After this horrific season is finished (or during), it's time to take a hard look at what this football program is....

[OG Goat Holder]

No matter what any of us say, this program has been divided since Mullen left. That broke our spirit (and Fitz' leg), then the loss to him the next year cemented it. Since then, even though we've had some good moments, it's been apathy, even with Leach. I think he'd have eventually won the fanbase over the course of his career, but......well we all know, Dead Injuns. We need to flush it all, I tend to agree with @IBleedMaroonDawg. We need a new direction for the program.

I've lined out what I think we should do many times, but it's not my call. Keenum, Selman and some boosters will ultimately decide. I think Selman's role is clear - NIL. I'm hoping he's talking to all our ex-players about this. Keenum and the boosters get to figure out what we want the whole athletic program to be and what role football plays in it. I HOPE we just don't do the same ole crap again. What did Tyler, Emory, Jackie and Danny all do correctly during their successful periods? Can we figure out some sort of master playbook, or a template, to keep that going rather than just short stints of success and here and there? What do we need to do to keep fans engaged? What is it that South Carolina does? Kansas State? They show up during the bad times, and it affects their program.

Maybe I'm just giving up. But this hopeless shlt just takes it out of you. There has to be an answer here, logos and everything. It's a new era of the portal, big TV money, NIL and the 12-team playoff that we CAN get in, from time to time. What will we do?

 

[ItawambaDawg]

Spot on

 

[engie]

We just can’t keep changing identity. Mullen had the correct identity for our talent pool, imo. Ever since the day he left, we’ve never been able to settle into an identity long enough for it to mature fully. Moorhead didn’t have the players he needed for his thing and Leach was just starting to get close prior to tragedy and us totally blowing that up also.

Arnett is exactly what we are as a defensive coordinator(not HC obviously) and Barbay fits our identity pretty well on offense as well IMO. It’s just too bad that Barbay inherited a Leach team instead of a Mullen team, and I dunno wtf we are doing on defense right now

 

[bsquared24]

They have taken a look at what MSU football is (this is it) you just don’t like what it is. Some years we win 9, some years we win 4. It is what it is. The State of MS is ranked 40-50 in virtually every category. Then you split those resources between State and Ole Miss. That creates one of the smallest fanbases, of that fanbase they can’t afford to give at the levels of other SEC schools in general. The expectations on this board too often are not realistic.
Should we do the best we can, sure, but we should have realistic expectations.

 

[57stratdawg]

I am of the opinion we should move on from Arnett. If he wins some games rest of the season, I reserve the right to change my mind.

But, the SECW is way down. It’ll be hard to see him win 5 or 6 games and feel good about the direction of the program.

If we go 0-3 in the Ark, Aub and UK stretch, we should be putting a search committee together.

 

[ZombieKissinger]

I’m a cigar boy. Just tell me what you need

 

[Trojanbulldog19]

They have taken a look at what MSU football is (this is it) you just don’t like what it is. Some years we win 9, some years we win 4. It is what it is. The State of MS is ranked 40-50 in virtually every category. Then you split those resources between State and Ole Miss. That creates one of the smallest fanbases, of that fanbase they can’t afford to give at the levels of other SEC schools in general. The expectations on this board too often are not realistic.
Should we do the best we can, sure, but we should have realistic expectations.

I think it's realistic to expect at least 6 every year with a high yesr of 9-10 every few years. Mullen snd leach showed it was poosie. Just stop hiring coordinators that have very little big time experience. There are that many like Kirby, Mullen, kiffin out there. Go find some one like leach or Jackie that know what they doing.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Arnett is exactly what we are as a defensive coordinator(not HC obviously) and Barbay fits our identity pretty well on offense as well IMO. It’s just too bad that Barbay inherited a Leach team instead of a Mullen team, and I dunno wtf we are doing on defense right now

I've thought about this as well, looking towards the future. Problem in my mind is the decisions Arnett has made and his side of the ball being so weak. Even if the coaches fit, they still have to be competent. And I think most of our staff is, outside Arnett and I guess Brock.

But yeah this blueprint isn't a bad one.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

They have taken a look at what MSU football is (this is it) you just don’t like what it is. Some years we win 9, some years we win 4. It is what it is. The State of MS is ranked 40-50 in virtually every category. Then you split those resources between State and Ole Miss. That creates one of the smallest fanbases, of that fanbase they can’t afford to give at the levels of other SEC schools in general. The expectations on this board too often are not realistic.
Should we do the best we can, sure, but we should have realistic expectations.

Stop, we know all this Croom Error junk. This is the bullshlt thought process we are trying to overcome, by coming up with a clear plan for the program. Doing "the best we can" gets us nowhere without a path.

 

[HailStout]

Stop, we know all this Croom Error junk. This is the bullshlt thought process we are trying to overcome, by coming up with a clear plan for the program. Doing "the best we can" gets us nowhere without a plan.

This. 100% this. Got so tired of Croom telling us we should just be happy to be in the Same conference as Bama.

 

[Ibdancin]

We just can’t keep changing identity. Mullen had the correct identity for our talent pool, imo. Ever since the day he left, we’ve never been able to settle into an identity long enough for it to mature fully. Moorhead didn’t have the players he needed for his thing and Leach was just starting to get close prior to tragedy and us totally blowing that up also.

Arnett is exactly what we are as a defensive coordinator(not HC obviously) and Barbay fits our identity pretty well on offense as well IMO. It’s just too bad that Barbay inherited a Leach team instead of a Mullen team, and I dunno wtf we are doing on defense right now

Would not have mattered. This staff is not on the same page. And this blocking scheme is different than Mullen's

 

[patdog]

Some years we win 9, some years we win 4.

There should never be a year we win 4. The last full season we won only 4 games was Croom's last year in 2008.

 

[Ibdancin]

They have taken a look at what MSU football is (this is it) you just don’t like what it is. Some years we win 9, some years we win 4. It is what it is. The State of MS is ranked 40-50 in virtually every category. Then you split those resources between State and Ole Miss. That creates one of the smallest fanbases, of that fanbase they can’t afford to give at the levels of other SEC schools in general. The expectations on this board too often are not realistic.
Should we do the best we can, sure, but we should have realistic expectations.

But it does not have to be that. Leach was proving that.

We had 3 four star QBs come here because of the AR. We have had more 4 star WRs under leach than any time that I can remember. We have 6 of those on the team now. We also have 4 star OL men.

This with a modification is the way. What does every QB want to do?? Throw it. What does every WR want? To be thrown to. It will help in recruiting to not go up against other teams that need and want the same players too.

 

[TaleofTwoDogs]

"There has to be an answer here." Sadly, my friend, that is not necessarily true. You, me and everybody else on this board knows that the resources necessary to change the trajectory of the football program are so vast that herding cats in an open field would be a cake walk in comparison. Resources begin from the state and being 50th in almost every measurable social and economic parameter is a poor foundation to build from. But progressive leadership is also a big issue and it has been hampered by the status quo throughout the years and that "status quo" has been ingrained into the MSU persona. Ole Miss was able to break through their self imposed glass ceiling several times for success on the field because of their social and political control of the state's resources. MSU was not able or cared to upset their cart. Winning is the only cure for what ails the program but winning begins long before a player hits the field including whether the players we recruit truly have a tough, winning attitude with fire in their bellies. One way to achieve success, and probably the most important one, is to look at programs like Bama that demand the best of their players and they must prove it daily on the field and off. This attitude was set in place years ago and is zealously pursued by Bama's leadership. Are we Bama, no, far from it, but if you want to have consistent success on the field then some variation of their model needs to be adopted and executed consistently through the future years. For this to happen all parties need to be on board and on the same page. This brings us back to the cats on the field. End soapbox.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

"There has to be an answer here." Sadly, my friend, that is not necessarily true. You, me and everybody else on this board knows that the resources necessary to change the trajectory of the football program are so vast that herding cats in an open field would be a cake walk in comparison. Resources begin from the state and being 50th in almost every measurable social and economic parameter is a poor foundation to build from. But progressive leadership is also a big issue and it has been hampered by the status quo throughout the years and that "status quo" has been ingrained into the MSU persona. Ole Miss was able to break through their self imposed glass ceiling several times for success on the field because of their social and political control of the state's resources. MSU was not able or cared to upset their cart. Winning is the only cure for what ails the program but winning begins long before a player hits the field including whether the players we recruit truly have a tough, winning attitude with fire in their bellies. One way to achieve success, and probably the most important one, is to look at programs like Bama that demand the best of their players and they must prove it daily on the field and off. This attitude was set in place years ago and is zealously pursued by Bama's leadership. Are we Bama, no, far from it, but if you want to have consistent success on the field then some variation of their model needs to be adopted and executed consistently through the future years. For this to happen all parties need to be on board and on the same page. This brings us back to the cats on the field. End soapbox.

Seems like a contradiction. We can’t compete, but you want to emulate Bama. Alright.

Honestly, as I’ve said before, if this is truly how we want to play it, we are better off just investing in basketball and trying to make money there. Just take our beatings in football and cash the welfare check.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

They have taken a look at what MSU football is (this is it) you just don’t like what it is. Some years we win 9, some years we win 4. It is what it is. The State of MS is ranked 40-50 in virtually every category. Then you split those resources between State and Ole Miss. That creates one of the smallest fanbases, of that fanbase they can’t afford to give at the levels of other SEC schools in general. The expectations on this board too often are not realistic.
Should we do the best we can, sure, but we should have realistic expectations.

This is the more realistic view of what I have for Mississippi State football. Thank you, Goat for mentioning that I have said we need to flush the program and start all over again. I cannot say who is the right coach I think teaches the style of football we need because there are so many opinions on this board that when I try to look at them all I start to I feel like I'm picking a number on a roulette table.

I just want a system that works and produces players that can perform on game day. Every once in a while, you'll get a Dak Prescott or Jeffery Simmons, but most years you'll have a team of no-name players who need to be able to perform. We have done a poor job of coaching our players. Maybe we have enough talent to at least be a decent team but we don't know because our players can't perform, and a lot of that has to do with what talent we do have. With the way the NIL has changed college football as it has, we cannot compete with most of the schools around us. One quarterback recruit stated that he could make more in college than he could if he signed a rookie contract with the NFL. football. He might have been incorrect, but I can't imagine what a player sees when it comes to the different NIL opportunities at each school.

I think the best thing we could do is try to look for talented players we can coach up like Dan Mullen did. I'm not too thrilled with how he coached during the game. This is the number one reason why I don't want him to return. I liked the way he assembled players. If we could find someone who can develop players like Mullen did but handle and coach the team on game day better than he did we might have the guy and staff we're all looking for.

 

[TaleofTwoDogs]

Seems like a contradiction. We can’t compete, but you want to emulate Bama. Alright.

Honestly, as I’ve said before, if this is truly how we want to play it, we are better off just investing in basketball and trying to make money there. Just take our beatings in football and cash the welfare check.

You miss read. I didn't say we couldn't compete, I said that the deck was stacked against us. We can rise above our handicap by following a path that promotes success and what better model than Bama's even if it's a scaled down model it probably would lead us to more consistent success than we have now. Unfortunately for your recommendation for basketball, football is still king in the South and it is squarely in the drivers seat as a measuring stick for fans.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

You miss read. I didn't say we couldn't compete, I said that the deck was stacked against us. We can rise above our handicap by following a path that promotes success and what better model than Bama's even if it's a scaled down model it probably would lead us to more consistent success than we have now. Unfortunately for your recommendation for basketball, football is still king in the South and it is squarely in the drivers seat as a measuring stick for fans.

No I don’t think I did. Alabama’s way is to recruit the best and play fundamental football. We can do one of those, but the recruiting part will not be anywhere near their level. That equation doesn’t work.

True, lasting program culture changes over time and spans multiple coaches. That produces fan buy-in. So to do that, we have to find a way to win in other ways besides recruiting stars. Then maybe one day we have a program and can recruit against Alabama. They are 50 years ahead of us there.

We have to find a way to recreate talent. Whether that’s a niche scheme or a niche recruiting strategy. We have to think differently.

 

[eckie1]

No matter what any of us say, this program has been divided since Mullen left. That broke our spirit (and Fitz' leg), then the loss to him the next year cemented it. Since then, even though we've had some good moments, it's been apathy, even with Leach. I think he'd have eventually won the fanbase over the course of his career, but......well we all know, Dead Injuns. We need to flush it all, I tend to agree with @IBleedMaroonDawg. We need a new direction for the program.

I've lined out what I think we should do many times, but it's not my call. Keenum, Selman and some boosters will ultimately decide. I think Selman's role is clear - NIL. I'm hoping he's talking to all our ex-players about this. Keenum and the boosters get to figure out what we want the whole athletic program to be and what role football plays in it. I HOPE we just don't do the same ole crap again. What did Tyler, Emory, Jackie and Danny all do correctly during their successful periods? Can we figure out some sort of master playbook, or a template, to keep that going rather than just short stints of success and here and there? What do we need to do to keep fans engaged? What is it that South Carolina does? Kansas State? They show up during the bad times, and it affects their program.

Maybe I'm just giving up. But this hopeless shlt just takes it out of you. There has to be an answer here, logos and everything. It's a new era of the portal, big TV money, NIL and the 12-team playoff that we CAN get in, from time to time. What will we do?

Mullen laid out the perfect blueprint for us. Don’t rely on a single style of offense and adapt to fit your scheme to what you have. Mississippi has some of the best football players in the country, even though the rankings are usually way off.

Hell, Kiffin doesn’t have a gimmick offense. He just puts in the work to make sure he adapts to what he has. I figured he would be a clown show, but he’s been one of the best coaches in the conference…. And he’s a certified nut job in real life.

It isn’t complicated, but we do this **** to ourselves. Keenum totally fücked up with this hire and not having an AD in place. He had become a detriment to MSU.

 

[paindonthurt]

No matter what any of us say, this program has been divided since Mullen left. That broke our spirit (and Fitz' leg), then the loss to him the next year cemented it. Since then, even though we've had some good moments, it's been apathy, even with Leach. I think he'd have eventually won the fanbase over the course of his career, but......well we all know, Dead Injuns. We need to flush it all, I tend to agree with @IBleedMaroonDawg. We need a new direction for the program.

I've lined out what I think we should do many times, but it's not my call. Keenum, Selman and some boosters will ultimately decide. I think Selman's role is clear - NIL. I'm hoping he's talking to all our ex-players about this. Keenum and the boosters get to figure out what we want the whole athletic program to be and what role football plays in it. I HOPE we just don't do the same ole crap again. What did Tyler, Emory, Jackie and Danny all do correctly during their successful periods? Can we figure out some sort of master playbook, or a template, to keep that going rather than just short stints of success and here and there? What do we need to do to keep fans engaged? What is it that South Carolina does? Kansas State? They show up during the bad times, and it affects their program.

Maybe I'm just giving up. But this hopeless shlt just takes it out of you. There has to be an answer here, logos and everything. It's a new era of the portal, big TV money, NIL and the 12-team playoff that we CAN get in, from time to time. What will we do?

The only thing that will “fix” our hapless devastated doomed no count pu$$y of a program is for our fans to quit being emotional **** faghs

and give to the nil and bdc

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

The only thing that will “fix” our hapless devastated doomed no count pu$$y of a program is for our fans to quit being emotional **** faghs

and give to the nil and bdc

 

[OG Goat Holder]

The only thing that will “fix” our hapless devastated doomed no count pu$$y of a program is for our fans to quit being emotional **** faghs

and give to the nil and bdc

That’s not the only answer man. I have a suspicion our fans probably go above and beyond per capita. We have to go outside the box to some extent. Maybe a big extent.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Mullen laid out the perfect blueprint for us. Don’t rely on a single style of offense and adapt to fit your scheme to what you have. Mississippi has some of the best football players in the country, even though the rankings are usually way off.

Hell, Kiffin doesn’t have a gimmick offense. He just puts in the work to make sure he adapts to what he has. I figured he would be a clown show, but he’s been one of the best coaches in the conference…. And he’s a certified nut job in real life.

It isn’t complicated, but we do this **** to ourselves. Keenum totally fücked up with this hire and not having an AD in place. He had become a detriment to MSU.

I’m with you here, but the recruiting game has also changed from Mullen’s days. Our out of state players that we develop will be under heavy pressure to transfer back to their home state programs, at the first sign of success or adversity. So we’re still going to have to get innovative in the portal if we want to simplify it in that way.

Plus, coaches leave. We need succession plans so our success is not tied to a coach. This is the innovation we must have.

 

[beachbumdawg]

No matter what any of us say, this program has been divided since Mullen left. That broke our spirit (and Fitz' leg), then the loss to him the next year cemented it. Since then, even though we've had some good moments, it's been apathy, even with Leach. I think he'd have eventually won the fanbase over the course of his career, but......well we all know, Dead Injuns. We need to flush it all, I tend to agree with @IBleedMaroonDawg. We need a new direction for the program.

I've lined out what I think we should do many times, but it's not my call. Keenum, Selman and some boosters will ultimately decide. I think Selman's role is clear - NIL. I'm hoping he's talking to all our ex-players about this. Keenum and the boosters get to figure out what we want the whole athletic program to be and what role football plays in it. I HOPE we just don't do the same ole crap again. What did Tyler, Emory, Jackie and Danny all do correctly during their successful periods? Can we figure out some sort of master playbook, or a template, to keep that going rather than just short stints of success and here and there? What do we need to do to keep fans engaged? What is it that South Carolina does? Kansas State? They show up during the bad times, and it affects their program.

Maybe I'm just giving up. But this hopeless shlt just takes it out of you. There has to be an answer here, logos and everything. It's a new era of the portal, big TV money, NIL and the 12-team playoff that we CAN get in, from time to time. What will we do?

One things for sure - I think my preseason pick of 5 wins was too high

 

[Mjoelner]

No matter who the coach is or what scheme/style we play, recruiting has to pick up. They aren't going to call us up and volunteer to come here. A closed mouth never gets fed. Which school has the bigger recruiting footprint with offers out? A or B?
A:
Georgia (53)
Florida (36)
Alabama (35)
Mississippi (33)
Texas (27)
Tennessee (20)
Louisiana (19)
Washington (5)
Arkansas (4)
California (3)
Michigan (2)
Pennsylvania (2)
Idaho (1)
Kansas (1)
Kentucky (1)
Maryland (1)
Missouri (1)
Ohio (1)
Oklahoma (1)
Virginia (1)
West Virginia (1)

B:
Florida (90)
Georgia (70)
Texas (68)
Tennessee (34)
Alabama (32)
Mississippi (32)
Louisiana (28)
California (18)
Maryland (18)
New Jersey (16)
Pennsylvania (9)
Arkansas (7)
Illinois (7)
Michigan (7)
Virginia (7)
Missouri (6)
District Of Columbia (5)
Kentucky (5)
North Carolina (5)
Ohio (5)
Arizona (4)
Indiana (3)
South Carolina (3)
Connecticut (2)
Kansas (2)
Nebraska (2)
New York (2)
Oklahoma (2)
Iowa (1)
Massachusetts (1)
Nevada (1)

 

[paindonthurt]

That’s not the only answer man. I have a suspicion our fans probably go above and beyond per capita. We have to go outside the box to some extent. Maybe a big extent.

I’m willing to bet the people b1tching the most give the least or none.