Mississippi State Football Countdown: Previewing the Bulldogs' Two SEC East Matchups

The Bulldogs will face two talented programs in contention to win the SEC East division in 2022.

Mississippi State football will play two of the toughest teams in the SEC East this season.

Division-winner Georgia finished as the 2022 CFP National Champion at the end of the 2021-2022 season, while Kentucky was the East's runner-up. This year, both teams are ranked in the Preseason AP Top 25 poll and are returning some key players that could make huge impacts. Mississippi State is well equipped to take on nearly any opponent, but how well will they be able to perform against two respected conference programs?

Here is a brief preview of what the Bulldogs' two SEC East foes bring to the table in 2022.

Kentucky

Mississippi State will travel to face its first SEC East opponent of the season in mid-October. The Bulldogs should pair well with Kentucky: each team returns a standout quarterback on an explosive offense and has a solid defense. The Wildcats will be led by signal-caller Will Levis, a projected first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Levis struggled against the Bulldogs last season, going 17-of-28 passing for just 150 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions in his team's loss. Mississippi State could rattle the Kentucky standout once again and claim the victory, or Levis could come out in front of his home crowd with much more practice and experience under his belt and shock the Bulldogs. Either way, a battle up in Lexington is already brewing.

Georgia

The defending champions will be visiting Starkville in November in a battle of the Bulldogs. Georgia lost quite a few stars in the 2022 NFL Draft, but that doesn't mean that the program will be any less formidable. Its defense is shaping up to be almost unbeatable once again, and the offense is spearheaded by veteran quarterback Stetson Bennett. On top of the talent that Georgia brings to the table, the matchup will come at a tough time for Mississippi State. MSU will head into the contest coming off of five consecutive games against some of the toughest teams in the SEC and will likely be a bit worn down as a result. State looks to be a better team than it has been in years -- some even project that an upset could be on the horizon -- but it's hard to tell if the experience that the team brings back will be enough to take down the champions.