What if Leach was still MSU's coach in 2023? Where are they right now?

[Blake]

If Leach never has his cardiac event and is still the MSU coach, Arnett is DC, and the Air Raid is in its 4th year at MSU....

 

Where is MSU's record right now instead of 4-4? And the expectations for the next 4 games?

[Former Coach]

If the defense played as they have all year probably the same. If better defense then probably 5-3, 6-2 at best.

[Blake]

I would think that in the above scenario Arnett being at the helm of the defense would be a good thing. I strongly believe they'd be playing better than they are right now. Not having a Martin Emmerson or Forbes at CB is a liability for sure. But I do believe the defense is better with him calling the plays there. 

 

And year four of the offense with an OL and WR core that knows the blocking and the routes would be doing better than what we're seeing here in year one of Barbay's offense. I do not think Barbay is a bad OC, but definitely experiencing growing pains there, especially on the OL.

 

I agree with 5-3 with a shot at 6-2 at this point in the season. And with the four remaining games? I think MSU would have a good shot at winning 2 of them and maybe even 3 of them. But as it stands right now I think only the Southern Miss game looks likely.

[Dawg83]

6-2 and probably would’ve beaten Kentucky to get to 7-2. So A&M and Ole Miss games would’ve been for a chance at a 9 or 10 win season.

 

Elephant in the room though is State was about to have a mass exodus on offense if Leach was still around. A lot of the offensive skill players were unhappy in the Air Raid.

[MSTSatchmo]

38 minutes ago, Dawg83 said:

Elephant in the room though is State was about to have a mass exodus on offense if Leach was still around. A lot of the offensive skill players were unhappy in the Air Raid.

I could understand some of the RBs, Johnson was gone before Leach passed, but were the WRs not happy because too many people get the ball?  
 

I say they’d be at 5-3.  Of course if Rogers was still injured I don’t know if they beat Auburn.  Rogers still had a career game against SC, and they lost.   Maybe Arnett at DC could have got a few stops on the defensive side.  

Edited October 31, 2023 by MSTSatchmo

[maroontide06]

35 minutes ago, Dawg83 said:

Elephant in the room though is State was about to have a mass exodus on offense if Leach was still around. A lot of the offensive skill players were unhappy in the Air Raid.

That's an interesting line of thought.  It just makes you wonder who you would have lost because Leach would have still had his QB's that entered the portal.  I reckon it would be a receiving room overhaul.

[Dawg83]

19 hours ago, MSTSatchmo said:

I could understand some of the RBs, Johnson was gone before Leach passed, but were the WRs not happy because too many people get the ball?  

1. That’s partially it, Leach used a huge rotation at WR regardless of who was producing. Good for building team depth, not good for WR’s who want more than 2-3 targets per game.

 

2. The way teams defended State made it not fun to be apart of that offense. WR’s want to catch deep balls and score on big plays, not dink and dunk for 5 yards at a time.

 

3. State is not a program that puts WR’s in the NFL and Leach struggled to do that as well other than guys like Crabtree and Welker.

 

State did lose RaRa Thomas and Dillon Johnson and don’t forget Tulu Griffin and Zavion Thomas both entered the portal before being convinced to return. There were also heavy rumors that suggested Marks was potentially leaving if State stuck with the Air Raid.