John Blanchette apparently also writes under other names. Sheesh.
I don't follow MSU closely, so I don't know if they might realistically have been expected to do better than they did this season, with a new coach, new systems and no spring ball. I will say that CML had a better defense to support him than he usually inherits when he moves. I expected 5 wins back when he moved to Starkville, based on a full season and the usual noncon cream puffs, but I didn't have enough real info to feel confident in that prediction.
I have no doubt that all the covid-related stuff hurt every new staff at schools that changed coaches after last season...and Leach may have been hurt most of all, given the Stark (
) difference between the prior offense and the air raid. We all know that Leach will blame everyone else first, so his comments are not a big surprise.
I am guessing that my original 5 win prediction for this season will probably play out pretty closely next fall. They only have 2 cream puffs on the schedule (the other two, Memphis and NC State, may well be favored when they play them), and only Vandy looks certain among the league games. They may possibly squeak into a 6 win season and a toilet bowl appearance by their fingernails, but the odds are against them.
If Leach misses a bowl in 2021, then he has to win in 2022 or he will be gone. I think he can do it, but it will be an uphill climb. He needs to have an answer for the rush 3, drop 8 D. He could not be troubled to come up with anything to this point, and maybe he is simply not capable of coming up with something. We will see next fall, one way or the other.