Rank the 2017 schedule, most to least confident...
- Charleston Southern(99%)- The only question here is will we score more points than their rushing yard total.
- UMASS(95%)- This game is not in Gillette, and Peter Sirmon is not our Defensive Coordinator. Anything less than a 25-30 point victory will be a moral defeat.
- Ole Miss(85%)- I was leaning towards 90%, but it is the Egg Bowl and crazier things have happened. With that said, come Thanksgiving 2017, OM will be facing a 3-4 win season, death penalty like sanctions, and a roster full of players wishing the season was over so that they can transfer out. This game should be nothing more than a formality considering the circumstances, not to mention it is at home with a chance to embarrass the 17 out of OM while the rest of the country is tuning in.
- BYU(80%)- Completely different game than last year. Our defense and O-line will be head over heels better than what they saw against us last year, and our QB and RB will be confident and seasoned. They will keep the game close for 2-3 quarters, but a combination of our superior athleticism, home field advantage, and fresh legs off a bye week will eventually overwhelm the Mormons. This should be a double digit victory when it?s all said and done.
- La Tech(75%)- This game has TRAP written all over it. This is a team that went 9-5 last year, including a 21-20 loss to Arkansas in Fayetville last year. We have to go into Ruston and play a scrappy team that can put up a ton of points fast. We cannot find ourselves looking ahead to the LSU game the following week, this is up to the coaches. On paper, our defense should slow their offense enough to give our offense an opportunity to build a lead too large to catch up to, but this is not a game that we can mess around and let La Tech hang around. This game scares the crap out of me, but we are the better team and should win by 2 scores.
- Kentucky(70%)- Kentucky is a team that has some talent, but overall we are the more talented team. We beat ourselves in this game last year, and with our added talent on defense, to go along with a proven Defensive Coordinator, confident run game, and home field advantage, we should have this game sealed by the 4th quarter. This is the last game that we SHOULD easily win, but also a game that we COULD easily lose if we don?t come to play. I think we avenge last years loss with a double digit victory.
- Texas A&M(60%)- This is Sumlin?s last year imo. I think his time has passed and A&M will finish 6th in the West ahead of only Ole Miss. Their 100,000+ fans don?t scare anyone, although we have struggled to put it all together in College Station under Mullen. With all of this said, A&M still has a TON of talent, and are capable of putting it all together in any given week and playing like a playoff contender. This game will come down to how the first half of the season has gone for both us and A&M, if they are struggling and fire Sumlin rumors are floating around, I think we handle this game easily. This is a game we have to win to have a 8+ win regular season, and as of now I will reluctantly give us the slight edge.
- LSU(55%)- This is a huge early season game for both teams, as it has been the past 5 or so years. Last year we were a capable Defensive Coordinator and a proven Quarterback away from beating them in BR for the second straight time. Coach O is easy to game plan for, and honestly doesn?t scare me at all. I think our team will go into this game full expecting to win, and if we play that way, I think we will. However, as with all SEC west opponents, LSU is loaded with talent from the top to the bottom of their roster. If Mullen can find a way to get the ball moving early and often, I think our team will feed off the Stadium?s energy and find a way to get the win.
- Georgia(50%)- I have no idea what to make of this game. The fact that it is in Athens makes me lean towards thinking we lose this one, but that may be me looking at Georgia?s name, rather than their team and coach. I think this game comes down to turnovers. No reason to think we can't win this game, just have to execute.
- Arkansas(45%)- The Arkansas game has been completely unpredictable for the past few seasons. If our defense improves as I think it should, I believe we are the better team. However, we have historically sucked in the state of Arkansas. This is a game that we could easily win, and should probably be higher on this list, but something is holding me back from feeling good about it. This looks to be the easiest November in Mullen's tenure. UMASS, Bama, Arky and OM... We could easily go 3-1 in November.
- Auburn(30%)- We got absolutely dominated by Auburn at home last year, and their QB play will be much improved in 2017. This game is in Auburn, and comes at the end of a 3 game stretch including LSU, UGA and Auburn. We could absolutely win this game, but if we are being realistic, you have to expect to lose this one.
- Alabama(10%)- Mullen coached teams at MSU have and always will match up terribly against Saban coached Bama teams. Our Wide Receivers will not be able to get any separation against their DB's, and they will stack the box and most likely slow our run enough to pull away early. However, this game is in Starkville, and probably one of Mullen's best chances to beat Bama, but it's still not likely, at all.
