I may be alone, but I feel pretty good about the direction of MSU football.......
Let's face it, we don't have nor will we ever have elite SEC talent. But, I feel that we can have the caliber of players that Carolina did yesterday, but we have to build toward it, over a number of years. So that being said:<div>
</div><div>1 - Mullen is, quite frankly, the type we have needed for years to be consistent and pull us out of our funk. We did not lose to Louisiana Tech and others (UAB last year) when other coaches would have been in some serious trouble against them and probably lost. We consistently beat who we SHOULD beat. Rockey, Jackie and Croom dropped these types games every single year with a few exceptions.</div><div>
</div><div>2 - Let me echo again the consistency aspect. We have been playing a lot of teams at their best this year and we miss the SEC East bottom dwellers. We played some teams at their worst last year. That swings the win total. I know people will argue that we haven't improved if we can't beat teams at their best, but damn, you have to build this thing. It doesn't happen overnight. </div><div>
</div><div>3 - Recruiting IS improving, even if slowly. May not be at the level of Jackie's heyday, but I think Mullen makes up for that in his coaching ability and the fact that he's got some QBs in here and knows what to do with them. </div><div>
</div><div>4 - Our offense is in good hands. We've always had a stout defense and players on that side of the ball.</div><div>
</div><div>5 - The offensive linemen are in the shoot. Just have to get older. In 2008 we thought the current linemen and last year's would suck forever. They grew up.</div><div>
</div><div>6 - Recruits are impressed by our program right now, even if the big wins haven't come yet.</div><div>
</div><div>7 - Seems like we have talented replacements this year to replace all the departing seniors. Don't see much NFL caliber current seniors even though some of them are pretty good.</div><div>
</div><div>8 - We will be a pretty damn good team next year. The talent from the 2009 class will be veterans. The OL is worrisome, but those guys will be a year older. Pretty sure we'll get that ironed out over the season. Hopefully bowl practices will help.</div><div>
</div><div>9 - We have had a tough time dealing with 2010 success this year. That won't be an issue next year obviously. But hopefully we still go to a bowl therefore still considered a winning program. Thus recruiting picks up, therefore making it easier to win some games in seasons like this, when our talent is still a little down and every team is gunning for us.</div><div>
</div><div>That's not sheepish and $$+* anybody that says it is. </div><div>
</div>
Let's face it, we don't have nor will we ever have elite SEC talent. But, I feel that we can have the caliber of players that Carolina did yesterday, but we have to build toward it, over a number of years. So that being said:<div>
</div><div>1 - Mullen is, quite frankly, the type we have needed for years to be consistent and pull us out of our funk. We did not lose to Louisiana Tech and others (UAB last year) when other coaches would have been in some serious trouble against them and probably lost. We consistently beat who we SHOULD beat. Rockey, Jackie and Croom dropped these types games every single year with a few exceptions.</div><div>
</div><div>2 - Let me echo again the consistency aspect. We have been playing a lot of teams at their best this year and we miss the SEC East bottom dwellers. We played some teams at their worst last year. That swings the win total. I know people will argue that we haven't improved if we can't beat teams at their best, but damn, you have to build this thing. It doesn't happen overnight. </div><div>
</div><div>3 - Recruiting IS improving, even if slowly. May not be at the level of Jackie's heyday, but I think Mullen makes up for that in his coaching ability and the fact that he's got some QBs in here and knows what to do with them. </div><div>
</div><div>4 - Our offense is in good hands. We've always had a stout defense and players on that side of the ball.</div><div>
</div><div>5 - The offensive linemen are in the shoot. Just have to get older. In 2008 we thought the current linemen and last year's would suck forever. They grew up.</div><div>
</div><div>6 - Recruits are impressed by our program right now, even if the big wins haven't come yet.</div><div>
</div><div>7 - Seems like we have talented replacements this year to replace all the departing seniors. Don't see much NFL caliber current seniors even though some of them are pretty good.</div><div>
</div><div>8 - We will be a pretty damn good team next year. The talent from the 2009 class will be veterans. The OL is worrisome, but those guys will be a year older. Pretty sure we'll get that ironed out over the season. Hopefully bowl practices will help.</div><div>
</div><div>9 - We have had a tough time dealing with 2010 success this year. That won't be an issue next year obviously. But hopefully we still go to a bowl therefore still considered a winning program. Thus recruiting picks up, therefore making it easier to win some games in seasons like this, when our talent is still a little down and every team is gunning for us.</div><div>
</div><div>That's not sheepish and $$+* anybody that says it is. </div><div>
</div>
