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Five Must Win Games for MSU in 2016

By Jared Aldridge

Oct 10, 2015; Starkville, MS, USA; The scoreboard shows a live fan shot as the Mississippi State Bulldogs hosted the Troy Trojans at Davis Wade Stadium. Mississippi State won 17 - 45. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 10, 2015; Starkville, MS, USA; The scoreboard shows a live fan shot as the Mississippi State Bulldogs hosted the Troy Trojans at Davis Wade Stadium. Mississippi State won 17 - 45. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jul 15, 2014; Hoover, AL, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen talks to the media during the SEC Football Media Days at the Wynfrey Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 15, 2014; Hoover, AL, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen talks to the media during the SEC Football Media Days at the Wynfrey Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /

2016 is a crucial transition season for Mississippi State football.

The recent success of the Mississippi State football program has been well documented. 2014 saw the team win ten games, be ranked #1 in the nation, and have a player finish in the top ten of he Heisman Trophy voting. That was followed up with nine wins in 2015 to provide the most successful two years of the Dan Mullen era.

If Coach Mullen wants to continue this success he’ll have to find the answer to several questions. Who is the successor to Dak Prescott at QB? Who are the offensive playmakers? How do you sure up the defensive secondary and offensive line? All this and the near impossible task of navigating a SEC West schedule. Playing in the SEC West always makes MSU’s schedule harder than most and this year is no different.

Before we look at the must win games for 2016, let’s define the term. Must win games can obviously change throughout the season as circumstances change. For the sake of this post, a must win game is a game Mullen and the Bulldogs need to focus on winning to have another successful season. This is not necessarily a recipe to win the West or compete for a spot in the playoff. But if the Dawgs pull off these five wins, most fans will be pleased with the 2016 season.

Next: South Carolina

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