We've lost to the 4th, 7th, and 8th teams in the BCS...
- Thread starter dawgstudent
- Start date
Well we pretty much knew we were going to lose to LSU and Alabama. I don't think anyone expected A&M to be this good which is why a lot of us were so disappointed last week. They are a completely different team than when they started the season. Sumlin has done an outstanding job with this team.
Let's not forget they were back to back to back with no bye week also. That's huge when you're facing two big physical bruising teams with a wear you out spread team sandwiched in between. Just sayin.
Again, its not the losses its not being competitive...
that has been the cause for concern. I think most of us, probably mistakenly, had been thinking we had closed the gap some on the elite SEC teams but it doesn't appear we have. We took AL and A&M's best shot and both of those games were essentially over by the end of the first quarter. We definitely competed better last night but LSU had just come off a VERY emotional game with Bama and half of their fans were gone just after halftime. Still though a much better effort on our part but if we don't win these next 2 games then we aren't where I'd hoped we would be this year because our first 7 games was definitely against very weak competition.
that has been the cause for concern. I think most of us, probably mistakenly, had been thinking we had closed the gap some on the elite SEC teams but it doesn't appear we have. We took AL and A&M's best shot and both of those games were essentially over by the end of the first quarter. We definitely competed better last night but LSU had just come off a VERY emotional game with Bama and half of their fans were gone just after halftime. Still though a much better effort on our part but if we don't win these next 2 games then we aren't where I'd hoped we would be this year because our first 7 games was definitely against very weak competition.
I was near the A&M bench when they played us and I can tell you....
They were fired up about playing on the road in this conference and getting a win. In fact, from my seats, I could hear Kingsbury yelling in front of their offensive players on the bench "they wanted us, now they've got us". That's the part they've done so well. They've embraced the whole concept that people didn't think they were ready for this league and would struggle to get up to par. Not only have they done it, they've exceled. I'm impressed more than anything at how they've gotten better and better as the season's gone along on both sides of the ball while most people expected them to struggle late in the season once the physicalness of this league took it's toll. This team has gotten stronger. It really is a remarkable job that Sumlin and Co have done.
They were fired up about playing on the road in this conference and getting a win. In fact, from my seats, I could hear Kingsbury yelling in front of their offensive players on the bench "they wanted us, now they've got us". That's the part they've done so well. They've embraced the whole concept that people didn't think they were ready for this league and would struggle to get up to par. Not only have they done it, they've exceled. I'm impressed more than anything at how they've gotten better and better as the season's gone along on both sides of the ball while most people expected them to struggle late in the season once the physicalness of this league took it's toll. This team has gotten stronger. It really is a remarkable job that Sumlin and Co have done.
After this weekend add #5 plus Vandy and you have Ole Miss' losses. We'd probably have the same record as you do with your schedule, playing the worst from the East instead of Vandy and UGA.
You do realize that there are 6 teams in the top 10 from the SEC. Every team outside the top 10 plays at least 3 of those. What's your point? Either you ARE or you ARE NOT
Considering how close you made it against UK and UT I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself.
No way in hell you guys win 7 in a row. You just lost to Vandy! You guys aren't any better than you were 2 years ago. If Auburn and Arkansas were what they were last year you're 3-6 looking at finishing 3-9. You guys haven't risen above their level as much as they've fallen below yours.
"That's why you're Vandy".. Tim "Ole Miss" Brando 2011
"That's why you're Vandy".. Tim "Ole Miss" Brando 2011
Its not that we lost.. It's HOW we lost.
We didn't compete with them at all. We need to bridge that gap and be competitive against the Top 10 teams in the country now..we are going to have to keep playing them.
What's the difference? I'm sure playing each team at the same time we did, you guys wouldn't have a snow ball's chance in hell of beating either of these teams.
Keep telling yourself that so you can convince yourself that you're better than the team who lost to Vandy at Home last night
Out of curiosity, why?
We should be a little bit better next year, but you don't beat good teams in the SEC without NFL caliber DL, usually at least one bad ***. Unless Quay makes the leap next year (which is certainly possible), I don't see one on our team.
Also, who is LSU losing? Ed Reed? I'm sure there are several others, but I'm assuming they can just reload. Hell, they have a true freshman and RS freshman holding down the right side of their line and doing a good job. If they survived the attrition on their offensive line this year, I will assume no drop off from any position until I actually see it. We're going to have to start putting NFL quality players at several positions on each side of the ball (especially on each line) to beat them.
In 48 games, we've never had a loss even close to that bad under Mullen. No, I wouldn't say we are getting ahead of ourselves. Unranked and not receiving votes...at home? Our worst two losses in the last 4 years were to teams sitting @ #27 in the AP. Vanderbilt was outside the top 41.
THe problem is that we haven't beaten anyone in the top 40 for two years
Yes, we always lose to good teams. But due to our schedule, in the past two years, we haven't beaten any good teams. In the past two years, we haven't beaten anyone in the top 40 in Sagarin's rankings. Last year was ridiculous - we only beat two teams in the top 100. There are only 115 or so D-I teams.
So it is easy to say, "Look at who we've lost to!!" But until we can say, "Look at who've beat!" then we really can't talk about being a good team. Because we've haven't beaten a good, and only one or two average teams in the past two years.
Our highest ranked win last year was Louisana Tech (OT victory). Yes, Louisana Tech.
Our highest ranked win this year is Tennessee (52nd ranked). It was a very close game. Tennessee is a throughly average team at best with a coach that is about to be fired. They have zero SEC wins. Our next best win? Mighty Troy (81).
That is not saying or accomplishing much. When cannot say that we have a good team when we never beat any good teams.
In comparison to a coach every six packer loves to hate, look at Croom's 2007 team. Best win was against Auburn (13th) and Alabama (31st).
Even in 2008, the year Croom was fired, best win was against Vandy, which that year was ranked higher than any win by Mullen in the past two years.
Yes, we always lose to good teams. But due to our schedule, in the past two years, we haven't beaten any good teams. In the past two years, we haven't beaten anyone in the top 40 in Sagarin's rankings. Last year was ridiculous - we only beat two teams in the top 100. There are only 115 or so D-I teams.
So it is easy to say, "Look at who we've lost to!!" But until we can say, "Look at who've beat!" then we really can't talk about being a good team. Because we've haven't beaten a good, and only one or two average teams in the past two years.
Our highest ranked win last year was Louisana Tech (OT victory). Yes, Louisana Tech.
Our highest ranked win this year is Tennessee (52nd ranked). It was a very close game. Tennessee is a throughly average team at best with a coach that is about to be fired. They have zero SEC wins. Our next best win? Mighty Troy (81).
That is not saying or accomplishing much. When cannot say that we have a good team when we never beat any good teams.
In comparison to a coach every six packer loves to hate, look at Croom's 2007 team. Best win was against Auburn (13th) and Alabama (31st).
Even in 2008, the year Croom was fired, best win was against Vandy, which that year was ranked higher than any win by Mullen in the past two years.
We weren't a good team last year once Tobias got hurt, and we were bad when Carmon was less than full speed. You just can't be good when you don't have a complete offensive line. We were lucky we had that schedule so that we could get to a bowl.
But this year it's just a scheduling fluke. There aren't going to be many years where Arkansas, Auburn, and UT are not bowl teams. We've played teams that are probably in the top 5 or teams that are mediocre and worse. If we got to play some teams in the 15 to 30 range that run a traditional offense, we'd be competitive and probably beat them. If we got to play somebody in the 15 to 30 range that runs a spread or quick strike offense, we'd find out whether Troy and A&M were simply games where our players were not 'up', or whether our DC is the problem.
As far as Croom's 2007 team, yes, we had good defensive talent and a good defensive coordinator, and, got extremely lucky with turnovers. You have to be well coached and have talent for it to happen, but sometimes things just break your way a lot more than you have any right to expect with respect to turnovers and points off turnovers. But the breaks we got in 2007 were already pushing the limits of what is possible and we topped out with a Liberty Bowl win over UCF. You have to admit this team's ceiling is a hell of a lot higher than that.
More importantly, while there's no way in hell a croom team would have won any of the games we lost this year, a Croom team sure as hell could have finished our first 7 games from this 5-2 or worse. Whatever problems we're facing right now, we're still in much better position now than we were in 2007.
Never said we are or we aren't. Just saying you can't be disappointed with our 7-3 record right now. If we lose next weekend, we should all be pissed.
Seems likely you wouldn't have beaten UT, especially when we played them. That's not a good matchup for y'all although you probably would have scored on them. Troy could also cause y'all problems.
On your schedule, we should have been able to handle anybody you won, plus we should beat Vandy and be competitive against Texas.
But it really is hard to tell with the schedule both of us have played. As long as Chris Wilson isn't actually Tyrone Nix in disguise, I think we'll prove it in the last two weekends, beating Arkansas soundly and taking care of Ole Miss, although I doubt by much.
But if Wilson is Tyrone Nix in disguise, the Egg Bowl could be a very bad day for State.
On your schedule, we should have been able to handle anybody you won, plus we should beat Vandy and be competitive against Texas.
But it really is hard to tell with the schedule both of us have played. As long as Chris Wilson isn't actually Tyrone Nix in disguise, I think we'll prove it in the last two weekends, beating Arkansas soundly and taking care of Ole Miss, although I doubt by much.
But if Wilson is Tyrone Nix in disguise, the Egg Bowl could be a very bad day for State.
Mullen falls in line with the expectations I have for our football program for every 5 years.
Bowling 4 years with one step up season (9+ wins)
1 non-bowl season.
Bowling 4 years with one step up season (9+ wins)
1 non-bowl season.
After I tweeted about the Bears choke on Saturday night I got a couple of replies from defensive Bears. I made the statement that we had a lot of work to do against top 10 teams. I was informed that TAMU was not in the top 10 when they came to Starkville and I needed to get my facts straight.
The fact is we live in the toughest neighborhood in the nation filled with 800 lb gorillas and we're a buck 85 suburban nice guy (non gun toting edition) right now. There is no middle ground. We gave good effort against LSU and TO's at crucial times hurt us bad, that and not scoring every chance in the red zone.
Bama just completely out-manned us, and I still think they are the most complete team in the nation. The only thing that bothers me is the total lack of effort or scheme whatsoever against A&M. IF we go out and whip arky's and omu asses like we should we are right back on schedule at the risk of sounding redundant.
Bama just completely out-manned us, and I still think they are the most complete team in the nation. The only thing that bothers me is the total lack of effort or scheme whatsoever against A&M. IF we go out and whip arky's and omu asses like we should we are right back on schedule at the risk of sounding redundant.