So far, so very good.
Although it hardly rates as “breaking news,” Mississippi State’s 34-29 win over eighth-ranked LSU Saturday night in Baton Rouge is certain to remain a hot topic in these parts for at least another week.
The reasons are obvious. First, an MSU win over LSU is about as common as bi-partisan action in Congress; State had not beaten LSU in 15 years and had not beaten LSU in Baton Rouge since 1991. MSU became the fourth team to beat the Tigers in Baton Rouge on Saturday night since Les Miles took over as the Tigers in 2005. An interesting note: The last two teams to beat LSU in Baton Rouge on a Saturday night were ranked No. 1 in the nation and both went on the win the national championship (Florida in 2009, Alabama in 2012).
Of course, no one is ready for a coronation of that sort yet, but the Bulldogs’ win does signify MSU, 4-0, is more than capable of holding its own in the ridiculously brutal SEC West. Of the West’s seven teams, six are ranked and the seventh, Arkansas could make a good case for a ranking, too.
Aside from the mere fact of the win, what MSU did Saturday is something that cannot easily be brushed aside. The Bulldogs dominated the game from the start, ran for more than 300 yards and piled up 570 total yards, the most ever allowed by a Les Miles LSU team. State led 34-10 in the fourth quarter and only a frantic scoring spree by LSU (two touchdowns in the final two minutes, one aided by an MSU fumble) made the final score respectable.
Clearly, this was no fluke. That MSU was the better team was clearly obvious and obvious from the start. State went into the game unranked. Today, the Bulldogs are ranked 14th in one poll, 16th in the other.
Taking nothing away from MSU’s performance, it’s worth remembering that this is the point in the season when the college football landscape really begins to take shape.
Up until now, most teams are ranked or unranked based on reputation and their performance in the previous season.
But now that the teams are beginning to play their conference schedules, pretenders begin to fall and contenders emerge.
It’s fair to say that MSU belongs in that latter category, at least until proven otherwise. We won’t have long to wait, of course. After a week off, MSU will host sixth-ranked Texas A&M then host fifth-ranked Auburn. In November, State must travel to No. 3 Alabama and No. 10 Ole Miss.
For the next three months, fortunes will continue to rise and fall in college football and particularly in the SEC.
But a third of the way through its season, MSU is looking good.
Very good.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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