We only see 3 wins

[Bulldog from Birth]

Yes, the fans who want to play the best teams at home are stupid. I want to play the teams we have the best chance at at home.

It depends. If your season’s realistic goal is to try and get to somewhere in the 6-6 to 8-4 range, then yes, you want the best teams on the road and easiest at home. If it’s a year where the real hope is to finish 9-3 to 11-1, then you want the best teams at home.

 

[aTotal360]

It depends. If your season’s realistic goal is to try and get to somewhere in the 6-6 to 8-4 range, then yes, you want the best teams on the road and easiest at home. If it’s a year where the real hope is to finish 9-3 to 11-1, then you want the best teams at home.

I've always said MSU will never be in that position. We just need to stack wins.

 

[WilCoDawg]

Lebby will certainly be taking advantage of our stupidity

And he will be able to be a coordinator again probably a year or two after he gets tired of counting our money

Arnett is proof of this.

 

[WilCoDawg]

2 wins, Levee has to be fired. 3-4 wins and competitive in losses, keep him. 5 wins and he's coach of the year.

If this happens, we better force him to get some big name coordinators to save his job for year 3. But I forget that he’s really done no re-tuning after last year and is still safe.

 

[Bulldawg77]

Current rankings. State has 23 portal signees. Ranked 12th average rating is 87.09. ASU…12 signees ranked 45th average rating 85.83.
Just pointing out that our portal recruiting has been very good. And if your into star gazing 7 of those portal adds were 4 stars when they signed with their previous team. To date 12 out of the 23 came from P4 programs.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

2026 schedule is key. We will likely be at 20 straight SEC losses. 23 is the all time record. If we open with Alabama, LSU and South Carolina, we could make histiry.

 

[golferdog]

If they drop the opener, most fans will check out anyway. That cannot happen.

 

[85Bears]

I can’t think of another program honestly where it’s said “if he gets to 3 wins he deserves another year”, that is kind of crazy when you think about it.

 

[gtowndawg]

We will have a new coach this time next year (and a lot of new players...again).

 

[OopsICroomedmypants]

So here's the thing. We have 50 new players brought in this year and 90 over the last two years. It looks like we will have a competitive defensive line and linebackers. Our offense will probably be improved in year 2 and hopefully Shapen plays more than half a season. Running backs, WR's, and safeties are good to go. Offensive line has enough talent too. Corners are a maybe. Special teams should be good.

At what point is the talent gap close enough where we start to beat some of these SEC teams? I would think we are getting close. In year 3 it will definitely be time to quit losing and start winning or we are doing something wrong.

 

[Maroon Pug]

Agree and he'll probably get it anyway if for nothing else than we need to show future potential coaches that we gave him a fair shot to show improvement. If Lebby doesn't work out in the end, I would go ALL-IN to get Kenny Dillingham. I said this a year ago too even before he took his team to the Playoffs. He to me, looks like the next Nick Saban.

Dillingham is an ASU grad, he is not leaving the Sun Devils.

 

[Bulldawg77]

We have significantly closed the gap on paper. It’s now up to the staff to close the gap on the field.
We are not going to lose to USM, they will be improved but let’s not act like they have a recent history of upsetting teams.

 

[patdog]

So here's the thing. We have 50 new players brought in this year and 90 over the last two years. It looks like we will have a competitive defensive line and linebackers. Our offense will probably be improved in year 2 and hopefully Shapen plays more than half a season. Running backs, WR's, and safeties are good to go. Offensive line has enough talent too. Corners are a maybe. Special teams should be good.

At what point is the talent gap close enough where we start to beat some of these SEC teams? I would think we are getting close. In year 3 it will definitely be time to quit losing and start winning or we are doing something wrong.

That’s incredibly optimistic. I hate to tell you, but we’re nowhere near close to being competitive in the SEC. We were a terrible team & poorly coached team last year. And by every objective ranking we’re at best break even in players gained vs players lost in the transfer portal & have made only 1 assistant coaching change. It’s gonna get ugly. Again.

 

[OopsICroomedmypants]

That’s incredibly optimistic. I hate to tell you, but we’re nowhere near close to being competitive in the SEC. We were a terrible team & poorly coached team last year. And by every objective ranking we’re at best break even in players gained vs players lost in the transfer portal & have made only 1 assistant coaching change. It’s gonna get ugly. Again.

That was really my question. I think we will be better. Most every new coach is better their second year, except Hugh Freeze at Auburn. There is a talent threshold that every successful team has to hit. How far away are we?

 

[The Peeper]

4 wins and competitive in SEC games, keep him for sure.

Not many other working Joe's in the world can be effective 17% of the time their first year, 33% of the time the 2nd year and still be employed a 3rd year, especially making $4.5mil/yr. That's a record of 6-18 or .25 winning percentage in 2 seasons after collecting $9 million. That doesn't cut it at many places............

 

[85Bears]

That was really my question. I think we will be better. Most every new coach is better their second year, except Hugh Freeze at Auburn. There is a talent threshold that every successful team has to hit. How far away are we?

Why assume it’s completely a talent threshold . Incompetence plays a big role in this.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

Not many other working Joe's in the world can be effective 17% of the time their first year, 33% of the time the 2nd year and still be employed a 3rd year, especially making $4.5mil/yr. That's a record of 6-18 or .25 winning percentage in 2 seasons after collecting $9 million. That doesn't cut it at many places............

Concur, we had some very bad breaks though:

1. AD doesn't have us ready for NIL
2. One of the best coaches in history (not one of the most successful) unexpectedly dies on active duty
3. President makes a huge mistake and incredibly stupid hiring decision
4. We hire a first time HC to replace a first time HC
5. The two first year HCs, try to completely revamp the offense in year one - without the talent to do so
6. We get saddled with one of the toughest schedules in the country, two years straight.

Had Mike not died, we'd come into 2024 off a nine win season. 2024 would have still been a hard, but we'd likely been bowl eligible.

 

[85Bears]

Concur, we had some very bad breaks though:

1. AD doesn't have us ready for NIL
2. One of the best coaches in history (not one of the most successful) unexpectedly dies on active duty
3. President makes a huge mistake and incredibly stupid hiring decision
4. We hire a first time HC to replace a first time HC
5. The two first year HCs, try to completely revamp the offense in year one - without the talent to do so
6. We get saddled with one of the toughest schedules in the country, two years straight.

Had Mike not died, we'd come into 2024 off a nine win season. 2024 would have still been a hard, but we'd likely been bowl eligible.

Im not sure naming Arnett permanent HC and whole sale firing Leachs staff, scrapping the offense and installing the Barbay special was a bad break. More like self inflicted wound.

keenum screwed up and our boosters who pushed this insanity are damm fools.

 

[patdog]

Im not sure naming Arnett permanent HC and whole sale firing Leachs staff, scrapping the offense and installing the Barbay special was a bad break. More like self inflicted wound.

keenum screwed up and our boosters who pushed this insanity are damm fools.

As usual, we are our own worst enemy.

 

[Maroon13]

We got really screwed by the sec with this schedule....

What would our best teams, if you teleport them in time to the present still youthful... how many games would they win?

2014: 9?
1999: 6-7

 

[theoriginalSALTYdog]

Unless this new crop of transfers really delivers, I'd have to agree with them.

@ USM, Alcorn, NIU.

No reason to believe we can win ASU, Tenn, @ aTm, @ Florida, Texas, @ Arkansas, UGA, @ Mizz, or OM.

Don't be so confident. They've had some decent teams over the years and beat Notre Dame this year. It's not automatic like some here seem to think.

 

[Bulldawg77]

That’s incredibly optimistic. I hate to tell you, but we’re nowhere near close to being competitive in the SEC. We were a terrible team & poorly coached team last year. And by every objective ranking we’re at best break even in players gained vs players lost in the transfer portal & have made only 1 assistant coaching change. It’s gonna get ugly. Again.

So by this logic all teams in the portal got better except for the 12th ranked team Mississippi state they didn’t get better. Right??!
I mean the 46th ranked portal class ASU signed well they got significantly better but the 12th ranked class didn’t?? The 2024 portal class For Az St was ranked 30th with 30 signees. They some how won 11 games coming off back to back 3-9 season. Did you know in Dillingham first year in 23 they got beat by Fresno State 29-0..?
And here’s some news we aren’t done in the portal yet. I expect another 2 additions then 4 or 5 added in spring

 

[Mr. Cook]

For those wondering what the 2025 schedule looks like
View attachment 745562

Hell, 3 wins may be optimistic********

 

[Mr. Cook]

Very realistic chance we start 3-1 and then don’t win again.

Also possible we start 1-3….and then don’t win again

 

[Mr. Cook]

I can see our stadium being 50% Texas, Tenn and GA on those Saturdays.

 

[Mr. Cook]

If they drop the opener, most fans will check out anyway. That cannot happen.

 

[Curby]

Honestly, is Northern Illinois a win?

They went to South Bend and won, and those guys play hard for their coach.

 

[patdog]

Honestly, is Northern Illinois a win?

They went to South Bend and won, and those guys play hard for their coach.

ImI know the best Notre Dsne. But that was a fluke. They’re not that good. Of course Toledo wasn’t that good either. But I think we win all the non conference games except Arizona St.

 

[Bulldawg77]

Honestly, is Northern Illinois a win?

They went to South Bend and won, and those guys play hard for their coach.

Good thing we raided that roster for there three best players

 

[Bulldawg77]

ImI know the best Notre Dsne. But that was a fluke. They’re not that good. Of course Toledo wasn’t that good either. But I think we win all the non conference games except Arizona St.

Toledo did beat Pitt as well…

Again Dillingham lost to Fresno state his first year 29-0. Yet most on here would run to hire him