Mississippi State football receives votes in preseason 2023 AP Poll

Preseason college football rankings have been released and the Mississippi State football team has received some votes in the 2023 preseason AP Poll.

The 2023 Mississippi State football season is just around the corner and MSU is fresh off of a nine-win season. Still, despite the Bulldogs’ success from a season ago, it looks like the Bulldogs aren’t getting too much respect from the preseason AP poll.

External preseason expectations seem to overlook the Bulldogs a bit and it seems like many don’t expect Mississippi State to thrive this season.

Losing Mike Leach has certainly impacted Mississippi State football in significant ways (most notably in that they won’t utilize the Air Raid this coming season), but that doesn’t guarantee that the Bulldogs are doomed to mediocrity this year.

Zach Arnett (MSU’s current head coach and previously its defensive coordinator) has a chance to build upon what he helped Leach establish as the foundation of this program. And that’s a program that finished the 2022 season at No. 20 in the AP poll. But, uh, don’t expect to see MSU ranked there heading into 2023.

Nope, the Bulldogs are receiving votes right now.

2023 AP Poll preseason college football rankings: Mississippi State football receives votes

Here’s what the 2023 AP poll looks like ahead of the season:

1. Georgia Bulldogs
2. Michigan Wolverines
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
4. Alabama Crimson Tide
5. LSU Tigers
6. USC Trojans
7. Penn State Nittany Lions
8. Florida State Seminoles
9. Clemson Tigers
10. Washington Huskies
11. Texas Longhorns
12. Tennessee Volunteers
13. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
14. Utah Utes
15. Oregon Ducks
16. Kansas State Wildcats
17. TCU Horned Frogs
18. Oregon State Beavers
19. Wisconsin Badgers
20. Oklahoma Sooners
21. North Carolina Tar Heels
22. Ole Miss Rebels
23. Texas A&M Aggies
24. Tulane Green Wave
25. Iowa Hawkeyes

So, yeah, the Bulldogs are on the outside looking in of the 2023 preseason AP Poll college football rankings. That said, it’s worth remembering that the Mississippi State football team did receive some votes heading into this season.

Not many votes, but some!

If the AP poll went to where the Bulldogs received votes, they’d be tied for 39th in the country with the likes of Toledo, Duke, and Florida. It could be better, but it certainly could be worse.

MSU starts the 2023 season by hosting the Southeastern Louisiana Lions and the Arizona Wildcats. Wins over those two teams will make for an intriguing week three matchup at home against the LSU Tigers.