For years now Dan Mullen has harped to anyone who would listen on how recruiting stars doesn’t matter, and most Mississippi State fans bought it hook, line and sinker.
That’s how you spin it when your instate rival hammers you in recruiting each year.
And, yes, Mullen and his staff have done a darn good job developing some kids who aren’t 4-star recruits to help the program win. But to consistently beat the top teams in the Southeastern Conference, you have to have top talent.
Mullen is a system coach who believes he can plug in just about any “good” player and make him a “great player.” You can’t really argue with what he has done so far in terms of winning and bowl success.
Mullen’s record is 54-33 at Mississippi State and he has the 8-4 Bulldogs headed to a school-record sixth consecutive bowl, but the MSU coach has lost two straight Egg Bowls in blowout fashion. Now, some fans couldn’t care less if he bolts for another job since he apparently interviewed for the Miami vacancy.
After making such a huge deal about the rivalry with Ole Miss from Day 1, Mullen is now 1-3 against Rebel head coach Hugh Freeze. Before the arrival of Freeze, Mullen talked about never losing again to Ole Miss.
Now, that’s all he does. Simply put, Freeze’s teams during 2012, 2014 and 2015 victories have looked much better coached and motivated. The Rebels have played tougher, smarter and harder.
Heck, Mullen was so out of it last Saturday in Starkville, when his team fell behind 28-3, that it appeared he already had one foot out the door.
It’s a shame MSU spent that money on those “Our State” billboards. Freeze quickly put an end to all that mess.
And to make matters worse Saturday after another embarrassing loss to his bitter rival, Mullen, who is just 6-29 against ranked teams, didn’t take any of the blame. Instead of acknowledging how ill-prepared the Bulldogs were or how he again made terrible in-game decisions and play-calls, Mullen pointed the finger back at the media in his post-game press conference, talking about how his team surpassed everyone’s low expectations for 2015.
The bottom line is he needs better players to beat the better teams, and whether State fans choose to admit it or not, Ole Miss has been one of the better teams in the league the last two seasons.
Anyone who watched Saturday’s game and knows anything knows Ole Miss had superior talent at almost every position. The Rebels were stronger in the trenches, faster at the skill positions and much quicker on defense.
Since Freeze came to Ole Miss, he has kicked Mullen’s tail in recruiting, and it has shown in the last two head-to-head meetings on the field. The Bulldog coach needs to drop his arrogant “my way” approach to recruiting and do a better job bringing in better players.
For now, Freeze and the Rebels are proving that stars do matter when it comes to the Egg Bowl.
