Mississippi State Football: Could the Bulldogs play Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl?
By Landon Young
It seems likely that the Mississippi State football team could face off against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in this year’s TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
The 2022 bowl projections are starting to fall out day by day, and the Mississippi State football team is looking the state of Florida dead in the eyes.
With a win over the Ole Miss Rebels in this year’s Battle for the Golden Egg, the Mississippi State Bulldogs finished third in the SEC West behind LSU and Alabama.
Here’s a look at the SEC West rankings:
- LSU (6-2) 9-3
- Alabama (6-2) 10-2
- Mississippi State (4-4) 8-4
- Ole Miss (4-4) 8-4
- Arkansas (3-5) 6-6
- Auburn (2-6) 5-7
- Texas A&M (2-6) 5-7
The LSU Tigers win the SEC West with three losses, one of which came against the Florida State Seminoles to start the season.
The Alabama Crimson Tide finds themselves at the unheard-of No. 2 spot in the West.
Then come your Bulldogs… The Mississippi State Bulldogs finished 3rd in the SEC West. Honestly, if you had told me that before the 2022 season started, I may not have believed you, but here we are.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs had a good shot at going to the Citrus Bowl, but due to the South Carolina Gamecocks upsetting the Clemson Tigers and the LSU Tigers being punked by Texas A&M, the Bulldogs’ chances of going to the Citrus Bowl fell short.
That said, the Mississippi State football team is still looking at its best bowl in years. In 2019, the Bulldogs found themselves at the Outback Bowl. 2018 was the last time the Bulldogs went to the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, and it looks as if that will be the destination for Mississippi State.
Many analysts and experts have the Mississippi State Bulldogs set to face off against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Fun fact: The Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have never faced off on the college football field.