Bulldogs Look to Impress and Improve in 2022

Mississippi State football faces the strongest schedule in the country in 2022.

The 2021 season was full of highs and lows for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. 

Moving forward, the team is losing arguably the best offensive tackle in the nation in Charles Cross to the NFL Draft but added some major talent including defensive back transfer Marcus Banks from Alabama and wide receiver Justin Robinson from Georgia. This team proved it can win some big-time games, but how will MSU perform against the toughest schedule in the nation?

To open up the season, the Bulldogs will face the Memphis Tigers in a rematch from the 2021 season. MSU has this game circled and will be looking for revenge after a controversial ending at Memphis last season. Memphis has some key players missing, including a huge offensive weapon in Calvin Austin III. MSU has more firepower and will not let its guard down this year. Davis Wade will be rocking, and the Bulldogs will beat the Tigers convincingly to begin the 2022 season.

Next, the Bulldogs will take a long trip to Tucson, Arizona to face the Arizona Wildcats. Arizona has yet to win more than one game in the last two seasons. The weather is not the only thing that will be hot, as the Bulldogs will carry their confidence from the win against Memphis into the desert and defeat the Wildcats.

Tiger Stadium will be the site of the SEC opener for the Bulldogs, as Mississippi State will go up against the LSU Tigers. This LSU team has too many questions, especially in regard to the coaching staff. Brian Kelly is the new head coach, but we have yet to see him play in the grueling SEC West. Mike Leach and the Bulldogs will take this game against Brian Kelly and the Tigers. MSU will remain undefeated, going 3-0 in the first three games.

The Bulldogs will then come back to Starkville to play Bowling Green. MSU should handle the Falcons with ease, and head into the SEC home opener with a record of 4-0.

The next game for the Bulldogs is the SEC home opener against the Texas A&M Aggies. Texas A&M, with the number one recruiting class in the nation for the 2022 season, has a real chance to compete at the top of the grueling SEC West. This Aggies team will be looking for revenge after MSU upset Texas A&M at College Station during the 2021 season. Look for this game to be tight and closer than most think. However, head coach Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies will get their revenge against the Bulldogs, and hand Mike Leach and MSU their first loss of the year.

It does not get any easier for the Bulldogs, as the Arkansas Razorbacks led by standout quarterback KJ Jefferson will go head-to-head with MSU in an SEC West dog fight. Head coach Sam Pittman will have this Razorback team prepared for the Bulldogs, and Arkansas just has too much depth for MSU. Pittman and the hogs will handle the Bulldogs, giving MSU a 4-2 record.

The Bulldogs will then take to the road to face the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington. This will be a tough road test that the Bulldogs should not take lightly. However, the Bulldogs seem to have the Wildcat's number and are a more established team. MSU will find a way to pull a close one out in Lexington improving to 5-2 on the year.

Here comes the most grueling part of the Bulldog's schedule. MSU will travel to Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa to face the Crimson Tide. Nick Saban and this Crimson Tide team never seem to disappoint. They remain the top team in the SEC West every single year. This Alabama team led by QB Bryce Young will be too much for the Bulldog's defense. The Crimson Tide will dominate MSU giving the Bulldogs a record of 5-3 as they head back to Davis Wade Stadium to play the Auburn Tigers.

There are many questions out on the plains about this Auburn Tigers team. The Tigers will return one of the toughest running backs in college football in Tank Bigsby, but who will be taking snaps? What will the offense look like when it’s time to face the Bulldogs in Starkville? MSU will defeat the Auburn Tigers to give MSU their 6th win. With a win, the Bulldogs will have a record of 6-3 and become bowl eligible for the 13th year in a row.

The Bulldog's next game will welcome the defending national champions as MSU will face Georgia in Starkville. Georgia lost some key defensive players, but they are not shy of depth. Kirby Smart is an elite recruiter and one of the best defensive geniuses in the country. Georgia will also have Stetson Bennett who led the Bulldogs to their first national championship win since 1980. Georgia has too much depth for MSU, as State will fall to 6-4 on the year.

MSU will then welcome East Tennessee State to Starkville. This offense will be firing on all cylinders in what should be a week of rest as MSU will head to Oxford the next week. The Bulldogs improve to 7-4 heading into the Egg Bowl.

The Bulldogs travel to Oxford to face Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl afterward. Lane Kiffin is an offensive genius, but MSU will get some revenge in a very competitive ball game in Oxford. Mike Leach will bring the Egg Bowl Trophy back to Starkville and win his first game against Ole Miss since his arrival as the head coach for Mississippi State finishing the season at 8-4.

There are many question marks regarding this Bulldog team in 2022. This team is packed full of talent including Will Rogers who will most likely be under center for MSU. 

With so much talent, the ceiling is very high for Mississippi State. Playing the toughest schedule in the nation will not be easy -- but it does give the Bulldogs an incredible opportunity to distinguish themselves.