How does it feel to have MSU football back on the map?

[Final Countdown]

Originally Posted by Mr. Tanfan

I am cautiously optimistic.

you can be as cautiously optimistic as you want.... but come on, you know part of you is more excited than a kid on christmas morning. you can keep your expectations in check..... but any spartan with a pulse should be thrilled.

[Jim in Atl]

This circus is almost as entertaining as following the team itself. {rollercoaster}

the press hypes recruiting after a great year (by our modern standards) and we are sky high. The press criticises a set back and we start calling for heads. My favorite was this place in izzos first couple years.

That said I like our chances. Things seem to be aligned. Solid administration, marketing, head coach, instate rival fumbles the ball after decades without a crack in the foundation, and luck so far.

If drod doesn't pull off a miracle in the next two years we may go farther than perles dreamed. Perles btw one the state in recruiting once or twice against Bo. That was big time.

[FIJI239 81]

Originally Posted by Godfather

Oh, well if that's the case, then I guess I'm pretty excited about what's going on and the possibilities for the future for the team.

As far as getting hammered, that was part of the game back then, Still seems so now from what I have seen. BTW, no, she wasn't fat and no I didn't strike out. She gave it to me right there in the top row of the student section. Lower bowl in the corner, just past the overhang of the upper deck. Gotta remember, things like that were a lot freer and easier back in the early 80's. Plus, the stadium was lucky to be half full, so you had your way with seats and no interruptions if you wanted to goof off.

That era, before today's TSA-like screening crap was a pretty good time, even with Muddy and all the others. A few empties were tossed but nothing serious.

[Twiggy]

Originally Posted by Step Right

Actually, I believe OSU and PSU had tons more talent than us and were use to playing in the limelight. We are building the talent and experiences necessary to compete for the BT on the reg.

We were clearly a step behind PSU and OSU. A distant, but solid third best in the conference. Not bad, but need improvement and all signs point that way!

Originally Posted by Mr. Tanfan

I am cautiously optimistic.

Ditto.

[kubrickfan]

I'm optimistic and hope for the best, but until I see at least one of two BT titles and an appearance or two in a BCS game I can't say that we have "arrived" if you will. The other item I worry a little bit about is the fact that I really want to see how we do this season with a new QB and RB. If we can win with a young QB and RB, than I really like our chances over the next several years. I think we are headed in the right direction, but whenever you have a new QB and RB combined with an average OL, and you worry about turnovers and mediocre decision making.

[Mr. Tanfan]

Originally Posted by 26.2

We were clearly a step behind PSU and OSU. A distant, but solid third best in the conference. Not bad, but need improvement and all signs point that way!

Ditto.

our oline is the problem. Very average.

[Mr. Tanfan]

Also receivers that drop the ball

[aroz13]

has been very successful running the ball so far, but he already had Jehuu and Javon when he got here. If he can create his running game this year and do it well, I have no problem saying we are back on the map. But, I can not imagine being more excited for this upcoming season. If we win 9 games this year, maybe even win the bowl game, Coach D should get a statue.

[Mr. Tanfan]

When those 4 star o line recruits start playing we could be dangerous

[Twiggy]

Originally Posted by Final Countdown

you can be as cautiously optimistic as you want.... but come on, you know part of you is more excited than a kid on christmas morning. you can keep your expectations in check..... but any spartan with a pulse should be thrilled.

I don't know how old you are but any Spartan fan in 35-50 range has seen everything happen to football. A few high notes but mostly lows and the worst kind, the kind you never see coming and just say, "what the H was that?!?"

The Notre Dame dabacle in '06 with JLS, the Purdue blocked kicked returned for a TD and ensuing TD, the NW missed or blocked winning FG when we could have just run it in, I could go on and on but it's just to painful. That is the reason for cautious optimism.

When everything looks rosey and then WHAM! 1992 was a great example, the program is rolling along ranked about 15-17 as usual then a 20-3 loss to CMU. This was not a last second missed FG, this was 20-3! The program was set back 5 years in one game.

I have a better feeling about Dantonio doing things the right way but . . .

[chitownsparty86]

A 7 win and 9 win season with no bowl victories does not exactly put us back on the map. It is a huge step towards that though.

[Spartan Pride]

Originally Posted by Mr. Tanfan

When those 4 star o line recruits start playing we could be dangerous

This will be big, but I think the D-Line recruits will be even bigger.

Think in 2007, we hung with OSU and BC for most of the game and beat PSU. That team had some great ends.

Of course, that team was still recovering from the trauma of JLS and wasn't quite as mentally tough as '08, so they won a couple less games. Not the point...

[Mr. Tanfan]

The same kind of threads were posted back after jls went 8 and 5. Same kind I'd irrational exhuberance that we saw in the stock market. I tried to temper things then because we kept finding ways to lose. Md is different. He gets it. He demands excellence. He is one of us de guys. However, we need to give him a chance to continue to improve the program. Frankly we might regress this year a little. Our o line is not that good and we rely on a walk on receiver as our go to guy because Dell and cunningham play at a mac or less than mac level with allthe drops. Same thong continued in the spring game. So the talent level at wide receiver could cost us a few games if those two don't turn it around. We shall see. Cautious optimism.

[Mr. Tanfan]

Originally Posted by chitownsparty86

A 7 win and 9 win season with no bowl victories does not exactly put us back on the map. It is a huge step towards that though.

in both bowl games we were the underdog. This will be a fun year to watch or if Dell and cunningham continue their woes, a frustrating season.

[Twiggy]

Originally Posted by chitownsparty86

A 7 win and 9 win season with no bowl victories does not exactly put us back on the map. It is a huge step towards that though.

Completely agree with your firs part but that isn't what gives me the most optimism. How we are doing it does.

No smoke and mirrors, no gimmicks. We had an 8 win season under JLS largely due to turnover margin, we never saw that TO margin again and never again did JLS see 8 wins.

That and the recruiting classes we have coming in, a part of which can be attributed to U-M being 3-9 too. Looking back through history U-M and MSU never were top notch programs during the same times. Now it's our turn again!

[AASpartan]

Originally Posted by Mr. Tanfan

The same kind of threads were posted back after jls went 8 and 5. Same kind I'd irrational exhuberance that we saw in the stock market. I tried to temper things then because we kept finding ways to lose. Md is different. He gets it. He demands excellence. He is one of us de guys. However, we need to give him a chance to continue to improve the program. Frankly we might regress this year a little. Our o line is not that good and we rely on a walk on receiver as our go to guy because Dell and cunningham play at a mac or less than mac level with allthe drops. Same thong continued in the spring game. So the talent level at wide receiver could cost us a few games if those two don't turn it around. We shall see. Cautious optimism.

JLS was a "DE" guy too. See where that got you.

Fortunately, there is much more reason to be optimistic than after the 8-5 JLS season. Then we had all of our success due to arguably the best MSU QB in years (Jeff Smoker) and a lot of NFL D-Line talent. We knew there was going to be some dropoff and we found out relatively quickly that it wasn't a complete turnaround.

Our O-Line is unproven right now, but I'm not worried about our wide receiver corps. There is a lot of talent there and a new QB throwing to them may account for less drops. Brian Hoyer was not great at touch passes.

I swear to god I want to find who invented the phrase "MAC level talent" and perma-ban them out of existence. That is the ****ing dumbest thing anyone can say about a player.

[Twiggy]

Originally Posted by Mr. Tanfan

The same kind of threads were posted back after jls went 8 and 5. Same kind I'd irrational exhuberance that we saw in the stock market. I tried to temper things then because we kept finding ways to lose. Md is different. He gets it. He demands excellence. He is one of us de guys. However, we need to give him a chance to continue to improve the program. Frankly we might regress this year a little. Our o line is not that good and we rely on a walk on receiver as our go to guy because Dell and cunningham play at a mac or less than mac level with allthe drops. Same thong continued in the spring game. So the talent level at wide receiver could cost us a few games if those two don't turn it around. We shall see. Cautious optimism.

This is the post of the season for football 2009.

[Mr. Tanfan]

Originally Posted by AASpartan

JLS was a "DE" guy too. See where that got you.

Fortunately, there is much more reason to be optimistic than after the 8-5 JLS season. Then we had all of our success due to arguably the best MSU QB in years (Jeff Smoker) and a lot of NFL D-Line talent. We knew there was going to be some dropoff and we found out relatively quickly that it wasn't a complete turnaround.

Our O-Line is unproven right now, but I'm not worried about our wide receiver corps. There is a lot of talent there and a new QB throwing to them may account for less drops. Brian Hoyer was not great at touch passes.

I swear to god I want to find who invented the phrase "MAC level talent" and perma-ban them out of existence. That is the ****ing dumbest thing anyone can say about a player.

How can you say JLS was a demand excellencer when all he did was blow off the State of Michigan recruiting wise and took lavish vacations during the summer when he should have been developing connections in the state for future recruits. He relied on Juco's to fill in the gaps left by his lazy attitude toward recruiting. He didn't demand excellence, he just coached at the basic level to get by. I have never hated a coach more than JLS. He was George Bush to me, a vile and a cancer to the program.

Now I knew the DE comment would draw you blowers out. Fish on.

[AASpartan]

Originally Posted by Mr. Tanfan

How can you say JLS was a demand excellencer when all he did was blow off the State of Michigan recruiting wise and took lavish vacations during the summer when he should have been developing connections in the state for future recruits. He relied on Juco's to fill in the gaps left by his lazy attitude toward recruiting. He didn't demand excellence, he just coached at the basic level to get by. I have never hated a coach more than JLS. He was George Bush to me, a vile and a cancer to the program.

Now I knew the DE comment would draw you blowers out. Fish on.

JLS himself said that he "demanded excellence"

Ugh. I hoped that we put that whole stupid "demand excellence" versus "sunshine blowers" thing to bed, Tanner. C'mon. Despite being called a "sunshine blower" while I was ripping the team, it was merely a derogatory term that people threw out when they didn't agree with each other.

Can we all agree to retire outdated, moronic, and immature terms like:

MAC Level Talent
Demand Excellencer
Sunshine Blower

I think we can.

[AASpartan]

Originally Posted by Mr. Tanfan

I did not know this. You see how much influence I have? Oh, I also started the mac level talent phrase. sorry 'bout that.

http://www.spartantailgate.com/forum...cellencer.html

While I agree that elite receivers should be able to catch whatever passes are thrown at them, all of our WRs have shown the ability to make elite level plays at times. As much as people ragged on Brian Hoyer for having so many drops, I think there was blame to be shared there.

[teamdiscoverychannel]

If MSU football is sex, I just got a boner. The best stuff hasn't even come yet.

[Death Roe]

National title within five years. Big Ten title within three.

[Mr. Tanfan]

Originally Posted by AASpartan

http://www.spartantailgate.com/forum...cellencer.html

While I agree that elite receivers should be able to catch whatever passes are thrown at them, all of our WRs have shown the ability to make elite level plays at times. As
much as people ragged on

Brian Hoyer for having so many
drops, I think there was blame
to be shared there.

iforgot bout that thread. Posting from Marco island beach. Lots of tight asses.

[SpartanRocky]

Originally Posted by Death Roe

National title within five years. Big Ten title within three.

Then we'll have arrived for sure.

[Duffy2]

Originally Posted by Mr. Tanfan

The same kind of threads were posted back after jls went 8 and 5. Same kind I'd irrational exhuberance that we saw in the stock market. I tried to temper things then because we kept finding ways to lose. Md is different. He gets it. He demands excellence. He is one of us de guys. However, we need to give him a chance to continue to improve the program. Frankly we might regress this year a little. Our o line is not that good and we rely on a walk on receiver as our go to guy because Dell and cunningham play at a mac or less than mac level with allthe drops. Same thong continued in the spring game. So the talent level at wide receiver could cost us a few games if those two don't turn it around. We shall see. Cautious optimism.

I am with you except the reference to Mac school receivers. I still can't talk with my sister for 5 minutes before I hear about the Perles debacles v.
CMU. I think Jennings ( WMU ) may have become the highest paid receiver in football and if not, he ain't bad. There is nothing wrong with cautious optimism. It's my philosophy of life.