The 2016 season is one many Mississippi State fans have been dreading for years. It’s the first season since 2013 that QB Dak Prescott will not be under center.

Prescott rewrote the record books and won a program-best 19 games over the past two seasons. Who takes over at quarterback and how that changes the philosophy on offense are burning questions that have caused Bulldogs fans much anxiety.

Head coach Dan Mullen has made the Bulldogs a factor in the SEC, but doing so in 2016 might require his best coaching effort yet.

ON-FIELD PERFORMANCE

SEC standing: Middle of the pack

Grade: C

Yes, the Bulldogs won nine games in 2015. But for the most part they beat the teams they should have and went 0-4 against ranked teams. A 4-4 SEC mark placed the Bulldogs squarely in the middle of the SEC and ahead of only Auburn in the West.

An impressive 51-28 Belk Bowl victory over North Carolina State eased some of the pain of the Bulldogs dropping two of the their final three regular season games, including a crushing 38-27 Egg Bowl loss to Ole Miss.

Of course, behind the direction of Prescott, the offense was anything by average. The Bulldogs scored 34.4 points per game, fifth-best in the SEC, and second-highest in Mullen’s tenure.

It was a porous defense, which ranked ninth in points allowed (23.2), that prevented the Bulldogs from moving into the SEC’s upper echelon.

RECRUITING

SEC standing: Bottom half

2016 rank: No. 31 nationally, No. 11 in SEC

Grade: C-

The Bulldogs’ most recent classes were ranked No. 11, No. 8 and No. 12 in the SEC, so they are well below average. However, on a national level the Bulldogs hold their own against the nation’s top teams, with ranks of No. 31, No. 18 and No. 35, respectively.

Mullen summed it up for hailstate.com regarding recruiting against conference powers.

“It’s tough to compete with everyone in the SEC,” Mullen said. “You are talking about the best conference in all of college football. You have some great teams and some great programs.

“I think in recruiting there are so many talented players, not just here, but in Alabama, in Tennessee, in Louisiana and we are all kind of recruiting for those same kids and I guess in the end, you’re going to win some and you’re going to lose some.”

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

SEC standing: Among the best

Grade: B

As Mullen described to hailstate.com, he is looking for a certain type of player – one condusive to player development.

“What’s most important to me is that you get the guys that are right for you,” Mullen said. “The guys that are going to fit your program and for us, that want to be developed, that want to be coached, that want to be much better players when they leave than they were when they came.”

It’s a successful philosophy as the 18 players drafted into the NFL since his arrival will attest to. That group includes five from the 2015 draft.

In addition, a school-record six players were invited to the recent NFL Combine. Among those was Prescott, a 3-star recruit from Louisiana.

FACILITIES

SEC standing: Bottom half

Grade: D

Keeping up can be a difficult and expensive task in the richest conference in America. And with a $75 million expansion, completed in August 2014, Davis Wade Stadium still only seats 61,337. True, it’s the largest stadium in the state of Mississippi, but it ranks just 11th by capacity in the SEC.

Built in 1914, it’s the second-oldest stadium in the FBS behind Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Mississippi State is also one of only three schools in the SEC that does not have full-length indoor facilities. Florida completed its facility in 2015. The other two (Georgia, South Carolina) are in the process of expanding to full length.

COACHING

SEC standing: Upper half

Grade: B-

Mullen is among the greatest coaches to ever walk the sidelines at Mississippi State. He is second all-time at the school in winning percentage (.611) to Allyn McKeen (.764) and third in victories with 55. He trails only Jackie Sherrill (75) and McKeen (65).

Mullen has posted a winning record in every season except his firstand has taken the Bulldogs to a school-record six consecutive bowl games. He is the Bulldogs’ all-time leader in bowl victories (4) and tied with Sherrill for bowl appearances (6).

He has had assistant coaches come and go, as all head coaches have, but Mullen continues to maintain a level of consistency that rivals the better coaches in the SEC.