Mississippi State football: ESPN FPI favors Bulldogs vs. Kentucky Wildcats

Will Zach Arnett and the Mississippi State football team be able to defend its home turf against Mark Stoops and the Kentucky Wildcats?

The 2023 Mississippi State football season hasn’t gone according to plan, but there’s still some time to avoid utter catastrophe. At least in theory. Of course, that all depends on whether or not the Mississippi State Bulldogs can find a way to bounce back against the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday evening.

Mississippi State has looked incredibly unimpressive throughout much of the season and the Bulldogs desperately need a win if they hope to contend in any sort of bowl game this season. Of course, that would require MSU to find a way to beat Kentucky.

Which, interestingly enough, despite the fact that MSU is sitting at 4-4 overall and 1-4 in SEC play, it seems like ESPN’s Football Power Index thinks the Bulldogs might have a shot to come out on top of this contest.

Mississippi State football: ESPN FPI gives Bulldogs a shot to take down Kentucky Wildcats Saturday evening

Somehow finding a way to secure a win over the Wildcats would mean the Bulldogs would be able to keep their bowl eligibility hopes alive as the month of November gets started. If you find yourself hoping for a bowl game, then take comfort in knowing that ESPN’s FPI is giving the Bulldogs a 53.8 percent chance of finding a way to beat Kentucky.

That’s not bad, all things considered.

There’s not much that could actually, truly “fix” this season other than somehow pulling off the somewhat impossible task of winning the next four regular season games and then closing out the season on a high note with a bowl game victory. If Zach Arnett and Kevin Barbay could help this team accomplish that, I’m not sure I’d ever criticize them again.

That said, winning this game could provide a bit of a boost to this Bulldogs team. A win vs. Kentucky wouldn’t mean this season is all fine and dandy, but it would do some good for this MSU football team.