Successful Mississippi State mentality

[preacher_dawg]

I have been thinking of this for a while, but finally have the time to post it. It seems to me that whenever Mississippi State has any type of success, the teams have had a certain type of mentality that coaches are able to tap into. That comes with feeling the team is underrated and has to work their tails off to prove to the world, and even to themselves, that they can win.

On the one hand, we tend to do awful if we feel like we don't have a chance, such as every single time we play Bama. Then again, we also play awful when we get national attention and become favored. Think of all our successful coaches. They have all been to get the teams into a very hard work ethic and get a chip on their shoulder. On the other hand, our unsuccessful coaches were not even close to developing this type of team persona.

I realize that this is true for sports in general, but Ole Miss, LSU, Bama, Tenn. etc.all seem to handle success better than we do. On the other hand, when a State coach really gets this into a team's heads, they can often hang with any team.

I am hoping our current coaches can get more of this. I saw that with Lemonis at first, but for whatever reason, that fire seems to have disappeared.

 

[bulldognation]

Cue Cream Talk by Stallion

 

[Maroon13]

State has always played better in the underdog role. I think it is real as well.

 

[Poppy IV]

Through the decades the coaches have changed, the players have changed, the fans have changed, the facilities have changed, but,,,,,,,there has been one constant. Now might be the time to change colors,,,and ditch the MAROON.

 

[MagnoliaHunter]

State has always played better in the underdog role. I think it is real as well.

Well since we are usually the underdog in any sec game in any sport but baseball, most any time we play well it is as the underdog.

 

[Maroon13]

Well since we are usually the underdog in any sec game in any sport but baseball, most any time we play well it is as the underdog.

We are talking about situations in which State has a good team but it isn't recognized by the media or polls.

2014 football.....kicked ***. Then we get the #1 ranking.....squeak by Kentucky, Arkansas and lose, lose to finish the season.
1996 final 4 year. Kicked *** through the SEC tournament. Seeded 5, win, win, win, get to the Final 4....then the hype, the new shoes...loss.

Those are just two years off the top of my head.

 

[$altyDawg]

"Ole Miss, LSU, Bama, Tenn. etc.all seem to handle success better than we do."

I can agree with everyone listed except Ole Miss. There are two teams in this world that can't handle prosperity, it's State and Ole Miss. Just like us, Ole Miss does occasionally fly high, but the inevitable death spiral crash follows not far behind. Kiffen will one day soon jilt the powderpuff blues and the cycle will begin again.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

This is not true for State baseball. That's actually a sport where we did break through.

Definitely true for other sports (outside of the Vic Shaffer Era).

 

[POTUS]

State has always played better in the underdog role. I think it is real as well.

Have we or have we just been the underdog so frequently that all our best games in that role are remembered more readily? I think there might be some cognitive dissonance going on here.

 

[preacher_dawg]

This is not true for State baseball. That's actually a sport where we did break through.

Definitely true for other sports (outside of the Vic Shaffer Era).

I would disagree. I think that national championship consistently saw itself as an underdog, especially going into the championship games against Vandy. That's why they kept their noses to the grind so much. For Shaffer, I think he was so good at not letting the team get too high, but stay focused, and so, he saw more success.

My point is that State needs coaches like Shaffer and, from what I have seen so far, Jans, who keeps the players level headed and working hard. That's also why I think coaches like JoMo and Arnett (as a HC) will always be failures at State.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

I would disagree. I think that national championship consistently saw itself as an underdog, especially going into the championship games against Vandy. That's why they kept their noses to the grind so much. For Shaffer, I think he was so good at not letting the team get too high, but stay focused, and so, he saw more success.

My point is that State needs coaches like Shaffer and, from what I have seen so far, Jan's, who keeps the players level headed and working hard. That's also why I think coaches like JoMo and Arnett (as a HC) will always be failures at State.

I get what you mean. Most championship teams still have that edge to them, but they ALL have the talent. Lemonis is a player's coach, and considering he's the one that eventually got it done, I see baseball slightly differently. We are definitely a blue blood in baseball, maybe not Top 5 caliber like say LSU, but we're in the next level. You can afford to be slightly more 'lax'.

I personally like the John Cohen style, which is more what you're talking about. Hard-nosed grinders who scratch and claw for everything. But even the biggest MSU homers would admit that we sort of got lucky that year, a combination of Vandy getting beat, and the bats/balls in that 2011-2014 era. From 2016 onto 2021, we had serious talent. Jake Mangum alone brought a solid culture. And I'll give you that the program dropped obviously the last two years, but I'm of the opinion it was more about talent than culture. I think we just had a down cycle of players.

A good analogy to me is that we are the Clemson football of baseball. Solid, consistent support for the program creates a great culture. Assuming our coaching is competent enough to capitalize on that and secure the talent, we are usually cruising. Same advantage any blue blood has, the competition is built in automatically, due to the work of many people over the years.

 

[Shane of Pisgah]

On the one hand, we tend to do awful if we feel like we don't have a chance, such as every single time we play Bama. Then again, we also play awful when we get national attention and become favored.

Just have to find that sweet spot where we suck enough to not get any national attention but not so much that the team thinks they can't beat Bama. May need to bring in a hypnotist.