Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY SPORTS
The Mississippi State Bulldogs had an outstanding season, but it ended with a whimper.
After being ranked number one in the country for five weeks earlier this season, MSU lost three of its last four games, including the last two, to finish at 10-3.
In Wednesday’s Orange Bowl, the Bulldogs lost to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 49-34 in a game where the MSU defense could not stop the run. Despite a big game from quarterback Dak Prescott, the Bulldogs were dominated by Paul Johnson and his double-wing offense.
Mississippi State rose to the top of the national rankings after beating three straight Top 10 teams in the middle of the season. Everything seemed to be going great for Dan Mullen and his team. Prescott was the Heisman Trophy favorite, and it appeared that the program that annually was near the bottom of the SEC standings had turned the corner.
The Bulldogs held the top spot in the polls until a November 15 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide. And that’s where the season seemed to come apart.
MSU bounced back with a 51-0 win over the Vanderbilt Commodores, but then lost to their arch rivals, the Ole Miss Rebels, in the Egg Bowl. The Bulldogs were in contention for a College Football Playoff bid until that loss.
The Bulldogs proved that they could play with some of the bigger names in the SEC this season, but when it came to crunch time, they were not up to the task. The best thing that could happen for Mississippi State now is for Prescott to return for his senior season next year, which he has indicated he will do. If he opts for the NFL, the Bulldogs may go into rebuilding mode with absolutely no momentum. And that’s a far cry from where they were early in November.
Tim Letcher is a contributing writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
