POLL: Most Difficult Game Before Alabama

Oct 11, 2014; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs fans hold up a sign during the game against the Auburn Tigers at Davis Wade Stadium. Mississippi State Bulldogs defeated the Auburn Tigers 38-23. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports

The second bye week has come and gone, and the Bulldogs will play their first game ever as the number 1 ranked team in the country this Saturday in Lexington, KY against the Kentucky Wildcats. The Bulldogs are pretty heavy favorites for their game against the Wildcats. The line opened up at -13 for the Bulldogs. and it initially jumped to -14. The Bulldogs should be even heavier favorites against the Razorbacks on November 1, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if the Bulldogs were around 30 or more point favorites in the Homecoming Game against UT Martin.

I say all that to say that most people think the Bulldogs will win their next three games pretty easily, assuming that they play the way they are capable and don’t start looking forward to that game against Alabama on November 15. And that is the one thing that might concern some Bulldogs’ fans. So let’s make that the subject of the poll question for this week.

Which game before the Alabama game do you think will be the most difficult to win? They are all three games Mississippi State should win, but just because they should, doesn’t mean they will. Most people didn’t see us running off three games against LSU, Texas A&M, and Auburn, but we shocked everyone. So you know these three teams will be looking to surprise some people with a win over the number 1 ranked team in the Bulldogs. Let’s look at the challenges that each team presents.

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Kentucky: The Wildcats are one of the most improved teams in the country. If it weren’t for what Dan Mullen was doing at Mississippi State and Hugh Freeze was doing at Ole Miss, Mark Stoops would be running away with Coach of the Year in the SEC. The Wildcats have played extremely well on offense, up until their game this past weekend against LSU. Add to the fact that this is the only of the three on the road, and it might be viewed as a potential spot to be upset.

On the other side, this is the one team in the SEC that Dan Mullen has played every year and has yet to lose to. The series had been closely contested in the Croom and Sherrill years, but Dan Mullen has turned the tide in the favor of the Bulldogs.

Arkansas: Bret Bielema and his crew have had one of the most frustrating years. They played well against Auburn, but the Tigers wore them out and ran away in the second half. They had Texas A&M beat before the Aggies made a furious comeback to win the game. They lost 14-13 to Alabama, and missed an extra point. A lot of people believe the Razorbacks are going to spring an upset on someone. Could it be the Bulldogs? There is also the strange trend in this series that Mississippi State has never beaten an Arkansas coach who wasn’t in his first year with the program, so there’s that.

On the other side, the Bulldogs best strength on defense is stopping the run. They are one of the best teams in the country at it. That is what the Razorbacks do. They run the ball and hope their offensive line can open enough holes to keep the chains moving. It will also be in Starkville.

UT Martin: Dylan Favre played for Mississippi State. This is also the week before the Alabama game, so the Bulldogs might be looking ahead. That’s about it.

On the other side, this team shouldn’t stand a chance. Even if the Bulldogs had the SI Swimsuit models on the sideline, I don’t think there is enough distraction in the world to keep Mississippi State from winning this game.

Vote in the poll and let us know who you think will be the most difficult game before Alabama, and let us know why in the comments section.

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