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Fair draw? Mississippi State football's 3 annual SEC opponents leaked

We now know who the Bulldogs will play annually in the SEC moving forward.
ByAndrew Miller|
Sep 30, 2023; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide tight end CJ Dippre (81) runs after making a catch and uses a stiff arm on Mississippi State Bulldogs safety Marcus Banks (1) in Davis Wade Stadium at Mississippi State University. Alabama defeated Mississippi State 40-17. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News
Sep 30, 2023; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide tight end CJ Dippre (81) runs after making a catch and uses a stiff arm on Mississippi State Bulldogs safety Marcus Banks (1) in Davis Wade Stadium at Mississippi State University. Alabama defeated Mississippi State 40-17. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK

One month ago, the SEC announced that it would be adopting a 9-game conference schedule for football starting in 2026. Within that new scheduling model would be groupings of three annual opponents for each team meant to protect primary rivalries and maintain competitive balance.

Those annual opponents will officially be revealed on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network and ESPN2, but SEC fans got the news a day early. On3's Chris Low reported which annual matchups the conference had settled on Monday morning.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs ended up with an interesting draw. Obviously, the Egg Bowl against Ole Miss remains on the annual slate, but there were a number of directions the league could have gone for the other two games. Ultimately, State sees their long-standing series with Alabama rekindled after a two year hiatus while beginning an annual series with Vanderbilt.

Mississippi State fans can't complain with their annual SEC opponents

This actually worked out fairly well for Mississippi State. There was always going to be a high chance the Bulldogs ended up with Alabama as an annual opponent. Despite the lopsided nature of that series and the fact that it's not a rivalry either side values all that much, Mississippi State is Alabama's most-played opponent, and they are the two closest SEC schools to one another.

And then, from Alabama's perspective, there's the competitive balance factor. The Tide's three biggest rivalries are with Auburn, Tennessee, and LSU, three national championship contending programs. They didn't want to have to play all three of those games while other big-time programs got easier draws, so MSU ended up back on their annual schedule to even things out.

That's not ideal for the Bulldogs given the history of that series, but it is worth noting that in the post-Saban era, it could be possible for State to find the occasional win over the Tide. In either case, any concerns of getting that game are mitigated by also getting Vanderbilt.

Vandy is a bit of an odd choice for State, as the two teams don't have much history together, but there won't be any complaints for the Bulldogs. Getting what is far and away the SEC's worst program historically on the annual slate is a major win. And yes, the 'Dores are winning right now, but the odds are low that's sustained. MSU should usually have the upper-hand. Playing Vanderbilt balances out getting Bama.

The last thing to remember is that while these games are annual, they aren't permanent. The SEC will evaluate each annual matchup after four years and determine if any adjustments to schedules are necessary. So while you can bank on the Egg Bowl always being how Mississippi State closes out the regular season, the Tide and/or Commodores may find themselves off the Bulldogs' yearly slate four years from now.

All in all, Bulldog fans should be good with how this shook out for MSU. Even with Alabama back on the schedule annually, State got a reasonable draw that they can navigate.

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