Comments on: MSU A.D. Stricklin Defends Pastry-Filled Football Schedule

By: UK’s Barnhart Against A 9-Game Schedule

UK’s Barnhart Against A 9-Game Schedule — Wed, 08 May 2013 17:15:27 +0000

[...] in the league to make comments like this. Mississippi State’s Scott Stricklin has said that his school needs pastries, too (though we send kudos to MSU for taking on Oklahoma State this year). Vanderbilt coach James [...]

By: Holtbru

Holtbru — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 14:52:23 +0000

Say, was’nt it Mississippi State that BEAT Michigan in a bowl just last year, or was it the year before ??

I think Missisippi State is doing ALRIGHT, and I do notice THEY DO SELL OUT at their stadium…… To me, that says something…..

DO YOUR THING MSU…….

I am a fan of another SEC school, by the way !!

By: Dynamite fan

Dynamite fan — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 01:25:28 +0000

I see this being like Kansas St. Load up on wins/ bowls and build your program into a national brand from there.

By: MiloMoon

MiloMoon — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 20:32:35 +0000

John, there is a difference between the haves and have nots in the SEC. Most of the major have schools in the SEC try and schedule at least one high profile game OOC. I was one of the upset at buying out UNC group. It reeked of us running from a team. In hindsight, that game was winnable – which made it worse. Of course I was also one of the UT fans that understood how low the program was and that this up coming season was the best option for success over the past couple of years. Miss St. is one of the have nots in the SEC. As long as they have to climb over Bama, LSU, ARk, Auburn and now TAMU, they are going to schedule for a winning record. They are not going to be concerned with winning championships. That attitude would not fly at UT, Bama, UF, and the other big dog schools, but it does at Ole Miss, Miss St., KY, and Vandy. I would love to see Florida and UGA play outside of the Southeast sometime in my life.

By: pdub0351

pdub0351 — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 19:25:48 +0000

Exactly. No State fan on here is denying the fact that we have one of the easiest OOC schedules in the land. Believe it or not, Mr. SEC was not the first site to point this out. But, as a program, State has only been to 15 bowl games period. We are not at the point to where we can just go out there a schedule another big non-conference school and expect the outcome to benefit our program…at this point. We still have only beaten TSUN from the West. Let us take a couple more of the Western Division schools down first before we start to reach out for big OOC games.

And just how many non-conference schools are chomping at the bit to put us on their own schedule? Playing in Starkville might not be like playing in Tuscaloosa, or Death Valley, but it for sure ain’t easy. And Starkville ain’t exactly a tourist attraction itself. Again, this is the way things are at this current time. Of course, if State continues to improve under Mullen, then eventually we will be able to secure those big OOC games like LSU and Bama.

By: Marwin

Marwin — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 16:03:45 +0000

So john…… stricklin admits he adds cupcakes to get bowl eligible, us fans dont have a problem based on continued sellouts, and u claim he’s constantly having to defend the schedule. Its not adding up – how much more defense is needed when u admit the reason u do in? Maybe u should let it go – there’s nothing to see here…….move along.

By: CowbellCruiser

CowbellCruiser — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 13:13:07 +0000

When Mississippi State is at the point where we’re definitely going to bowl games, I would have no problem boosting the schedule. Whenever someone points out our schedule, they surely seem to forget that we are just a few years removed from the toughest schedule in college football. We’ve been burned by the scheduling philosophy you’re advocating for us.

In 2009, Mullen’s 1st season, we played a BCS-bound Georgia Tech team and a 10-win Houston team. Though we played competitively in those games and saw that our team was improving, it still ended up 5-7 and no bowl game. Swap either of those teams with a “weaker” team, and we’re working on our 4th straight bowl game this year. Even before that, we’ve recently had series against Oregon, West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Houston, etc. If this scheduling stuff goes in cycles, we’re enjoying our break. However, once the program is established as a consistent bowl team, I have no problem playing an OOC BCS conference foe, but right now, fans are still happy to sweep the non-conference and win a handful of SEC games. Even last year’s schedule that people love to criticize was Top 20 in the NCAA in difficulty, as we not only had our SEC West foes, but also drew the Top 2 teams in the East.

We’re an average team playing in the SEC West, college football’s best division; if we’re trying to get to bowl games, there’s no reason to add an Oklahoma State or even an NC State to a docket that already includes Alabama, LSU, Auburn, and Arkansas. All it’ll do is move us from #19 in schedule strength to #1 again. Besides, I’d rather play a good BCS team in December or January than September or October.

Always enjoy the site, John.

By: John at MrSEC

John at MrSEC — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 12:35:31 +0000

Folks…

I find it interesting that — as usual — non-State fans think I’m giving State too much credit and State fans think I’m bashing them and having fun at their expense.

Someday people will realize that I just give my opinions. Depending on the issue making news, I’ve backed and criticized every school in the SEC a thousand times each. There’s not one school in the SEC that I like more or less than another. I truly don’t give a hoot who wins and loses (though I usually pull for a good upset when I sit down in front of the TV). I’ve dealt first-hand with wonderful people at each school. And I’ve also had to put up with ugly comments and emails from a few rabid fans at each school, too.

Trust me, you’re all the same.

Also if a State fan can point out to me how this particular post is not factual, I’d love to see it. Stricklin has admitted on numerous occasions that State has to have more bad teams on its schedule in order to get bowl eligible. End of story. If some/most/all MSU fans are proud of that fact, fine.

But at Alabama and LSU, fans want to see some foes from good conferences on the docket (even if they’re so-so teams from those good leagues). Georgia, Florida, Kentucky and South Carolina all face in-state rivals from former BCS-leagues year-in and year-out. Heck, Tennessee fans almost revolted when their Vol athletic department bought out a road game with North Carolina to put Buffalo — a surer win — on UT’s home schedule. Win or lose, it seemed that most Tennessee backers wanted to see their team — which isn’t very good at the moment — play better opponents.

Judging by the comments here, though, that’s that not the case for many in MSU’s fanbase. I find that surprising. But as I said in the post above, if Bulldog fans are satisfied with cupcakes then there’s no reason for Stricklin to change his scheduling policy.

Thanks for reading,John

By: Norton

Norton — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 04:14:02 +0000

Like State is going to be in the running for the play-off and the SEC needs to save them from themselves by forcing another conference game on them. The legitimate contenders in the SEC will strengthen their schedules on their on, they’re not idiots.

By: Dawgpile

Dawgpile — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 01:35:36 +0000

Jon, you always seem to enjoy to have fun at MSU’s expense.

By: USCTraveler

USCTraveler — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 00:14:08 +0000

I think we’ll see a real scheduling divide open up over the next few years as teams separate into two tiers based on what the state of the program is.

1. “We’re going for a NC tier”- teams with tough OOC games to boost SOS for a playoff

2. “We’re just happy to get to a bowl game” tier- teams with cupcakes galore on their schedule

Personally, I love going to USC-Notre Dame games, as ND is USC’s biggest rival. Can’t wait to get A+M, Texas and the BIG teams in upcoming years. I love the big OOC games.

USC’s games in Auburn and Fayetteville a few years back were some of the most memorable of the last 20 years. I miss the OOC games vs the SEC.

But if the MSU fans commenting here are representative of the fanbase, it sounds like they’re happy with the way they are doing things, so I guess it makes sense for the program to feast on some cupcakes for a while to consistently go to bowl games and build some momentum that will allow them to get to the next level.

What will be interesting is if there is an RPI-type of calculation used to determine SOS (as there should be), where the opponents’ winning % is factored in, as well as the opponents’ opponents’ winning % is factored in. There might also be a deduction for playing FCS teams. If those type of factors are in place, a team like MSU’s SOS is going to hurt teams like Bama and LSU, as it will bring down their SOS.

By: Marwin

Marwin — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 22:37:21 +0000

Lets see bbq, a few brews, miniskirts at every turn, and a fer-shore win to get the first month of football season kicked off: every State fan i know understands and loves it. The “smart” national media and a few hack websites opinions should only be used to fill that “my” time in the morning following that second cup of coffee and never question a successful athletic departments decisions.

By: pdub0351

pdub0351 — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 22:20:46 +0000

We aren’t to that level yet, that’s true. Most State fans would agree with that statement. To schedule teams like Michigan, Va Tech, Texas, or even Arizona and also play LSU and Bama on the road in the same season would be suicide for MSU. Not that we couldn’t beat these teams at least at home, but to add one or more than one just to improve our SOS would be detremental as of right now. Stricklin is right. For us, we are on a roll with home attendance, and believe it or not, 2 bowl wins in a row for us is a big deal. Why would we not want to continue that success at the cost of our SOS? I sure as to hell would, and have no problem paying extra for my season tickets this year, and plan to be at all the cupcake games as well as the SEC games.

By: AllTideUp

AllTideUp — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 20:38:26 +0000

When it comes to MSU, they are probably better off playing some Big East, CUSA, and MWC teams for their OOC games. Those schools can be decent teams sometimes and MSU will have a reasonable chance of being them.

Other than that, I don’t think MSU will have to worry about whether or not their SOS is enough to qualify them for the playoff anytime soon. Nothing against State, but they just aren’t at that level yet. Unless of course, MSU’s SOS affects all the other SEC teams’ SOS and in that case they would need to step it up for the sake of everyone else.

By: John at MrSEC

John at MrSEC — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 18:47:28 +0000

Brad…

Troy used to be a lot better about a decade ago. Last year they were 3-9 and their wins came over teams like FAU, UAB and MTSU if I recall correctly. They’re not the program they used to be.

Thanks for reading the site,
John

By: Brad

Brad — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 18:40:49 +0000

To their credit, they are at least playing Troy on the road. Still not mega-tough, but the last time a big conference team went to Troy, they got whacked.