Recruiting & Rivalry Games

[CookieMonster.sixpack]

Dabo Swinney lost FIVE straight times to South Carolina. He's playing for a national championship next week. Can you imagine this board if we lost five straight Egg Bowls?

How did he survive? He recruited at an elite level (Saban, Miles, Meyer-type level) and he beat the big boy in his conference (FSU) a couple of times.

You can lose rivalry games if you are killing it in recruiting and scoring a signature upset or two. You can recruit at a mediocre level if you are winning the rivalry games and scoring a signature upset. You cannot recruit poorly AND lose rivalry games AND never beat the big boy in your conference (Bama).

At MSU it's unrealistic to expect to do all three of these things consistently, but it's not unrealistic to expect us to at least do one of them and occasionally two. Mullen needs to get it together on one front or the other.

 

[Wizard.sixpack]

it helps ease the blow if your rival is in another conference.

 

[drt7891]

Our schedule next year will be as tough as it's been since 2009. At BYU, at Bama, at UMass, at LSU, and at Ole Miss. We also have to go to Kentucky, too. We get Arkansas and auburn at home, but one of those teams will be improved (if not both).

This year will be a strong test for Mullen. We won't have the convenience of backing into 7-8 wins this upcoming year. 80% of our offensive production just graduated. If we don't show drastic signs of improvement in some key areas (defensive secondary and rushing yards, especially), we will be lucky to win 6 games.

Mullen will either get punched in the mouth hard, or we will know he is capable of answering the bell.

 

[Reasonable-ish aggie]

For A&M being in another conference has been huge. Mack Brown (who is biased) said that Darrell Royal told him he had to leave Tulane and had to coach for a university that starts with "the". He was providing insight to the challenges facing Michigan state as compared to Michigan. I think Clemson, A&M, and perhaps msu have to handle that as well. Clemson and A&M are currently in different conferences from the "the" school. How do y'all and auburn overcome the lack of "the"?

 

[drt7891]

Auburn won a national title 5 years ago and played for another one 2 years ago.

I Don't know that we are really overcoming anything at the moment. Ole Miss is kicking our *** in every phase of the game and our coach isn't really wanting to make much headway to change that.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

BYU will have a new coaching staff so who knows how they will be. UMass is horrible and Arkanasas is losing most of their offense with Allen, Henry, and Collins is likely to go to the NFL. Bama and LSU are Ls like they always are. Auburn... I have no idea what to think of them. Kentucky is not improved and won't improve.


wins

South Alabama
south Carolina
UMass
BYU
Kentucky
samford





Auburn
Arkansas
A&M

win 2 of those last three and there's 8-4


losses

bama
lsu
ole miss

 

[gymdawg.sixpack]

We wont lose in oxford next yr!

 

[drt7891]

Just like Dak came back just so he could beat ole miss? They would have to regress a long way for us to have a chance in Oxford next year.

 

[drt7891]

If Dak was returning, I would agree with your breakdown. Assuming Fitz will start, he has promise, but not knowing how well he will produce next year, I'd add South Carolina, BYU (on the road), and Kentucky (on the road) to the uncertainty column. None of those are given wins at this point, in my opinion.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Kentucky and BYU are on the road but they are in the middle of the season. I'd be more concerned if they were earlier in the season as far as Fitz and experience goes. South Carolina is toward the beginning but they aren't going to be good and it's at home.

 

[Junction John]

LOLZZZZZZZZZ*

 

[engie]

Our schedule next year will be as tough as it's been since 2009.

No

 

[Shamoan]

three to go. here we come cfb trophy.