If we played ___________ this weekend.....

[BiscuitEater]

Wrong ...

We blew the auburn game two and three years ago. We blew LSU game year one. We blew double OT vs Arkansas. We stumbled against USC a couple years ago.

Yes, we were in position to win several of those games BUT we were only FAVORED in maybe one. There is a difference. It was coaching that even put us in contention with LSU and Aub with Cam. But he can't make the pitch that Tyson should have made or the pass/one yard extra in the Auburn games. Oh yea, the extra effort, freak fumble in the OT Arky game is on Mullen too.

 

[dawgs.sixpack]

Using this logic, that is EXACTLY what it would be - the reason we don't go bowling.

I just don't get some of you all's mindset. Let's say we are only good enough to be 5-7, or 6-6 if Oklahoma State was replaced by Tulane. Wouldn't you WANT to take the bowl game, instead of a losing season? Do you not WANT the best for MSU? Do you really think the best for MSU is going 5-7 with a loss to Oklahoma State rather than 6-6 with a win over Tulane? I don't know how to lay this out any more straightforward.

Other teams pad their schedules every single year, and nobody says a word. God forbid MISSISSIPPI STATE try and make advantages for itself.

i just don't think in year 5, going 6-6 with a bbva bowl spot is markedly better for msu's reputation than going 5-7 and playing okie st in week 1.

in mullen year 1, or even year 2? then yeah, let's build some momentum. at this point it's time to take a baby step forward though.

 

[BiscuitEater]

One year ago today ....

If I told you the 13th ranked team in the country, which is year in and year out one of the top passing teams in the country, is playing an unranked team, .... what about that makes you look at the unranked team as having a chance?

Both AP & Coaches agreed that OSU was the #19 team in the country. They both also had Arkansas as the #10. AP had USC as the #1 team and DIDN'T have Notre Dame in the top 25.

OSU faded, lost to 'Zona in a bowl. ND played in the NC and the Hogs were a cluster17 the whole year.

First game of the year is a 'perfect' time to beat a 13th ranked team.

We win.

 

[Cow College]

Yes, we were in position to win several of those games BUT we were only FAVORED in maybe one. There is a difference. It was coaching that even put us in contention with LSU and Aub with Cam. But he can't make the pitch that Tyson should have made or the pass/one yard extra in the Auburn games. Oh yea, the extra effort, freak fumble in the OT Arky game is on Mullen too.

Who cares if we were favored. I know it doesn't happen here often but there are teams not favored to win that do win. 80% of this board suck at the teets of preseason a polls and lines. We had all but one of those games at home and BLEW them. Could give two shots whether ESPN or Vegas thought we would win

 

[dawgs.sixpack]

There's also a big difference in people thinking we are going to lose and people who hate this game being played. I think we will lose, but I'm really excited by the fact we are playing this game. We get national exposure playing in this game. If this game causes us to go 5-7, then at 6-6 we would probably be playing Pitt/UCF in the BBCA/Liberty. I personally would rather play OSU first game on the national stage than play in a garbage bowl game that means nothing. I realize that is an unpopular view, but I watch MSU football for excitement. I'm excited about OSU. I would not be excited about the Liberty Bowl. God forbid we actually beat OSU....

^this

 

[Cow College]

Yes, we were in position to win several of those games BUT we were only FAVORED in maybe one. There is a difference. It was coaching that even put us in contention with LSU and Aub with Cam. But he can't make the pitch that Tyson should have made or the pass/one yard extra in the Auburn games. Oh yea, the extra effort, freak fumble in the OT Arky game is on Mullen too.

Who cares if we were favored. I know it doesn't happen here often but there are teams not favored to win that do win. 80% of this board suck at the teets of preseason a polls and lines. We had all but one of those games at home and BLEW them. Could give two shots whether ESPN or Vegas thought we would win

Reply fail

 

[CookieMonster.sixpack]

I want to point out just one thing from your wall of text...

and since you reference our last 4 years, how many wins do we have vs teams that finished in the top 25 in that time period? TWO. so why the 17 are we scheduling top 25 teams when our schedule is already LOADED with them knowing we have such a terrible record against them?

OSU hasn't finished this year in the Top 25. They merely are starting there. A better question would have been: How have we done against PREseason Top 25 teams?

Well here's how we've done.

2009 (1-5)
Losses: Florida (by 10), Bama (by 28), LSU (by 4), GT (by 11)
Wins: Ole Miss (by 14)

2010 (2-3)
Losses: @Bama (by 20), Arkansas (by 7 in 2 OT), and Auburn (by 3)
Wins: @Florida (by 3), UGA (by 12)

2011 (0-5)
Losses: Bama (by 17), LSU (by 13), South Carolina (by 2), @Arkansas (by 27) and @Auburn (by 7)

2012: (2-2)
Losses: @Bama (by 31), @LSU (by 20)
Wins: Arkansas (by 31), Auburn (by 18)

Certainly Bama's yearly stomping hurts our numbers here. But we've actually faired pretty well against preseason Top 25 teams, winning 25% of the games against them, including some nailbiters (LSU '09, Ark '10, Aub '10, USC '11, Aub '11). I should also note that in 2011, when we went 0-5 against them, we were ranked 22 in the preseason.

Outside of Bama & LSU, we haven't really been getting our "teeth kicked in" against preseason top 25 teams. There's no reason to suspect we won't hang with or even beat soundly a team like OSU. There's also plenty of reason to suspect that OSU isn't the 13th best team in the country and we might be in the Top 25. Just look at the preseason and postseason polls from last year.

We may lose, but it's not a bad idea to play this game. Even in a bowl, we won't get the exposure that this game delivers. We should NOT do it every year, but in year 17ing five, Mullen should be able to handle this game and keep us in it or win it.

 

[Shamoan]

OSU hasn't finished this year in the Top 25. They merely are starting there. A better question would have been: How have we done against PREseason Top 25 teams?

Well here's how we've done.

2009 (1-5)
Losses: Florida (by 10), Bama (by 2, LSU (by 4), GT (by 11)
Wins: Ole Miss (by 14)

2010 (2-3)
Losses: @Bama (by 20), Arkansas (by 7 in 2 OT), and Auburn (by 3)
Wins: @Florida (by 3), UGA (by 12)

2011 (0-5)
Losses: Bama (by 17), LSU (by 13), South Carolina (by 2), @Arkansas (by 27) and @Auburn (by 7)

2012: (2-2)
Losses: @Bama (by 31), @LSU (by 20)
Wins: Arkansas (by 31), Auburn (by 1

Certainly Bama's yearly stomping hurts our numbers here. But we've actually faired pretty well against preseason Top 25 teams, winning 25% of the games against them, including some nailbiters (LSU '09, Ark '10, Aub '10, USC '11, Aub '11). I should also note that in 2011, when we went 0-5 against them, we were ranked 22 in the preseason.

Outside of Bama & LSU, we haven't really been getting our "teeth kicked in" against preseason top 25 teams. There's no reason to suspect we won't hang with or even beat soundly a team like OSU. There's also plenty of reason to suspect that OSU isn't the 13th best team in the country and we might be in the Top 25. Just look at the preseason and postseason polls from last year.

We may lose, but it's not a bad idea to play this game. Even in a bowl, we won't get the exposure that this game delivers. We should NOT do it every year, but in year 17ing five, Mullen should be able to handle this game and keep us in it or win it.

i think you are missing the larger point here....we shouldnt be playing top programs period. oregon dry raped us once (36-13), west virginia ran a train on us twice (42-14, 38-13) , houston violated us once (28-16), and georgia tech shower-raped us once (38-7)...and i didnt mention the minor molestations we endured....so, i dont know what you consider getting you teeth kicked in, but those scores would universily apply according to most fans with maybe one exception (28-16)...so your part about it being largely just bama and lsu is in no way accurate....and all of those are in the last 10 seasons.

its irrelevent to my main argument whether or not they are preseason teams or not, as the AD is responsible for scheduling these matchups multiple years out. my point is we should not even be taking a chance by playing bcs conference teams outside of the occasional indiana (who uk has played), washington state (which lsu has played), so on and so forth....i could give a myiad of other examples, and have so done before, but you get my drift. we need to play teams that are our equivalent in other conferences, not teams that are in the upper half of their conference, and certainly not teams routinley predicted to be the bcs representative for their conference.

i think we should challenge ourselves every now and then, but we should stay away from powerhouse teams. would we not be challenged through teams like washington state, northwestern, wake forest, illinois, kansas, iowa state? our problem isnt that we have not been challenging ourselves 1 out of 5 years, but we have been doing it 4 out of 5 years and playing top end teams at or near the top 25, if not in the top 15.

had we scheduled kansas or iowa state, i wouldnt be complaining, but we scheduled a team on a one-year deal knowing that they were borderline elite, certainly elite in the big 12. this deal was most likely brokered after last season or at worst, the year before....at that time osu was a consistent bcs contender.

we have a shot at the win, but i want to have more than a fighting chance. i want a forgone conclusion and at worst, a 50% chance of winning. outside of that is a wasted opportunity to improve our pecking order and how we are viewed.

 

[Heawww]

Love the posts that call the red pill posters "p*ssies" and such. What ignorance you show. You obviously have failed to see the point if you're trying to create the illusion that we are backing down from challenges. The issue is that we already have more than enough challenges on our schedule, without adding an Oklahoma State or any other BCS conference program. People say we only went bowling in 2011 and 2012 because our schedule was easy....what a crock of ****. If we had played Louisville's schedule last year we'd have been undefeated. Instead, they get the glory and our fans call out each other for allegedly being pussies.

It's about what's best for MSU. The team is going to be what it's going to be. No need in putting up even more roadblocks than we already have to go through.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

No one is going to win this argument because you have half the fans that would rather be playing Idaho Tech and the other half who like playing a BCS team to open. It's a pretty even split.

The funniest thing is that if we win Saturday EVERYONE will be glad we played the Pokes.

Lock this silly shitfest.

 

[messageboardsuperhero]

i think you are missing the larger point here....we shouldnt be playing top programs period. oregon dry raped us once (36-13), west virginia ran a train on us twice (42-14, 38-13) , houston violated us once (28-16), and georgia tech shower-raped us once (38-7)...and i didnt mention the minor molestations we endured....so, i dont know what you consider getting you teeth kicked in, but those scores would universily apply according to most fans with maybe one exception (28-16)...so your part about it being largely just bama and lsu is in no way accurate....and all of those are in the last 10 seasons.

its irrelevent to my main argument whether or not they are preseason teams or not, as the AD is responsible for scheduling these matchups multiple years out. my point is we should not even be taking a chance by playing bcs conference teams outside of the occasional indiana (who uk has played), washington state (which lsu has played), so on and so forth....i could give a myiad of other examples, and have so done before, but you get my drift. we need to play teams that are our equivalent in other conferences, not teams that are in the upper half of their conference, and certainly not teams routinley predicted to be the bcs representative for their conference.

i think we should challenge ourselves every now and then, but we should stay away from powerhouse teams. would we not be challenged through teams like washington state, northwestern, wake forest, illinois, kansas, iowa state? our problem isnt that we have not been challenging ourselves 1 out of 5 years, but we have been doing it 4 out of 5 years and playing top end teams at or near the top 25, if not in the top 15.

had we scheduled kansas or iowa state, i wouldnt be complaining, but we scheduled a team on a one-year deal knowing that they were borderline elite, certainly elite in the big 12. this deal was most likely brokered after last season or at worst, the year before....at that time osu was a consistent bcs contender.

we have a shot at the win, but i want to have more than a fighting chance. i want a forgone conclusion and at worst, a 50% chance of winning. outside of that is a wasted opportunity to improve our pecking order and how we are viewed.

Alright Sandusky, did you ever think that maybe we are in a better place at this point in our program now compared to then? Every game you mentioned was coached by either JWS post-2000 or Croom except Houston, and everyone knows we got screwed pretty bad in that game but still kept it close. What in the hell does 2004 Mississippi State have to do with 2013 Mississippi State? Would you not say we are better equipped now to play these teams than we were then?

Look, nobody is saying that State will compete for the West this year, and everyone knows OSU is a solid team. We just think that it's stupid to totally give up on a neutral site game against a team that probably wouldn't wouldn't finish better than fourth in our division.

 

[Shamoan]

Alright Sandusky, did you ever think that maybe we are in a better place at this point in our program now compared to then? Every game you mentioned was coached by either JWS post-2000 or Croom except Houston, and everyone knows we got screwed pretty bad in that game but still kept it close. What in the hell does 2004 Mississippi State have to do with 2013 Mississippi State? Would you not say we are better equipped now to play these teams than we were then?

Look, nobody is saying that State will compete for the West this year, and everyone knows OSU is a solid team. We just think that it's stupid to totally give up on a neutral site game against a team that probably wouldn't wouldn't finish better than fourth in our division.

better equipped? sure...we are in a much better position, but that doesnt mean we are in a good position to win. just because we CAN play these teams doesnt mean we should. if we are going only on mullen's four years, as i have previously stated, the record of 29-22 doesnt justify us being able to play the big boys...and games from 2006 onward are very much relevant...and more so, it proves we have a history of writing checks that our *** can't cash.

im not sure how me voicing disappointment in the way we schedule is somehow construed as me conceding defeat. again, as i have already stated, a 20% chance of winning is not worth it. im actually fairly optimistic on how we will play vs osu, but still, its an unnecessary risk. sure, they might finish anywhere from 2nd to 4th in our division, but we will likely finish 5th or 6th in the sec west, but in their division, we would probably finish 6th in theirs behind oklahoma, texas, osu, west virginia, and kansas state....while they are conference favorites....so that argument doesnt really hold any water.

not to mention we would be fighting for our lives when playing teams like baylor, texas tech, tcu, and iowa state. it sucks to hear that, but its the reality of where we stand at this point. even if we win, its too much of a risk considering we are trying to keep the train on the rails and somehow survive this season and making it to a bowl. if we fail to do that, we lose all the momentum mullen has built. its a huge gamble....and for what? nobody cares about uk, msu, om, vandy, mizzou, or arkansas...what do we gain through a win? nobody will give us any tangible respect...we will get a pat on the head and the sun will rise just like it always did before we won...except, now our idiot fans will want continued matchups because they remember that time we beat osu in houston while failing to comprehend the fact that we have a 20% chance of winning games like this.

 

[Heawww]

The funniest thing is that if we win Saturday EVERYONE will be glad we played the Pokes.

Yeah, the prediction thread shows how much faith we all have it that.

If anything has been proven, it's that MSU fans always think the grass is greener. Go to lower tier bowl games? No way, let's play a harder schedule. Have a losing season? Fire the coach. Build the program? Schedule easier. Rinse, repeat.

Lock this silly shitfest.

Yeah OK sweetheart.

 

[Cow College]

Yeah, the prediction thread shows how much faith we all have it that.

If anything has been proven, it's that MSU fans always think the grass is greener. Go to lower tier bowl games? No way, let's play a harder schedule. Have a losing season? Fire the coach. Build the program? Schedule easier. Rinse, repeat.

Yeah OK sweetheart.

This is the first non conference game that has been scheduled in the Mullen tenure that is tough. Comparing it to previous game is like comparing apples to cocaine.

Oh and we got $2000000 for playing it. Remember two years ago we played Houston there for free