I am back in Mullen's camp after looking at next year's schedule.

[DerHntr]

There is one thing you should point out. I can't remember many years as a state fan where the schedule set up for us to be winners (other than last year's cream puff start).

Because of this I will give Mullen credit that he has risen the floor enough to where it is possible to have a schedule where 8 wins can be expected. We are obviously better as a program if this is possible. I just don't think he has risen the ceiling at all so that 10 regular season wins can happen when 8 wins are expected.

 

[121Josey]

Why do we pay the man?

Obviously, this is in the eye of the beholder, but I don't think Mullen is that bad at managing a game. He's more organized than any other coach we've had since I've been an active fan, i.e. Felker, Sherrill, and Croom. Does he occassionaly make mistakes, yes, but all coaches do.

There are certainly things I'd criticize Mullen for, but there are things I'd criticize most coaches for, even successful coaches who would be considered to have done a good job for their school, something I think Mullen has done for MSU and deserves credit for.

I watch other SEC games and I don't see their coaches cost the team points the way Mullen does. Specifically, I'm talking about how he mismanages the clock right before the half. No matter if it's when to go for 2pts, onside kick, call a timeout, or kick a fieldgoal, he costs us more points than what he adds to the game.

He may be better at Sherrill but Sherrill had his share of close games and not near the missteps that Mullen had. At least Sherrill would give his reasonings for why he made a questionable call. Mullen gave some BS on why he goes for it.

 

[121Josey]

There is one thing you should point out. I can't remember many years as a state fan where the schedule set up for us to be winners (other than last year's cream puff start).

Because of this I will give Mullen credit that he has risen the floor enough to where it is possible to have a schedule where 8 wins can be expected. We are obviously better as a program if this is possible. I just don't think he has risen the ceiling at all so that 10 regular season wins can happen when 8 wins are expected.

Try 1999, 2001. Pretty much any year Vandy is on the schedule.

 

[121Josey]

You had some lofty expectations. Only winnable game I saw at the beginning was Auburn.

Way to play it conservatively! You thought Auburn because they won about 3 games last year. I said Auburn would win eight and we would win at Auburn.
OSU lost their run game and we were playing on a neutral field. OSU was ranked based on last years performance.
We had LSU at home and they're the worst they've been in 13 years.
Texas A&M lost Kingsbury. They play no defense. They play better on the road than they do at home. It wasn't for sure if JFF would be eligible.

 

[121Josey]

So what happens when the schedule isn't set up for 6+ wins? I don't understand why some justify a coaches worth by looking at a schedule.

The schedule argument ASSUMES that Miss. State will be BETTER than last year. The schedule argument ASSUMES that every team will be the SAME or WORSE as the year before. Out of the worse teams last year, UT, UMizz, and AU are all significantly better.

Proponents of the argument ASSUME that TAMU will be worse without JFF.
They ASSUME that UK, Vandy, and UPigg will not be better.
They ASSUME that they can win in Oxford.
They ASSUME that DWS has been such a terrible place for opponents to play under the Mullen era.

 

[Dawgzilla]

Don't forget 1998....

We had Vandy, Kentucky, and 1-10 USC. One of the big arguments ADs used to switch to just 1 permanent cross-division rival

 

[msstate7]

The schedule argument ASSUMES that Miss. State will be BETTER than last year. The schedule argument ASSUMES that every team will be the SAME or WORSE as the year before. Out of the worse teams last year, UT, UMizz, and AU are all significantly better.

Proponents of the argument ASSUME that TAMU will be worse without JFF.
They ASSUME that UK, Vandy, and UPigg will not be better.
They ASSUME that they can win in Oxford.
They ASSUME that DWS has been such a terrible place for opponents to play under the Mullen era.

Alabama loses aj and possibly saban

Lsu loses met.

aTm most likely loses Manziel, Matthews, and Evans

Those losses have to help us

 

[DerHntr]

Try 1999, 2001. Pretty much any year Vandy is on the schedule.

And I clearly stated "can't remember many years" which assumes there are some out there. You can't possibly think there are more than 5 or 6 times in the modern era of college football that we can say the schedule sets up so that we can reasonably expect 8 wins. Those easier schedules may have existed where a decent team with decent talent could have been expected to win that many games.

My main point still stands. We are good enough to be able to have a schedule work out in our favor and expect 8 wins but we are not good enough to even expect one upset of a higher caliber opponent.

 

[bruiser.sixpack]

support him and try to forget about going 5-7 this year. However, next year's schedule ain't looking too promising until we can find some pass defense and find a way to score a lot more points in a game. But how much easier is next year's schedule, really? Yes, we should win our first three but could easily lose the following three. We play in Tuscaloosa and Baton Rouge and everyone else win be improved, save for a Johnnyless A&M, if that's the case. I also think Auburn could win the West next year, so I don't see us getting that one unless our defense is going to be a show stopper..or a HUGE improvement from this year. We get Vandy late but as we've seen here lately they are plenty capable of beating us, especially if our spirits are down. The eggbowl is in Oxford and they will be trying to make it three in a row, so they can brag and revel in Dan's big campaign flop. Next year the ceiling may be 8, but getting to 6 will take us deep into the season and the pressure is on Dan to get it done. Everyone is talking about our easier season next year, but with the way our coaches have performed with our inability to win big games, I need more coaxing. Any takers?

That would mean we lose to them THIS year in Starkville. We have good enough talent to beat the Johnny Rebears in our own house...and he should be out if we don't. Frankly, he should beat Arkansas AND the Rebears with the talent we have. 6-6 or ...."off with the head, scalawag".

 

[121Josey]

"(other than last year's cream puff start)". I don't disagree with you. I'm pointing out certain times I remember to caution that sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't.

To expect 7-8 wins is one thing and reasonable. People are posting 8-10 wins. The latter ain't happening without an upset.

The possibility of Mullen actually upsetting a team is just as good as Mullen to lose a game to an inferior opponent.

 

[DerHntr]

"(other than last year's cream puff start)". I don't disagree with you. I'm pointing out certain times I remember to caution that sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't.

To expect 7-8 wins is one thing and reasonable. People are posting 8-10 wins. The latter ain't happening without an upset.

The possibility of Mullen actually upsetting a team is just as good as Mullen to lose a game to an inferior opponent.

We are in 100% agreement.

 

[rabiddawg]

Not firing Mullen because next year's schedule is easier

Is like putting your 10th grader back in 1st grade so you can brag about how quick he can add 1+1.

 

[Philly Dawg]

I remember Sherrill's post-game "reasonings" being mostly gibberish, i.e. 12 had a leg, they were deflating the ball, etc. I tend to agree with you on going for two, but Jackie used to do it, too. Don't you remember he had his "book" of times when you went for two?

Other than the instance against USC, when have we had that problem at the half? We executed it well against LSU and the kicker missed the field goal. And haven't most of our onsides kicks in non-traditional points in the game worked? What is the problem there?

 

[Dawgology]

So we need to change coaches or change conferences?