Over the course of the next several weeks, the SoBros Network crew will be going around the landscape of the SEC, team by team, previewing the upcoming American tackle football season. Up next, our 2022 Mississippi State preview!
2022 Mississippi State Preview
If we learned anything about the Mississippi State Bulldogs in 2021, it was that they could play with just about anybody in the country, and they could also lose to just about anybody in the country. They finished a surprising 7-5, but lost three of the five games decided by one possession. This is a team that could’ve easily been a 10-win team. They beat Kentucky, they won at Texas A&M, but they also lost to Memphis and LSU in consecutive weeks. So, the task at hand for Mike Leach is to get a little more consistency out of this bunch, but if he can, this Bulldogs team could be a surprise contender in the SEC West in 2022.
Mississippi State was the number one passing team in the SEC a season ago with 378.3 YPG, and I wouldn’t expect that to change one bit between the Air Raid offense they run and the return of stud quarterback Will Rogers. Rogers is a bona fide gunslinger who has gotten demonstrably more comfortable in this offense. He has a ton of weapons returning around him, though replacing two starting tackles, including the best pass protecting glider in this year’s NFL Draft class (Charles Cross), makes for the only real uncertainty on that side of the ball.
On defense, the Bulldogs return a unit that was a surprisingly good run defense in 2022. While they were 5th in the SEC in total defense (30th nationally), they were particularly good at clogging up opposing run games (3rd best in the SEC, 12th nationwide). The return of all that beef up front bodes well for a repeat performance, but the Bulldogs have to get better in the secondary to really round out as a complete defense.
They have a lot of returning starters on both sides of the ball, and that should give this team a little more seasoning. Between another year with this coach and quarterback, all the weapons around them, and a front seven on defense that should be one of the best in the SEC, expectations in Starkville absolutely should be high.
2022 Bulldogs Schedule
Saturday, 9/3: vs. Memphis – The Tigers won’t make for a push-over to start the season, but the Bulldogs should absolutely be out for revenge
Saturday, 9/10: @ Arizona – I mean, I guess this is going to count as a ‘Power 5′ win, but it ain’t like Khalil Tate is walkin’ through that door!
Saturday, 9/17: @ LSU – If you’re going to head to Baton Rouge and hope to take down LSU, best to do it early in the season before Brian Kelly gets a chance to sink his teeth into that program. The Tigers will be super talented yet again. It’s just a matter of how quickly they can jell under their new head coach.
Saturday, 9/24: vs. Bowling Green – The Bulldogs absolutely should start the season no worse than 3-1, but I think there’s a strong chance they could be 4-0 heading into October.
Saturday, 10/1: vs. Texas A&M – If Mississippi State can somehow when this game and the LSU game, then watch out. The season could take on an entirely different complexion. I’m not as high on the Aggies as some of y’all are, and they get this one at home. 5-0 is a very real possibility.
Saturday, 10/8: vs. Arkansas – It’s the official unofficial who’s-going-to-surprise-and-finish-2nd-in-the-SEC-West Bowl. And yes, that is me saying that Ole Miss is going to come back down to Earth, LSU isn’t going to be ready in 2022, and Texas A&M is gonna Texas A&M. I like one of these two teams to finish second in the division, but man…I really like the Razorbacks this year.
Saturday, 10/15: @ Kentucky – I like the Wildcats a lot this year, but this is a winnable game for a defense that can slow down the run game and an offense that can air it out.
Saturday, 10/22: @ Alabama – I’ll say this. I do think Alabama is going to fold people in half this season. But, if there was an offense on their schedule that could probably go for tit for tat with the Tide scoring points…
Saturday, 10/29: BYE (thank goodness! FFS, what a four-game stretch)
Saturday, 11/5: vs. Auburn – Maybe I’m being too hard on Bryan Harsin and Auburn this year, but I’m not buying ’em at all….against…like….anyone.
Saturday, 11/12: vs. Georgia – Not ideal to draw the two best teams in the SEC East this year, but for what it’s worth, they do draw the Bulldogs after they’ll have played Florida and Tennessee, and before they have to head to Kentucky. Maybe they catch Georgia off guard?
Saturday, 11/19: vs. ETSU – I’d say “ask Vanderbilt about ETSU” before calling this one a cupcake game. But, then again, Mississippi State isn’t Vanderbilt. I don’t know why – I just wanted to work in some good old fashioned ‘Dores slander in this piece for no reason.
Thursday, 11/24: @ Ole Miss – Nothing says Thanksgiving like the Egg Bowl. They should…should…beat Ole Miss this year as it’s going to be a bit of a rebuild in Oxford. But, you just can’t rule anything out when it comes to this game. One of the best in all of college football.
Crystal Ball
I know, I know – longtime readers of SoBros Network are going to point out that I’ve been high on Mike Leach’s Mississippi State program ever since he took the head job, and he’s yet to really do shit with it. I get it…but folks…this time, I mean it. He’s never had this collection of talent. Will Rogers is becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the country in this system. They have an underrated defense. If not now, when? That’s the mindset – but if there’s a reason to be bearish on the Bulldogs, it is most definitely that brutal schedule. This is going to be a tough one, but Starkville should be hopeful. The official gun-to-my-head prediction here is 9-3.
MORE 2022 SEC SEASON PREVIEWS
- Arkansas Razorbacks
- Auburn Tigers
- Florida Gators
- LSU Tigers
- Missouri Tigers
- Ole Miss Rebels
- South Carolina Gamecocks
- Vanderbilt Commodores
For more authentic and irreverent sports talk, check out our friends at 440 Sports – covering the SEC and all things Nashville sports. If you haven’t already, subscribe to the College Football Roundup on Apple Podcasts, follow us on Spotify, or wherever you take in your podcasts.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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