The Mississippi State Bulldogs were one of just two SEC West teams not listed in Sunday’s Associated Press Preseason Top 25, along with Arkansas. The West’s other five teams – No. 2 Alabama, No. 6 Auburn, No. 13 LSU, No. 18 Ole Miss and No. 21 Texas A&M -will make the Bulldogs’ quest for 10 wins that much more challenging.

MSU does not play any ranked teams outside the SEC West, but it will have to travel for three of its five games against ranked opponents. The Bulldogs will host back-to-back games against Texas A&M on October 4 and Auburn on October 11.

They will travel to Baton Rouge to play LSU on September 20 and to Tuscaloosa on November 15 to take on Alabama. Mississippi State will close the regular season on the road in Oxford for the annual Egg Bowl against Ole Miss.

Dan Mullen is 0-12 against ranked teams since the start of the 2011 season.