Here are a couple of things I learned from last week’s game against Texas A&M: Dan Mullen is not what he has been expected to be since coming to Mississippi State, and State’s schedule is weak, which is the reason MSU has a 7-2 record this season.
To start off, with last weekend’s loss against Texas A&M, the Bulldogs found themselves at 7 2 (3 2) and tied for fourth place in the SEC West. That rank seems to be familiar for Mullen, as the Bulldogs have not been better than tied for fourth place since Mullen has been here.
Mullen has yet to beat an SEC West opponent in his time at State other than Ole Miss and Auburn. His first win against Auburn came this season, and the Tigers are at a pace to lose every SEC game on their schedule this year. Ole Miss has not had a winning record in any season where State has won the Egg Bowl.
Here are the facts: Mullen has never finished better than four 4 in the SEC since he has been at MSU. When playing ranked teams back-to-back, he has never won either game as head coach at MSU, losing by an average of 16.7 points per game.
Even though he has been ranked in the top-25 in consecutive seasons, Mullen has a 1 14 record against opponents who have ended their season in the top-25. Mullen has a 12 17 (.414) record in the SEC, ranking last in the SEC West among active coaches.
Mullen has, however, been more consistent with the program than past coaches. In addition, he has won the past three Egg Bowls, which, as far as some students are concerned, is the only thing that matters.
I understand this is Mullen’s first job as a head coach, but in the same regard, he has coached on Urban Meyer’s staff as the quarterback coach at Bowling Green, Utah and Florida. At Utah, he developed quarterback Alex Smith into the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. He also tutored Tim Tebow while at Florida, when Tebow won the Heisman and a National Championship in 2005.
Mullen has all of the experience as an assistant coach that he has needed to prepare himself for this position. He has recruited very well in the quarterback position since being head coach at State, so it leads me to await when the development of these quarterbacks will shine through.
My point is this: consistency is fine, but if this team wants to be considered as a great team, it’s time to start winning big games. 
Mullen called the game against Texas A&M “the most important game on the schedule,” but the Dogs seemed apathetic during parts of the game.
Even though the Bulldogs currently hold the best record since Mullen has been the head coach, scheduling has a large part to play in the process. State has yet to beat an SEC opponent that had previously beaten a conference opponent.
Auburn, Kentucky and Tennessee were all winless in the SEC when they played State, and all three are still winless against SEC opponents.
On the non-conference side of the schedule, State’s opponents have a combined record of 18-18, with the best record being a 6-3 record for Middle Tennessee State.
This year’s season is far from over, with three games remaining on the schedule, followed by a bowl game. Students still believe in this team, regardless of these past two weeks. I believe that a big win this weekend can push the team miles forward, as well as put MSU back on the map in the SEC and the top-25.
This weekend’s game against LSU has the potential to be the biggest win in Mullen’s tenor at State. All that is left is the result. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. in “Death Valley” for LSU’s homecoming. I, as a student, would like nothing more than to rain on LSU’s parade.