To reflect on what RougeDawg pointed out...

[WhetteFahrtz]

I know this has been beaten to hell and back but having witnessed everything from the interception clinic Henig put on against LSU, Woody's horrible excuse for a middle school offense, a Tom Brady like performance from a triple option QB, to the prison rape that was the final chapter of the Croom error; I can't help but find myself feeling as if I am living in some kind of bizarro twilight zone after reading this.

In only two short years we have gone from opening the season with a loss to LA Tech to opening a season with, as the article states:

A dark horse pick the SEC west,
Blowout victory in a decent bowl game against a traditional powerhouse,
a <span style="font-weight: bold;">HIGH POWERED</span> offense,
one of the nations most exciting dual threat QB's,
quality numbers to rotate 10 (legitimate) receivers,
and one of the SEC's strongest backfields

I still find it hard to believe 'high powered offense' and Mississippi State were used in the same article and it wasn't referring to an opponent. Not because I don't think we aren't capable but because I never thought we would make it out of the dark ages of 2001-2008 with a football program that would need at least a decade to recover. And by football program I mean a coaching staff that knew how to build a program and put talented players in situations that gave them the greatest advantage. It's shameful to think of the program we had that was so poorly managed and neglected because of stubborn staffs, bad : play calling / conditioning / practicing, and terrible schemes. I'm glad that nightmare is over and I can finally return to fully being able to enjoy college football again.

Below is the summary from the power rankings...

 

[FlabLoser]

....in the early 2000's NCAA vendetta against Sherrill had us setup to fail for a few years

...and that Croom was an aberration

Some of us believed all along in the momentum that Jackie had going through the 90s. Thanks to Larry T for turning a hickup into a 10-year hiatus.

 

[RougeDawg]

and from what Jackie told my dad, uncle, and myself one day, LT was probably the worst thing to happen to MSU sports in the last half century. I remember while I was still in high school but coming to all home games. One day in pregame, just before all the investigation info broke, Jackie told us that LT had no backbone and wouldn't tell the NCAA to 17 off! All LT had to do was support him and turn the NCAA away initially. Said LT was the only AD that he'd worked for, who let the NCAA come in, set up shop, and do whatever they wanted, without question. There are more details, but this is the gist of the whole thing.

I feel like the Jackie fallout with LT was the reason for the letdown the last few years of the Sherrill tenure. LT wouldn't support him in any way and it was almost if Jackie was fighting a losing battle and he stopped caring, which showed on the field. But where did LT ever do anything to defend, support, or develop Mississippi State Athletics?? I'm drawing a blank on that one.

I could go on for days with Sherril/MSU related stories. Some not appropriate for this board.

 

[Guy From Gulfport]

LT was probably the worst thing to happen to MSU sports in the last half century.

Jackie knew, first hand, what we all discovered at some point.

 

[Seinfeld]

Their input is vital to success, but the focus is always going to be on cost cutting and balance sheets rather than growth and vision. As much as I've blasted LT over the years, I don't think he ever intentionally did anything to hold MSU back. He was simply the wrong personality for the job, at least in the latter half of his tenure. Prior to college sports becoming a multi-billion dollar cash cow, making an occasional hire and adhering to planned budgets/rules may have been about all that mattered for an AD. Since that time, however, you have to have someone with with both vision and a lot of initiative or else you're going to be left behind.

 

[thunderclap]

the cut-off maroon striped pants that we have used for practice the last two years have been replaced by new adidas practice pants. In other words, the last grain of Croom sand has eroded away. That staff, on its own, was horrible. When you compare it to Mullen and crew, that staff becomes unspeakable.

 

[fishwater99]

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