Biggest "What ifs"

[NawlBennyDawg]

What are some of the biggest "What if" moments for State that you love to throw around? What if State's campus would have been relocated to a larger city back in the day? SCam Newton? Monta Ellis? Steve Spurrier instead of Rockey Felker? Give me yours

 

[ronpolk]

Gotta be Cam… that team was good. I believe that state team was better than an auburn team without cam.

 

[Chesusdog]

Cam Newton
Travis Outlaw
1985 CWS

 

[johnson86-1]

Gotta be Cam… that team was good. I believe that state team was better than an auburn team without cam.

We certainly were. We were just about better than them with cam when we played them, although they got better.

The question is if we have Cam, are we a NC contender. I feel like we would have been. Cam is enough to switch the result against Auburn (even if they had a Cam clone I think, but definitely without him). Should be easily enough to flip the Arkansas OT game. Then you have a 22 pt road loss to LSU (the week after a tough loss to Auburn) and a 20 pt road loss to Bama.

We split and beat LSU, Bama is 10-2 (b/c they wouldn't have lost to a Camless Auburn that year) and LSU is 10-2 (loss to us and arkansas and no loss to a Camless Auburn).

We split and beat Bama, and Bama is 10-3 and LSU is 11-1 and presumably goes to the NC game over us b/c of the name on the helmet breaks the tie in the even tit's close enough to claim home field advantage was the only difference.

Obviously none of it is that predictable, but I think our worst case scenario is a top 5 finish that year.

 

[AnchorState]

- Someone could do a whole list of baseball signees who went pro (Jay Bell, Austin Riley come to mind)
- AJ Brown could have been huge weapon in 2017-2018
- Chris Jackson had his choices down to MSU and LSU

A reverse what-if where reality worked in our favor... MSU recruited Othella Harrington HARD. Like all the chips were in because he was considered a generational talent. He broke everyone's hearts when he signed with Georgetown late. We ended up using that scholarship to sign Darryl Wilson really late (in the summer). He'd been lightly recruited because he was going to be a Prop 48 signee (NCAA academic rule at the time that forced signees without the grades to sit out their freshman year). Then, the next year, we signed Erik Dampier (you could argue he wouldn't have come to State with Harrington already there). Without Wilson and Dampier, no Final Four run.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Overall = Not locating in Vicksburg, Jackson or Meridian, that supercedes all, but the 3 from the big sports:

1) 1985 CWS line drive;
2) Travis Outlaw, because he would have played with the 2004 team at worst, maybe 2005 too;
3) Cam Newton;

So, on #1, I don't include things after that like Bobby Dalbec, because who knows what type of program we are if we win 1985. For #2, I don't include Bullard's Cuse game because I think Kentucky would have beaten us anyway, nor do I include Ellis because he'd have played in 2006 when we dropped off, and he may go pro that year after that. Football - it's got to be Cam. We never really came close any other time and we could have beaten SC in the SECT and Oregon in the BCS title game. Everything after those is secondary.

ETA: Should also add the 2018 title game for the women. Finish that out, Vic may still be here, and we are a cemented blue blood program.

 

[JackShephard]

1. Cam
2. Not getting Renardo Sydney to come to MSU
3. Monta Ellis
4. Jonathan Bender
5. Dontae not getting fat

 

[columbiadawg2]

What if Dan didn't job hunt near the end of each season? Monta and Bender? There are 1 million baseball signee what ifs but my one for baseball is what if Bobby Dalbec wasn't born?

What if a backup QB doesn't toss the most perfect pass ever for South Carolina in 2000?

 

[00Dawg]

The 2018 women's title game has to be on the list...you just need a ref to blow their whistle as they should have when Itty Bitty got hacked.

Staying in the ref vein, 1999 game at Bama: ref doesn't call the faux holding call on Pig's punt return. You have to keep going on what-if's though: We beat Bama, win the West, don't suffer the heartbreak-caused letdown at Arkansas, still beat UM, beat Florida, and are headed to the Sugar Bowl at 12-0 (FSU and Virginia Tech would still get the title berths).

Because I'm trying to stir up interest in it: accept Florida's 1984 forfeit offer for the 1980 game - State instantly becomes 1980 SEC Champs. Only what if I know of that is still potentially an option to hapen.

 

[curseddawgs]

What if Stans takes the Clemson job in 2010 and our program wasn’t completely destroyed for the guy that succeeded him?

 

[POTUS]

If we beat Bama in 2014, we are back in Atlanta regardless of what happens against Ole Miss. And we're probably in the inaugural CFP.

 

[T-TownDawgg]

Cam Newton
Travis Outlaw
1985 CWS

I’ll add Sleepy Robinson not getting hurt, and-
Not playing so tight in 1st half of 2014 Bama game

 

[OG Goat Holder]

If we beat Bama in 2014, we are back in Atlanta regardless of what happens against Ole Miss. And we're probably in the inaugural CFP.

This is true, but could we beat 2 of Ohio State or Oregon or Florida State?

I feel like we are closer with Cam in 2010.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

1. What if Jackie had a better quarterback during his tenure?
2. Better PG performance during the 1996 Final Four
3. 1985 - Just a little bit of better luck
4. Dan doesn’t quit coaching and job hunt every November from 2014 till he snuck out.

 

[Shmuley]

What if Marcus Bullard did not have money on Syracuse?

 

[OG Goat Holder]

What if Marcus Bullard did not have money on Syracuse?

We lose to Kentucky

You know this

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

Mike Leach goes to a cardiologist worth a damn and we're in contention for Atlanta right now.

 

[thatsbaseball]

There are literally a thousand

 

[DoggieDaddy13]

4. Dan doesn’t quit coaching and job hunt every November from 2014 till he snuck out.

2012

 

[NawlBennyDawg]

What if Calvin Ridley was called for illegal touching in 2017?

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

Renardo Sydney had been immediately cleared to play and didn't have time to eat 437 Big Macs and decide to not give a ****.

 

[CoastDawg18]

It has to be Cam. There was a chance with him. We’ve never had a chance, and a football natty is the top of the mountain.

 

[Dawgzilla2]

What if J J Johnson had been healthy for the SEC championship game?

 

[militarydog]

Men’s basketball- If A McDyess had attended MSU with E Dampier instead of Alabama. He and Dampier played together in one game together, the AL-MS All Star game. They would have been unreal together.

 

[BulldogBlitz]

What if Darrel royal had stayed

 

[BulldogBlitz]

1. What if Jackie had a better quarterback during his tenure?

Bite your tongue. Sleepy was awesome

 

[Xenomorph]

What if Motivated Mullen coached us with Fitz and that defense in 2018?

6
10
10
28
13
9
19
13
3
24
6
3
27

Those are the points we gave up and most times it was only that high because Moorehead's 3-n-Out offense couldn't stay on the field. In a driving rainstorm in Lexington we handed the ball off to Aeris Williams 8 times and threw it 32... and lost 28-7.

That was the team. That was our moment. Mullen 17ed us and we let our baseball coach hire his replacement.

 

[Willow Grove Dawg]

What if David Fair doesn't have the ACL injury as a freshman?
What if Bubba Wilson doesn't arrive in Starkville almost crippled? Bubba would have been another huge piece for the 95 & 96 teams?
What is Rob Hauswald does not have the 3 wheeler accident after his freshman year? He was better hitter as a freshman than classmate Richard Lee.
Monta Ellis & Jonathan Bender?

 

[militarydog]

What if David Fair doesn't have the ACL injury as a freshman?
What if Bubba Wilson doesn't arrive in Starkville almost crippled? Bubba would have been another huge piece for the 95 & 96 teams?
What is Rob Hauswald does not have the 3 wheeler accident after his freshman year? He was better hitter as a freshman than classmate Richard Lee.
Monta Ellis & Jonathan Bender?

“What is Rob Hauswald does not have the 3 wheeler accident after his freshman year?”
This. He was on his way to an amazing career prior to that accident. In 1996 he led the team in at-bats (254), runs (63), hits (63), homeruns (16), and RBI’s (63). Also, secondary to your overall point, but I think he got hurt after his sophomore season. If I remember correctly he was Freshman All SEC as a DH in 1995 then 2nd team All American as a sophomore.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

Bite your tongue. Sleepy was awesome

Then, what if Sleepy hadn’t got hurt? I ran into him a couple of times after he graduated at games and he was always a great fan and easy to talk to.

 

[00Dawg]

What if Calvin Ridley was called for illegal touching in 2017?

10-2 finish and a NY6 bowl.
Mullen stays fired up enough to deck Matt Luke when they target Fitz, and the team rallies faster.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

What if the Pack LOVED Gene and didn’t create SPS?

 

[blacklistedbully]

What are some of the biggest "What if" moments for State that you love to throw around? What if State's campus would have been relocated to a larger city back in the day? SCam Newton? Monta Ellis? Steve Spurrier instead of Rockey Felker? Give me yours

A little bit down the list, but 2019 CWS vs Louisville when ump suddenly started squeezing Cole Gordon at the plate in the 9th. Damn near criminal. In reality Cole struck out the side, but the ump refused to call a few strikes, allowing Louisville to score 2 to eliminate us 4-3.

 

[curseddawgs]

A little bit down the list, but 2019 CWS vs Louisville when ump suddenly started squeezing Cole Gordon at the plate in the 9th. Damn near criminal. In reality Cole struck out the side, but the ump refused to call a few strikes, allowing Louisville to score 2 to eliminate us 4-3.

We weren’t beating Vandy twice

 

[TXDawg.sixpack]

Because it hasn’t been mentioned…2013 CWS Finals vs UCLA. Game 1, Btm 7, Dawgs trail 3-1, runners on 1st & 2nd, nobody out... IF Henderson can lay down a sac bunt (had two chances), we probably win that game and then who knows. Instead, he grounds into a double play…

WBB vs Notre Dame Championship Game…we hit one more free throw or Williams gets the foul call…we win that game and Vic is still here battling SCAR for the Natty every year.

 

[Fang1]

Biggest one is what if Dudy Noble man’d up and didn’t let a cigar boy bribe him into firing Allyn McKeen. That’s the most Miss State thing ever……

 

[L4Dawg]

What are some of the biggest "What if" moments for State that you love to throw around? What if State's campus would have been relocated to a larger city back in the day? SCam Newton? Monta Ellis? Steve Spurrier instead of Rockey Felker? Give me yours

Getting Rocky Felker enough wins to save his job his last year. Had that happened............We weren't THAT far off, and Rocky WAS MSU.......I think we are looking at a legend retiring after many years maybe this year

 

[L4Dawg]

Biggest one is what if Dudy Noble man’d up and didn’t let a cigar boy bribe him into firing Allyn McKeen. That’s the most Miss State thing ever……

Yep, even more than my Rocky fantasy.

 

[cowbell88]

What are some of the biggest "What if" moments for State that you love to throw around? What if State's campus would have been relocated to a larger city back in the day? SCam Newton? Monta Ellis? Steve Spurrier instead of Rockey Felker? Give me yours

Great thread. It truly is many many moments that would have definitely changed the spectrum drastically.

What if Cannizzaro had left that side piece alone or at least left her alone during the games. State would have won Natty before we did, and possibly a couple of back to backs.

 

[BulldogBlitz]

Great thread. It truly is many many moments that would have definitely changed the spectrum drastically.

What if Cannizzaro had left that side piece alone or at least left her alone during the games. State would have won Natty before we did, and possibly a couple of back to backs.

What has Cann done since leaving here?