Team 14- THE Mississippi State Bulldogs

[Coach34]

Last year- 8-5
HC- Dan Mullen
OC- Les Koenning
DC- Geoff Collins (1st season)

Offensive starters returning- 7 (QB, TB, OL)
Defensive starters returning- 5 1/2 (Autry, Eulls, Skinner, McKinney, Whitley, Hughes)

schedule:

Oklahoma State (Houston)
Alcorn St
@Auburn
Troy
Open
LSU
Bowling Green
Open
Kentucky
@SC
@A&M
Bammer
@UPig
Mississippi

5 of first 7 games are at home- and another at neutral site. That's actually big for a younger team like the one we have. Bottom line- this team cannot start the season 1-2. Team gets 2 extra days to get ready for SC due to playing Kentucky on a Thursday. Tough finish as usual in November. No 1st year UPig coach has beaten State but State has never won in Arkansas- something gives this season. Egg Bowl win is a must- home team is 12-2 in the last 14 Egg Bowls. Strengths are QB, RB, TE, LB for sure- expected improvement on the OL and DL is the reason for optimism.

[Vandownbytheriver]

6-6 or 7-5 depending on the Egg Bowl. Wins against Alcorn, Auburn, Troy, BG, UK, Arkansas and toss-up in the Egg Bowl.

[The Croom Diaries]

I really think OSU, Auburn, UPig and OM are swing games that could go either way, so I'll go 2-2 on those. A&M is a swing without Manziel but I'll assume he's there.

Alcorn St - W
Troy - W
LSU - W
Bowling Green - W
Kentucky - W
@SC - L
@A&M - L
Bammer - L

7-5

[FISHDAWG]

8 & 4 ... excuse me while I leave for my sheering appointment

ETA - Fire Bracky !

[CadaverDawg]

6-6 (3-5)

[Dawg61]

7-5 (4-4) Wins Alcorn, Auburn, Troy, BG, UK, UPig, UOM.

[DiligenceDawg]

At least 6-6, likely 7-5 with a win in the egg bowl.

Anything less and I see some major changes happening on staff fairly quickly.

[Squidawg11]

My completely rational and unbiased opinion:

14-0 and we hold up the crystal ball.

[SignalToNoise]

8-4 (4-4)

Ok. State -- Win. I think they are overrated, and no one expects anything out of us considering the way the 2012 season ended.
Alcorn -- Win. Everyone gets to play.
@Auburn -- Win. I expect a very back and forth first half and for State to control the game in the 4th quarter.
Troy -- Win.
----
LSU -- Loss. Just not seeing that "step back" that they will take. I think we can give them all they can handle but don't think we can finish the job. Sort of like Arkansas 2010.
Bowling Green -- Win
----
Kentucky -- Win. They just do not scare me.
@SC -- Loss
@A&M -- Loss, but all bets are off if little johnathon football is unable to play.
Bama -- Loss
@UPig -- Win
old miss -- Win. A burning bush spoke to me the other day. It told me that we would beat the everliving dog shit out of the Rebearsharks.

For the record, I was down on this team heading into the off season. But after reading the message boards all summer and hearing about the alleged defensive changes I have a totally different outlook.

[CapitolCityDawg]

I don't post much but wanted to chime in on this topic. I think we get 8 wins, don't ask me where they come from, but I think we find a way to get to 8. It's Mullen's 5th year, so the days of just conceiding losses to AUB and ARK should be over, and I think we are the better team and win both this year. I also think Dan gets revenge and we get to return the Golden Egg to its rightful home (and hopefully not make videos about it this time around).

I think this is one of the deepest teams in our program's history and we are easily talented enough to get 8 wins. Now excuse me while I pour another tall glass of maroon KoolAid.

[Squidawg11]

I don't post much but wanted to chime in on this topic. I think we get 8 wins, don't ask me where they come from, but I think we find a way to get to 8. It's Mullen's 5th year, so the days of just conceiding losses to AUB and ARK should be over, and I think we are the better team and win both this year. I also think Dan gets revenge and we get to return the Golden Egg to its rightful home (and hopefully not make videos about it this time around).

I think this is one of the deepest teams in our program's history and we are easily talented enough to get 8 wins. Now excuse me while I pour another tall glass of maroon KoolAid.

If you are going to drink maroon KoolAid might as well put a little vodka in it. 14-0 National Champs.

[BeastMan]

6 or 7 wins. OSU & Auburn hold the keys to the season

[biscuit]

At least 7 wins. I don't know who we beat, but we win 7 with a few surprises.

[TexasDawg]

I may be wearing the Maroon glasses, but I'm going 8-4. Very reachable if that idiot in College Station can't get his shit together

[maroonmania]

Guess I will go 6-6 at this point. Until I start seeing something different on the field I have it in my mind that Mullen beats who he is supposed to beat and usually loses to teams he's expected to lose to. So I think we win against Alcorn, Troy, BG, and KY and win 2 of 3 from the Aub, Ark and OM games to get to 6-6. If we come out and actually pull off the win against OSU THEN I could actually see us potentially getting back to 8-4 with an outside shot at 9-3 because that would be a big breakthrough for us. I mean if we can beat OSU we should be able to beat Aub, Ark and OM.

[Bullmutt]

7-5 (5-3)

[PMDawg]

I'll be a homer like a few others.

8-4, losses to LSU, USC, ATM, and Bama. Obviously, I am predicting a win in every "swing" game and that's a tall order. But...what the heck?!

[StarkRavenDawg]

I just don't see 8 wins but if things go our way i guess its possible. if we played OK State later in the season I would like our chances better but it will be a tough opener especially with new DBs and a new coordinator. I think 6 is more realistic and would consider 7 a success. Auburn and Arkansas are huge games. We can't afford to lose both If we want to go bowling. The Egg Bowl could wind up being huge as far as bowl games go this season. I could see both teams at 5 wins coming into Thanksgiving.

[It_Could_Happen]

I think you will know a lot about this team after week 1. If we get blasted by OK State it could be a long year. If that doesn't happen I can see anywhere from 6 to 8 wins

[ckDOG]

Oklahoma State (Houston) - L - I think it's close, but we get outgunned.
Alcorn St - W
@Auburn - L - this is winnable, but I like the road team in this game.
Troy - W - closer than we are comfortable with, but pull away in the mid 3rd quarter.
Open
LSU - L - Ell ess you.
Bowling Green - W
Open
Kentucky - W
@SC - L - too talented and on the road.
@A&M - L - JFF or no JFF? Could be a W is he's suspended and they are mentally out of it this year.
Bammer - L
@UPig - W - FINALLY get one in LR.
Mississippi - W - home team wins this one. Bears are likely beat to hell and back at this point in the season also.

It hurts to type because I think we are way more talented that a "6 win team", but that's all I see at this point. It's also going to take winning in Little Rock to get there. It sucks, but that's the joy of playing an SEC schedule and Oklahoma State.