Mississippi State vs. Florida: What a Loss Means for Bulldogs

A win for Florida may mean more than a loss would for Mississippi State, but a loss would still have an impact

Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby reacts against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the first half at Mountain America Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

STARKVILLE, Miss. – It’s been a tumultuous week for the Florida football program, but nothing would cure that pain more than a win against Mississippi State.

A win for Florida would have a greater impact on its program than a loss would for Mississippi State’s. Most notably, a win most likely lets Billy Napier keep his job for at least another week.

But there would still be repercussions for the Bulldogs should the lose Saturday. Here’s what a loss to Florida would mean for the Bulldogs:

Rebuild Going to Take Time

If we’ve learned anything about the current Mississippi State football program is that the rebuild is going to take longer than one season. The Bulldogs were overpowered by Arizona State and saying they were dominated by Toledo isn’t an exaggeration. Those are opponents Mississippi State needs to win if it wants to compete amongst the best teams. Florida represents a step up in importance of defeating and a loss Saturday just means the Bulldogs have a much longer path to take to being competitive in the SEC.

No Bowl Game

As we’ve detailed numerous times, Mississippi State’s path to a bowl game isn’t an easy one. To get to six wins, the Bulldogs already will have to upset a Top 10 team. A loss to Florida means they’ll have to upset two Top 10 teams. The Gators are one of the few “winnable” games left on Mississippi State’s schedule and even then, the Bulldogs are six-point underdogs.

Fans Lose Interest

One fan I spoke with about the Toledo game told me they left Davis Wade Stadium at halftime and they weren’t alone. Mississippi State isn’t competing for a SEC championship nor does it have a hope of making the expanded playoff. So, the Bulldogs have to find someway to keep fans’ interested and invested in games. Wins do that. Losses don’t.

Read More:

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Mississippi State Football: 3 Keys to Victory Over Florida

Mississippi State vs. Florida: Bold Predictions for a Crucial Matchup

Mississippi State vs Florida Prediction: Bulldogs and Gators Will Be Really Close