Survivor - Eye of the Tiger (Rocky Balboa edition)
Risin' up, straight to the top,
Have the guts, got the glory.
Went the distance, now I'm not gonna stop,
Just a man and his will to survive...
It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight.
Risin' up to the challenge of our rival...
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night,
And he's watchin' us all in the eye of the tiger...
Ok, ok, I know what you're thinking... "A little cliche on the musical selection, don't you think, Hooch?" Well, two things: 1) That's "MISTER Hooch" to you, junior, and 2) when you play three different Tiger teams three weeks in a row, you'd be hard-pressed NOT to throw in at least a passing reference to this song, so why not embrace it? Also, speaking of songs there is now a poll for you to vote on what you want next week's theme song to be, so make sure to cast your vote right over there =============>
Now that we've got that out of the way...
MSU faces an Auburn team that is vastly different from the
National Championship team of last year. Cam Newton is gone, as are
upwards of 15 starters on both sides of the ball. Meanwhile MSU returns
nearly all their starters from last year, including the new and
improved Chris Relf (now with authentic passing-action!) and a WR core
that is as deep as it's ever been for the Bulldogs.
Still, Auburn
has built a program which is a consistent SEC contender, so it would be a
huge mistake to underestimate the Tigers, even though they looked less than stellar against Utah State in their opening game last week. And when I say "less than stellar" I mean they had to score, recover an on-side kick, and score aGAIN with less than 3 minutes to go in the game to pull out the win.
With
only one week's worth of footage and info it's hard to read too much
into anything, but when you consider that Mississippi State laid 59 on
opening patsy Memphis while Auburn struggled to come away with a 4 point
win in the last 30 seconds, it's hard not to have some expectations.
As any good college football fan will tell you, though, the most
improvement is typically seen from the first to second weeks. With that
in mind, let's get to it!
KEYS TO THE GAME -
OFFENSE -
The Mississippi State offense apparently picked up right where they left off in January after drubbing Michigan to the tune of 52-14. In fact, the Bulldogs scorched Memphis for 645 yards of total offense, setting a new school record. Dan Mullen clearly has the offense firing on all cylinders, but will it be enough to get past Auburn?
In a word, yes. Auburn looked largely porous against Utah State's running game, allowing them to net 227 yards on the ground. Word out of Auburn is that the play calling for this weekend will be more simplified in an effort to give the new players a chance to acclimate themselves to the system. While that might seem good on the surface, the underlying meaning is that the defense could not effectively read plays and adjust. That will be a serious issue when dealing with a Dan Mullen coached offense and a senior quarterback who can just as easily tuck the ball and pick up a first down, or toss it out to one of the many WR's for a potential big play.
DEFENSE -
Gus Malzhan is certainly no slouch. The man parlayed a talented high school QB into an assistant coaching gig at Arkansas, and rode the coaching rails from there, with his most recent stop as the OC for Auburn's National Championship team last season. Against Utah State the Tigers posted 286 yards through the air, and just 78 yards rushing, though. Malzhan will certainly having his offense clicking better this weekend, but it's hard to imagine the Tigers beating the Bulldogs on the ground. Chris Wilson is likely to pull a few guys back into coverage often in order to hedge his bets that Barrett Trotter is going to try to beat them with the pass.
This, then, will be the true test of one of the most worrisome positions on the field for the MSU defense. Will the Dawgs' DB's be up to the task of stopping a legit SEC team's passing game? Or will Auburn "skull-fuck [MSU]" through the air as one Auburn poster so eloquently put it in a very entertaining thread on a random internet message board. (full quote from poster known as Where Eagles Dare - "Auburn would have skull fucked the shit out of MSU last year if we
played later in the season. Your team is pure shit and Relf is a
homeless version of some random dumb nig QB." Nice work, W.E.D. ... Glad you found time to throw in the racial epithet while you were exemplifying everything that is high-class about your school.**)
(** - These are known as sarcasterisks. Any word, phrase, sentence or paragraph preceding sarcasterisks should be read with a sarcastic tone. Pretty straight forward, really...)
BOTTOM LINE -
SCORING -
This game has all the makings of a shoot-out, and I would not be surprised to find the final box score strongly resembling that of the Auburn/Arkansas game of a year ago. In the end, the team with the most points on the scoreboard when the clock strikes zero will win. (Thank you, John Madden...) Ultimately, the veteran Dawgs defense will come away more successful than Auburn's, and Mississippi State walks out of Jordan-Hare Stadium with a 2-0 record and 5 short days to game plan for a tough, tough LSU team on Thursday night.
FINAL SCORE -
Last week I was moderately close with my realistic prediction of 47-10 (final score was 59-14), and I feel confident my predictions this week will be in the ballpark as well. As I said above, though, this has all the makings of a shoot-out, so it's entirely possible that you could add 2-3 scores on both sides of the equation, however I feel the margin of victory will remain relatively constant. So, that being said...
WILD AND WOOLLY PREDICTION -
MSU 47 Auburn 14
REALISTIC PREDICTION -
MSU 35 Auburn 24
What's that, War Eagle? You think I'm crazy? Well why not drop me a line and let me know at houseofhooch@gmail.com, or just scroll back to the top of the page and hit the link on the right? If Auburn wins you can spam me until your heart's content with "Neener-neener's" and "Told ya so's", and let's be honest, you probably don't have a whole lot more to look forward to this season, soooo....
Friday, September 9, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Party Rockin...
Party Rock Antehm
"Every day I'm shufflin..."
It's game week, bitches! At the time of this posting kickoff will be a mere 6 days away and speculation will have reached a fevered pitch, no doubt. But with the first opponent will we really see all that MSU has to offer for the coming season?
In a word, no. Mississippi State enters the season with a ranking of 20 for the first time in a decade or more, and their first opponent is the Memphis Tigers team which weighs in at a ranking of 120. That's one hundred and twenty. I think there are 121 Div-1 football teams total, soooooo yeah.
KEYS TO THE GAME -
OFFENSE -
The MSU Bulldogs wrapped a stellar 2010 season by hanging 52 points on the storied Michigan Wolverines. You can see a great highlight reel here, good work, TXMudDawg! The 2011-12 offense figures to be much the same, if not incrementally better. Chris Relf really showed progress in the later half of the season with his passing game, and is expected to be one of the premier QB's of the SEC this year. Then there's the stable of backs, namely Vick Ballard, LaDarius Perkins, and freshly rehabbed running machine, Robert Elliot. THEN there's the slew of receivers. Chad Bumphis, Arceto Clark, Michael Carr, Brandon Heavens, Jameon Lewis, etc. etc. etc. The only question on the offensive side of the ball is at the line, where some shuffling and retooling will take place. Injuries not withstanding there won't be much drop-off there.
The key to the offense for the Memphis game? Well that's easy... just play your game and avoid injuries. The Bulldogs are likely to jump out to a 2-3 touchdown lead in the first quarter, which would be a beneficial situation for the 2nd and 3rd stringers across the board. Chris Relf will probably be on the sidelines for the entirety of the second half, leaving the offense in the hands of drop-back passer Tyler Russel and possibly pigskin-slingin cowboy Dylan Farve.
DEFENSE -
On the defensive side of the ball MSU looks to be relatively consistent with where they were last year. While the Dog's O dropped 52 on Michigan, the D shut down media darling Denard Robinson and the Wolverine offense, allowing only two touchdowns on the game.
The biggest losses are Chris White, KJ Wright and Pernell McPhee, all of whom have taken the next step by joining the ranks of the NFL, so of course I'd like to take this opportunity to offer up my congratulations on outstanding careers as Bulldogs, and wish you all the best in the future.
Luckily with the likes of Chris Hughes, Cam Lawrence, and stand-out transfer Brandon Maye the losses won't sting quite as much. Also, considering the level of competition with Memphis, the backups will figure prominently in finishing out the game on the defensive side of the ball as well.
BOTTOM LINE -
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER -
Don't take it personally, Memphis, because we've definitely been on the outside looking in before, and not terribly long ago at that, but this will be a rout. That being the case Dan Mullen will have the luxury of seeing much of his depth in action which should allow him to fine-tune his team for the week 2 match up with Auburn. Mullen is also not very likely to tip his hand with a lot of creative plays and misdirection. Look for good old fashion, straight forward, smash mouth football with a lot of running between the tackles and around the ends.
FINAL SCORE -
WILD AND WOOLLY PREDICTION -
MSU 52 - MEMPHIS 0
REALISTIC PREDICTION -
MSU 47 - MEMPHIS 10
"Every day I'm shufflin..."
It's game week, bitches! At the time of this posting kickoff will be a mere 6 days away and speculation will have reached a fevered pitch, no doubt. But with the first opponent will we really see all that MSU has to offer for the coming season?
In a word, no. Mississippi State enters the season with a ranking of 20 for the first time in a decade or more, and their first opponent is the Memphis Tigers team which weighs in at a ranking of 120. That's one hundred and twenty. I think there are 121 Div-1 football teams total, soooooo yeah.
KEYS TO THE GAME -
OFFENSE -
The MSU Bulldogs wrapped a stellar 2010 season by hanging 52 points on the storied Michigan Wolverines. You can see a great highlight reel here, good work, TXMudDawg! The 2011-12 offense figures to be much the same, if not incrementally better. Chris Relf really showed progress in the later half of the season with his passing game, and is expected to be one of the premier QB's of the SEC this year. Then there's the stable of backs, namely Vick Ballard, LaDarius Perkins, and freshly rehabbed running machine, Robert Elliot. THEN there's the slew of receivers. Chad Bumphis, Arceto Clark, Michael Carr, Brandon Heavens, Jameon Lewis, etc. etc. etc. The only question on the offensive side of the ball is at the line, where some shuffling and retooling will take place. Injuries not withstanding there won't be much drop-off there.
The key to the offense for the Memphis game? Well that's easy... just play your game and avoid injuries. The Bulldogs are likely to jump out to a 2-3 touchdown lead in the first quarter, which would be a beneficial situation for the 2nd and 3rd stringers across the board. Chris Relf will probably be on the sidelines for the entirety of the second half, leaving the offense in the hands of drop-back passer Tyler Russel and possibly pigskin-slingin cowboy Dylan Farve.
DEFENSE -
On the defensive side of the ball MSU looks to be relatively consistent with where they were last year. While the Dog's O dropped 52 on Michigan, the D shut down media darling Denard Robinson and the Wolverine offense, allowing only two touchdowns on the game.
The biggest losses are Chris White, KJ Wright and Pernell McPhee, all of whom have taken the next step by joining the ranks of the NFL, so of course I'd like to take this opportunity to offer up my congratulations on outstanding careers as Bulldogs, and wish you all the best in the future.
Luckily with the likes of Chris Hughes, Cam Lawrence, and stand-out transfer Brandon Maye the losses won't sting quite as much. Also, considering the level of competition with Memphis, the backups will figure prominently in finishing out the game on the defensive side of the ball as well.
BOTTOM LINE -
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER -
Don't take it personally, Memphis, because we've definitely been on the outside looking in before, and not terribly long ago at that, but this will be a rout. That being the case Dan Mullen will have the luxury of seeing much of his depth in action which should allow him to fine-tune his team for the week 2 match up with Auburn. Mullen is also not very likely to tip his hand with a lot of creative plays and misdirection. Look for good old fashion, straight forward, smash mouth football with a lot of running between the tackles and around the ends.
FINAL SCORE -
WILD AND WOOLLY PREDICTION -
MSU 52 - MEMPHIS 0
REALISTIC PREDICTION -
MSU 47 - MEMPHIS 10
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Let it begin...
Beginning in two weeks the links and music will return to the House of Hooch, so pull out your cowbell, dust off your tailgating gear and throw your favorite tunes on your iPod (or other listening device) because the party starts Sept. 1st. Until then, here are my predictions for the coming season...
Kick off is two short weeks away, with the MSU Bulldogs opening the 2011 season on the road in Memphis, and it's going to be the longest "two short weeks" ever. The season cannot get here fast enough. I have poured over websites and blogs galore, just to curb my appetite for college football. I've speculated until I'm blue in the face... I've even had dreams about tailgating for a game.
But nothing will compare to the butterflies in my stomach when I wake up on gameday in two weeks... It is a strange feeling, at once calming and exciting. So keeping in mind that I have been drinking deeply from the Maroon and White Kool-aid well, here are my predictions for MSU this season:
Memphis - Starting the season ranked in the top 25 carries heightened expectations, and not the least among them is a convincing victory over Memphis. The Bulldogs should (and will) jump out to an early lead and never look back. Final score: MSU 47 - Memphis 10
Auburn - A tough test in any given season, the week 2 trip to the Plains will be a complete 180 from the cakewalk in Memphis. Cam Newton is gone, but Auburn is still fully loaded at most positions and never an opponent to be taken lightly. However the Bulldogs will dash their hopes at a repeat performance on the national stage in their second game of the season. Final score: MSU 35 - Auburn 24
LSU - The Bulldogs won't have long to bask in the glory of their victory, though, as they must turn around and face the LSU Tigers a mere 5 days later in their home opener of the season. A Thursday night showdown in Starkville will be televised by ESPN, where the Bulldogs will face an LSU team that will likely be sitting at 1-1 after facing off with Oregon in week one, and Northwestern State in week 2. I'll let you guess which one is the W. This will likely be a pivotal game for the Bulldogs' season, as making it through this game unscathed will no doubt catapult MSU into the top 10. Unfortunately the quick turnaround and emotional win over Auburn combined with LSU's athleticism at nearly every position will be the Dawgs' undoing. Final score: MSU 27 - LSU 31
Georgia - Mark Richt and the Eastern Bulldogs will likely be sitting at .500 after opening the season with Boise State and South Carolina, although it's entirely possible they could pull out a win over Boise State. Either way they look to be riding a 2 game win streak coming into this game and will be eager to repay MSU for last season's loss. Dan Mullen will have the Bulldogs ready for business this time around, and though it may get ugly between the Hedges the (Western) Dawgs will come away victorious. Final score: MSU 28 - Georgia 21
UAB - UAB returns their fair share of starters from a team that threatened to sneak up and steal a W from MSU a year ago. It would be easy for the Bulldogs to overlook this game, but these are the situations where coaches earn their keep. Look for Dan Mullen to have the boys in maroon firing on all cylinders by this point. Final score: MSU 42 - UAB 17
South Carolina - The favorite to win an admittedly downtrodden SEC East, SC comes to Starkville likely sporting a perfect record, although early season matchups against Georgia and/or Auburn could put a notch in the L column. Regardless they will still be a national contender and a force to be reckoned with. Garcia at QB and Lattimore running the ball provide a potent offense and the Dawg's D will have their hands full. MSU is lucky enough to host this one at home, and the cowbells will be ringing in celebration of victory at the end of the day. Final score: MSU 27 - SC 24
Kentucky - Riding a high from win over SEC East foe South Carolina, the Bulldogs travel to Lexington to face the Wildcats. This will be a lull in the action by comparison but the Dawgs will handle the Cats handily. Final score: MSU 45 - Kentucky 21
Tennessee-Martin - The homecoming game patsy will show up ready to play, but the Bulldogs can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. Look for the Bulldogs to run up an early lead and play a lot of 2nd and 3rd stringers when it's all said and done. Final score: MSU 42 - TM 13
Alabama - If you've been keeping track you'll know MSU will be sitting at 7-1 coming into what will no doubt be a game that will have repercussions throughout the SEC. The Bulldogs get a couple of lucky breaks in hosting the Crimson Tide at home and facing them after what promises to be a knock-down-drag-out versus LSU the week before. Still, when it's all said and done Bama will out-hustle and out-muscle the Dawgs and hand them their second loss of the season. Final score: MSU 17 - Bama 28
Arkansas - All is not lost, however. The Bulldogs will travel to Little Rock for the penultimate game of the regular season to face the Razorbacks in War Memorial Stadium. Neither team will have forgotten last years double-overtime game that saw the Razorbacks narrowly avoid defeat by a fluke fumble that rolled out the back of the endzone. The Dawgs face a slightly down Arkansas team and pull away late with a win. Final score: MSU 28 - Arkansas 24
Ole Miss - Call it bravado, call it cocky, call it attitude, call it swagger... whatever you call it, call it a W. Ole Miss will be utterly defeated by this point in the season, likely out of the running for any bowl game at all and playing only with the hope of spoiling MSU's season. Dan Mullen will hoist the Egg Bowl Trophy once again, though, and the entire OM campus will be put on suicide watch. Final score: MSU 45 - Ole Miss 23
So there you have it. Call me out if you want, but that's the way I see things shaking down when the dust settles. If your opinion is different I'd love to hear from you, so leave me a comment or email me at houseofhooch@gmail.com and let me know. But honestly, why would you bother when you know I'm right?
Kick off is two short weeks away, with the MSU Bulldogs opening the 2011 season on the road in Memphis, and it's going to be the longest "two short weeks" ever. The season cannot get here fast enough. I have poured over websites and blogs galore, just to curb my appetite for college football. I've speculated until I'm blue in the face... I've even had dreams about tailgating for a game.
But nothing will compare to the butterflies in my stomach when I wake up on gameday in two weeks... It is a strange feeling, at once calming and exciting. So keeping in mind that I have been drinking deeply from the Maroon and White Kool-aid well, here are my predictions for MSU this season:
Memphis - Starting the season ranked in the top 25 carries heightened expectations, and not the least among them is a convincing victory over Memphis. The Bulldogs should (and will) jump out to an early lead and never look back. Final score: MSU 47 - Memphis 10
Auburn - A tough test in any given season, the week 2 trip to the Plains will be a complete 180 from the cakewalk in Memphis. Cam Newton is gone, but Auburn is still fully loaded at most positions and never an opponent to be taken lightly. However the Bulldogs will dash their hopes at a repeat performance on the national stage in their second game of the season. Final score: MSU 35 - Auburn 24
LSU - The Bulldogs won't have long to bask in the glory of their victory, though, as they must turn around and face the LSU Tigers a mere 5 days later in their home opener of the season. A Thursday night showdown in Starkville will be televised by ESPN, where the Bulldogs will face an LSU team that will likely be sitting at 1-1 after facing off with Oregon in week one, and Northwestern State in week 2. I'll let you guess which one is the W. This will likely be a pivotal game for the Bulldogs' season, as making it through this game unscathed will no doubt catapult MSU into the top 10. Unfortunately the quick turnaround and emotional win over Auburn combined with LSU's athleticism at nearly every position will be the Dawgs' undoing. Final score: MSU 27 - LSU 31
Georgia - Mark Richt and the Eastern Bulldogs will likely be sitting at .500 after opening the season with Boise State and South Carolina, although it's entirely possible they could pull out a win over Boise State. Either way they look to be riding a 2 game win streak coming into this game and will be eager to repay MSU for last season's loss. Dan Mullen will have the Bulldogs ready for business this time around, and though it may get ugly between the Hedges the (Western) Dawgs will come away victorious. Final score: MSU 28 - Georgia 21
UAB - UAB returns their fair share of starters from a team that threatened to sneak up and steal a W from MSU a year ago. It would be easy for the Bulldogs to overlook this game, but these are the situations where coaches earn their keep. Look for Dan Mullen to have the boys in maroon firing on all cylinders by this point. Final score: MSU 42 - UAB 17
South Carolina - The favorite to win an admittedly downtrodden SEC East, SC comes to Starkville likely sporting a perfect record, although early season matchups against Georgia and/or Auburn could put a notch in the L column. Regardless they will still be a national contender and a force to be reckoned with. Garcia at QB and Lattimore running the ball provide a potent offense and the Dawg's D will have their hands full. MSU is lucky enough to host this one at home, and the cowbells will be ringing in celebration of victory at the end of the day. Final score: MSU 27 - SC 24
Kentucky - Riding a high from win over SEC East foe South Carolina, the Bulldogs travel to Lexington to face the Wildcats. This will be a lull in the action by comparison but the Dawgs will handle the Cats handily. Final score: MSU 45 - Kentucky 21
Tennessee-Martin - The homecoming game patsy will show up ready to play, but the Bulldogs can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. Look for the Bulldogs to run up an early lead and play a lot of 2nd and 3rd stringers when it's all said and done. Final score: MSU 42 - TM 13
Alabama - If you've been keeping track you'll know MSU will be sitting at 7-1 coming into what will no doubt be a game that will have repercussions throughout the SEC. The Bulldogs get a couple of lucky breaks in hosting the Crimson Tide at home and facing them after what promises to be a knock-down-drag-out versus LSU the week before. Still, when it's all said and done Bama will out-hustle and out-muscle the Dawgs and hand them their second loss of the season. Final score: MSU 17 - Bama 28
Arkansas - All is not lost, however. The Bulldogs will travel to Little Rock for the penultimate game of the regular season to face the Razorbacks in War Memorial Stadium. Neither team will have forgotten last years double-overtime game that saw the Razorbacks narrowly avoid defeat by a fluke fumble that rolled out the back of the endzone. The Dawgs face a slightly down Arkansas team and pull away late with a win. Final score: MSU 28 - Arkansas 24
Ole Miss - Call it bravado, call it cocky, call it attitude, call it swagger... whatever you call it, call it a W. Ole Miss will be utterly defeated by this point in the season, likely out of the running for any bowl game at all and playing only with the hope of spoiling MSU's season. Dan Mullen will hoist the Egg Bowl Trophy once again, though, and the entire OM campus will be put on suicide watch. Final score: MSU 45 - Ole Miss 23
So there you have it. Call me out if you want, but that's the way I see things shaking down when the dust settles. If your opinion is different I'd love to hear from you, so leave me a comment or email me at houseofhooch@gmail.com and let me know. But honestly, why would you bother when you know I'm right?
Thursday, January 6, 2011
We have a lot to discuss...
And I'm going to fly through the DAMN TALKING POINTS as quickly and efficiently as I can:
First off a big ole HOOOUUUAAAHHH!!! to the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Coach Dan Mullen for handing Michigan (winningest program in NCAA history) their worst bowl game loss in the program's history. Keep up the good work, Dawgs!
Now, the bad: Basketball.
Elgin "the Amputee" Bailey and Renardo "New Jack" Sidney come to blows in Hawaii.
Sidney is suspended from playing yet aGAIN (what ever happened to three strikes and you're out?).
Baily and Sidney are sent home from Hawaii and the rest of the road trip.
Rick "I recruit, they shoot" Stansbury waffles harder than a weak-willed fat kid in a candy store, and finally acquiesces to the "talent" he's been chasing and lobbying for over the last year and a half, leading to Elgin "Teddy Bear" Baily requesting a transfer.
Sidney is reinstated, cementing his importance in his own mind.
Twanny "Who?" Beckham is disgusted by the state of the program and sees his playing time greatly diminished with the return of Dee "I need a new watch" Bost, and also requests a transfer.
MSU basketball is 8-6 against a pretty weak OOC schedule (RPI somewhere in the 200's?) and now turns it's focus to the murderer's row known as the SEC.
Can Renardo "All me, all the time" Sidney and Dee "Damn a deadline" Bost change the complexion of this squad and have them in contention for a spot in the big dance come March? No.
That's right I said it.
Some experts have indicated that it will take an SEC west team such as MSU having 12+ conference wins in order to make the dance. Do I think these dawgs can pull together and win 12 of the next 16 games?
Absolutely not... and ultimately it all falls on Rick "X's and O's are for tic-tac-toes" Stansbury's shoulders.
He recruited the "players"(pronounced: prima-donas) and has "coached" them (the word "coached" is in quotation marks because any coach that can't find time to practice the fucking ZONE DEFENSE somewhere along the way BEFORE the season starts isn't doing their damn job, now are they?) to be what they are today. A bunch of individuals who are more concerned with their playing time and their potential NBA futures (pipe dreams) than representing their school and their fans.
Renardo "Double Stuff" Sidney clearly possesses some talent or he wouldn't have been so highly recruited by USC, UCLA and the scores of other schools, but he is literally getting too big for his britches (that's "bRitches", Sid... with an "R"... fatty). He will not magically be in "game shape" this Saturday after bellying up to the buffet twice a week for the last 2 years. He will pant and puff and wheeze and huff, he will quit on plays, and he will walk (not run) down the floor, likely on his 3rd or 4th possession of the game. He will do all this and more (less?) because he is already a star in his own mind, and people like Rick "the Kingmaker" Stansbury feed into that by letting him get away with murder...
Ok so it's not murder, but he did beat the shit outta Elgin.
Still, they are my dawgs and I will cheer them on and hope like hell I end up eating crow in march... I like mine with hot sauce.
Go Dawgs!
A quick look ahead with my predictions...I expect MSU to jump out to a 3-0 start in conference play, followed by a hideous 3 game skid against SEC east teams.
MSU v Bama -MSU wins by 5
MSU v OM -MSU wins by 2
MSU v Auburn -MSU wins by 4
MSU v GA -GA wins by 2
MSU v Vandy -Vandy wins by 6
MSU v Florida -Fla wins by 8
P.S. - In case you're a regular reader and wondering, this basketball team doesn't get theme music until I feel they deserve it.... good or bad.
First off a big ole HOOOUUUAAAHHH!!! to the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Coach Dan Mullen for handing Michigan (winningest program in NCAA history) their worst bowl game loss in the program's history. Keep up the good work, Dawgs!
Now, the bad: Basketball.
Elgin "the Amputee" Bailey and Renardo "New Jack" Sidney come to blows in Hawaii.
Sidney is suspended from playing yet aGAIN (what ever happened to three strikes and you're out?).
Baily and Sidney are sent home from Hawaii and the rest of the road trip.
Rick "I recruit, they shoot" Stansbury waffles harder than a weak-willed fat kid in a candy store, and finally acquiesces to the "talent" he's been chasing and lobbying for over the last year and a half, leading to Elgin "Teddy Bear" Baily requesting a transfer.
Sidney is reinstated, cementing his importance in his own mind.
Twanny "Who?" Beckham is disgusted by the state of the program and sees his playing time greatly diminished with the return of Dee "I need a new watch" Bost, and also requests a transfer.
MSU basketball is 8-6 against a pretty weak OOC schedule (RPI somewhere in the 200's?) and now turns it's focus to the murderer's row known as the SEC.
Can Renardo "All me, all the time" Sidney and Dee "Damn a deadline" Bost change the complexion of this squad and have them in contention for a spot in the big dance come March? No.
That's right I said it.
Some experts have indicated that it will take an SEC west team such as MSU having 12+ conference wins in order to make the dance. Do I think these dawgs can pull together and win 12 of the next 16 games?
Absolutely not... and ultimately it all falls on Rick "X's and O's are for tic-tac-toes" Stansbury's shoulders.
He recruited the "players"(pronounced: prima-donas) and has "coached" them (the word "coached" is in quotation marks because any coach that can't find time to practice the fucking ZONE DEFENSE somewhere along the way BEFORE the season starts isn't doing their damn job, now are they?) to be what they are today. A bunch of individuals who are more concerned with their playing time and their potential NBA futures (pipe dreams) than representing their school and their fans.
Renardo "Double Stuff" Sidney clearly possesses some talent or he wouldn't have been so highly recruited by USC, UCLA and the scores of other schools, but he is literally getting too big for his britches (that's "bRitches", Sid... with an "R"... fatty). He will not magically be in "game shape" this Saturday after bellying up to the buffet twice a week for the last 2 years. He will pant and puff and wheeze and huff, he will quit on plays, and he will walk (not run) down the floor, likely on his 3rd or 4th possession of the game. He will do all this and more (less?) because he is already a star in his own mind, and people like Rick "the Kingmaker" Stansbury feed into that by letting him get away with murder...
Ok so it's not murder, but he did beat the shit outta Elgin.
Still, they are my dawgs and I will cheer them on and hope like hell I end up eating crow in march... I like mine with hot sauce.
Go Dawgs!
A quick look ahead with my predictions...I expect MSU to jump out to a 3-0 start in conference play, followed by a hideous 3 game skid against SEC east teams.
MSU v Bama -MSU wins by 5
MSU v OM -MSU wins by 2
MSU v Auburn -MSU wins by 4
MSU v GA -GA wins by 2
MSU v Vandy -Vandy wins by 6
MSU v Florida -Fla wins by 8
P.S. - In case you're a regular reader and wondering, this basketball team doesn't get theme music until I feel they deserve it.... good or bad.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
The morning aftermath, Alabama State
Ravern Johnson was suspended for the game last night due to missing classes, but ultimately it didn't matter. The Bulldogs pulled out a win in classically sloppy style over Alabama State. The Bulldogs looked slow, lazy, and sloppy but there were some bright spots. Riley Benock seems to finally be coming out of his shell and has improved his offense. Elgin Bailey is looking better and better, and freshman Shaun Smith played well except for a few freshman mistakes.
Tonight marks the (hopefully) triumphant debut of Renardo Sidney on the hardwood. I expect Rick Stansbury to play Sidney 18-20 minutes to see what kind of "game-shape" he's in before heading to the Bahamas this weekend to take on Virginia Tech. Rumor has it that Rick and Renardo have been doing the P90X workout together for several weeks, which, if true, is good news for MSU fans who have expressed some concern about Sidney's weight and conditioning. Just a few short hours and this young man will finally be able to play again after an almost 2 year suspension by the NCAA for what they deemed as "lying to the NCAA." Insert sarcastic comment about Cam and Cecil Newton here.
Good luck, Bulldogs... make us proud, and GO DAWGS!
Tonight marks the (hopefully) triumphant debut of Renardo Sidney on the hardwood. I expect Rick Stansbury to play Sidney 18-20 minutes to see what kind of "game-shape" he's in before heading to the Bahamas this weekend to take on Virginia Tech. Rumor has it that Rick and Renardo have been doing the P90X workout together for several weeks, which, if true, is good news for MSU fans who have expressed some concern about Sidney's weight and conditioning. Just a few short hours and this young man will finally be able to play again after an almost 2 year suspension by the NCAA for what they deemed as "lying to the NCAA." Insert sarcastic comment about Cam and Cecil Newton here.
Good luck, Bulldogs... make us proud, and GO DAWGS!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
It's still football season, right?
As the MSU football teams preps for their visit to Jacksonville, FL for the 2011 Gator Bowl, the basketball team is already seven games into their season.
The Basketball Dawgs are now sitting at 5-2 after the first seven games. There are a couple of bad losses to Florida Atlantic and East Tennessee State that are going to hurt the Bulldog's chances come tournament time, so the Dawgs are hoping to find some production from their role-players until the duo of Dee Bost and Renardo Sidney return to the hardwood.
Dee Bost missed the NBA Draft withdrawal deadline by approximately 24 hours, causing the NCAA to suspend him for nine games. Renardo Sidney was the much maligned transfer student who was accused (but never proven) to receive improper benefits and the NCAA SUSPECTS that he lied, so he sat out an entire season plus sitting a third of this season as well. And for those of you keeping track, Cam Newton's dad asked for $200,000 for his son to play football at Auburn "without his knowledge"* which resulted in him being suspended between the hours of 9 pm and 9 am for one day, I guess, if he, sorta, you know, felt like being suspended, or whatever....
* - UTTER. BULLSHIT.
Anyway, the NCAA in it's infinite wisdom makes these decisions on a case-by-case basis, and CLEARLY it's always with the student-athlete's best interests at heart, but I digress.
The Basketball Dawgs are in the midst of a 5-games-in-5-days stretch. Having dropped the first of the five to East Tennessee St. the Bulldogs rebounded (get it? a little basketball humor for you there) with 2 straight wins over North Carolina A&T and a scrappy Nicholls State team that beat SEC West foe LSU on their home court earlier this season.
Conventional wisdom dictates that SEC teams shouldn't lose to "lesser foes" like Florida Atlantic, but it seems every season Rick Stansbury and the Basketball Bulldogs leave fans scratching their heads at the odd loss here or there. Hopefully when the Dynamic Duo of Bost and Sidney return (which one should be Batman, anyway?) the offensive production will pick up, and the outlook will become more palatable. For now, we have to look to players like Rayvern Johnson and Kodi Augustus to step in and produce until we get our full lineup back. Hang in there, Dawgs... January will be here before you know it.
The Basketball Dawgs are now sitting at 5-2 after the first seven games. There are a couple of bad losses to Florida Atlantic and East Tennessee State that are going to hurt the Bulldog's chances come tournament time, so the Dawgs are hoping to find some production from their role-players until the duo of Dee Bost and Renardo Sidney return to the hardwood.
Dee Bost missed the NBA Draft withdrawal deadline by approximately 24 hours, causing the NCAA to suspend him for nine games. Renardo Sidney was the much maligned transfer student who was accused (but never proven) to receive improper benefits and the NCAA SUSPECTS that he lied, so he sat out an entire season plus sitting a third of this season as well. And for those of you keeping track, Cam Newton's dad asked for $200,000 for his son to play football at Auburn "without his knowledge"* which resulted in him being suspended between the hours of 9 pm and 9 am for one day, I guess, if he, sorta, you know, felt like being suspended, or whatever....
* - UTTER. BULLSHIT.
Anyway, the NCAA in it's infinite wisdom makes these decisions on a case-by-case basis, and CLEARLY it's always with the student-athlete's best interests at heart, but I digress.
The Basketball Dawgs are in the midst of a 5-games-in-5-days stretch. Having dropped the first of the five to East Tennessee St. the Bulldogs rebounded (get it? a little basketball humor for you there) with 2 straight wins over North Carolina A&T and a scrappy Nicholls State team that beat SEC West foe LSU on their home court earlier this season.
Conventional wisdom dictates that SEC teams shouldn't lose to "lesser foes" like Florida Atlantic, but it seems every season Rick Stansbury and the Basketball Bulldogs leave fans scratching their heads at the odd loss here or there. Hopefully when the Dynamic Duo of Bost and Sidney return (which one should be Batman, anyway?) the offensive production will pick up, and the outlook will become more palatable. For now, we have to look to players like Rayvern Johnson and Kodi Augustus to step in and produce until we get our full lineup back. Hang in there, Dawgs... January will be here before you know it.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Credentials applied for...
Please excuse the hanging preposition in the title...
The House of Hooch has applied for media credentials for the 2011 Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, FL! Hopefully the reviewing committee considers my publication as valid as all of my loyal readers. Whatever the case, I make you this sincere promise, avid reader... I will have the best game-day sideline coverage of any MSU sports blog, period!
Either way, House of Hooch will be on hand for the Gator Bowl, so things are bound to get interesting!
The House of Hooch has applied for media credentials for the 2011 Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, FL! Hopefully the reviewing committee considers my publication as valid as all of my loyal readers. Whatever the case, I make you this sincere promise, avid reader... I will have the best game-day sideline coverage of any MSU sports blog, period!
Either way, House of Hooch will be on hand for the Gator Bowl, so things are bound to get interesting!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)