Will Sylvester survive the season?

[TexasTiger 15,446]

Just killin' time until Saturday around 6:45pm...

[runswithscissors 33]

i don't see him staying if the season ends up like last season (sans the UA win). i don't think they can get anyone in there that is any worse at this point.

[CircleDrill 180]

Well, what needs to happen at MSU for things to change? I mean how do you recruit if you are a coach at MSU? Recruit on playing time? Scholarships? If you come here you'll get to play right away, vs. go to the other guys and sit out for a couple of years?

You can't recruit on tradition, on championships, on coach reputation, on facilities, on campus or anything else that I can think of...

What needs to happen there for them to start winning?

[otterinbham 0]

I've heard all the excuses about Sylvester Croom taking over from Jackie Sherrill. And I do agree that he inherited a catastrophe. But I defy anybody to tell me that this program is significantly improved from the day he first walked onto campus. That was the most excruciating football game I've ever watched.

To me, the telling comparison is what Spurrier has done at South Carolina in a similar time frame. Lou Holtz absolutely wrecked that program. Yet Spurrier, with little more than chewing gum, bailing wire, and spit, managed to piece together a competitive team towards the end of his first season. Meanwhile, three years later, Mississippi State barely has a pulse.

[TexasTiger 15,446]

I've heard all the excuses about Sylvester Croom taking over from Jackie Sherrill. And I do agree that he inherited a catastrophe. But I defy anybody to tell me that this program is significantly improved from the day he first walked onto campus. That was the most excruciating football game I've ever watched.

To me, the telling comparison is what Spurrier has done at South Carolina in a similar time frame. Lou Holtz absolutely wrecked that program. Yet Spurrier, with little more than chewing gum, bailing wire, and spit, managed to piece together a competitive team towards the end of his first season. Meanwhile, three years later, Mississippi State barely has a pulse.

The folks who were convinced he was a better choice than Shula may need to eat some crow. They both are pretty bad HCs.

[otterinbham 0]

I've heard all the excuses about Sylvester Croom taking over from Jackie Sherrill. And I do agree that he inherited a catastrophe. But I defy anybody to tell me that this program is significantly improved from the day he first walked onto campus. That was the most excruciating football game I've ever watched.

To me, the telling comparison is what Spurrier has done at South Carolina in a similar time frame. Lou Holtz absolutely wrecked that program. Yet Spurrier, with little more than chewing gum, bailing wire, and spit, managed to piece together a competitive team towards the end of his first season. Meanwhile, three years later, Mississippi State barely has a pulse.

The folks who were convinced he was a better choice than Shula may need to eat some crow. They both are pretty bad HCs.

Agreed. Quite frankly, I've really been rooting for Croom. While his defense has begun to gel (Really, when the QB coughs of six INTs and the offense has three fumbles against a competent team such as LSU, what chance do you have?) the offense looks like high school ball. Seriously.

[GalensGhost 0]

Well, what needs to happen at MSU for things to change? I mean how do you recruit if you are a coach at MSU? Recruit on playing time? Scholarships? If you come here you'll get to play right away, vs. go to the other guys and sit out for a couple of years?

You can't recruit on tradition, on championships, on coach reputation, on facilities, on campus or anything else that I can think of...

What needs to happen there for them to start winning?

Croom will survive to the end of the year. But barring a miraculous turnaround this is it for him.

What needs to happen for MSU? They need to find their Pat Dye. Somebody with fire in their eyes and football in their gut. Sylvester isn't the guy.

Barring that? They need to cheat. Cheat, get good for a couple of years, suffer the consequences, be down for a while, start cheating again and get better again. Because you're right, they don't have anything else to draw top talent to Starkville.

It works for Bama.

[jumbo 0]

Galen, im with ya cheat is the only way they can win. Coach O is killing them in recruiting at Ole Miss, maybe they should hire terry bowden

[TitanTiger 22,001]

I don't think he makes it. Oh, they might let him finish out the string, but unless he pulls off some big time wins, he's a goner. It's a shame really because the defense was playing their guts out, but the offense may as well been wearing purple and gold. They were LSU's 12th man and you don't need to give LSU extra players.

MSU is now the Vandy of the SEC, minus all the smart kids.

[Tigermike 4,082]

I've heard all the excuses about Sylvester Croom taking over from Jackie Sherrill. And I do agree that he inherited a catastrophe. But I defy anybody to tell me that this program is significantly improved from the day he first walked onto campus. That was the most excruciating football game I've ever watched.

To me, the telling comparison is what Spurrier has done at South Carolina in a similar time frame. Lou Holtz absolutely wrecked that program. Yet Spurrier, with little more than chewing gum, bailing wire, and spit, managed to piece together a competitive team towards the end of his first season. Meanwhile, three years later, Mississippi State barely has a pulse.

I agree with you. But Columbia, SC is a much better place to recruit to than Starkville, MS. And I am not suggesting that Sylvester would be winning in SC.

With that said, MSU has been competitive and has won in the past. Sherrill did fairly good for a time. But that brings us back to this.

Barring that? They need to cheat. Cheat, get good for a couple of years, suffer the consequences, be down for a while, start cheating again and get better again. Because you're right, they don't have anything else to draw top talent to Starkville.

It works for Bama.

[Ranger12 53]

I think he makes it through the season just because most colleges do not fire the coaches midway into the season unless there is some sort of scandal. Then again, if the season keeps going like this, what would it hurt to can him before the year was up?

I do think that there is a chance he will be gone after this year. The question is who would you get to replace him? It is not like anybody is lining up for that job. Even coordinators at high profile schools successful schools, such as Borges or Muschamp, more then likely would not leave their position for the head coaching job at Miss. St.

[TexasTiger 15,446]

MSU is now the Vandy of the SEC, minus all the smart kids.

[SLAG-91 1,760]

MSU is now the Vandy of the SEC, minus all the smart kids.

Harsh, but damned accurate.

[runswithscissors 33]

I think he makes it through the season just because most colleges do not fire the coaches midway into the season unless there is some sort of scandal. Then again, if the season keeps going like this, what would it hurt to can him before the year was up?

I do think that there is a chance he will be gone after this year. The question is who would you get to replace him? It is not like anybody is lining up for that job. Even coordinators at high profile schools successful schools, such as Borges or Muschamp, more then likely would not leave their position for the head coaching job at Miss. St.

there is a QB coach at JAX that might be interested....

[mowegl 4]

I think they'll be good enough to not lose to the crappy teams and pull off an upset or two - He makes it. The start of the schedule isnt going to help their health though.

[jumbo 0]

I think he makes it through the season just because most colleges do not fire the coaches midway into the season unless there is some sort of scandal. Then again, if the season keeps going like this, what would it hurt to can him before the year was up?

I do think that there is a chance he will be gone after this year. The question is who would you get to replace him? It is not like anybody is lining up for that job. Even coordinators at high profile schools successful schools, such as Borges or Muschamp, more then likely would not leave their position for the head coaching job at Miss. St.

there is a QB coach at JAX that might be interested....

Shular would do a lot better at Msu than the bs we saw tonight, he won more in one year than croom has won in his career at Msu

[DKW 86 8,092]

What is very telling is that Croom is using most of the old Dubose staff at Without all that bought and paid for talent, the coaches are less than average. Same comment for Franchione's staff as well.

BTW, how did that team beat Alabama last year?

[jumbo 0]

What is very telling is that Croom is using most of the old Dubose staff at Without all that bought and paid for talent, the coaches are less than average. Same comment for Franchione's staff as well.

BTW, how did that team beat Alabama last year?

One way is last year they didnt have 7 turnovers when they played bammer!

[subterranean_jack 113]

I don't think Sylvest Croom and Miss. State should be judged on their play against top 10 teams like LSU, Florida, and Auburn. I think it is more reasonable to judge their performance against similar programs, like Ole Miss, Tulane, and UAT.

[mowegl 4]

I don't think Sylvest Croom and Miss. State should be judged on their play against top 10 teams like LSU, Florida, and Auburn. I think it is more reasonable to judge their performance against similar programs, like Ole Miss, Tulane, and UAT.

[Raven_tiger 5]

It doesn't look like MSU has improved since he took over.

[DCWarEagle 0]

It seems like lots of people, both at Miss State and around the league, want Croom to succeed, it just isn't happening yet. No one is surprised they got killed by LSU. That is a brutal way for a sub-par team to start the season.

Miss State will probably lose to Auburn, South Carolina, Tenn, West Va, Alabama and Arkansas. They may pull one upset out of these.

They will probably be favored against Tulane and Gardner-Webb (that sounds like a law firm). Those are must-wins.

The swing games are UAB, Kentucky and Ole Miss.

I think Croom will be fired at the end of the year unless the team shows improvement...for a team that has won three games each of the last few seasons, I think he needs five wins, which may be a tall order. He might survive with four wins if one of them is against Ole Miss. I think he has about a 40% chance of being there next season.

[Tigermike 4,082]

Mississippi State vs. UAB tickets will be a scalpers dream.