2009 Ole Miss was better than 2004 Florida. You can't say Croom beat a top-tier team his first year and Mullen did not.Todd4State said:
Is it me or did that Auburn game take the wind...
- Thread starter dawgstudent
- Start date
Not you, I'm talking about JxnDawg. Houston last year might be the only one we lost that we probably should have won, but they had a stud qb and we had Torbush. That problem was solved. At least it appears that way. The bottom line is that in one short year, I don't go into games like Memphis worried anymore. I know we'll more than likely win them. True, a fluke upset could happen, but it would be a fluke and not par for the course. Conversely, we're going into the big games with legitimate chances to win now. Beating Auburn would not have been a fluke win in a 3-9 season like all of Croom's "signature" victories were. We can beat teams like Auburn. We're not going to all the time because we're not Alabama.... yet? But we will win some of them, either this season or in the future, and it won't be some huge upset.
So yeah, losing to Auburn sucked, and it took some wind out of the sails. But I still recognize how far this team has come over one year, and there is no reason to revert to the constant pessimism of the Croom error.
/side note that those 06 and 07 Bama teams sucked total ***, and Ole Miss went to the Cotton Bowl last year. So, while it's hard to admit after we thumped the hell out of them, they were still one of the better teams in the league.
So yeah, losing to Auburn sucked, and it took some wind out of the sails. But I still recognize how far this team has come over one year, and there is no reason to revert to the constant pessimism of the Croom error.
/side note that those 06 and 07 Bama teams sucked total ***, and Ole Miss went to the Cotton Bowl last year. So, while it's hard to admit after we thumped the hell out of them, they were still one of the better teams in the league.
I was exaggerating, yes. The first 7 plays of the game were passes then a fumble (I think it was a fumbled snap) then pass number 8 then punt. No run plays at all in the first 9 plays. My point being that sometimes the coaches see something and have a reason for calling the plays they do.TUSK said:
I'd prefer for it to be sooner, obviously. I just think it's too early in Mullen's campaign, or this season for that matter, to be overly disappointed.
At this point, I have to be happy with the fact that we are now putting ourselves in positions to classify games against quality SEC opponents, in hindsight, as a coulda, shoulda, woulda won game. We are competing - FINALLY. I don't know if our talent should be called sub-par or unproven, but no matter what you call it, it's going to take a little time for these guys to figure out how to win. The young guys are young and the veterans are used to nothing but mediocrity, at best. It simply takes time to upgrade or coach up our roster.
I want to win as soon as possible just as much as the next guy. But, I think many people need to remind themselves that we are in the SEC and getting to the point where we are beating the Auburn's of the world takes a little time. I'm not suggesting Croom-like patience and a buy-in of a 20 year plan or some BS like that, but Game 2/Season 2 is not the point to throw in the towel, or even be extremely worried.
At this point, I have to be happy with the fact that we are now putting ourselves in positions to classify games against quality SEC opponents, in hindsight, as a coulda, shoulda, woulda won game. We are competing - FINALLY. I don't know if our talent should be called sub-par or unproven, but no matter what you call it, it's going to take a little time for these guys to figure out how to win. The young guys are young and the veterans are used to nothing but mediocrity, at best. It simply takes time to upgrade or coach up our roster.
I want to win as soon as possible just as much as the next guy. But, I think many people need to remind themselves that we are in the SEC and getting to the point where we are beating the Auburn's of the world takes a little time. I'm not suggesting Croom-like patience and a buy-in of a 20 year plan or some BS like that, but Game 2/Season 2 is not the point to throw in the towel, or even be extremely worried.
You said anyone in the SEC West that is undefeated in SEC play. Ole Miss is undefeated in SEC play. You're simply picking and choosing teams and throwing your main argument away.
after memphis, i was thinking we had a shot at a great season (8+ wins). Now I'm back to where I was pre-season. 5-7 thru 7-5. I still think we match up better against LSU and Georgia than we did Auburn and I still think we win one of those two. LSU's defense is a little better than I expected, so I'm leaning more towards Georgia. If we come out 2-2, I still think 7-5 is possible. If it's 1-3, we're going to have to play our asses off to get to a bowl. I still think this is a really good team, but our schedule is just brutal. I think we're top 40 for sure.
Ahh it's just Wednesday and it's obvious that msu is not worldbeaters again. Friday will bring the fever back. Hell we were jacked up for lsu on opening night in 2007 after the Churchill say speech. At least there is a chance of winning now.
VegasDawg13 said:
I know a lot of people don't want to give Croom credit for anything, but he did have some decent wins.
And this isn't about me slighting Croom's accomplishment either. It's about you slighting Mullen's.
Beating a team that won the Cotton Bowl the year before and would go on to win it again later that year is more impressive than beating a team that got blown out in the Outback Bowl the year before and would go on to gethandled in the Peach Bowl later that year. To say Croom accomplished something in his first year that Mullen didn't just because of how recognizable the name on the front of the jersey is, is disingenuous.</p>
Beating a team that won the Cotton Bowl the year before and would go on to win it again later that year is more impressive than beating a team that got blown out in the Outback Bowl the year before and would go on to gethandled in the Peach Bowl later that year. To say Croom accomplished something in his first year that Mullen didn't just because of how recognizable the name on the front of the jersey is, is disingenuous.</p>
I retract my earlier statement, and I will change my point to this: At the beginning of the season, my perception was that any West team except OM could find themselves, by skill or luck or both, at the top of the West, and thus would be contenders as long as they stayed undefeated in the West. I included State in this category, and now that we have lost to Auburn, they have been scratched out.