Going by State's official depth chart..losing 10 to 12 starters

[babbleBrebel]

So what are the realistic expectations for next year? That is a whole lot of players to lose and expect to be the same caliber. Y'all have done well in JUCO recruiting, but very rarely do those guys make big impacts as JRs, NFL studs being the exception. There are a lot more Wayne Dorseys than Pernell McPhees it seems like. BTW, I know we suck and all that;5-7 best case scenario, 3-9 likely. But if we can have a realistic roster discussion, what will y'all be happy with next year, another 6-6? I know the schedule needs to come out for next year, but curious about the Pack's thoughts.

Seniors:
Carmon - LT
Saulsberry - RG
Lawrence - RT
Green - TE
Ballard - RB
Relf - QB
Ferguson - DE
Wilson - LB
Mitchell - SS
Bonner - FS

Possibly to NFL:
Cox - DT
Banks - CB

 

[babbleBrebel]

So what are the realistic expectations for next year? That is a whole lot of players to lose and expect to be the same caliber. Y'all have done well in JUCO recruiting, but very rarely do those guys make big impacts as JRs, NFL studs being the exception. There are a lot more Wayne Dorseys than Pernell McPhees it seems like. BTW, I know we suck and all that;5-7 best case scenario, 3-9 likely. But if we can have a realistic roster discussion, what will y'all be happy with next year, another 6-6? I know the schedule needs to come out for next year, but curious about the Pack's thoughts.

Seniors:
Carmon - LT
Saulsberry - RG
Lawrence - RT
Green - TE
Ballard - RB
Relf - QB
Ferguson - DE
Wilson - LB
Mitchell - SS
Bonner - FS

Possibly to NFL:
Cox - DT
Banks - CB

 

[bonedaddy401]

I think we beat Ole Miss again. Outside of that I think IF we play Kentucky or Tenn they are W's. Vandy and Auburn should be but they both may be better next year, especially Vandy. I think A&M and Mizzou are beatable. That may be about it though. Throw an upset in there 7-8 winsisn'tunreasonable.

 

[dawgstudent]

I have heard our schedule will be like this:

Home SEC: Auburn, Tennessee, A&M, Arkansas
Away SEC: LSU, Bama, Kentucky, Ole Miss

We are rumored to not having to play @ South Carolina and replacing A&M at home and going to Kentucky again which is awesome.

We should win 2 of the away games and no reason to think we couldn't be at least 2-2 at home maybe 3-1 if the cards fall right.

Then add the 4 OOC games - an 8 win season is legit possibility.

 

[tenureplan]

Carmon - Was almost just as bad as Clausell
Saulsberry - hurts
Lawrence - hurts
Green - A better player is waiting in the wings
Ballard - Perkins and Griffin will be adequate
Relf - We looked better at times with Russell anyway
Ferguson - So what
Wilson - Could play another year - not a huge loss though
Mitchell - Over hyped - if Banks stays, look for a move back to safety
Bonner - Solid player but not really a starter, he platooned with Whitley
Cox would hurt, but we have alot of dline talent coming in

When it is all said and done, the only real question mark is the Oline. If the Juco's pan out, we should win 7-8.

</p>

 

[Coach34]

So what are the realistic expectations for next year? That is a whole lot of players to lose and expect to be the same caliber. Y'all have done well in JUCO recruiting, but very rarely do those guys make big impacts as JRs, NFL studs being the exception. There are a lot more Wayne Dorseys than Pernell McPhees it seems like. BTW, I know we suck and all that;5-7 best case scenario, 3-9 likely. But if we can have a realistic roster discussion, what will y'all be happy with next year, another 6-6? I know the schedule needs to come out for next year, but curious about the Pack's thoughts.

Seniors:
Carmon - LT- split time with Clausell who is returning
Saulsberry - RG
Lawrence - RT
Green - TE
Ballard - RB - split time with Perkins who is returning
Relf - QB- split time with Russell who is returning
Ferguson - DE- being replaced by a 5-star juco
Wilson - LB- we will be fine without him- but good kid though
Mitchell - SS
Bonner - FS- only started due to Whitley's injury- Whitley is returning

Possibly to NFL:
Cox - DT
Banks - CB

We are shoring up the DL very well, and have signed 2 juco OL guys for immediate help....we also have some R-Fr that will make an immediate impact next season in Prescott and Morrow. <div>The schedule sets up nicely for us also- with SEC road games @Kentucky and @Mississippi...we get A&M and Tennessee at home and will likely be favored in those. Auburn at home will be a close battle as well.</div><div>
</div><div>I think we will be an 8 win team with a good defense and an improved offense thanks to some OL stability and more depth</div><div>
</div><div>
</div>

 

[chew1095]

I am going with 8.

4 OOC wins. Wins against Kentucky and Ole Miss on the road and wins against Auburn and Tennessee at home. I dont know enough about aTm to make a call right now, but if we are playing them at home, that should help.

We finish 4th in the west behind (in no particular order) LSU, Bama and Ark.

And while we lose some starters, our younger OL got a lot of experience this year which should help next year. Johnson is better than Green at TE. I will never be worried about replacing RBs. And our defense may lose to guys to the NFL, but I truly believe Slay is going to a badass next year. Fletch will be hard to replace, but again, we had some young guys get lots of experience in the middle on defense this year.

Overall depth will be better at just about every position and talent will better, albeit some of it very young.

 

[dawgs.sixpack]

not sure how much those loses will hurt us tbh. if cox and banks leave early those are the biggest hits, but that also is a positive when we go out recruiting to show big time recruits that we can bring in guys and develop them into 1st and 2nd round picks by their junior seasons.

 

[the delta dawg]

That's loose use of the word starter.

Carmon - LT - Clausel started as many games as Carmon
Saulsberry - RG - hurts
Lawrence - RT - hurts
Green - TE- was never a factor - platooned the whole season
Ballard - RB - hate to lose him
Relf - QB - whatever - I prefer Russell
Ferguson - DE - hurts but Autry will be a big upgrade
Wilson - LB - has another year of eligibility if he wants
Mitchell - SS - hurts
Bonner - FS - not a starter - Whitley is only a soph and will be back

Obviously Cox & Banks are key. If they return along with Wilson I will put out defense up against anyone. Big ifs. I have maroon colored glasses on but I think we will be stronger next year. Schedule will dictate wins but 7 would be a minimum.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

4 OOC games
Tennessee
Ole Miss
Kentucky

TAMU and Auburn are winnable. Although Auburn does have some serious talent I think they are going to be a different animal without Gus.

 

[Johnson85]

Carmon - Was almost just as bad as Clausell
Saulsberry - hurts
Lawrence - hurts
Green - A better player is waiting in the wings <span style="font-weight: bold;">(who? don't think losing Green will hurt tremendously as he dropped enough easy catches to negate his good catches, but still thought he was a threat we wouldn't be replacing, unless you count Johnson, who seems closer to a WR than TE)</span>
Ballard - Perkins and Griffin will be adequate
Relf - We looked better at times with Russell anyway
Ferguson - So what
Wilson - Could play another year - not a huge loss though <span style="font-weight: bold;">(Depth)</span>
Mitchell - Over hyped - <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">if Banks stays, look for a move back to safety</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">(hurts but should have a good replacement, especially as it seemed he regressed this year)</span><br style="text-decoration: line-through;">Bonner - Solid player but not really a starter, he platooned with Whitley
Cox <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">would</span> will hurt, but we have alot of dline talent coming in <span style="font-weight: bold;">(Assuming Autry is the real deal, I think having an actual pass rush threat with our remaining DT's will be better than Cox with no pass rush threat)</span>

When it is all said and done, the only real question mark is the Oline. If the Juco's pan out, we should win 7-8. (<span style="font-weight: bold;">6-6 would mean we choke away an OOC, UM, UK, or Tenn; that would be disappointing. Unless we have significant injuries on the OL, will be very disappointed in 6-6)</span>

</p>

 

[dawgs.sixpack]

Although Auburn does have some serious talent I think they are going to be a different animal without Gus.

if we are lucky, auburn will get them a pro-style OC after spending 3 years recruiting for gus's spread. a lot of auburn fans wanna go back to a pro-style offense because of their offense this year. dumbasses with short memories and unreasonable expectations of what they could expect in 2011 i say.

 

[EAVdog]

<font size="2" face="Helvetica">Really hard to guess wins and losses without the schedule. A lot will depend on when we play certain teams. We always playArkansas after Alabama and I think it's always a killer. Plus a lot rides on what teams like Auburn, Tenn, etc.. do betwenn now and then. I'll go with a way too early to tell; repeat Bowl appearance. Just not sure what Bowl Game. Maybe just the Liberty Bowl or Weed Eater Bowl but I feel comfortable with that. I'm a little apprehensive about only 2 QB's, and Nickoe Whitley's injury. And we don't exactly know about these JUCO OL signees but so far they look good on paper!

Seniors:
Carmon - LT : Replaced by Siddoway (possible upgrade)
Saulsberry - RG : Replaced by D. Day (about the same)
Lawrence - RT : Replaced by Clausell (same-ish,downgrade?)
Green - TE : Loved the guy but he never was the same post-injury. Rufus Warren is supposed to be legit (same, downgrade, don't know)
Ballard - RB : Replaced by Nick Griffin (same as 2011 Ballard, probably downgrade from 2010 Ballard)
Relf - QB : Part time starter (Same since Russell has 2 more years, but we better not have any injuries!!)
Ferguson - DE : Replaced by D. Autry (Huge upgrade, simply huge. Plus Eulls at the other DE spot, damn.)
Wilson - LB : Replaced by Deontae Skinner / Ferlando Bohanna (slight downgrade but with more upside potential)
Mitchell - SS : As long as Nickoe comes back 100% we'll be fine, big if though.
Bonner - FS : Good player not irreplaceable. Great on run support.

Possibly to NFL:
Cox - DT : We still have Boyd who gets over looked, add in PJ Jones/Virges/D. Jones/Cherrington to our DE's and our DL is going to be phenomenal. If Cox stays it'll be epic.

Banks - CB : Slay and Broomfield will probably be the corners. Broomfield needs to step up big his Senior year. I think we're going to need to sign a JUCO CB next year. If Autry is as promised our INT's could go up just from QB pressure alone. That could make losing Banks more palatable.
</font>

 

[MaverickAG]

According to this depth chart they are losing 14 off of the two-deep - 5 on offense and 9 on defense. Offensive loses included their QB who will be replaced by 1 of three Freshmen, their HB and top WR. Defense seems to take most of the hit losing 4 off of the two-deep on the DL, both corners and their SS. From the talk on Texags it seems most aTm fans think they are in for a rough first year in the SEC.

 

[Seinfeld]

Seniors:
Carmon - LT - I honestly think he did his best, but this guy just wasn't a left tackle. Between the false starts and missed assignments, we can't be in any worse of a position than we were this season.
Saulsberry - RG - Will hurt
Lawrence - RT - Another Jekyll/Hyde player that gave a lot of effort and played well often, but the kid got abused at times.
Green - TE - Good god. An undersized 6'1" tight end that can't block, catch, or really do anything productive. He dropped some critical balls this year and I've rarely seen a tight end so bad at blocking. I don't care who we play next year. It has to be an upgrade.
Ballard - RB - Will certainly be missed, but surely one of several replacement options will work out
Relf - QB - My hat's off to this kid for what he did for us, but I think it's time to move on. Thanks for the memories
Ferguson - DE - Will miss, but Eulls/Autry tandem should be an improvement
Wilson - LB - Good kid, but not terribly concerned about a replacement
Mitchell - SS - Good player, but really a disappointment overall. Felt like he could have been much more
Bonner - FS - Got abused in pass coverage multiple times this season.

Possibly to NFL:
Cox - DT - Will miss
Banks - CB - Will miss

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

If they go back to a pro-style with the personnel they have right now they are going to have issues but they are pretty talented so they can overcome that. I hated having to watch State play against Gus' offense.

 

[jcbully]

So what are the realistic expectations for next year? That is a whole lot of players to lose and expect to be the same caliber. Y'all have done well in JUCO recruiting, but very rarely do those guys make big impacts as JRs, NFL studs being the exception. There are a lot more Wayne Dorseys than Pernell McPhees it seems like. BTW, I know we suck and all that;5-7 best case scenario, 3-9 likely. But if we can have a realistic roster discussion, what will y'all be happy with next year, another 6-6? I know the schedule needs to come out for next year, but curious about the Pack's thoughts.

Seniors:
Carmon - LT-Obviously a better pro prospect at OT than DT, but never really played "great" for us, hurts depth, but Siddoway/Clausell will fill in nicely.
Saulsberry - RG-With Day replacing him, I just don't see much drop off. Day has better size, but Sauls had a ton of experience. Hurts a little.
Lawrence - RT-started for 3 years, but I never loved his play. Not a great pass blocker nor road grader. I really believe Robinson/Siddoway/Clausell will be better than him.
Green - TE-Malcolm Johnson, Brandon Hill, and Rufus Warren are all upgrades in size and skill here.
Ballard - RB- the only player we will truly miss from this class. Great leader, hard-nosed player. Never got the ball enough. I'm sure we'll find an adequate mix of backs to replace his carries, but his leadership and work ethic on game days will be missed dearly.
Relf - QB- thanks for the Egg Bowls, but I like Russell/Dak better.
Ferguson - DE-played his best ball as a senior, but Autry is a big upgrade here.
Wilson - LB-played hard, got better as season went on, just doesn't have athletic skills to be dominant SEC LB. Would love to see Skinner get the MLB job w/ Cam and Wells/McKinney flanking him.
Mitchell - SS- great leader, but can be replaced as a player. Never got better than his SO year. I'll take a Banks/Whitley safety rotation over a Mitchell/Whitely one.
Bonner - FS-anyone watch the Ark game? No. Won't be missed.

Possibly to NFL:
Cox - DT- I don't see him coming back, so yeah, he'll be missed. One of the greatest DL ever at State. Def the best DT I've ever seen. Freakish athlete. We do have lots of depth at DT and more on the way, but not with his talent. Not even Quay IMO.
Banks - CB-great athlete and playmaker. He'll be missed in secondary for sure. I'd say it's closer that he does return than leave right now. I think he could be a top 3 round draft pick if he returns, prolly in the 4-5-6 range if he goes due to the the immense depth of the CB class this year.

At the base level,with therumored schedule, this is an 8-4 team. No question. It's time we start raising our expectations as a fan base and I know a lot of people are happy w/ 6-6 and I am too, but this will be Mullen's easiest schedule with his best roster from top to bottom. I know its the SEC and it's hard as hell, but we should win ATLEAST 8 games. 4 noncon, UK, OM, and split Aub, UT, A&M, and Ark. I know Ark has their QB coming back, but they lose a ton of playmakers and we get them at home.

 

[rabiddawg]

would get you banned by the great OP4 on nafoom

 

[kired]

Green could be back - from what I've heard he will apply for medical redshirt. I'd love for him to come back but move to FB. I think he's an upgrade at that position over anyone else we have on the roster. And that lets Johnson, Hill, and Warrentake over at TE.

Wilson will likely not be back even though he has a year left.

Without even looking at a schedule, I expect minimum 6 wins. With many of our offensive players being in year 3 or 4 under Mullen, I expect a much improved offense regardless of o-line play. If Banks & Cox both come back - I think 8 wins should be within reach.

 

[AzzurriDawg4]

I think you might want to check your expectations. I am hoping we are as good on the OL as this year, and that is still troubling - because we werent very good. Replacing 3 starters, even bringing in 2 JUCOs, is a tall task. My hope is that the staff at least works this summer with the knowledge that OL is going to be an achilles heel, which I feel they may have neglected this past offseason. Hopefully that will lead to some playcalling that compensates for our problems there. Even though Siddoway and Holley should not bring a drop off, it is impossible to tell right now if it will improve our line play as a whole. <div>
</div><div>We will be entering year 4 still without a game where I can honestly say that our offense found a way to move the ball effectively against a quality defense. At this point, I don't see much that signals a change to that problem (barring rapid improvement from Russell and Prescott coupled with better playcalling and some tweaks to the scheme). On the bright side (as some have already said), I think the better schedule will offset what appears to be more of the same on offense - meaning a probable 7 or 8 win season. </div><div>
</div><div>That said, outside of OL and Safety, I don't have any concerns about replacing starters. I include Safety just because I think our depth and experience there has been great the last 2 years. I will say that I am excited that our defense finally appears to be going through an offseason without a coordinator change, which is the first time in a long time we can say that. </div><div>
</div><div>In sum, I think we will be roughly equal to 2011 on offense and defense. </div>

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

<div>I'm going to try to put some probabilities to the games.I figure we have about a 90% chance of winning against each D1-A OOC team and 98% against the D1-AA team. I have us at 65% against Auburn, 75% against Tennessee, 55% against aTm, and 30% against Arky. For away games, I have us at 15% against LSU and Bama, 75% against UK and UM. Plugging these probabilities in, I get the probabilities to win x games of:</div><div>
</div><div><div>winsrob</div><div>0: 0.00000248924 %</div><div>1: 0.000221196 %</div><div>2: 0.006497 %</div><div>3: 0.0946298 %</div><div>4: 0.787273 %</div><div>5: 3.97896 %</div><div>6: 12.5397 %</div><div>7: 24.6408 %</div><div>8: 29.4041 %</div><div>9: 20.1124 %</div><div>10: 7.17164 %</div><div>11: 1.19111 %</div><div>12: 0.0727306 %</div></div><div>
</div><div>Expected number of wins: 7.7.</div><div>
</div><div>So yeah, I'll go with 8 too.</div>

 

[gravedigger]

We could have serious problems if:

QB situation gets depleted by injury.
WR situation gets depleted by injury
OL situation does not solidify. If we are continually trying to find the 'right' OL mid year, it means we wont be able to hang withteams we are supposed to have a sold chance at beating late in the year.

Our running back situation is as strong as it has ever been. 2 solid players to vie for the starting role, plenty of young kids to back them up.

Banks will hurt badly if he goes. He represents leadership and a ball hawking that others feed off.
Cox will be a hole to fill, but I'm not nearly as concerned due to the strength of the DL.

Linebacker will just be wait and see. I dont see it as a strength for sure, but neither a liability.

The defensive backfield is agood bit better than the LB corp, but it will not lead the country in anything unless Banks returns.

I do not see us beating Texas A&M. I do not see us beating Arkansas, Bama, LSU. Even if we win one of those, I still see us being vulnerable enough to lose one we shouldnt.

Games in play will be Aub, UK, UM and UT. How we split those will be the determination of our season.

</p>

 

[gravedigger]

you havent asked for. Lighten up, get with the conversation or pound sand.

 

[EAVdog]

I'm just guessing really, I don't know anything other than what the scouts have said about the JUCO guys. But we won't be relying on a red shirt freshman at any spot. Yes we do lose 3 seniors which is going to sting. But we may be better as a unit, again just guessing. Last year we had nobody at LT with any experience past High School. This coming year we'll have Clausell with 1 year in the SEC and Siddoway with 2 JUCO years. Day will probably move to Guard and Holley will most likely be Center. Let's be real optimistic and say Tobias comes back healthy, I hear he's trying and wants to. Even if he does I doubt we'll ever get a whole season out of the guy. I'm not sure about Archie Muniz's injury but he was supposed to be battling for a RT spot. Even if he comes back he may just be in a backup role. Plus we're a year older and just have this one year to get past the void left by Croom's OL recruiting his last two years. Robinson and Malone are supposed to be making good progress and should be seeing action as backups this season.<div>
</div><div>Last year we had 7 guys who could realistically contribute, this next year I think we have a full 10 guys who could if called upon contribute. Maybe we're not better but only because we're younger. But we're finally looking better long term.</div>

 

[Foronce]

they will play the matchable talented Dlines at home (quieter) next year instead of the game we are going to lose anyway in Bama and LSU

playing 2 game you are going to be picked to lose no matter what on the road gives you 2 more winable games at home #glassHalfFull

dan preaches win all your home games, if he does that next year we could go 10-2

 

[starkvilleswami]

Agreed. OL has to prove itself next year and I'm uncertain about the SS spot next year. We have the talent to replace the other Sr losses. Whoever takes Cox's spot won't be as good, but the DL as a whole looks to be better, and Slay is a downgrade from Banks, but he looks like a solid SEC cornerback. <div>
</div><div>I am a little worried about special teams though. DePasquale wasn't on the list because the depth chart incorrectly lists him as a Jr (unless he got another year of eligibility somehow), and Swedenburg graduated. Egan has looked bad in limited play. Devon Bell has a boot and looks like an upgrade at P/KOS. We can finally get some touchbacks. Whatever we do at kicker will likely be a downgrade, DePasquale was money within the 45.</div>

 

[Scarface10]

As far as next year and the players that will be gone, I am not that worried and pretty encouraged with the holes that were filled today.

Left Tackle - the guy seems like a cool guy that played hard, but losing Carmon is not going to be a big negative for our offensive line this coming year. I don't think it is necessarily his fault in that he had to switch from defense to offense and learn the position in one year, but I am cautiously optimistic that adding Siddoway is going to be an upgrade at LT for next year. This is a guy that I believe was the one of the top O lineman in Oregon (or CA) in high school and was on Cal's team as an offensive lineman. I just think we have upgraded our situation at LT for next year.

Center/Guard - I feel that signing Holley today upgraded the interior O line quite a bit as far as skill level and depth for next year. We have three really solid guys back in the interior in Gabe Jackson, Dillon Day, and Tobias Smith (hopefully back to full strength) with a few other guys that could add depth.

Right Tackle - I am not sure who will end up at this position, and I think it is going to hurt to lose a steady, consistent guy like Lawrence over there. I think it is possible that they move Clausell over to this position or possibly give Damien Robinson a chance. If they go with Clausell, then I think that we get a really athletic right tackle with game experience.

Defensive End - I think that losing Stigers and Ferguson definitely cost us some experience points and I think they worked hard this year, but honestly neither of these guys were the kind that were of the caliber that is needed to compete in the SEC. Adding Autry is a very big upgrade and we now have a really good shot at having a legit pass rusher out on the edge. If we could somehow add Ward, we could have two guys that are legit big-time pass rushers.

I just feel really good about where we stand now after our juco signings. If we can follow up with a good February, then we could really gain some momentum.

 

[boatsnhoes]

While I appreciated what he came with for us and his loyalty I feel like Mitchell was a liability.

aTm loses their qb and was terrible defensively last year. I would rather get them later when they get banged up some from sec ball but I wouldn't call it a for sure but a better then 50% chance. I think they are going to struggle with physicality and depth in their first year. Big 12 ball is just not the same level intensity wise, speed, size, depth.

I severely lost wool last year from auburn onward. I have become cynical with expectations. 6-6 till I see better.

 

[mcdawg22]

Our OL played significantly worse without him this year, if he is not up to speed we could be in for a disappointing 5 or 6 wins.

 

[Goat Grindin]

A good amount of SEC talent, coupled with lesser expectations (ie playing with a chip on our shoulder, or the underdog, is where MSU is at its strongest) and a good schedule sets up nicely. Not to mention that we're subtly learning how to handle winning, which we haven't done consistently since the late 90s.<div>
</div><div>Now, go complain on Nafoom about how delusional we are. Talk about how much wool we have.</div>

 

[mcdawg22]

He was a Freshman All American. Assuming Banks goes first round and unless Corey has a huge bowl game he probably won't be preseason All-SEC. He'll be playing with a chip on his shoulder and will hopefully have the benefit of a great pass rushing DE. We were killed on the sideline routes this year because our less talented DE had to take deep angles to the QB. More talented DE can take quicker angles disrupting the passing lanes to the sideline route. The extra time on those passes could be the difference between an 8 yard gain and a pick six. I would love for Banks to stay but if he leaves Broomfield still might have a big year.

 

[RonnyAtmosphere]

...you know when somebody puts their prediction for a football season that is a year away in the subject title of their comment, that's meant to drag the community off Cloud 9.

 

[The Usual Suspect]

any I think. They are huge.

 

[WarriorDawg]

I've seen this kid kick many field goals at my local High school. hell of a placekicker. Don't pass this kid up Dan. http://footballrecruiting.../content.asp?CID=1241895

 

[patdog]

At LT we'll be startinga JUCO All-American who had offers from Bama, Oregon, Arizona St., Boise, Washington, etc. instead of a defensive lineman who's only been playing offense for 6 months. That should be a step up for us. We'll hopefully get Tobias Smith back and he's a beast when he's healthy. And we signed a JUCO All-American center. Plus we've got a year of experience for Clausell and Day, so they should be better. I think we're going to see a completely different offensive line than the one we saw this year. And yes, Mullen does deserve some critisism for not going the JUCO route last year. He should have known better.

 

[digdawg]

and lost to all the teams that had more talent that we did. We probably should have beaten an extremely young Auburn team too.
We are losing a lot of talent this year, and the loss of experience on the OL really hurts. If Tobias doesn't return, I'm really, really worried. He is our best lineman. Dillion Day and Blaine Causell were not SEC calibur this year, maybe they will be next year, but against SEC defenses and even UAB we were almost shut out with those guys. After next year, the bottom drops out depending upon the recruiting this year. The schedule is so easy - ridiculously easy - that we should be able to get to 6 wins minimum with our schedule. Kentucky is a mess; Ole Miss was one of the worst teams in SEC history this year. We are more talented than Kentucky and Ole Miss, so a loss to those schools would be bad. A&M will be very young and Tennesee is a complete mess, but they will be tough wins, because their recrutiing the past two years has been superior to ours. With Russell, our offense never did anything this year. In fact, it was ugly. If Prescott is not the man, I'm not convinced that Mullen can succeed without a quality running QB. Russell is a passer, not a runner.

 

[4suredog]

I posted this a few years back, but I think its worth reposting. I was at a luncheon back in the late 90's and Bobby Bowden was the speaker. The question from the crowd was " when during the season do you realize you have a shot at a national championship? " His answer was kind of interesting, he said that it was not during the season but at the end of 2-a days. He said if he had 22 guys on each side of the ball that could start with no decrease in production, he had a shot. In other words, the 2 deep list was more important than the 1 deep. I have not yet looked at our 2 deep list as far as who stays and goes, but I do think we played a ton of guys this year, plus I really like the projected home schedule, finally its the 4th year in the #%! system, so its kinda of time for the rubber to meet the road. Also, Starkvilleswami, You are clearly don't need to comment further, Swedenburg was a sophomore....

 

[coach66]

have the talent, coaching, and fan support to do that and that is what I am expecting. We have been red shirting under Dan and I expect to start seeing the dividends. I hear the RB Josh Robinson is a player, I didn't see him mentioned.

 

[Wooly17er]

Peach Bowl win will make us 9-4. Keeping it warm.

 

[AzzurriDawg4]

Been a fan too long to project that we are going to improve by replacing 3 starters. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not crazy about any of the guys we are losing - but you still are going to have 2 guys taking their first SEC snaps next year in Siddoway and Holley. FWIW, the offers you listed for Siddoway were his offers out of HS, not JUCO. It just seems like the addition by subtraction thing rarely works for us.<div>
</div><div>I actually think that maybe by the end of the year, Clausell will be better than Lawrence and Day better than Saulsberry. I think Clausell got a good look at where he needs to be this year and is really going to work on his strength with Balis. His athleticism is there. </div><div>
</div><div>I just think we are going to look very similar on the OL next year, with a chance that we could improve. It took a line with Sherrod and a healthy Tobias (who is a beast), for our offense to really click in 2010, and it still didnt click against good defenses. </div>