Last night will be good for the program in the long run

[SouthFarmchicken]

It REALLY opened some eyes I think. Dan won't be back next year. I just hope that we have a QB that will be alive at the end of the season.

 

[tatedog]

If nothing else it blew the narrative out of the water that Dan has raised our floor as a program. He may have actually lowered it.

 

[57stratdawg]

Ive used that line in the past, and I'll stand by it. Part of that is SECRevenue and facility improvements but this team could easily be 4-3.

This season feels like 2009. Some venom in the fan base and a really unlucky season turns into a bad combination for everyone.

 

[tatedog]

The 2009 team is actually a good comparison to this team. We were unlucky that year too, but against very good opponents. We are getting unlucky this season against questionable (at best) opponents. That is the difference between an involved, motivated coach and what we have now--and even more stark in comparison since it's the same guy.

 

[eckie1]

I wouldn't go that far....

If nothing else it blew the narrative out of the water that Dan has raised our floor as a program. He may have actually lowered it.

This year has been anomalous from a win/loss standpoint during the Mullen era. But Mullen has fallen down every stair on the way out... nullifying a lot of the strong points for keeping him.

We have some talent on defense but we are as bad as anything Ron Cooper ever put on the field. Dan's lack of regard for defense is why we are where we are this year. But, the turnover and instability on defense has gone on long enough that the AD should have stepped in LONG ago. That never happened.

 

[MSUDC11]

This is nothing like the 2009 team. That team played its tail off in spite of not being very good and having a brutal schedule. And it was good at certain things. We had a coach who obviously had fire, and some leaders that kept us moving forward and set the tone for the future of our program.

This team has none of that. The 2009 team goes 7-5 at worst with this schedule. We are on track to go 3-9.

 

[tatedog]

Two wins this late in October I'm pretty sure is our worst performance since 1988--maybe tied for it. And it's not like our schedule has been back breaking. Considering who the two wins are over is pretty sobering as well.

eta: Two wins at this point ties with the 1993, 95, 03, 04, 05, 06 teams. Not exactly select company-- 3 of them under Croom.

 

[tatedog]

This is nothing like the 2009 team. That team played its tail off in spite of not being very good and having a brutal schedule. And it was good at certain things. We had a coach who obviously had fire, and some leaders that kept us moving forward and set the tone for the future of our program.

This team has none of that. The 2009 team goes 7-5 at worst with this schedule. We are on track to go 3-9.

I said the two teams were a good comparison, which your post illustrates, in the context of my argument. I did not say this year's team would fare well against that 2009 team.

 

[goodknight]

Right, when was the last time we went to 6 straight bowl games, ranked #1 for weeks and won 20 games over a 2 year period. Yep bring back the other guys who've done that for MSU, Felker-no, Croom-no, Bellard-no, Sherril- close maybe . Wait I remember Mullen is the only guy who's done that quite possibly when the SEC west at its strongest. Some of you guys have either short memories or none at all.

 

[KeyserSoze1999]

The 2009 team had close losses to very good teams---LSU, Florida, Georgia Tech, and Houston. Also in 2009 we had an identity on Offense & Defense---toughness we ran with Boobie Dixon behind a strong FB Patrick Hanrahan and we were physical on Defense.

This year we don't have an identity on Offense or Defense. What do we do well on Offense? Do we consistently get the ball to our best Play Makers? Has our coaching staff actually identified our Play Makers? On Defense what is our specialty? Blitz happy? Bend But Don't Break? Tight Man-to-Man coverage?

And our losses this year do not compare to the 2009 season---South Alabama, LSU fired Les Miles (we were his last SEC win, Awwwwee), BYU might make a Bowl game, and Kentucky might make a Bowl game. I just hope Mullen puts it all together for the Egg Bowl like he did back in 2009...but I really don't see that as likely.

 

[civildawg88]

or we just see the train wreck that is happening and we want to get ahead of it before it crashes

 

[tatedog]

Bama is at its strongest. Auburn, LSU and Arkansas aren't anywhere near program peaks at the moment. The SEC east where Dan has really racked up some wins is disgustingly bad right now.

 

[FlotownDawg]

If Mullen weren't out job shopping after last season he probably would get some slack for a down year. But he gives off a vibe that he doesn't want to be here which rubs a lot of fans, including me, the wrong way. Combine that with less than stellar recruiting classes and this is what you have. We need a coach 100% committed to MSU. If it is Mullen, great. But it already appears he has one foot out the door. We don't deserve to be treated like that.

 

[TBone.sixpack]

We sure don't. We have some in the fanbase that are ok with whatever he does with the fear we will lose him never do better. That's being held hostage. 17 that noise.

 

[1msucub]

The 2009 team had close losses to very good teams---LSU, Florida, Georgia Tech, and Houston. Also in 2009 we had an identity on Offense & Defense---toughness we ran with Boobie Dixon behind a strong FB Patrick Hanrahan and we were physical on Defense.

This year we don't have an identity on Offense or Defense. What do we do well on Offense? Do we consistently get the ball to our best Play Makers? Has our coaching staff actually identified our Play Makers? On Defense what is our specialty? Blitz happy? Bend But Don't Break? Tight Man-to-Man coverage?

And our losses this year do not compare to the 2009 season---South Alabama, LSU fired Les Miles (we were his last SEC win, Awwwwee), BYU might make a Bowl game, and Kentucky might make a Bowl game. I just hope Mullen puts it all together for the Egg Bowl like he did back in 2009...but I really don't see that as likely.

This needs to be copied and pasted in every discussion we have about Dan. This is the most accurate, concise explanation of the situation I've seen yet.

Well said, Keyser.

 

[thatsbaseball]

When we hired Felker, Bellard and Croom we got just what we deserved but that doesn`t necessarily doom us for eternity.

 

[57stratdawg]

I actually meant 2008 (Croom's last year) in my post above. We lost 3 or 4 close games that year and costs us a bowl.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

[patdog]

I think the fact we managed to lose all 3 out of USA, BYU and UK will be good for us in the long run. If we had won all 3 games, the pressure to make the changes we need wouldn't be nearly as great as it is now.

 

[Hoover Dawg]

This season feels like 2009. Some venom in the fan base and a really unlucky season turns into a bad combination for everyone.

Did you even watch the 2009 season? You're freaking clueless.

Edit: Saw where you said 2008. Pretty good comparison, but the bad part is, this year will probably be worse than 2008. Croom beat a ranked Vanderbilt AND Petrino that year.

 

[MaroonNation]

This is nothing like the 2009 team. That team played its tail off in spite of not being very good and having a brutal schedule. And it was good at certain things. We had a coach who obviously had fire, and some leaders that kept us moving forward and set the tone for the future of our program.

This team has none of that. The 2009 team goes 7-5 at worst with this schedule. We are on track to go 3-9.

I also have no idea where that comparison came from. Our 2009 team were straight ballers who just couldn't get breaks. They played with hunger.