Take the Home Team in the Egg Bowl
Nov 14, 2015; Starkville, MS, USA; A general view of Davis Wade Stadium during a game between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide game. The Crimson Tide defeated the Bulldogs 31-6. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
The road team has only won two times since 1999 in the Egg Bowl.
There has been a lot of talk in the last few weeks about the tremendous home field advantage the home team has in the Egg Bowl. Since We have all heard about how Ole Miss and Mississippi State can’t seem to win in the other team’s stadium.
If you’re a Mississippi State fan, you cling to this narrative as the Ole Miss Rebels get ready to come to Starkville. Anything that gives you a leg up is always nice.
If you’re an Ole Miss fan, you dismiss this notion. You believe your team is better, and that no amount of cowbells will be able to deter you from your rightful destination as keeper of the Egg.
But the last two years have taught me that the home field can’t be ignored. Those two years have shown that unless Mississippi State or Ole Miss are completely awful, then the Bulldogs aren’t winning in Oxford and the Rebels aren’t winning in Starkville.
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If you think that is the case, think back to the last two meetings between these two teams. In 2013, Mississippi State entered the game in terrible shape. Both first and second string quarterbacks were injured. Damian Williams was called upon to try to pull off some kind of miracle to lead the team to victory over the hated rival. While he wasn’t able to lead the team to victory himself, he kept the team afloat just long enough to let Dak come in and lead the team to victory.
In 2014, everything was playing to Mississippi State’s favor. Bo Wallace was hobbled, the offensive line for Ole Miss couldn’t block a third grader, and the running game of the Rebels was pathetic. Things looked to be so favorable for Mississippi State, I wrote this. And the Bulldogs went out and laid an egg in the Egg Bowl.
So picking against the home team in this series seems silly. The only times the home team has lost in this series is when Mississippi State and Ole Miss were fielding some of the worst teams in the the history of each program. In 2003, Mississippi State had completely checked out in the final season under Jackie Sherrill. In 2010, Ole Miss was in the middle of a terrible collapse under the guidance of Houston Nutt.
Eventually, the home team is going to lose the Egg Bowl. But based on the past 16 years, Mississippi State fans should be glad history is in our favor for this one.