Mississippi State Football Schedule: Ranking the Final Seven Opponents

With seven regular season games left, where are the Bulldogs' best opportunities to pick up wins?

Sep 21, 2024; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. (0) runs the ball against the Florida Gators during the fourth quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images / Matt Bush-Imagn Images

Mississippi State exits its first of two bye weeks sitting at 1-4 in Jeff Lebby's debut season as the head coach. While Vanderbilt gave hope to other SEC underdogs last weekend, it's very likely that the Bulldogs will not be bowl-eligible for a second straight year.

The next seven games in Starkville are all about building a foundation for the future, possibly wrapped around true freshman QB Michael Van Buren Jr., and capturing some momentum for the offseason.

To see where the most likely confidence-boosting wins are left on the schedule, we ranked the remainder of the MSU opponents from toughest to weakest.

7. at Georgia (Oct. 12)

Bulldogs haven't won Between the Hedges since 1956 and aren't expected to snap that streak Saturday. This is an excellent test for MVB, though the staff has to make sure the Dawg D doesn't shatter his body or his confidence.

6. at Tennessee (Nov. 9)

Despite last week's loss at Arkansas, this is still a very good Volunteer squad. While ballyhooed QB Nico Iamaleava hasn't quite launched yet, the defense is one of just five FBS units allowing less than 10 points per game.

5. at Ole Miss (Nov. 29)

It's the Egg Bowl, so you never know. The last five meetings have been decided by an average of six points and the last three were won by the road team. Lebby was Lane Kiffin's offensive coordinator in 2020 and 2021, so this will be a very interesting first meeting as head coaches.

Lane Kiffin loves to poke fun at Jeff Lebby on X, trolling his Egg Bowl rival with memes and friendly jabs. What does Lebby think of the banter from his former boss at Ole Miss?

"A little childish," says the Mississippi State coach, "but that doesn’t mean I don’t respect him." pic.twitter.com/GjaRnHLhUr

— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) July 17, 2024

4. Texas A&M (Oct. 19)

Mike Elko has the Aggies as one of the hottest teams in the SEC. A&M just routed Missouri for its fifth straight win and have used an outstanding defense to climb to No. 15 in the AP poll.

3. Arkansas (Oct. 26)

Hogs are having a very strong season for Sam Pittman, who began the year on the hot seat. Over the last three games, they've defeated Auburn, lost by four to Texas A&M, and shocked undefeated Tennessee.

🐗 Week 9
🗓️ October 26
✈️ @ Mississippi State pic.twitter.com/z1TNIHG4MD

— Arkansas Razorback Football (@RazorbackFB) December 14, 2023

2. Missouri (Nov. 23)

Could this be a spot for MSU to bag a signature upset for Lebby? Mizzou appears to be vulnerable after close calls with Boston College and Vanderbilt preceded a lopsided loss last Saturday at Kyle Field.

1. Massachusetts (Nov. 2)

This should be the spot where the Bulldogs get to pad the stats and get blowout reps for the young backups. The Minutemen are 1-5, with the lone win coming by just four points over Central Connecticut State.

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