It's now or never for Mississippi State football as they look for a breakthrough vs Arkansas

Mississippi State football is in the midst of an incredibly difficult season. At 1-6, the Bulldogs are off to their worst start to a season since the infamous "Tech and Ten" 1988 campaign, in which State won their season opener against Louisiana Tech and then lost their remaining 10 games on the schedule.

It's been a rough go for first-year head coach Jeff Lebby as he attempts to rebuild the program. And while I think he'll avoid the level of disaster that was the '88 team, "EKU and 11" isn't exactly out of the picture for the Bulldogs if they don't quickly find a win.

On Saturday when the Arkansas Razorbacks come to Starkville, State will have a chance to snap it's losing streak and get a desperately-needed win over a respectable opponent. And whether or not they do will determine the fate of the rest of the 2024 season.

Mississippi State vs Arkansas will make or break remainder of Bulldogs' season

As a whole, the 2024 season has already been "broken" for MSU. No one thought they'd be in this bad a position at this point, and reaching expectations for this year is out of the question. But they still have the chance to get some momentum for the stretch-run of the season.

Despite the current losing streak, the Bulldogs have been increasingly more competitive over the last month, hanging tough with Top-15 competition. In fact, they legitimately could've gotten a win last week over a very good Texas A&M team. They're playing their best football of the season, and it seems like a breakthrough win is bound to happen soon.

But if a breakthrough is going to happen, it almost has to happen this weekend against Arkansas. This team knows they're close to finally getting a win, but playing well and continually coming up short can only go on for so long before it breaks you. At a certain point, you've got to see your effort pay off with a win to make it feel like it's worth it, and I believe that after six-straight losses, that breaking-point is nearing for MSU.

They're playing at home against a solid but beatable Arkansas team and have some confidence building through their play. This is the time for everything to come together and get a win.

If State can, then there's a chance for a strong close to the year. UMass remains on the schedule, and given the inconsistent nature of all of Tennessee, Missouri, and Ole Miss, the Bulldogs springing an upset in one of those games isn't unfathomable. A hypothetical 4-8 finish with a couple really nice wins down the stretch after a 1-6 start would be great for this team as they build into 2025.

But if State comes up short once again and can't beat the Razorbacks, then it's going to be hard to see them get up for a game again the rest of the year. Jeff Lebby has done a great job keeping his team motivated through their struggles, but again, at a certain point, the effects of continued losing becomes too much to overcome.

It's do or die time in Starkville. Saturday can either be a turning point for a rebuilding program or it can be a back-breaking loss this team won't overcome for the remainder of the year. Hopefully, we see a move in the right direction.