Calm down, people.
Yes, Mississippi State is 1-2. Yes it’s 0-2 in the SEC.
But, there’s reason for subtle optimism; we’ve seen this movie before.
Need an example?
The Bulldogs were 1-2 (0-2 in the SEC) through their first three games last season and finished 9-4 with a Gator Bowl trophy.
Their win? Memphis.
Their losses? Auburn and LSU.
A critical fan might look at that and say, “Well then, we’re no better off than last year. We’ve peaked.”
But subtle improvements are easily visible. MSU lost those first two SEC games last year by a total of 25 points. Auburn (eventual national champion) was a one-possession loss, and the Bulldogs were decimated on the road at LSU.
This year, the Auburn loss was again a one-score decision. But the LSU game was winnable deep into the fourth quarter.
Subtle improvement.
“We’re not that far off,” Mullen said. “To be honest with you, we’re probably a couple plays away from being 3-0 and me being worried the other way.”
True, the slow start probably eliminates MSU from title contention in the insanely-deep SEC West.
But that doesn’t make them bottom-dwellers. It doesn’t make them Black Bears.
It just means there’s still room for improvement.
“That’s the key; to continue to improve,” Mullen said. “If we can do that, we can have a similar string of wins that we had last year.”
In all the preseason hype, what’s been lost is this: putting together a second consecutive winning season, even if it involves less wins, is a step forward for this program. It hasn’t happened in over a decade.
Another winning season brings stability, and more recruits seeing a consistent winner on the field.
Winning the SEC West is an important goal and one I think MSU is still on pace to achieve at some point.
But this season’s role within that grand plan might just be more … subtle.