2013-14 Preview (SEC) Mississippi State
Rising up in the SEC is very difficult. Since head coach Dan Mullen came to campus he has had a high level of success at a school that really isn’t accustomed to it, but they still haven’t broken through.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Coach: Dan Mullen
2012 Record: 8-5
Odds of winning BCS Championship: +38000
The problem is he isn’t closing the gap between Mississippi State and the elite teams in the SEC – altough you could make the argument that the nation isn’t either so lets not judge him too harshly.
They have climbed up to the middle but any higher seems unlikely.
Still this is a good team that is positioned for another successful season of they can improve.
Usually they get off to a fast start but this year they have scheduled up and will be taking on Oklahoma State in the first week of the season. Win or lose they have to play well in that game or else this year is going to be more of what we have seen over the last few seasons. Good but not great football.
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Unless something drastic happens Tyler Russell is going to complete his career as the most prolific quarterback in Mississippi State history. Despite that success he is hardly considered a great quarterback as he often seems a step slow or a second late in his decision making.
His senior season is his last chance for success so maybe it all comes together even though he is missing all of his best weapons from a year ago.
The one thing you can’t question is his toughness, he hangs in there.
What is not missing is senior running back LaDarius Perkins, who ran for 1000+ yards last year and is also the leading returning receiver.
He has a line in front of him that contains 4 returning starters meaning the Bulldogs should be able to push most teams around up front. However, last year they averaged just 13ppg against Alabama, LSU and Texas A&M.
Russell has to be more productive against those teams if he wants to change his legacy. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Mississippi State’s improvement since Mullen arrives has often been defensively driven but last year they were in the bottom half of the league in most defensive categories. Every projected member of the starting defense is a junior or senior save one – sophomore linebacker Benardrick McKinney bu don’t worry about him, all he did last year was rack up 102 tackles as a freshman.
The only player who received all conference mention was safety Nickoe Whitley. There is some material there but it hasn’t come together yet.
2013-14 Record Projection: 5-7
I am looking for the Bulldogs to slide this season. In crossover games South Carolina on the road replaces Tennessee at home and that is a game I don’t think they can win.
They also have that tough opener against Oklahoma State which I think is another loss and they are hosting an underrated Bowling Green after having been beaten up by LSU for another likely one.
This is an experienced team but one short on talent at the moment and even though they should dismantle Arkansas they play them after having played SC, A&M and Alabama in a row, the first two on the road, so they might even fall to the Razorbacks out of sheer exhaustion. There is little to get excited about with these guys as the ceilings for team play and individual performances have likely been met and are simply not good enough in the SEC.
Unless Mullen is going to try and be more extreme in his approach I don’t see how they are going to bridge the difference.
2013 Bulldogs Schedule:
AUG 31 -Oklahoma State (Houston)
SEP 7 – Alcorn State
SEP 14 – @Auburn
SEP 21 – Troy
OCT 5 – LSU
OCT 12 – Bowling Green
OCT 24 – Kentucky
NOV 2 – @South Carolina
NOV 9 – @Texas A&M
NOV 16 – Alabama
NOV 23 – Arkansas
NOV 28 – Ole Miss
