Alright - I wasn't at this point previous weeks but it's time to discuss...

[horshack.sixpack]

Not trying to be cute here ate all, but do we truthfully have any reason to believe that we have good coaches on either side of the ball to achieve this?

I assume nothing. That’s my point. Arky will tell us something that we have. Been able to learn yet. If we improve our ability to defend mobile qbs, and the running game in general, and improve our offensive play calling an execution, we may have reason to hope. I have no idea if that will happen.

 

[Ranchdawg]

Nick Saban going apeshit on the sidelines is one of his weaknesses, NOT his strengths. Saban succeeds because of his superior recruiting, game preparation, and having 30 "advisers" helping him gameplan in addition to his regular football staff.

Nick was stroking out because Alabama's players were beating us without any intensity, and he's worried about Tennessee next week. He doesn't want the same lack of effort against the Vols.

It was all a Wrestling act for the television. He loves the air time. He knew his high $ talent would swamp out poor Ole Mississippi state. The announcers were just like wrestling announcers.

 

[TaleofTwoDogs]

I was yelling and cursing at the TV screen throughout most of the game and I haven't done that in since the early Leach days as I thought I was over that crap. But this team brings it back to the surface which is not good for my health. I say 5-7 and looking competitive in the remaining losses.

 

[ckDOG]

I can take 1 bust season provided there's a vision and some momentum to buy into. What's our identity? Are we recruiting better or have a good shot at leveraging the portal? I don't like what we're selling right now. Just seems like a hope for the best setup and that ain't going to cut it in this league.

 

[Ranchdawg]

If Zac isn't already talking with replacement head coaches then he may be next. There is no way we recover from this during the season. If we win 6 it will be due to devine intervention. Will had 1700 yards passing at this point last year. He has 1000 yards. The defense is the worst in the SEC. Arnett is living a nightmare scenario.

 

[ronpolk]

Why are we committed to him? He didn’t earn it. We hired him to keep a class together even though we weren’t going to run the offense they were recruited for. Which makes one wonder why we were so hell bent on keeping it together. He was a panic hire in a dire situation. I’m sure he’ll land a DC job somewhere. Let’s go find a real head coach.

Well said. A losing season combined with the amount of roster turnover we will have means we need to move on. Like you said, he did nothing to get the job other than be in the right place at the right time. It was a dumb hire and we are paying the consequences now.

 

[Rupert Jenkins]

I think if we finish 5-7 in this weak SEC, it's time to think about our options.

I like Lance Leipold at Kansas

I like your optimism

 

[Rupert Jenkins]

Nick Saban going apeshit on the sidelines is one of his weaknesses, NOT his strengths. Saban succeeds because of his superior recruiting, game preparation, and having 30 "advisers" helping him gameplan in addition to his regular football staff.

Nick was stroking out because Alabama's players were beating us without any intensity, and he's worried about Tennessee next week. He doesn't want the same lack of effort against the Vols.

After a comment like that you should change your name out of respect for Led Zeppelin. That is what separates winners from losers. Socialism does not belong in football

 

[7Dust]

If Zac isn't already talking with replacement head coaches then he may be next. There is no way we recover from this during the season. If we win 6 it will be due to devine intervention. Will had 1700 yards passing at this point last year. He has 1000 yards. The defense is the worst in the SEC. Arnett is living a nightmare scenario.

The thing with that is the same person who hired Selmon also hired Arnett so probably not going to be any heat on Selmon.I do get your point though and we'll see how the rest of the season plays out.I will say that everything I've heard about Selmon points to him being a Byrne type of AD and not the same ole same ole State AD when it comes to football.

 

[60sdog]

4-8 is likely. Hire Mullen and be done with it.

Absolutely no Mullinz

 

[GloryDawg]

If he is going to sink the ship keeping Will in the game I wish he would go ahead and leave.

 

[60sdog]

I'm not sure we can make 4-8. I totally agree with you. A lot of people are gonna want us to re-hire Dan Mullen, but I hope we will look for somebody new.

Mullen had no loyalty, practically forfeited 3 0M games looking for a job.

 

[60sdog]

I’ve been adamantly opposed to Mullen, but with the right contract, inclusive of easy outs for us, and recruiting success criteria, and a blacklist of former Mullen assistants/coordinators, a humble and hungry Mullen could be a winner.

No. Mullet through us UTB once before. It would be so historical MSU to rehire him.

 

[60sdog]

I think he’s locked himself in his office and is wondering what in the hell how i gotten myself into.

He showed his weakness right off the bat when he retained Lemon.

 

[60sdog]

6-6

That is a pipe dream.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

No. Mullet through us UTB once before. It would be so historical MSU to rehire him.

Let’s be real. I had humble as a qualifier!

 

[StumpNewGround]

What's your cutoff for moving on after Year 1 with Arnett?

I think he will stay at 5-7 but 4-8 (0-8) - I think you have to consider moving on. Next year is going to be worse unless we have a portal miracle.

Needs to go regardless. Obvious as sunshine he’s in over his head.

 

[SouthFarmchicken]

What's your cutoff for moving on after Year 1 with Arnett?

I think he will stay at 5-7 but 4-8 (0-8) - I think you have to consider moving on. Next year is going to be worse unless we have a portal miracle.

DS, usually you are pretty level headed. Believe it or not, last night was the best game we have played all year. In fact, take Will’s two pick 6’s out (because that’s essentially what they were after D been on field for 6 mins) and we have a ballgame. We are getting better.

I just don’t get it. This team is less talented than the team Jomo inherited. It’s also less talented than the team Leach inherited (ESPECIALLY defensively). You can throw a fit all you want about changing offensive schemes…but as of right now, the offensive performance (points scored) is better than last year. Plus, we have been getting ZERO help from the D like we did last year. Compared to the SEC, We suck on the OL. We suck at receiver (outside of Tulu and MAYBE Zavion). We are average at running back. We don’t have a tight end and we don’t have a QB.

You can criticize Arnett all you want for not bringing players in, that’s valid. But Arnett has less wins as a head coach than Saban has national championships. If not for number 2, we would’ve been in that game last night.

 

[AstroDog]

What's your cutoff for moving on after Year 1 with Arnett?

I think he will stay at 5-7 but 4-8 (0-8) - I think you have to consider moving on. Next year is going to be worse unless we have a portal miracle.

Must beat KY at home, and that's looking more doubtful as each week passes. Need to win one of Auburn, Arkansas, TAMU, or Ole Miss......and they are looking doubtful as well. Looks like us and Vandy tied at the bottom.

 

[SylvesterCream4.0]

Next week against CMU has got to be a W and it needs to be by at least 2 scores. Using Bama as some type of litmus test is a mistake, but it was obvious against SELA that our defensive line is severely underperforming and that's a big red flag. All the criticism directed at Will is ignoring the fact that this roster has holes everywhere except kicker. Will is not, and has never been billed as a guy who can carry an SEC team that is as deficient as we are.

Solid point. If we cannot block, wouldn’t an educated coach make the decision to compensate the lack of offensive line talent with a quarterback who can operate outside of the pocket?

 

[98FinanceDawg]

Solid point. If we cannot block, wouldn’t an educated coach make the decision to compensate the lack of offensive line talent with a quarterback who can operate outside of the pocket?

You would think we would use our mobile QB for a few passing plays to see what happens when the pocket inevitably collapses. Instead we trot MW out there essentially telling the defense that the next play is a run

 

[knock him out john]

4-8, or 5-7 time to cut bait. But I don’t see an SEC win moving forward.
We have to look at the fact next year is going to be a rebuild and i think most here would much rather hire someone who through the portal and recruit info can rebuild the program rhan keep a lame duck HC who has already shown the job is to big for him. We won’t be able to land this difference makers from the portal without new leadership. No one is going to hitch their wagon to us for a last year with a lame duck coach. Also, totally understandable to cut ties since we were dealt an unprecedented deal with Leach’s passing.

agree. We were in a mess when he was hired and now we are in a bigger mess. If he stays, it will only get worse.

 

[knock him out john]

I still stand by my assertion that we know nothing until Arky. Bama talent is just head and shoulders better even when they aren’t clicking as a team. We have plenty of time between now and then that good coaches can correct some things. If our play calling and execution doesn’t indicate that we’ve improved by then…

we've looked bad as a team all year.

 

[knock him out john]

I think he’s locked himself in his office and is wondering what in the hell how i gotten myself into.

he's all over social media....will he make changes in November or December will be the question.

 

[knock him out john]

I'm not even going to judge him by the record.

I have one barometer...he can stay if he has the nuts to give Mike Wright meaningful minutes. If not, that tells me he is a) dumb b) stubborn c) scared to override barbay d) all of the above.

i totally agree. To me it's going to be who plays the rest of the year. Younger talent and Mike Wright need to be on the field.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

we've looked bad as a team all year.

Correct. I expect, if our coaches are any good, some noticeable improvement before we hit the back side of our SEC schedule. Good coaches should have enough film showing the "bad" to implement changes in practice that make it better. It's incredibly frustrating, but it's not really logical to completely discount that it is the first year for a new head coach. I think at this point we've traded what would have been some expected taking over a new program pain, had we hired experienced coaches from outside, with brand new head coach pain. I did not expect smooth sailing in year 1 after we lost our head coach in such a tragic way.

I suspect that a lot of the angst is from not having any background to provide hope that ZA can make this team better than they are today. We simply won't know that until he either does, or doesn't.

 

[thatsbaseball]

You would think we would use our mobile QB for a few passing plays to see what happens when the pocket inevitably collapses. Instead we trot MW out there essentially telling the defense that the next play is a run

It's pretty obvious we are making decisions to benefit an individual player rather than the team. Somebody else will have to fill in the blanks as to why but on it's face value what I'm seeing doesn't make any sense at all .

 

[Darryl Steight]

The other schools offer law and medical degrees along with engineering. They have rich graduates. That matters.

This is not talked about enough, but it 100% matters. We have rich graduates too, but they are wired differently.

Doctors and lawyers generally are in that chosen profession for reasons outside of altruism. They want to be rich, or at least live that lifestyle even if it's on credit. Country clubs, SUVs, private schools, and football bragging rights are part of that lifestyle, and no matter what they have to do to get it, they are willing to do it. They have cash and are on average more willing to spend it on players, legal or not. So they hire people like Lane Kiffin and Hugh Freeze, for good or bad it's a show and the fans are all in for it. They don't get embarrassed. It's always been that way.

Engineers also make good money, but on the whole are not wired that same way. Your average engineer is in a more modest house (because why buy too much house when you don't need it?), loves to send the kids to public school (because why the hell pay for it when you can get a good free education?) and thinks country clubs are a waste of good money when they can put that away for the future. So we hire guys we can underpay and hope they work out like Sly Croom, Joe Moorhead, Dan Mullen, and Arnett. One of those worked out, which was a fun ride.

We do have some furniture guys, some general contractors, some timber guys, some insurance guys, and some engineers who have started their own companies that contribute a lot, and I'm thankful for those guys. But on average... it's just facts.

 

[Darryl Steight]

Nick Saban going apeshit on the sidelines is one of his weaknesses, NOT his strengths. Saban succeeds because of his superior recruiting, game preparation, and having 30 "advisers" helping him gameplan in addition to his regular football staff.

Nick was stroking out because Alabama's players were beating us without any intensity, and he's worried about Tennessee next week. He doesn't want the same lack of effort against the Vols.

Please sign me up for a coach with over-preparing and being too intense during the game as his weaknesses.

 

[Awwhellnaw]

4-8 is likely. Hire Mullen and be done with it.

I have a lot of respect for Mullen and yes I do miss him as our coach at times.

BUT, would this not also be considered a “lazy hire”? It has Polk II written all over it. Also, it sure doesn’t seem like other schools are beating his door down trying to recruit him. That seems pretty telling to me. Lastly, let’s not forget the the timing of his exit. He baled on one of the most talented teams in MSU history to go belly up with Strickland in Florida. Sleepy Joe could have had an Orgeron type season with that team.

I do agree that the hiring of CZA was a panic hire. However, you have to consider the timing. Leach passed in early December after coaching hires for the 2024 season had already been made. Were others considered or interviewed (serious question because I do not know)? What other “real head coaches” were available at the time?

 

[knock him out john]

It was a weird circumstance hire. It's not like we did a search and brought in a coach from somewhere. He was interim and in the mindset of not losing recruits bracky and keenum panicked without having the AD yet and brought him on full time. I like Zach. I can tell he really wants this to work snd is just as frustrated as we are but he is the coach. He was responsible for recruiting and calling defense for years. He made the offense change. His defense looks the worst it ever has

Bingo!

 

[knock him out john]

Solid point. If we cannot block, wouldn’t an educated coach make the decision to compensate the lack of offensive line talent with a quarterback who can operate outside of the pocket?

"one would hope so, Jack"

 

[Thebulldogcountry1]

What's your cutoff for moving on after Year 1 with Arnett?

I think he will stay at 5-7 but 4-8 (0-8) - I think you have to consider moving on. Next year is going to be worse unless we have a portal miracle.

Our administration will do what it has always done - do what is easy, cheap, short-sighted, unimaginative, and uninspiring. Why would we expect anything else?

 

[MSUDC11-2.0]

If we get crushed in the Egg Bowl at home and don’t make a bowl game I don’t see how he is back. A la 2008.

Croom was coming back until 45-0. What if Ole Miss hangs 60+ on us in Starkville?

 

[Ranchdawg]

It's pretty obvious we are making decisions to benefit an individual player rather than the team. Somebody else will have to fill in the blanks as to why but on it's face value what I'm seeing doesn't make any sense at all .

Really? With the run only offense against LSU. Are you smoking something???

 

[AstroDog]

Other than BAMA and LSU, we should be able to compete with our last 5 SEC games. We did fairly well with SC and lost a close one. Of the last 5, Ole Miss will be the toughest. We really need to find 2 wins among KY, TAMU, ARKY, and Auburn, because I don't like our chances vs Ole Miss.

 

[MagicDawg]

My gut says we have to fire him if he's 0-8 in conference. That's a dealbreaker.

My gut also says that when we do fire him, he will rebound somewhere else, build a good program, and probably come beat us in Starkville, because that's the way we roll.

Hail State.

 

[Wesson Bulldog]

Rocky went 1-10, lost to Tulane, USM, Vandy, UM

Right. They won't fire him. Losing to USM might create a discussion but they still won't actually do it. We should beat them pretty easily tho. We will be able to block them and that will allow the run and also give Will enough time to find his receivers. Hopefully our D won't be pushed around. I see 4-8 unless we get better magically

USM couldn't beat Coahoma Junior College this year. Not sure what's up in the Hub City.

 

[Wesson Bulldog]

It would be one thing if he had no experienced players coming back, but we had more returning experience than most of the SEC. I don't know what they did during spring or fall practice, but this is a poorly coached and prepared team. Also, I don't believe our instate recruiting is setting the world on fire either. This is stupid, inexperienced coaching from Arnett, and lazy coaching from the rest of the staff.

Lemons gave him tips during spring ball evidently

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

I was yelling and cursing at the TV screen throughout most of the game and I haven't done that in since the early Leach days as I thought I was over that crap. But this team brings it back to the surface which is not good for my health. I say 5-7 and looking competitive in the remaining losses.

It's funny that you mentioned that because my wife wondered what is wrong with me because I am usually yelling all through our games but now I've quit and just say, "Watch this ****!"