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ESPN CFB expert predicts Mississippi State football bowl matchup with Troy Trojans after week 8

By Ethan Lee

FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - OCTOBER 21: Mike Wright #14 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs runs the ball during the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on October 21, 2023 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Bulldogs defeated the Razorbacks 7-3. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - OCTOBER 21: Mike Wright #14 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs runs the ball during the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on October 21, 2023 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Bulldogs defeated the Razorbacks 7-3. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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With over half of the 2023 Mississippi State football season wrapped up, it looks like the Bulldogs have a good shot to make a bowl game.

Over half of the 2023 Mississippi State football season is complete. The Bulldogs have struggled at times and even in various wins, Zach Arnett’s team has appeared flat. But, with a 4-3 overall record and a 1-3 record against SEC competition, it looks like Arnett has a very real shot to guide the Bulldogs back to a bowl game.

Thankfully for Arnett, there are very winnable games left for the Bulldogs up ahead. With five games left on the 2023 Miss. State football schedule, the Bulldogs just need to grab two more wins to lock up a shot at a bowl game.

And those five games aren’t anywhere near as rigorous as the first five from MSU’s football schedule. State needs to find a way to grab two wins from the likes of the Auburn Tigers, Kentucky wildcats, Texas A&M Aggies, Southern Miss Golden Eagles, and Ole Miss Rebels.

Mississippi State football bowl projections: Bulldogs predicted to face Troy Trojans according to ESPN CFB expert

Two wins out of that stretch? That seems doable. And it sure looks like Kyle Bonagura, a college football writer for ESPN, tends to agree.

Bonagura currently has Arnett’s Miss. State Bulldogs making it into bowl season with a trip east to Birmingham, Alabama. According to Bonagura’s Mississippi State bowl prediction, the Bulldogs will get to face the Troy Trojans in their home state.

And while the Birmingham Bowl is certainly underachieving for a team that boasted nine wins a season ago as well as a senior-laden offense, bowl practices mean a lot to programs that need to develop talent.

That includes MSU.

A trip to Birmingham would be good for the Bulldogs. And MSU is potentially in position to make that happen thanks to the fact that State got its first SEC win of the season by grinding out an ugly 7-3 win on the road against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

State still needs to find a way to get two more wins, and they’ll need Kevin Barbay’s offense to find some life (and have plenty of freedom) for that to happen.

Next. Reliving every single Mississippi State bowl game. dark

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