Here are some quick thoughts after Mississippi State’s win over Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium:

What it means: Mississippi State remains nominally alive for the SEC Western Division championship, though the Bullies remain a game behind frontrunner LSU, and have yet to play Bama, Ole Miss or Texas A&M. Still, they went to Auburn and won a conference game at night in relatively dominating fashion, which shouldn’t be undersold. And the loss for Auburn means that all their goals — division, conference, playoff — are almost certainly at an end.

What I liked: This game was basically the inverse of the meeting last year in Starkville — there wasn’t a ton of media hype (outside of the breathless coverage of Sean White’s debut), there were very few big plays and even fewer memorable moments. State deserves credit for, to use the absolute worst coaching cliche, handling its business — the State defense held its ground when necessary, and Dak Prescott did just enough against a feisty Auburn defense to keep the game from ever becoming interesting. Specifically, in the fourth quarter — after Auburn drew to within a score — State drove and got a 44-yard field goal. It wasn’t clear at the time, but Auburn’s back was broken.

What I didn’t like: The Bulldogs sort of screwed around tonight and kept Auburn in it longer than necessary. Specifically, they had a chance to finish the game on the first drive of the second half, even converting a fourth down only to fumble on the same play. State was the superior team and should’ve put Auburn away much earlier. It’s nitpicking, but still.

Who’s the man: For all the ink spilled over White’s debut, Prescott was barely mentioned in any pregame coverage — his efficiency was the theme for this game, particularly his ability to stay away from trouble on the road in front of a rowdy crowd that desperately wanted to believe in something. In sports, sometimes it’s about just (be prepared to groan) just doing your job. And he did.

What’s next: State travels to College Station to face Texas A&M, which should be a lot of fun.