Mississippi State not No. 1, but still relevant in College Football Playoff poll
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At this time last year, Dak Prescott was a Heisman Trophy frontrunner, Dan Mullen was one of the hottest coaches in America and the Mississippi State Bulldogs were ranked No. 1 in the College Football Playoff poll.
The school in Starkville always will have that historical footnote — first team ever ranked No. 1 by the College Football Playoff selection committee.
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But, perhaps more importantly to cowbell-loving fans, Mississippi State remains relevant in this year’s initial selection committee poll. Released Tuesday night, the selection committee ranked the Bulldogs at No. 20.
At 6-2, with games against Alabama and Ole Miss remaining, the Bulldogs are a fringe top 25 team in all the major polls. But Devon Bell’s missed 52-yard field goal as time expired against LSU — in a 21-19 loss — has prevented the team from a potential return to the top 10 of the College Football Playoff poll.
That’s how thin the margin can be in the SEC West and with this current iteration of Mississippi State football.
With two losses, and some tough games to come, the team’s College Football Playoff hopes are, in all likelihood, gone. Not that there were any to start, as the SEC media picked this team to finish last in the seven-team SEC West.
Given that context, and the sheer volume of starters the team lost from the ’14 team, reclaiming a top 25 spot in this poll is impressive. Beat Ole Miss or Alabama and Mississippi State should at least enter bowl season ranked as well.
An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.
