Here is who we think Mississippi State will have an easy and tough time against this football season
Justin Frommer
A new era of Mississippi State football is about to commence this fall, as first-year head coach Jeff Lebby leads the Bulldogs into the 2024 season.
With 88 days until kickoff there are still many questions to ask and answers to find out about this team this summer during fall camp, ahead of the season-opener against Eastern Kentucky on Aug. 31. The Bulldogs will be breaking in a new quarterback in Blake Shapen, a new running back, with several options in the running to take the spot, and a handful of explosive weapons at wideout. All will be key to a successful year, which the Bulldogs hope ends in a return to the postseason after missing a bowl game in 2023.
Here is a look at Mississippi State's 2024 schedule, ranked by matchup difficulty, from easiest to hardest.
12. UMass
Nov 2 at Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville
The Minutemen have been one of the worst programs since it joined the FBS ahead of the 2012 season. During that span, UMass has never won more than four games, doing it in back-to-back seasons in 2017 and 2018 and has never made a bowl game. Last year's 3-9 campaign was its best season since 2018. The Minutemen had a below average offense, scoring just over 23 points per game last season (ranking 95th in college football) and one of the worst defenses in the sport, allowing 37.8 points per game (130th). Against a Jeff Lebby offense, that should equate to a big win for the Bulldogs in November.
11. Eastern Kentucky
Aug 31 at Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville
The Colonials have been an average FCS team over recent years, last making the playoffs in 2022, and finishing last season with a 5-6 record. EKU had one of the FCS's best offenses last year, scoring 29.5 points per game, which ranked 33rd out of 129 teams. Its defense, however, was one of the worst, allowing 33.2 points per game, which ranked 106th. Playing in an Southeastern Conference venue won't come as a shock for the Colonials, as they played at Kentucky last year, and were tied at 7 with the Wildcats at halftime, before running out of steam and losing 28-17. Lebby and the Bulldogs would like to put on a show against EKU in their opening game of the season, and a lot of points against a poor Colonials defense should be expected.
10. Toledo
Sept 14 at Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville
Mississippi State scheduled one of the best Group of Five programs from last season in Toledo, who won 11-straight games to end the regular season, before losing to Miami (Ohio) in the Mid-American Conference championship and to Wyoming in the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl. This, however, won't nearly be the same Rockets team, as their starting quarterback DeQuan Finn is now at Baylor, and running back Peny Boone is at UCF. Toledo had the 29th best offense last season, averaging 32 points per game, and the 21st best defense, allowing just 20 points per game. Don't be surprised to see Toledo hang around a bit before Mississippi State dispatches the Rockets for another win.
9. Arkansas
Oct. 26 at Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville
The biggest question about the Razorbacks is will head coach Sam Pittman be on the sideline when they come to Starkville in late October. Coming off a 4-8 season, another slow start could spell the end to the Pittman era, which is entering its fifth season and has seen just two bowl game appearances. The Razorbacks had an average offense last season, scoring 27 points per game (65th) and allowed 27.9 points per game, which ranked 77th in college football. No SEC game will be a gaurntee win for Mississippi State this season, but a home matchup against Arkansas will be its easiest opportunity to get a win during its league slate.
8. Arizona State
Sept. 7 at Mountain America Stadium, Tempe
The start of the Kenny Dillingham era was a disaster in the desert for Arizona State, winning just three games for the second-straight season (the first occurred under Herm Edwards) and then saw its best offense player, quarterback Jaden Rashada, walk out the door. The Sun Devils had one of the worst offenses in college football, averaging just 17.8 points per game (121st) and their defense wasn't much better, allowing nearly 32 points per game (107th). The only reason this game is ahead of Arkansas on the list is because it is on the road, in the Arizona heat and in the mountain time zone where weird things happen. On paper, this should be a win for the Bulldogs, but you never know out west.
7. Texas A&M
Oct. 19 at Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville
It will be a battle of first-year coaches when the Aggies, led by Mike Elko, come to Starkville in mid-October, after winning seven games in Jimbo Fisher's last season. The Aggies had a top-25 offense last season, without starting quarterback Conner Weigman for most of the year, averaging over 33 points per game, and paired it with a solid defense, allowing just 22 points per game, which ranked 34th in college football. With Elko, a long-time defensive coordinator before taking over Duke's head coaching position in 2022, the Aggies could be.string defensively again. Outside of that, a lot of what the Aggies will be this fall is still unknown.
6. Florida
Sept. 21 at Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville
Entering its third season, the Billy Napier era in Gainesville has been a disaster, winning six games in 2022, before taking a step back in 2023 with just five wins. This feels like an all-or-nothing year for Napier in The Swamp. Florida had an average offense last season, scoring 28.4 points per game (57th in college football), and a defense that allowed 27.6 points per game (75th). There is a possibility Florida could be 3-0 when it comes to Starkville, or as bad as 1-2 with early home games against Miami and Texas A&M. How motivated the Gators will be come Week 4 is the big question.
5. Tennessee
Nov. 9 at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville
It will be two former UCF coaches squaring off against each other in this matchup as Lebby was Josh Heupel's quarterback coach and offensive coordinator when he was the head coach for the Golden Knights in 2018-19. The Volunteers took a small step back last season from 11 wins in 2022 to just nine in 2023, but still had one of football's better offenses, scoring 31.8 points per game (36th) and allowed just 20.3 points per game (22nd in football). This game feels like it could end with a 45-42 final with how explosive both Mississippi State's and Tennessee's offenses could be this fall. The Bulldogs also haven't won in Knoxville since 1986, making it one their tougher road games this season.
4. Missouri
Nov. 23 at Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville
The Tigers' special 2023 season ended with their most wins (11) since 2014. Missouri finished with a top-30 offense last season, averaging 32.5 points per game, and return one of the best quarterback-wideout duos in the conference in Brady Cook and Luther Burden III. Missouri also had a strong defense allowing just under 21 points per game (25th in college football). Mississippi State has won both of its matchups against Missouri since it joined the conference. It will be key for the Bulldogs to not overlook this home game, with the Egg Bowl looming six days later.
3. Ole Miss
Nov. 29 at Vaught Hemingway Stadium, Oxford
Coming off its second double-digit winning season in the past three years, this feels like the year that Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss have a chance to break into the College Football Playoff with a 12-team expanded field. The Rebels had one of football's best offenses last year, scoring 35 points per game (16th), and paired it with a top-35 defense, allowing just 22.1 points per game. The storylines in this game are endless. Lebby, Kiffin's former offensive coordinator, returning to Oxford. Former Mississippi State head coach Zach Arnett on the Rebel sideline as a defensive analyst. And you know the wackiness that always comes with the Egg Bowl.
2. Texas
Sept. 26 at Darrell K Royal - Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin
Texas finally broke through the College Football Playoff barrier last season, winning 12 games, its most since 2009. The Longhorns, returning quarterback Quinn Ewers, had a top-15 offense last season, scoring 35.8 points per game, pairing it with a top-15 defense, which allowed just 18.9 points per game. Mississippi State gets the assignment of being Texas' first SEC opponent since joining the conference. With the Longhorns being a true contender to win the league this fall, it is hard seeing the Bulldogs leaving Austin with a win.
1. Georgia
Oct. 12 at Sanford Stadium, Athens
Despite missing the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2020, Georgia will enter this fall as the favorite to win its third national championship in four seasons. The Bulldogs had a top-five offense last season, averaging 40.1 points per game, pairing it with a top-five defense allowing just 15.6 points per game. Mississippi State has not won in Athens since 1956, and that streak will likely continue following this season.
