watching usm tonite, it is clear that they are no longer even in the same universe as even weak sec teams. looking at recruiting in recent yrs shows that while msu and ole miss recruit against each other, that usm is not even on the recruiting lists of most of the real sec quality players. i submitt that a LARGE factor in that decline has been msu and ole miss not playing them and proping them up as an "equal" instate.i know most of you loved byrne (at least till he hit the road) but IMO he had a brain dead moment when he agreed to play usm again. 1. what is your opinion of that decision? and 2. WHAT THE HECK WAS HE THINKING.?? i realize byrne was not a native to ms but it is just perplexing to me that he didn't get that you just don't prop up your little brother rival. thoughts?
ok sixpackers, i have a question for you....
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when they were beating our respective teams on a regular basis, they were a legitimate recruiting threat. Actually, not just a threat, the overall winner several years. Now, however, relegated to leftovers. Playing them has no upside whatsoever.
For the record, I'm not, and never was,a Byrne fan</p>
For the record, I'm not, and never was,a Byrne fan</p>
1. UAB and Troy St. are now getting a lot of the Bama and Auburn leftovers USM used to make a living off of.
2. The gap between the haves and the have-nots in college football has grown exponentially over the past 20 years. Back in the day, our budgets were only $5M or so more than theirs. Now our budgets are $25M-$30M more than theirs.
3. I don't have a problem with playing them occasionally. I would have insisted on a 2-for-1 though and told them to either take it or leave it.
One more thing, it's a lot harder now to find the hidden recruits like a Brett Favre or a Jerry Rice or a Sammy Winder that the big schools didn't know about now than it was back in the 80s.
2. The gap between the haves and the have-nots in college football has grown exponentially over the past 20 years. Back in the day, our budgets were only $5M or so more than theirs. Now our budgets are $25M-$30M more than theirs.
3. I don't have a problem with playing them occasionally. I would have insisted on a 2-for-1 though and told them to either take it or leave it.
One more thing, it's a lot harder now to find the hidden recruits like a Brett Favre or a Jerry Rice or a Sammy Winder that the big schools didn't know about now than it was back in the 80s.
from what I understand, it wasn't Byrne's decision. It was politically motivated and Byrne had to put a good face on it.
You ever heard the saying, "To be the best, you gotta beat the best"?
I don't really care if we play them or not, but we shouldn't refuse to play them out of fear that they could *gasp* beat us. Hell as a State fan, I've watched my team get beaten by Tulane, Houston, UAB, Vanderbilt, Troy, and MAINE, among others. If they can beat us, that just says we need to get our asses in gear and get better. If we beat them, good for us. Maybe it'll shut them up.
If USM beats us, it won't be the end of the world for me. But watching them last night, I'm not too worried about that anymore.
Fedora might not even be their coach anymore by the time we play them.
I don't really care if we play them or not, but we shouldn't refuse to play them out of fear that they could *gasp* beat us. Hell as a State fan, I've watched my team get beaten by Tulane, Houston, UAB, Vanderbilt, Troy, and MAINE, among others. If they can beat us, that just says we need to get our asses in gear and get better. If we beat them, good for us. Maybe it'll shut them up.
If USM beats us, it won't be the end of the world for me. But watching them last night, I'm not too worried about that anymore.
Fedora might not even be their coach anymore by the time we play them.
1. Recruits aren't going to go to Southern over State or OM just because they get to play one in-state SEC game a year against the "big brother." Instead, if they can, they'll go to the big brother school.
2. Mississippi is poor. We all know it. If we can recirculate dollars within the state, it's imperative we do so. That's why I'm loving the fact we're playing Alcorn, JSU, & USM. As a state, we need all the dollars we can get.
2. Mississippi is poor. We all know it. If we can recirculate dollars within the state, it's imperative we do so. That's why I'm loving the fact we're playing Alcorn, JSU, & USM. As a state, we need all the dollars we can get.
...is one of the smartest moves he made.
Playing USM has multiple benefits, as those benefits have been re-hashed on these boards a million times over the years.
In an era when unemployment is almost 10% & gas sometimes approaches $3 a gallon, agreeing to play an interesting, heated in-state game that is a 3 hour bus (or car) ride away is an excellent business decision.
As far as the recruiting aspect, MSU very seldom loses a recruit to USM. USM's advantage over the years has been coaching. But they no longer hold that advantage over MSU.
Lastly, it's weak for an Ole Miss homer to run smack about playing USM in football. When the possibility of playing USM in football arises, the typical Ole Miss fan draws up in a fetal position & begins sucking their thumb.
Playing USM has multiple benefits, as those benefits have been re-hashed on these boards a million times over the years.
In an era when unemployment is almost 10% & gas sometimes approaches $3 a gallon, agreeing to play an interesting, heated in-state game that is a 3 hour bus (or car) ride away is an excellent business decision.
As far as the recruiting aspect, MSU very seldom loses a recruit to USM. USM's advantage over the years has been coaching. But they no longer hold that advantage over MSU.
Lastly, it's weak for an Ole Miss homer to run smack about playing USM in football. When the possibility of playing USM in football arises, the typical Ole Miss fan draws up in a fetal position & begins sucking their thumb.
although i have no idea what it has to do with playing a cusa team.... the more relevant expression IMO would be "only a fool makes a no-win bet" which is IMO what playing usm and mem st are. everything to lose and nothing to gain.....
i actually so far think patdog maybe has the reasons (in addition i believe to us dropping them) as factors in their decline. but it seems to me that ignoring an annoyance is the best way to rid oneself of that annoyance.
i remember when both msu and ole miss used to stomp them then all of a sudden it wasn't a gimme. that could happen again unfortunately. i for one hope fedora stays down there a while i don't see anything to suggest he knows his *** from a hole in the ground...esp since last nite. i'm waiting for the billboards of bower saying "miss me yet?"
ETA thanks for the response. wanting to understand diff opinions was my reason for asking.
i actually so far think patdog maybe has the reasons (in addition i believe to us dropping them) as factors in their decline. but it seems to me that ignoring an annoyance is the best way to rid oneself of that annoyance.
i remember when both msu and ole miss used to stomp them then all of a sudden it wasn't a gimme. that could happen again unfortunately. i for one hope fedora stays down there a while i don't see anything to suggest he knows his *** from a hole in the ground...esp since last nite. i'm waiting for the billboards of bower saying "miss me yet?"
ETA thanks for the response. wanting to understand diff opinions was my reason for asking.
patdog said:
Also Central Florida & South Florida are cleaning up the Florida/FSU/Miami left overs. Those 2 programs didn't even exists 10 years ago. USM used to get tons of talent out of the panhandle. Now, not so much. These schools, as much as anything, have led to the USM decline.
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