Poll - What was more shocking?
- Thread starter dawgstudent
- Start date
Bowl game was one those that I wasn’t expecting but have been there before with the 5-7 team making it under Mullen, but the Arnett thing was about last on my list
Arnett hire. It genuinely shocked me. You could have given me 50 guesses and I still wouldn’t have gotten it right.
The bowl game had been discussed a tiny bit, so it was at least in the realm of possibility.
The bowl game had been discussed a tiny bit, so it was at least in the realm of possibility.
Arnett - it came out of nowhere. I was shocked when I saw it.
Arnett hire was so out of the blue, I didn’t even know what to think about it. Immediate reaction wasn’t positive but the more I’ve thought about it, I’ve warmed up to the idea.
Bowl. I’m still living in a time that it was unthinkable to snub a bowl invite.
Arnett hire for me. I knew we had a very outside shot at a bowl but didn’t expect to get one. Arnett came out of way left field.
Me either. Although in hindsight we probably should have seen the bowl game coming.
Why not just keep Arnett 2 years ago? Why hire nobody Hutzler? If Arnett’s willing to come back now, he was probably willing to stay on then.
The whole deal wreaks of grasping at straws.
I’m sure he’ll be better than Hutzler, but no faith has been restored in our football program or the leadership of our university.
The whole deal wreaks of grasping at straws.
I’m sure he’ll be better than Hutzler, but no faith has been restored in our football program or the leadership of our university.
While I am still processing how the Arnett hire makes any sense at all* and am more shocked by that, going to a bowl at 5-7 was something I was hopeful for, but had been told by other people as recently as last week that there was no way it was going to happen for State this year.
I thought that going to a bowl was considered a huge advantage because it extended your practice time with the team plus the school got money for the appearance. Are those things not true anymore? Why are schools who didn't have big coaching changes turning them down?
*I don't hate the idea of the Arnett hire in terms of him doing the job. I just can't wrap my head around how it actually seems like a good idea to the athletic department staff. I sort of admire Lebby for being able to get comfortable with it.
I don’t hate the Arnett hire. When he first came aboard. I talked to him for about 30 mins at the MAC coaches clinic. Great down to earth guy. I am happy we get a bowl game. The extra reps will go a long way for Kamario, and I get to watch State one more time before Sep. 5th. But my vote is for Arnett coming back especially so soon.
The most shocking was how Zach Arnett ran that Wendy’s drive-thru exactly how he runs his defense: Aggressive, undisguised, zero gap integrity, and somehow still got rewarded with a new contract. Bro literally had his dickk out while ordering chilli-cheese-fries. Windows down, zero disguise, bro sends the full-meat blitz- applying constant pressure until the cashier screamed. Then pulls out right before the cops arrive (Collapses in the 4th quarter when the depth chart runs out of bodies).
Definitely shocking. But I still picked the bowl game. Hutzler is the scapegoat, no other DC wants to be counterpart to Lebby’s offense, and Arnett needs a job. All that part of it isn’t shocking to me. It’s a last ditch hail marry attempt to keep a job by Lebby. Our powers that be probably told him he was making this change
Definitely shocking. But I still picked the bowl game. Hutzler is the scapegoat, no other DC wants to be counterpart to Lebby’s offense, and Arnett needs a job. All that part of it isn’t shocking to me. It’s a last ditch hail marry attempt to keep a job by Lebby. Our powers that be probably told him he was making this change
It’s Arnett. As others have said, we knew that at least theoretically a bowl game was a possibility. It was unexpected, and exciting (for me and I think most people).
The Arnett hire was just completely out of left field. I don’t know how it wasn’t even hinted at beforehand- by a beat writer or a message board poster (that I saw, anyway).
The Arnett hire was just completely out of left field. I don’t know how it wasn’t even hinted at beforehand- by a beat writer or a message board poster (that I saw, anyway).
Bowl game
We were so far down the list that I hadn’t even considered the possibility.
The Gasparilla Bowl, we were like first in line to make it if not enough bowl eligible teams to fill the slots
In retrospect, it probably should have been Arnett because I shouldn’t have been so surprised at the opt outs. But honestly, that wasn’t at all on my radar as a possibility.
So, I was more shocked by the bowl. Arnett was surprising, but honestly it sort of makes sense - both sides are semi-desperate.
So, I was more shocked by the bowl. Arnett was surprising, but honestly it sort of makes sense - both sides are semi-desperate.
At 5-7 I knew there was an outside chance. Arnett wasn’t even on the radar until it was announced he was hired.
He was good when he was here. Tossing him into the HC fire like we did wasn’t smart so I feel like we kinda owed him a career restart.
Arnett is the bigger shock. I think he can be a good DC for us. He was for Leach. I do hold a grudge for what he did in the wake of Leach's death though. Maybe he didn't get to make decisions. Maybe he took bad advice. He was the face of the program after Leach was gone and gets the blame.
Arnett hire for sure. Only because we fired this guy like 2 years ago. Wasn’t expecting him to ever step his foot in Starkville, certainly not the DC after what happened in 2023.
With that said, I do think he will be at least a decent DC. Lebby is doing better this offseason than the last few years for sure. Like I said, I’m not a huge supporter of Lebby, but he’s gained some respect back. Hoping for the best no doubt
With that said, I do think he will be at least a decent DC. Lebby is doing better this offseason than the last few years for sure. Like I said, I’m not a huge supporter of Lebby, but he’s gained some respect back. Hoping for the best no doubt
With the bowl, I could have seen that coming. It happened 2016 so it’s not totally out of the norm.
Really the poll should have an option for the basketball team. State has been consistent for the last 3 years in non conference play. 11-1, 10-2, 11-1, to effin 4-5. What the hell happned? Like what in the efff?
Really the poll should have an option for the basketball team. State has been consistent for the last 3 years in non conference play. 11-1, 10-2, 11-1, to effin 4-5. What the hell happned? Like what in the efff?
Great point. It should have been obvious because recycling is a Mississippi State tradition. Every time any job opens at MSU, posters flock to the internet and start throwing out any name that played there, coached there, or has three holes punched on a Strangebrew card.
I always thought the practice time thing was nothing more than coach speak and nobody ever bothered to ask a coach who followed up a bowl appearance with a 2–9 season what the **** they were they doing in those extra practices.
In today’s environment, if a coach ever uses the extra practice line, the first question should be ‘How so when you’re going to have a whole new two deep in the fall?’
That has to be a humbling experience. He was Franklin’s DC at Vandy and PSU, left him, now hired back after Franklin took his job.
It’s obvious he didn’t, but it’d be hard not take that a little personally.
Your question is a great one and lo and behold, James Franklin turns around and does the same damn thing the next day. Only in Va Tech’s case, it was two months after they fired the guy.
What a strange time this is.