Josh Barnhill is the lead writer for MaroonandWhiteNation.com (@mandwnation), and graduated from Mississippi State in 2007. According to Josh, he grew up as much an Auburn fan as a Mississippi State fan, not to mention that half of his family went to Auburn, so I guess we’ll give him half a pass. It will be up to you if he deserves it after you read all the Cam/cowbell related questions.
1. At this exact moment, what’s the first thing Mississippi State fans think of when it comes to Auburn football?
2/3 of us are thinking about Cam Newton. The other 1/3 about Chris Relf being stopped at the 6 inch line.
2. Are there any hot shot JUCO quarterbacks that Dan Mullen is recruiting for next season that we should plan on starting for Auburn anytime soon?
We have currently instructed the brass to discontinue recruiting any potential juco quarterbacks as cheating and transfer QBs are more successful in Oxford and on the Plains. We have also earmarked a substantial bit of cash for one lucky Bama fan who is willing to inject their substance of choice into the Auburn soil in the event the past events are repeated.
3. Now that Chizik and Cam are completely gone, do State fans have the same amount of hate for Auburn as they did in 2010? Does Malzahn still being part of the mix make a difference?
Cam took classes at Auburn there this spring, so his stink is still around campus. No one cares about Chizik or Malzahn. The beating in Starkville last September released a lot of frustration, but there is still plenty of bad memories revolving around what happened two years ago.
4. Name two past and two current Auburn football players that scare you and why.
Past: Nick Fairley – he decided to have his coming out party against us in 2010. He, not Cam, is the reason you won that game.
Anyone who played from 2002-2006 – read the record books.
Present: Tre Mason – just because kickoffs have been a major problem in this game the last two years.
If there are any other potential murderers, drug addicts or thugs – that guy.
5. Name two Mississippi St. players that Auburn fans may not know about now, but should keep their eyes on.
Preston Smith, DE – he is an up and comer who is expected to have a big year opposite the ultra talented Denico Autry.
Benardrick McKinney, MLB – a physical freak (6′-5″ 235) he was a freshman All-American last year.
6. What are the expectations from the fanbase for the 2013 season?
Please just get to a bowl game. And if we could beat a ranked team we will throw Mullen a parade.
7. How hot is Dan Mullen’s seat? How long until 8 wins isn’t enough?
No way. Mississippi State has never, as in NEVER, been to 4 straight bowl games. Dan Mullen has a chance to do that within his first 5 years at MSU. He has also improved on the recruiting trails each year he has been at State. We aren’t stupid. We know where we sit within the SEC West and we can’t just go out and bag 5-stars without proving a little bit on the field first (we are trying to do this honestly unlike our brothers to the north). 8 wins is great for MSU – what we have currently is a solid foundation that if he keeps up will allow the program to potentially have a special year and compete for the West if the ball bounces just right or we get a special player that changes the game.
8. What’s your early score prediction for this year’s Auburn game?
I haven’t really had a chance to study up on it yet, but I’ll go with 31-27 State.
9. What is your early outlook for the season for Auburn and Mississippi State?
Auburn is definitely a wildcard this year. I’d put them right behind Tennessee in terms of it being hard to predict what they will do. Losing guys like McCalebb, Lutz and Blake on the offense is going to make Malzahn’s job a little tougher but I’m sure he’ll find a way to score points. I would expect Auburn to go at least 6-6 and possibly get up to 8-4. The trips to Arkansas and Tennessee will be huge, and I think having a week off before Ole Miss at home could end up being a win for y’all.
A lot may be determined by what happens against Oklahoma State in the season opener for MSU. That is a huge game that we are already a 2-touchdown underdog for. Obviously Auburn is a big time swing game that is huge every year, and we need to find a way to beat Arkansas and Ole Miss. My expectation is a 7-5 season. I could see anywhere between 5-7 and 8-4, however.
10. How many cowbells do yoCLANGACLANGACLANGACLANGA…
I only have one right now. I broke a few in college. Y’all just wait until the game in 2014. We are bowling in the north endzone right now and it will be finished by that game – the cowbells with be even louder and y’all will despise them even more.
10 comments
You’d think they’d be a little more grateful to Auburn for taking the heat for them after they tried to buy Cam. They should also be grateful to Cam for not accepting their $, otherwise they’d be in actual trouble instead of the wrist slap they received for buying that other kid.
Nice try Chris. I understand defending Auburn, but not so blindly that you can’t even get the story straight. MSU didn’t try to “buy Cam”. Cecil Newton asked for $180,000 in exchange for his son’s signature on a LOI. MSU said they could not do that and soon thereafter reported it to the SEC office. There was never an offer of money, just a request.
Assuming Auburn didn’t pay for Cam, how should MSU be grateful to them for taking heat over him and his father’s actions? After all he won you a national title and you have been cleared by the NCAA – in the history books the stress of Nov. 2010 will be forgotten by the Auburn faithful.
Finally, MSU did not buy ‘that other kid’ (Will Redmond). He received a couple hundred dollars cash and a car rental to come on an unofficial visit (that he wanted to take) to Starkville. And he got a $2,000 discount on a car – which I believe we all have haggled a car down at least $2K in our lifetimes.
How conveniently you leave out the name Kenny Rogers. You know, the only quoted source of any allegations, the only person John Bond ever spoke to, the street agent, the guy who pretended to be an NFLPA rep, and, oh that’s right, the Moo U alum. Yes, this all points quite clearly to Cecil being the instigator of the whole sordid affair. Especially when Moo U was subsequently penalized for activity of the inappropriate benefits nature. Which, you know, they were, no matter how you try to explain it away.
They only quoted source? How about Cecil admitting he asked for money.
Cecil asked for money, and Kenny Rogers tried to get it for him. The MSU coaches said no and reported it while Rogers tried to get it for him from MSU alumni – and when John Bond caught wind of it he alerted the MSU compliance department.
Just because Kenny Rogers tried to get money for the Newtons does not indite MSU whatsoever. No money exchanged hands, therefore no penalties were committed. It is not MSU’s fault that one of its alumni was involved in this or that Cecil asked for money. They handled it appropriately.
And the case involving Will Redmond occurred two full years after Cam Newton so I’m not sure how or why you are trying to correlate the two events.
Ahem.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2011/11/auburn-cam-newton-ncaa-investigation/1#.Ue2EBI21GRY
As for the Will Redmond deal, it only exposes the irony of fans of a school who is willing to pay for players crying foul in the direction of a school that isn’t.
Chris – that article you linked said nothing to dispute what I said.
Here is a quote from it: “The NCAA affirmed MSU’s findings earlier this year that Rogers, despite all this, wasn’t a representative of MSU’s athletic interests. MSU cast Rogers as a rogue and the NCAA agreed. Rogers officially has been disassociated from MSU.”
What amazes me is how Auburn can’t let this go. The above answers in the Q&A mentioned Cam Newton only because the questions by the Auburn interviewee brought them up. You are the one bringing up how MSU cheated.
No way he should half a pass. He obviously is for Miss. St.
A little classless his answer to two current auburn players that scare you as “If there are any other potential murderers, drug addicts or thugs – that guy”
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