Realistic Expections for Mississippi State

As a Mississippi State football fan, I've got to be realistic. As most State fans are, we just want to go to a bowl game. But if we start winning we're going to want more than that. What are some realistic goals and expectations for Mississippi State football? We're not supposed to be that good with the 11th best stadium and budget in the SEC, but State can be good and we don't have to soak in mediocrity like so many fans think we do.

The goals over a 10 year span should be:

1 SEC Championship
2 Western Division Championships
8 Bowl games (that may sound excessive for State, but 10 teams in the SEC go to bowls every year)
75 wins

Realistic expectations over a 10 year span:

1-2 Western Division Championships
6 Bowl games
65 wins

The last 10 years look like this:

0 Western Division Championships
2 Bowl games
42 wins

State's record against SEC teams in the past 10 years (since 2000):

Vanderbilt: 3-1
Kentucky: 5-5
Florida: 2-3
Ole Miss: 4-6
Alabama: 3-7
Auburn: 2-8
Arkansas: 1-9
Georgia: 0-2
Tennessee: 0-4
South Carolina: 0-5
LSU: 0-10


I don't expect State to equal Alabama, LSU, and Florida. But I can expect that we will upset them every now and then...maybe make a run at a Western Division crown like in 1998. Of course, in '98 LSU, Auburn and Alabama weren't nearly as good as they are now. Those teams have been dominating the the 2000s, although Alabama has had their ups and downs. But still, State can sneak in there like Arkansas does every now and then. Those poor records against teams like South Carolina and Arkansas are embarrassing...State should be able to win 40-50% of their games against 2nd tier SEC teams.

Knowing each year that we aren't going to compete for a national championship doesn't bother me. A dream season for State would be taking every game to the final minute, and getting a couple upsets of teams like LSU, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Auburn, and Tennessee...and ultimately making it to the SEC title game with a 10-2 or 11-1 record. And then winning the SEC and playing in the Sugar Bowl. I can't imagine a better season than that, and I would be completely content for an 8-4 season that included a big upset of one of those teams.

One thing I think that needs to be done is expanding the stadium to a horseshoe. Make 15,000 more seats. Think big, be big. That would bring more money to MSU and Starkville. I loved Starkville when I lived there, but to get the best recruits the town could have a little more. With the enrollment increasing by 50% over the next few years Starkville will grow and the stadium needs to as well.

As for this season I think a reasonable goal would be 8-4, but I think the expectations should be 6-6. Just get us to a bowl game, I think we have enough talent to accomplish that.

I love SEC football, and I can't imagine how much more I would love it if State was a contender every year. But I'm also ok with only being a contender every 5th year and competitive every week.

JB