OXFORD — The same team that scored a combined 10 points in two September losses went 3-1 in November and could be bound for a prestigious bowl game.
No. 22 Mississippi State culminated the turnaround Thursday with 35-3 Egg Bowl win over rival Ole Miss. The Bulldogs’ exact bowl destination remains to be determined, but it is likely to be good news — much as the last month has been.
“It’s incredibly positive momentum to come out of the regular season 8-4 with a bowl game and a chance to go get nine (wins),” MSU coach Joe Moorhead said.
The win means MSU will finish fourth in the Southeastern Conference West as long as Auburn loses to Alabama on Saturday. It also means MSU must resort to watching rankings to best guess at its bowl destination.
Assuming the SEC champion makes the College Football Playoff, that would leave the next-highest conference team in the CFP rankings in the Sugar Bowl; entering this week, Alabama was No. 1, Georgia No. 5 and LSU No. 7.
Barring unforeseen upsets, all three of those schools will be in New Year’s 6 bowls — bowls associated with the College Football Playoff — after which the Citrus Bowl (Orlando) gets the first pick of a SEC team. That spot could go to Florida, but Florida is ranked No. 11; if the Gators climb high enough to earn a New Year’s 6 spot, MSU could slot into the Citrus Bowl.
If Florida or some other SEC school gets the spot in the Citrus Bowl, MSU will be in consideration for six bowl games: Music City (Nashville), Belk (Charlotte), Outback (Tampa), Liberty (Memphis), TaxSlayer (Jacksonville) and Texas (Houston). The SEC, the bowls and the schools work together to pair schools with bowls, according to the conference website.
Ole Miss ends the final season of its bowl ban with a record of 5-7, 1-7 in conference play. The 2019 Rebels will not be working under a bowl ban leveled by NCAA sanctions, but getting to the program’s first bowl game since 2015 will likely be a tall task.
This was the final game in a Rebel uniform for quarterback Jordan Ta’amu, wide receiver DaMarkus Lodge and two starting offensive linemen, center Sean Rawlings and guard Javon Patterson. It will likely be the same for a large cast of highly-rated juniors tempted by the NFL Draft, tackle Greg Little and wide receivers A.J. Brown, a Starkville native, and D.K. Metcalf, a redshirt sophomore, being the most notable.
There was only one senior starter on the defensive end, but it was a defense that was one of the worst in both the SEC and the nation. There is no guarantee the defensive coaching staff is retained for next season. 2019 could be a time of uncertainty for Rebel football.
“I am really disappointed for the seniors. They’ve been through a lot and I hate for them to go out this way,” Ole Miss coach Matt Luke said. “I am grateful for those guys. Several guys came back that had opportunities to leave and they didn’t.
“As we move forward and move out of these sanctions, start going to recruit and build this thing to get it back on track, I think those guys will have pride in knowing that they helped keep this thing together.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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