Spruce Derden, USA TODAY SPORTS
Last season, the Mississippi State Bulldogs rallied to win their final three games. This season, MSU is hoping to not lose three of its last four.
Things were going extremely well for the Bulldogs through their first nine games. Dan Mullen and his team were unbeaten, leading the SEC West and ranked number one in the country. Quarterback Dak Prescott was the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. Then, the wheels came off.
MSU lost to the Alabama Crimson Tide, bounced back to beat the Vanderbilt Commodores, then lost the season finale to their arch rivals, the Ole Miss Rebels.
The loss to Ole Miss was the most costly. Prior to that game, MSU was number four in the College Football Playoff Standings. A win over Ole Miss could have put the Bulldogs into the playoff, although no one will ever know how that scenario would have played out. But at least MSU would have had a chance.
Now, the Bulldogs are in a big bowl game, but perhaps not the big bowl game they were hoping. What Mullen and his team cannot afford to do is end this great season on a sour note.
They will get a big challenge from the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, who were runners-up in the ACC this season, in the Orange Bowl. Georgia Tech runs a unique offense that will pose a big challenge to the Bulldogs’ defense.
Mullen needs to win this game to keep the momentum going with his program. What looked like a program-changing season could now fall down to just a really good season. But if MSU can win in the Orange Bowl and finish at 11-2, that will be a solid foundation for the future.
Tim Letcher is a contributing writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
