Published October 31, 2012 - 9:32am
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Roughly 100 miles separate one of the biggest rivalries little known to the rest of the country between Ole Miss and Mississippi State, and when each other’s program is on the rise and finding success, the other team’s fans won’t hear any of it. In fact, they will shun you. Write anything good about TSUN (the school up north), and you will get hate mail from Mississippi State fans. Trust me.
Outside of the heated rivalry and banter between the programs, we have two of the biggest up-and-coming coaches in the country in Dan Mullen and Hugh Freeze architecting brilliant seasons for each team for totally different reasons.
But which one has actually done the better job this season up to this point?
Dan Mullen got his veteran-laid squad off to a 7-0 start and was ranked #11 in the country before falling in a very expected way on the road to Alabama. MSU was outmatched against the Tide. Hell, everyone is. So, Mullen sits 7-1 and ranked #15 in the country. His quarterback is fifth in the SEC in passing yardage with 1,742 yards and 15 touchdowns to go along with just two interceptions. Mullen took a 7-6 2011 team and equaled their wins in as many weeks.
State fans and their program all wanted respect from the rest of the country for a team that had proved little before last weekend. The Bulldogs’ three conference wins have come against Auburn, Kentucky and Tennessee. Those three programs’ records are a combined 5-20 for the year. However, State has taken care of business in the games they are supposed to.
Dan Mullen is a fantastic coach who puts his players in a position to succeed on the field with his type of offense. And he’s done a nice job elevating the play of his defense, too, with the likes of Johnthan Banks, Darius Slay and Cam Lawrence, among others.
Before the start of the season, we knew MSU would have the opportunity with a weaker schedule to play Alabama undefeated. That happened.
Current State: 7-1 overall, 3-1 SEC
Remaining Schedule:
Nov. 3: #16 Texas A&M
Nov. 10: at #5 LSU
Nov. 17: Arkansas
Nov. 24: at Ole Miss
Buzz: The best-case scenario for the remainder of the season is finishing 10-2 with wins against Texas A&M, Arkansas and Ole Miss. The worst case finish is losing three of the last four games. A 10-win season in the SEC West is a major accomplishment, and Mullen would make some noise for accomplishing such a feat.
Roughly100 miles North in Oxford, Hugh Freeze is already getting serious recognition for Coach of the Year honors for transforming the Rebels from a 2-10 team that lost 14 SEC games in a row into a viable contender and competitor against anyone in the SEC. Don’t look now, but the Rebels have won two SEC games in a row and played #16 Texas A&M down to the final minute to only be Manzieled late. In fact, the Rebels’ three losses have come against ranked opponents – Texas, Alabama and Texas A&M.
Freeze’s up-tempo offense has scored 259 points in eight games, compared to a total of just 193 points in 2011. The defense is making strides, too, and are right in the middle of the pack at ninth in the SEC in total defense after finishing dead last in 2011.
The only team to run the Rebels off of the field in ‘12 was not Alabama – it was Texas, earlier in the year. The Rebels gave Alabama their toughest test to date on the road in Bryant-Denny Stadium, punching in two touchdowns.
Current State: 5-3 overall, 2-2 SEC
Remaining Schedule:
Nov. 3: at #6 Georgia
Nov. 10: at Vanderbilt
Nov. 17: at #5 LSU
Nov. 24: Mississippi State
Buzz: Sitting at five wins entering week 10, Ole Miss has a chance to win two of the last four, only needing one for a bowl berth now. Georgia and LSU will be very tough games indeed, and Vanderbilt should be a win for the resurged Rebels. The Egg Bowl could be the deciding factor from a great turnaround and a bowl berth with six wins to a fantastic season beating their fiercest rival in their home stadium.
Neither school would trade their coach for the other one, as MSU has created an identity with Mullen, and Ole Miss is stoked about the life Freeze breathed back into an exhausted program and fan base. That’s what’s beautiful about this rivalry. Each fan base thinks they really have their coach to lead them into many future seasons of success.
However, Mullen has owned the state for the last three years, beating Ole Miss by a combined 103 to 53 since 2009. And I’m not sure Freeze could be awarded the SEC’s Coach of the Year unless he beats his rival in the Egg Bowl. I am already looking forward to this game.
I don’t think Ole Miss can win it this year, but I’m really impressed with Freeze’s performance thus far. Both of these coaches are doing good things, but I would have to say that Freeze has done the most. That much being said, he also had much more improvements to make as MSU was over .500 last year. Great job by both coaches, I am especially glad to see Ole Miss back in the fight.
No doubt Freeze is doing the best job. MSU has played nobody, and they want respect based on the fact they slept walked through the first seven games. Ole Miss would have been 7-0 with that weak schedule, too. Hell, Auburn would be bowl eligible. Ole Miss played alabama tough too. I think Ole Miss wins the Egg Bowl.
state has played no one. Bama showed us that they aren’t about anything. ole miss was actually able to score on alabama’s first string defense. no doubt saban could have beaten state 49-0 if he was feeling angry. ole miss should be able to pull out a win in the egg bowl this year, but it’ll be close. state does have a great secondary and a good quarterback.
Absolutely hands down, Freeze. LOVE this coach. We are so thankful for him and what he’s doign with our football program!
Both coaches have these programs going in the right direction, but Freeze has done a whole lot more with a great deal less to work with *(although Freeze screwed up in the TAMU game). I think the Egg Bowl will competitive this year, which something that has been lacking for some time now. The real test will be 2 to 3 seasons from now when Freeze has a roster flush with his own recruits, but this year, to date he has done the better job. We’ll see if we can say the same thing at the end of November.
Freeze is doing a great job I agree but Dan the man faced a way worse situation when he arrived at State than Freeze did at Ole Miss. I bleed maroon but it is much harder to recruit talent to State than Ole Miss. Sly Croom almost devestated the program and it has taken Dan 3 years just to get a team that don’t go 2 & 10. Now for all you that want to talk about a weak schedule who the f*** did Bama play before State ? Ark, Tsun, Misso & Tenn WOW!!!!
Yeah Dan has done a good job, but did you see our team last year? Ole Miss was a joke and Freeze has turned it around and actually frightened Saban for 15 seconds. He without a doubt had his work cut out for him when he arrived. I’m surprised he even took the job. Thank God for Archie and his influence on hiring coaches.
Coach Freeze is a lot better than Nut you can already see great improvement and I strongly believe Ole Miss will have an even match up against State. State hasn’t played really any good teams and won. They have played one ranked team. Ole Miss has the toughest schedule in the NCAA while MSU has the 51st toughest and Ole Miss is doing well. Overall I think Coach Hugh Freeze is a better coach because he is around the idea that family is more important than any game but is willing to go out of his way to make Ole Miss the best.
Through my Maroon colored glasses may make it hard for me to see but I think people are being a little generous to TSUN. Don’t get me wrong Hugh Freeze is doing an amazing job, this is the best job I have seen a first year coach do at a program since I can remember, he is an amazing and dynamic coach who undoubtedly have lots of success in his career. TSUN had the toughest schedule at the beginning of the season in the entire NCAA and State simply did not even come close, however, that #1 toughest schedules is probably no longer the gospel truth.
Ole Miss going 5-3 so far is mind blowing considering they looked like a 2-10 squad before their Sept 1 kick-off, but we have to remember 2 of those wins are coming from significantly weaker Arkansas and Auburn than we all expected this year, last year they would have been 3-5 at this point. So yes their 5-3 record is amazing considering, you have to remember whow other teams are performing as well, simply its a down year for 2 typically dominate SEC programs.
If you look at Mullen’s first year he went 5-7 against a much tougher schedule than TSUN has this year only dropping one unacceptable loss against Houston, but coming up with a huge win over #25 TSUN. I don’t think Freezsze would do have done that well playing the same schedule. Since then he has done pretty well and really been taking a historically crap program and making it something to talk about.
Also, State always has a tougher time recruiting I don’t know how but TSUN always pulls in great recruits even when they play like crap, so honestly he probably had more undeveloped talent on his squad on arrival than Mullen.
All in all though, if TSUN had State’s schedule I think they too would be 7-1 at this point. I think so far Freeze has been a more impressive coach this year because so little was expected, but Mullen has done something that hasn’t been done at State in a very long time, keep winning after we’ve won.
Well see who is the better coach come Nov. 24, this game is a whole lot sexier than usual and I look forward to it but I don’t think I have to worry about dirty TSUN hands being all over my beautiful Golden Egg Trophy.
Hail State!! GTHTSUN!!
@MSUath121 I think you are exactly right! I agree completely. I am a huge State fan but I respect what Freeze has done at TSUN and actually I’m somewhat excited about it since they’ve been so terrible the last couple of years, now the Egg Bowl will be a much bigger stage for us to beat them on! And Hail State!!
the question was this year….we all know what a terrible situation state college was in…#failstate
It is a good question and a good debate. Quite frankly I’m glad that it is even up for debate. I cannot stand MSU however I would rather both teams be average to above average than to have either or both be terrible. I think Dan Mullen has done a fine job since arriving at MSU, not sure if his situation or Coach Freeze’s situation was worse but suffice to say neither got left a whole lot of talent or positivity. MSUs schedule hasn’t been great but they have beaten who they were supposed to and other than the TAMU game I’m surprised we are where we are even if Auburn and Arkansas are both dumpster fires. With only 64 scholarship players and solid schedule I would give the nod to Coach Freeze at this point, but let’s see how the final weeks play out and if we can remove the Egg Bowl trophy from the boys at Cowbell U. Hotty Toddy!
I have high hopes for the Egg Bowl, but regardless of how it ends I’m proud of our accomplishments this year. I do think Freeze inherited a worse situation and brought us further. I wish we had gotten state’s schedule! Hotty Toddy!
Wow! Let me say first that we could never have had this kind of intelligent, friendly, non trash talking discussion with the likes of LSU fans. I am and have been a huge fan of the Rebs for the past 30 years or so. Since I was old enough to say Hotty Toddy. We have been through the good times (Eli years) and terrible times (Houston Nutt years). Our fans have complained, but mostly stayed true. Hugh Freeze has given us much needed hope and excitement that was beginning to fade from the fans and players. He has taken an emotionally beat down 2-10 team and given it new life. Walked into a mess with a what seemed like impossible schedule and showed everyone what could be done with a little effort and confidence. No one expected us to look this good with only 2 games left. Yes, we could have and should have beat Vandy, but its over now and it’s time to look ahead to a very tough but not entirely impossible game next week with LSU. Who knows how that will go? Never count us out. Look what TAMU did with Bama. The Egg Bowl is a toss up. No offense to MSU, but we really haven’t seen what they can do. There only true SEC tests have been against giant teams which killed them. I think we are probably even talent wise but we seem to fall apart in th 4th quarter on games we are leading. I think Mullen and Freeze are both stand out coaches. Freeze, in my book, has stood out because of the team he inherited and turned into true SEC competitors. Nobody can argue the fact that was pretty much expected to fail and has come out and shown that we shouldn’t be counted out or underestimated, which has been the mistake of many of our competitors this year. I think we scared Saban and that is why he made is comments about not liking uptempo offenses in football. It’s a great concept as long as we don’t play out by the second half. That being said, I’m excited about the Egg Bowl and the seasons to come. Ole Miss has a bright future in football under Freeze. It’s been a while since anybody could say that with a straight face. 😉