peeper

Heisman
Feb 26, 2008
16,240
11,702
113
It's no secret I've been negative the last few years. At first I thought it was just negativity I directed at MSU brought on by how much we've sucked post Jackie and then Mullen, which indeed was enough to be negative about. But I've slowly realized in addition to that it's as much or more negativity brought on by college football today. I used to love the game itself, watched college football from the time the early Saturday morning talk shows came on until the West Coast games went off midnight'ish no matter who was playing. I bought the pre-season magazines, all of them. Even when we sucked pre-Jackie and Mullen I still supported both college football and MSU 100%. Now, I have ZERO expectations about college football nor MSU football. I gave up season tickets after 40+years two seasons ago as many have. I only added ESPN last season after they ran the $29.99/mo special for Unlimited or whatever they called it. After the Egg Bowl I cancelled it and didn't watch the first play of post season bowls or playoffs. This season I'm not adding it back, at all.
I'm going to tailgate all games as I have for decades and I'll watch our game recap on YouTube on Sunday mornings but if we suck as bad as predicted, tailgating is going to fall by the wayside by mid October as well and I'll spend more time in the woods and on the water than I already do now in the future
 
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OG Goat Holder

Heisman
Sep 30, 2022
13,569
12,470
113
A time when I was less enthused than I am now for Mississippi State football?

I guess I am hoping ya'll will come up with something.
It’s not the particular year. It’s that Lenny isn’t the guy. This will probably be his best year but we will suck again next year. I just don’t believe in the program.
 
Dec 9, 2018
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Croom was way better than this. We were finally getting out from under the dark cloud that was Larry Tinkle. We were getting positive press for hiring the first black coach in the SEC. We thought that we were an offensive coordinator away from actually being competitive. Next year we will go O fer in the SEC and very likely lose one or more non conference games.
Sorry, but I don't remember Croom ever being better than this. Maybe the same, but definetly not better.
 

OG Goat Holder

Heisman
Sep 30, 2022
13,569
12,470
113
We just don't have the offensive line talent to be competitive. I'm sure we will roll ULM and Minnesota is the epitome of a tossup game. Say we win that one and split the SC/Mizzou games. We are 3-1 with four straight juggernauts.

Like others, Kamario has a chance to be special, and if the offensive line exceeds expectations, we could be more competitive than it looks like we will be. But the depressing thing about going 6-6/7-5 is that means Kamario was good enough to get attention from other programs. If we throw the bank at him a la Josh Hubbard we won't be able to get the talent he needs and we take a step back.

I hate what college sports has become.
If we had a decent coach and had the potential to win I think the big boys would cough up the money. But we don’t, so we won’t. I see Kamario at Ohio State or something once we go 7-5 but lose everybody else.
 
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msstatelp1

All-Conference
Aug 21, 2012
2,044
1,182
113
I’ve been enthused and then not enthused so much over the past 50 years I don’t care no more. I’ll just wait til the season and see what happens.
 

patdog

Heisman
May 28, 2007
59,359
29,923
113
2002-2006. 1984-1989. I’m not optimistic that we’ll win 6+ this year with this schedule. But we do have some players who are or could be pretty good. Just not enough of them.
 

patdog

Heisman
May 28, 2007
59,359
29,923
113
We ran the numbers a few weeks ago. Croom was way better. Lebby would have to go 5-4 this year in the SEC to better Crooms first three years, then Croom went 4-4 in Year 4.
You have to look at schedule. Croom only faced 2 ranked opponents in his last season #6 & #14. Lebby faced #3, #6, #8 & #12 last year.
 
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TheBannerM

All-Conference
Nov 30, 2024
1,388
1,970
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I’m excited to see Kamario.
It’s wild. I’m thinking K1 is a budding superstar and will be a cheat code in the Briles Veer & Shoot. On the other hand, I’m dreading Lebby’s in-game decision making. And I question the overall talent-level around Taylor.
 
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DawgTown Blues

Redshirt
Aug 31, 2022
38
38
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We ran the numbers a few weeks ago. Croom was way better. Lebby would have to go 5-4 this year in the SEC to better Crooms first three years, then Croom went 4-4 in Year 4.
Let’s also put some more data behind this.
1. Croom inherited roster of dawgs created by Jackie. Lebby inherited a roster put together by Arnett and Leach for a very specific type of offense that nobody else in the world ran.
2. Schedule - won’t hammer this because it’s discussed elsewhere in this thread.
3. NIL - Croom was on much more even playing field than Lebby.
 

Willow Grove Dawg

All-American
Nov 3, 2016
8,128
5,663
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My level of preseason enthusiasm was equal or lower 1983-1990, 2002-2008, & the last two years. I am becoming cautiously optimistic that we might get to 6 this year. If we can win 6-7 this year then it should be easier to put more skill around K1 for 2027.
 
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Bulldawg77

All-American
Dec 1, 2019
3,739
6,850
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We just don't have the offensive line talent to be competitive. I'm sure we will roll ULM and Minnesota is the epitome of a tossup game. Say we win that one and split the SC/Mizzou games. We are 3-1 with four straight juggernauts.

Like others, Kamario has a chance to be special, and if the offensive line exceeds expectations, we could be more competitive than it looks like we will be. But the depressing thing about going 6-6/7-5 is that means Kamario was good enough to get attention from other programs. If we throw the bank at him a la Josh Hubbard we won't be able to get the talent he needs and we take a step back.

I hate what college sports has become.
Our OL is a lot more talented than at any point since Lebby has been here. Not to mention adding Mason Miller to the staff to help coach OL

I don’t get the pessimism. We played at times last year above our talent level. We have now increased our talent level at pretty much every position. We have upgraded our staff with additional support staff on both sides of the ball. And bring in an experienced DC. We have tremendous talent and speed at WR, Fluff at RB,(watch out for Kolin Wilson at Rb2) we are getting national hype on our QB, we return a lot of talent on the DL and added Evans from AM and Williams from FSU, our LBs will be much better with Brock coaching them. Our secondary has a chance to be special with Smith, Jones, and others. This team has a chance to create some waves this year.
 
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Bulldawg77

All-American
Dec 1, 2019
3,739
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If we had a decent coach and had the potential to win I think the big boys would cough up the money. But we don’t, so we won’t. I see Kamario at Ohio State or something once we go 7-5 but lose everybody else.
Taylor isn’t going to transfer and why this is even brought up I have no idea. Such a loser mentality. He’s got a great deal now, and will have an even bigger deal next year. His brother is on the team, his family loves MSU, he’s younger brother is playing at nox county. We have to stop thinking we can’t keep kids. We retained every single player we wanted to from the 25 team including Taylor and K Jones. Some of you all would be shocked at who all came after our players.
 
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Dawgbite

Heisman
Nov 1, 2011
9,531
10,569
113
Sorry, but I don't remember Croom ever being better than this. Maybe the same, but definetly not better.
I hindsight Croom was bad but at the time there was excitement and a positive attitude from the fanbase. It may be just me but I haven’t felt positive about State football since JoMo’s first season. It’s about time for us to start convincing ourselves that this year is going to be different but deep in my heart I know it’s not. I guess I just quit believing and fooling myself.
 
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Maroon13

All-Conference
Sep 29, 2022
3,954
4,106
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We were finally getting out from under the dark cloud that was Larry Tinkle.
Do you mean Jackie Sherrill and another round of ncca probation? ... Sherrill was fired in 2003. Croom was hired December 2003.

Templeton was AD until 2008.

When Jackie didn't get the Bama job in 2000, he lost his drive.
 

horshack.sixpack

All-American
Oct 30, 2012
11,789
8,840
113
I hindsight Croom was bad but at the time there was excitement and a positive attitude from the fanbase. It may be just me but I haven’t felt positive about State football since JoMo’s first season. It’s about time for us to start convincing ourselves that this year is going to be different but deep in my heart I know it’s not. I guess I just quit believing and fooling myself.
there was excitement when he was hired. At this point in his tenure, there was not much of that left
 

horshack.sixpack

All-American
Oct 30, 2012
11,789
8,840
113
A time when I was less enthused than I am now for Mississippi State football?

I guess I am hoping ya'll will come up with something.
One positive. The only certain thing about MSU football over the decades is uncertainty. That always leaves room for a little ill advised hope. Nobody knows what is about to take this field...
 

Darryl Steight

All-American
Sep 30, 2022
4,334
7,233
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A time when I was less enthused than I am now for Mississippi State football?

I guess I am hoping ya'll will come up with something.
This is a depressing post. You've even got a rebel feeling sorry for you.

I love K1.
Excited about a much improved defensive scheme under ZA.
I think we've improved the coaching room.
I like the RBs.
I like the WRs.
I think our offense will be fine-to-decent (at least as good as last year, which should have been good enough to win 6-8 games)
I like the attitude and quiet confidence I've seen from the players.

Obviously I'm not seeing the same depression-inducing team that you are.
 

golferdog

Senior
Jan 1, 2024
1,176
933
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I am excited for Kamario, but I doubt if he has the OL to help him.
I am excited to watch KT, but not sure if we have enough elsewhere to win more than 4-5.
The lines of scrimmage have to be much improved and stay injury free. I'm hoping for a breakout year with 6-8 wins.
 

3407Dewey

Senior
Jun 4, 2014
343
472
63
It's no secret I've been negative the last few years. At first I thought it was just negativity I directed at MSU brought on by how much we've sucked post Jackie and then Mullen, which indeed was enough to be negative about. But I've slowly realized in addition to that it's as much or more negativity brought on by college football today. I used to love the game itself, watched college football from the time the early Saturday morning talk shows came on until the West Coast games went off midnight'ish no matter who was playing. I bought the pre-season magazines,all of them. Even when we sucked pre-Jackie and Mullen I still supported both college football and MSU 100%. Now, I have ZERO expectations about college football nor MSU football. I gave up season tickets after 40+years two seasons ago as many have. I only added ESPN last season after they ran the $29.99 special for Unlimited or whatever they called it. After the Egg Bowl I cancelled it and didn't watch the first play of post season bowls or playoffs. This season I'm not adding it back, at all.
I'm going to tailgate all games as I have for decades and I'll watch our game recap on YouTube on Sunday mornings but if we suck as bad as predicted, tailgating is going to fall by the wayside by mid October as well and I'll spend more time in the woods and on the water than I already do now in the future
This is about where I am. Football is just a beautiful game. One of the few where scheme can sometimes beat raw talent. It was fun to watch Leach try to take that approach, and before him Mullen was above average at coaching up the talent we had. You could root for our players because many (not all) were passed up by bigger programs and you got the sense that they actually loved MSU.
But now.... I don't have confidence in the coaching staff, nor do I sense any loyalty whatsoever from most of our players. The college game has simply turned into a bidding war for talent - at the player and coaching levels. I will still watch (I think), but far less interested than ever before.
 

JackShephard

Senior
Sep 27, 2011
1,613
764
113
Croom was way better than this. We were finally getting out from under the dark cloud that was Larry Tinkle. We were getting positive press for hiring the first black coach in the SEC. We thought that we were an offensive coordinator away from actually being competitive. Next year we will go O fer in the SEC and very likely lose one or more non conference games.
LOL. I didn't even watch a single play of the 2006 season. I watched 2007, then part of 2008. I suffered through from the LA Tech debacle, to the GT embarrassment (I was at that game in person), and then I turned off the 2008 season as well. I've missed a game here or there with Lebby, but I've never once considered skipping an entire season, or the vast majority of one.

Now, don't get me wrong, I could get there this year if it goes really poorly, but probably only if KT gets injured. I'm interested to see him this year.

A handful of people always want to stick up for Croom for some reason (I'm sure I know the reason), but he was THE WORST COACH in our history. Hands down, no one else is worth mentioning. He was clueless as a HC. He slept during recruit visits, drove around in a golf cart, let our players run wild during the offseason, hired the worst OC imaginable to run an offense that would never work in the SEC and NEVER changed his offensive philosophy, and then had the gall to complain publicly that we fired him too quickly after letting him suck for 5 seasons. 2007 was fun, but it was a fluke, and we all know it. He was horrible from start to finish. Full stop.
 
Dec 9, 2018
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there was excitement when he was hired. At this point in his tenure, there was not much of that left
Yep. This is how it was. Everyone was on board wanting him to do well when he was hired. Three years in, it was obvious he couldn't coach (2 years for some of us). Offense was atrocious, players played tight and scared like they might be run off at any second, along with weird in game decisions and it was over for him and everyone except LT knew it.

The upside for me this year is that I am sure that Lebby CAN coach an offence. I know that Arnett CAN coach a defense. If we have acquired the players to be competitive is the question. As far as Leeby's in-game brain farts, I can only hope he has learned from his mistakes and Arnette gets in his face.
 

horshack.sixpack

All-American
Oct 30, 2012
11,789
8,840
113
Yep. This is how it was. Everyone was on board wanting him to do well when he was hired. Three years in, it was obvious he couldn't coach (2 years for some of us). Offense was atrocious, players played tight and scared like they might be run off at any second, along with weird in game decisions and it was over for him and everyone except LT knew it.

The upside for me this year is that I am sure that Lebby CAN coach an offence. I know that Arnett CAN coach a defense. If we have acquired the players to be competitive is the question. As far as Leeby's in-game brain farts, I can only hope he has learned from his mistakes and Arnette gets in his face.
I hope someone on staff knows how to take a QB with as high a potential as we've seen in a long time and coach him into everything that he can be. That and the OL talent question are the biggest wildcards that I see.
 
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