Time for another post to restore "levity" to the board

[AlSwearengen]

I may do this weekly just to keep everyone as level headed as possible, with the hope that once a week will be enough, but that is doubtful. Maybe a couple other level headed folks will agree to help with this because I don't have the energy.

Anyway, people around here are posting links to articles talking about how we didn't beat anyone worth a ****, blah blah blah. 17 it!! Who gives a 17? Are we supposed to apologize for our schedule? 17 them!! We are better off going into a recruits house at 8-4 and having beaten a bunch of nobodies than we are going in 5-7 and losing to a tough schedule. And that point is magnified a million times considering our history as recent as four years ago. We are trying to undo years of ****** football. So, everyone stop posting these stupid 17ing links. You are doing the kluckers job for them by spreading misinformation.

We need to be thankful when we have an easy schedule. The more ****** 8-4 seasons we have, the easier it will be to recruit. After six or seven years of ****** winning seasons, we will likely be ready to make a jump because of better talent that we wouldn't get by losing six or seven to a tough schedule.

 

[dawgstudent]

Great post and that's why I give the finger to the OK State game.

 

[GhostOfJackie]

I don't

Great post and that's why I give the finger to the OK State game.

I don't mind playiong a team like this every 2-3 years in the non conference schedule. When we start recruiting a little better down the road, we can schedule one every year. I know I know...... cupcake non conference is important to everybody. But sooner of later we have to step off the cliff. It's better to introduce these type teams every few years to "get our feet wet again" with tough non conference opponents. than it is not to play them at all.

With that said, you 17'ers better get your *** to Houston next year. We need as many people there as we can. I'ts a HUGE opportunity for us to pick up a good win to start off our season on a good note. It will go a long way into deciding whether we are a bowl team or not.

 

[AlSwearengen]

go back and read the post. Maybe after seven or eight years of winning more than losing we might be ready for an Ok. St. game. Not right now, while we are very very fragile. The Ok. St. game could be the difference b/t 6-6 or 5-7 (that is without looking at the schedule). I don't understand why our fans want to watch us lose to a big name. I can watch iowa st. lose to oregon or ok. st.

 

[GhostOfJackie]

Got to take that leap sometime. Better to take that leap now than wait any longer. To me, the difference better 5-7 band 6-6 is not that much. Yes, we get to go to a ****** bowl game instead of sit at home. Think about this: At this point, how many of our fans want to go to another Music City/Libery/Legion bowl?

If it's only the difference between those two choices, it's worth the game. That's all I'm saying.

 

[Seinfeld]

What will your opinion be if we win?

 

[JML105]

Not a big deal

to play OSU. It's not like they are Oregon or something. Yes we may lose, but we still win at least 7 next season.

Wins...
Alcorn
Auburn
Troy
Bowling Green
Kentucky
Arkansas
Ole Miss

Losses (with maybe one upset)...
OSU
LSU
USC
aTm
Alabama

 

[FISHDAWG]

it's difficult to get better at anything unless you are forced to

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Auburn and Arkansas on the road. I don't see winning those.

 

[JML105]

I guess, despite the less than stellar season, I still view the program as an improving one. I think next season our team will be better than this season, and a better team than we have presently will beat Ark and Aub no matter what changes they make.... imho.

 

[RiverBullyBullDawg]

Yes, we had an very easy schedule and the SEC teams we beat were way down. I only hope the schedule gets easier. Maybe 10-2 easier next year. Thanks for leveling us all out Sigmund. (smiley face)

I may do this weekly just to keep everyone as level headed as possible, with the hope that once a week will be enough, but that is doubtful. Maybe a couple other level headed folks will agree to help with this because I don't have the energy.

Anyway, people around here are posting links to articles talking about how we didn't beat anyone worth a ****, blah blah blah. 17 it!! Who gives a 17? Are we supposed to apologize for our schedule? 17 them!! We are better off going into a recruits house at 8-4 and having beaten a bunch of nobodies than we are going in 5-7 and losing to a tough schedule. And that point is magnified a million times considering our history as recent as four years ago. We are trying to undo years of ****** football. So, everyone stop posting these stupid 17ing links. You are doing the kluckers job for them by spreading misinformation.

We need to be thankful when we have an easy schedule. The more ****** 8-4 seasons we have, the easier it will be to recruit. After six or seven years of ****** winning seasons, we will likely be ready to make a jump because of better talent that we wouldn't get by losing six or seven to a tough schedule.

 

[Dawg Jurist]

I clicked on this thread expecting a joke. Levity doesn't mean what you think it means.

However, I don't mind a cream puff OOC schedule. Auburn being down this year hurt our sense of reality because we thought we were being tested early, and we really weren't. We need to keep Auburn and LSU in the front half of the schedule. We obviously were not ready to take 7-0 to Tuscaloosa. I would rather lose the ones we're going to lose earlier so the team doesn't get a full running start for a kick in the nuts.

 

[CookieMonster.sixpack]

to play OSU. It's not like they are Oregon or something. Yes we may lose, but we still win at least 7 next season.

Wins...
Alcorn
Auburn
Troy
Bowling Green
Kentucky
Arkansas
Ole Miss

Losses (with maybe one upset)...
OSU
LSU
USC
aTm
Alabama

Of the four SEC teams you listed, one beat us this year and the other three have nowhere to go but up. I wouldn't assume we'd beat Arkansas or Auburn just because we beat them this year. I seem to remember them having a pretty good streak going against us. Not to mention we'll be away for both of those games.

I'd put it like this:

Easy Wins: Alcorn
Likely Wins: Troy, Bowling Green, Kentucky
Toss Ups: Auburn, Arkansas, Ole Miss
Likely Losses: OSU, USC, A&M
Certain Losses: LSU, Bama

 

[maroonmania]

I wholeheartedly agree...

go back and read the post. Maybe after seven or eight years of winning more than losing we might be ready for an Ok. St. game. Not right now, while we are very very fragile. The Ok. St. game could be the difference b/t 6-6 or 5-7 (that is without looking at the schedule). I don't understand why our fans want to watch us lose to a big name. I can watch iowa st. lose to oregon or ok. st.

the very mediocre recruiting classes of 2010 & 2011 combined with replacing TN with @SC from the East combined with the real possibility that new coaches at Aub and Ark will have them back playing good football in 2013 all puts us at the real risk of sitting home come next bowl season by playing the OK St game. We DO NOT need be having a losing season in Mullen's 5th year but our schedule next year is lining up to be extremely tough. We should get 4 pretty sure wins (3 OOC and KY) but beyond that nothing will be easy. And anyone who thinks @Aub or @Ark will be easy next year against them with new coaches, just think the turnaround with OM in 2012 and you will get the picture.

 

[57stratdawg]

Isn't this the Rick Stansbury supporter's argument to scheduling as well? We have two options:

A) Lose to good teams
B) Beat bad ones

That's my issue. Why can't we beat good teams? It doesn't take a Pac-12 beat writer to point out to me there is a an issue with those two options.

 

[Railin Jemmye]

I think many of you will be surprised at how good we are next year.....

Not saying I'm advocating playing Oklahoma State or anything, but our schedule is set up for a good team to make a great run. Our schedule THIS season was set up for an average team to make a good run. At Bama and LSU were losses from the get-go. They are not going to be in 2013. At Arkansas and Auburn aren't sure losses at this point either. South Carolina and Texas A&M are probable, but not absolute sure things. South Carolina isn't just oozing with talent and depth, and A&M won't have their magical OL next year (big reason for Johnny Football's success). I think they lose 2 to graduation and maybe 2 to the draft. Their D takes hits as well.

Moving forward, the Egg Bowl in Starkville is an advantage and we should win that one. UK should be an easy game at home.

 

[maroonmania]

I don't see how...

Auburn and Arkansas on the road. I don't see winning those.

you could chalk up @Aub, @Ark or OM at home as wins. Auburn and Arkansas will be improved next year with new coaches (the question is how much) and the Bears essentially lose nobody from their team this year for next year.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

Levity doesn't mean what you think it means.

+1

 

[chew1095]

You might want to readjust that win column. Seeing how we have never beaten Arkansas on the road and Auburn is 27-6 against us at home (we have only won once there in the last 13 years), I would exactly chalk those up was wins just yet.

 

[Railin Jemmye]

We have plenty of chances to beat good teams. We play a minimum of 4 every year. Now, why haven't we done it? Depends on your definition of 'good'. I think we've beaten quite a few good teams during his tenure.

 

[RiverBullyBullDawg]

Is that a diplomatic way of saying we likely go 4-8?

Of the four SEC teams you listed, one beat us this year and the other three have nowhere to go but up. I wouldn't assume we'd beat Arkansas or Auburn just because we beat them this year. I seem to remember them having a pretty good streak going against us. Not to mention we'll be away for both of those games.

I'd put it like this:

Easy Wins: Alcorn
Likely Wins: Troy, Bowling Green, Kentucky
Toss Ups: Auburn, Arkansas, Ole Miss
Likely Losses: OSU, USC, A&M
Certain Losses: LSU, Bama

 

[FISHDAWG]

lightness of mind, character, or behavior; lack of appropriate seriousness or earnestness.

 

[Railin Jemmye]

We will be improved too.

 

[chew1095]

I completely disagree. We are feeling the brunt of two very average to below average recruiting classes (2010 and 2011) and we have a coaching staff that has seemed very stubborn with respect to making any change. This is not a good combination. 6-6 next year will be a tremendous success, however the hell we have to get there.

 

[maroonmania]

To truly be good next year we are going to have to have...

Not saying I'm advocating playing Oklahoma State or anything, but our schedule is set up for a good team to make a great run. Our schedule THIS season was set up for an average team to make a good run. At Bama and LSU were losses from the get-go. They are not going to be in 2013. At Arkansas and Auburn aren't sure losses at this point either. South Carolina and Texas A&M are probable, but not absolute sure things. South Carolina isn't just oozing with talent and depth, and A&M won't have their magical OL next year (big reason for Johnny Football's success). I think they lose 2 to graduation and maybe 2 to the draft. Their D takes hits as well.Moving forward, the Egg Bowl in Starkville is an advantage and we should win that one. UK should be an easy game at home.

a LOT of young guys make big jumps in their level of play. We lose our go to receiver from this year (Bumphis), we lose our best DL (Boyd) in a year where we had very subpar DL play, we lose our most productive LB (Cam), and we lose 3 out of our 4 starting secondary players (Banks, Slay, Broomfield). Got a LOT of areas where some of these younger redshirted guys are going to HAVE to step up big time for us to be all around solid as a team.

 

[Railin Jemmye]

Defense sucked this year. Can only get better.

Yes we lost Bumphis but we have more than a few talented guys ready to step in that role. Tubby and Robert Johnson come to mind. I think we'll see Morrow make plays next year too.

 

[TheOMlawdog]

Don't you think by year 4 or 5 at a program a coach should want to play at least one interesting OOC game every 2-3 years. Im not saying go out and play Oregon, but scheduling a home and home or a neutral site game with OSU seems totally reasonable by year 4 or 5.

 

[skb124]

I like the game. Call me crazy, but if the OK state game is the difference in 5-7 or 6-6, I personally would much rather play OK state then UCF in the Liberty Bowl. That OK State game is like a high caliber bowl game but just starting off the season. Granted I realize bowl games are important, and I definitely realize the importance of extra practices, but I personally would selfishly rather see this game happen. Plus if you win it looks great. There is no excitement in beating 3 Sunbelt teams, and that is the reason that I love college football. For the excitement.

 

[thatsbaseball]

I wanted OSU until I saw us play our last 5 games. I was naive enough to think we MAY have been for real and had a chance at some nice national pub by beating them. Now....not so much.

 

[Railin Jemmye]

It is reasonable. I always said I wanted to do it after 5 years, but doing it in our 5th year, after 3 straight bowls with easy scheduling, is beyond reasonable. Alot of fans, including me, point to Spurrier's USC model where he said, "....for the first 5 years, I just want to win more than we lose...." or similar. But they also play Clemson every year. And in a few of those years, they also played N.C. State and North Carolina. So we really have no room to cry here.

I think we should play one team from the BCS ranks every year. Let's go do a home and home with Indiana.

 

[The Usual Suspect]

Love the name, and I still miss "Deadwood", watch on HBO Go sometimes.

 

[maroonmania]

Its not so much what year of the program...

Don't you think by year 4 or 5 at a program a coach should want to play at least one interesting OOC game every 2-3 years. Im not saying go out and play Oregon, but scheduling a home and home or a neutral site game with OSU seems totally reasonable by year 4 or 5.

it is as the schedule around the tough OOC game. Next year we use up 2 of our 4 SEC home games against the 2 best SEC teams (at least talent wise) and play a current 10 win East team on the road. Our schedule next year would have increased in difficulty without the OK ST game. We lucked out this year because Aub, Ark and TN were all down but NOBODY could have predicted that before the season started. OM as well (even as much improvement as you guys had this year) only made it to 6-6 this year because of the unexpected down teams that both Aub and Ark put on the field. Either of those teams have the years people expected and OM goes back to 5-7 because of playing TX. When you play an SEC schedule in the current environment its dangerous ground to go out and schedule much of a challenge OOC. With State and OM both its the fact that its a pretty good chore just to get in the middle of the pack in the SEC the way things are currently, and its a truly monumental task to get to the upper third.

 

[maroonmania]

Better than this year? Based on ?

.

 

[Felonious Junk]

 

[dawgstudent]

Nope - do the easiest thing to get 4 OOC wins. Missing a bowl game is much more detrimental than playing a weak OOC schedule. I want the path of least resistance to 6 wins.

 

[johnson86-1]

Don't you think by year 4 or 5 at a program a coach should want to play at least one interesting OOC game every 2-3 years.

Not when you basically waste your second and third recruiting classes be cleaner than every other team in the SEC West.

We are better in a lot of ways than when Mullen got here, but Mullen's mistakes in recruiting were costly. We are basically a 6-6 type team right now that probably needs another good recruiting class this year to help us make a jump in 2014. It sucks because we wasted a lot of momentum, and it's going to be that much harder to take the next step when it looks like we taken a step back. But it's still doable if Mullen can get back the intensity he had the first couple of years.

 

[SkullCandy.sixpack]

CookieMonster seems to be on with his picks. We obviously shouldn't lose all the toss-ups. Why OM drops to 5-7 becasue of Texas is confusing--they lost to Tx this year. The only major schedule change is they drop Georgia for Missouri. If they don't improve at all, they could finish 7-5. We have to hope Arkansas and Auburn, despite a good core of talent, aren't coached up to full potential next year. Of course the Bears have to hope the same thing.

 

[tenureplan]

Sweegin **********!

nm

 

[aTotal360]

Stricklin forgot we added aTm.

 

[kired]

a LOT of young guys make big jumps in their level of play. We lose our go to receiver from this year (Bumphis), we lose our best DL (Boyd) in a year where we had very subpar DL play, we lose our most productive LB (Cam), and we lose 3 out of our 4 starting secondary players (Banks, Slay, Broomfield). Got a LOT of areas where some of these younger redshirted guys are going to HAVE to step up big time for us to be all around solid as a team.

So you're calling 3rd or even 4th year JRs young? Lewis, Johnson & Johnson, Virges, PJ Jones, Wells, Love, Chris Hughes, Jay Hughes, Dee Arrington, Justin Cox, Preston Smith...

Other than McKinney, I'm not sure we'll have a sophomore starting anywhere. Depends on if Tobias Smith gets his 6th year and who takes over at DT. Maybe one of the Browns beats out Hughes & Wells for Cam's spot. Everyone else will be 3rd, 4th, 5th year guys.