It’s that time of year when “experts” say who your football team will beat and who will beat them. In a four-month span from the Sept. heat to the chilly Nov. afternoon in the blink of an eye. By season’s end the elite teams will get a BCS bowl. Other teams will sink to another bowl–one of porcelain and swishing sound effects.
So the question springs up on campus: After three lean years, how will Mississippi State do on the gridiron this season? Well, the expected win totals espoused from the pundits ranged from two to six. Those who said six included a nomination for head coach Sylvester Croom for coach of the year.
While two wins for the fourth year in a row seems unlikely, six might be a horizon. That depends on who’s returning and impact freshmen.
State graduated its top passer (Kevin Fant) and receiver (Justin Jenkins) from a year ago and its top rusher (Nick Turner) and others have failed Croom’s standards. The lackadaisical “player’s coach” (as Jackie Sherrill called himself) is gone. Croom is here with his rules, his expectations.
Even he can’t predict how his team will perform against Tulane Saturday and he has been observing and teaching and shaping the 100-plus individuals for almost nine months. His expectations of his team go beyond the lines onto this campus and into the community. His expectations are just as high as the most desperate fans in Bulldog country.
He has a new offense, a novice quarterback at the collegiate level, a pending NCAA investigation and a team that was near the bottom in yards and points allowed in 2003.
But he also has players that he has made earn the right to wear Maroon and White and that can’t be figured into any of the expert calculations.
Fans should keep expectations “real” for the win column, but believe in the team’s desire to do the best they can to represent this university on and off the field.
That’s what Croom expects this season.
The Reflector editorial board is made up of opinion editor Angela Adair, news editor Elizabeth Crisp, assistant news editor Jessica Bowers, sports editor Craig Peters, entertainment editor Dustin Barnes, managing editor Pam McTeer and editor in chief Josh Foreman.