12/18/10
The answer is yes…Dan Mullen will keep the Bulldogs on the recent upswing that has turned heads nationwide. Marginal improvements seen and the groundwork laid by former head coach Sylvester Croom gave Mullen the foundation needed. Now, State is finally reflecting the efforts over the last four recruiting classes in the ‘W’ column. Eager fans cannot wait to see how good this team will be, especially with seven senior starters and 17 returning starters in all building on this past season’s respectable accomplishments. Chris Relf is an exceptional quarterback, both with the X’s and O’s in Mullen’s intricate, modern offense, and with tough decision-making when foes force his hand. The team’s top four rushers and top four receivers return, and that will make foes again spread out so Relf can smell out the mismatches. Throughout 2010, we all saw how Relf’s feet are that extra dimension which puts the Bulldogs in the driver’s seat. Also seen this season has been some real stinginess on defense – giving up an average of six points less per game compared to last year has meant ranking 27th in the FBS for scoring allowed and 3rd in the SEC, THE toughest defensive conference. What has to be found is depth at linebacker…no problem, really, with the cupboards full of talent. Mississippi State is once again a chosen destination for top in-state players, and the “snowball effect” of the program growing in quantity and quality will just keep rolling into 2011. In arguably the toughest division in the toughest conference (year in, year out), Mullen has placed his kids in genuine position to challenge for both the West Division and SEC titles, but the mountain is steep with the four teams that beat the Bulldogs in 2010 - LSU, Alabama, Arkansas and Auburn - ranked in our Top 10 ahead of Mullen’s crew. With their work cut out, State will put in the effort needed, and (even if minimal,) improvements mean they will likely beat two of those West rivals, and, therefore, find themselves in the division hunt and climbing the rankings polls well into November.