SEC Pre(dicition) Season: Mississippi State

WMack4Bama

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Staff member
Nov 7, 2008
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Tuscaloosa, AL
Why they'll be good
  • Very, very favorable schedule
  • Key returning players like QB Dak Prescott, RB Josh Robinson, WR Jameon Lewis, LB Benardrick McKinney, and DL Chris Jones

Why they'll be bad

  • Midseason slump will bring them back down to earth after a cupcake to start out

Schedule Prediction

vs. Southern Miss - W
vs. UAB - W
@ South Alabama (?!!!) - W
@ LSU - L
vs. TAMU - L
vs. Auburn - L
@ Kentucky - W
vs. Arkansas - W
vs. UT-Martin - W
@ Bama - L
vs. Vandy - W
vs. Ole Miss - L (although it's a toss-up)

Summary

7-5 but QUITE POSSIBLY 8-4

This was my first time looking at their schedule just before I wrote this. Now I see why there's so much excitement in Starkville. There's a very real shot for them to win 8 games this season. There's also a very real chance that Dan Mullen gets fired or see his seat become increasingly hotter.

The first 2 are gimmes, but I'd be leary of USA. They took Tennessee to the wire last season IN KNOXVILLE. Now the Bulldogs head in the Ladd-Peebles and there's no telling how amped Joey will have his squad for this one. But I still think MSU pulls out a hard fought one. And then it's back to life back to reality that will see them get beat up by LSU, get outscored by TAMU, and get destroyed by Auburn. Both seasons that Auburn has gone to the national title game, Miss St. is the one team that's given them fits. During both of those seasons, it was an early game and the offense had not yet jelled and figured itself out. Not the case at all here as Marshall & Co. will be in their 2nd season in the offense and this game falls in the heart of the schedule.

Kentucky, Arkansas, and UT-Martin will get things going back in the right direction before they come to Tuscaloosa for a stomping. Vandy will be the perfect warmup game before they go back to the Egg Bowl. The way they won the Egg Bowl last season was a bit flukish. I don't think Ole Miss would drop the ball (no pun) again this season, but this IS Ole Miss we're talking about. I think the Egg Bowl will be a turning point for Mullen. If he wins,and they have an 8 win season and go to the PepBoy's Bowl, I think he's fine. But if he wins 7 game and caps it with a loss to Ole Miss, this could very well be the end of his era.

Your thoughts?
 

JustNeedMe81

Hall of Fame
Sep 30, 2011
14,905
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Huntsville, Al
Their defense is decent. If they execute right they can give teams fits on run game. But they can't be consistent. I see upset win from Arkansas. Well know how good they are when they play LSU.
 

Matt0424

All-American
Jan 16, 2010
3,909
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55
Hoover, Al
I'm in complete agreement on this one. I think they may be one of the tougher outs this season, but still think their ceiling is around 8 wins.
 

CrimsonForce

Hall of Fame
Dec 20, 2012
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LSU game will tell the tale of their season. They have to beat a team they aren't supposed to. I don't see MSU winning that game.
 

bamacon

Hall of Fame
Apr 11, 2008
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College Football's Mecca, Tuscaloosa
I think they'll have a better than normal year. I think they'll sneak up some people this year. They'll beat LSU and A&M, lose to Bama, AU and for some odd reason Ole Sis...


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Not sure about beating both Tiger teams but I almost guarantee they'll sneak out one win in that LSU, AU, and A&M stretch. They return almost every starter on both sides. Their defense is beast.
 

jps1983

Hall of Fame
Aug 30, 2006
7,459
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7-5 looks right. I agree with the outcomes predicted. I don't think Ole. Miss will be a toss up other than it being a rivalry. I could see MSU losing to Vandy, but I doubt that happens. They'll be bowling this year and may get to a decent bowl.
 

ALA2262

All-American
Aug 4, 2007
4,977
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Cumming, GA
Schedule Prediction

vs. Southern Miss - W
vs. UAB - W
@ South Alabama (?!!!) - W
@ LSU - L
vs. TAMU - W
vs. Auburn - W
@ Kentucky - W
vs. Arkansas - W
vs. UT-Martin - W
@ Bama - L
vs. Vandy - W
@ Ole Miss - L (although it's a toss-up)

9-3 (5-3)




 
Last edited:

BamaHoosier

All-American
Jan 17, 2011
3,614
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Noblesville Indiana
Mittittippi Tate will probably be the popular dark horse pick to compete in the West this year, but I'm still not buying it. They'll have the talent to stay competitive in pretty much all of their games, and I think they'll win the games they should, but I don't think they have the killer mentality it or the mental toughness to pull of many upsets. MSU has a culture that is geared towards mediocrity, and until that culture is changed, they will forever be that team who can't get over the hump. I'd call them for about 7-8 wins this year, I'd also guess that anything less than that will get Mullen's seat burning a bit
 

capnfrog

All-American
Aug 17, 2002
3,556
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155
Pell city, Al. U.S.A.
I think Mullen and company will surprise some people this season, not top talent but veteran players that are not slouches. Mullen shouldn't be on the hot seat because frankly Miss. St. can't do better at hiring a HC than CDM
 

BamaMoon

Hall of Fame
Apr 1, 2004
20,931
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Boone, NC
If they beat LSU in Death Valley I'll start paying attention!

Seems like we hear they're going to be "much improved" every other year. If winning 8 games is their goal maybe they'll make it, but until they beat multilple SECw powers they are just going to be good enough for 8 wins a year.
 

rgw

Suspended
Sep 15, 2003
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Tuscaloosa
I think the @LSU game looms large for Mississippi State's season trajectory. LSU is going to be relying on a lot of Freshmen and otherwise inexperienced players, so theoretically MSU might be able to sneak up on them. 7 or 8 wins is realistic though...a win over LSU may shake up the pecking order a bit in the West for this season.

Prescott is a solid QB. Definitely the best they've had under Mullen. I dunno if he's a first-team All-SEC guy but he's got the potential to run the complete offense. Their young WRs were surprising in 2013 and their tailback position is pretty solid. State isn't in bad position with offensive weapons. Nobody is a future NFL stud but they have the potential to be a tough out for a defense. The defense has always performed well and Chris Jones looks like a future first rounder. Mullen needs to put together a solid season in 2014 and I think he'll get it done.
 

Blindside13

All-SEC
Oct 22, 2011
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Near the Barn
I think they will go at least 8-4 the two games I see as very likely losses are against us and LSU; if the play well at home they could be 9-3. I do not see them losing both the A&M game and the barn game at home. I think they get Ole Miss at home as well.
 
Not sure about beating both Tiger teams but I almost guarantee they'll sneak out one win in that LSU, AU, and A&M stretch. They return almost every starter on both sides. Their defense is beast.
Yep, they have though always given Barnie Rubble trouble. I still think AU beats them, but it wouldn't surprise me if the opposite happened.


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BigEasyTider

FB | REC Moderator
Nov 27, 2007
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I think the @LSU game looms large for Mississippi State's season trajectory.
Mississippi State hasn't beaten LSU since the late 1990s, and there is no real reason to think that changes this year. LSU may give them the game, but MSU won't be able to go into Baton Rouge and take it without a lot of assistance.
 

rgw

Suspended
Sep 15, 2003
20,852
1,351
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Tuscaloosa
Yep, MSU seems to mostly get thumped by LSU while usually playing Auburn tough. Alabama is usually a game where they keep it ugly enough where our partisans aren't happy with the win.

But similarly, the last time they beat LSU was a year where they made some legitimate conference contention noise. So we'll see if they are that kind of darkhorse or just another nice 7-8 win Mullen team pretty early.
 

BigEasyTider

FB | REC Moderator
Nov 27, 2007
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Yep, MSU seems to mostly get thumped by LSU while usually playing Auburn tough. Alabama is usually a game where they keep it ugly enough where our partisans aren't happy with the win.

But similarly, the last time they beat LSU was a year where they made some legitimate conference contention noise. So we'll see if they are that kind of darkhorse or just another nice 7-8 win Mullen team pretty early.
Auburn has a lot of the same issues with MSU that we have, namely that many of the MSU kids fight 'til they drop against them because they are jaded with Auburn over a prior recruiting snub. They wouldn't admit it, of course, but at any given point in time there are probably fifty kids on that MSU roster that would have gone to either 'Bama or Auburn had they been given the chance, and that shows up when they take the field against those two.

As for MSU, the schedule is an absolute joke, as usual, and they have six wins almost by default. They could legitimately get to seven wins without beating a BCS conference team with a winning record. That's nice for them to make the Birmingham Bowl, but until they really start to take down a legitimate contender or two, I'll continue to hit the snooze button.
 

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