Mississippi State’s 2024 SEC schedule has been released. The Bulldogs’ schedule stands out in many ways.
There has been great anticipation over the addition of Oklahoma and Texas to the conference. The release of the 16 teams’ schedules quelled some of that but may have created more.
The entire 2024 SEC schedule was announced on a special edition of SEC Now on the SEC Channel.
Takeo Spikes was asked, “What is the most fun or interesting-ish (sic) schedule?” Spikes said, “I would probably say Mississippi State…You look at the matchups that they have…typically teams that they really don’t see. Look at Tennessee. Look at Georgia. They’re playing against Florida in another home game.
But the entire panel was missing some obvious things that have been taken from the Bulldogs’ 2024 schedule.
The Circle is Now Broken
Auburn
MSU has played Auburn consecutively for 68 years since 1954. It’s a game that both fan bases look forward to every year.
They are both land grant universities and share many similarities in terms of student life and even the layouts of the campuses.
Both express what a great time it is going to those games, alternating the visits like relatives during the holidays.
Remember when Auburn’s iconic Toomer’s Corner oak trees were poisoned by an irate Alabama fan in 2011? It was Mississippi State’s Chemical Lab that analyzed the soil to determine what chemical had been used.
There has been a symbiotic relationship between the schools longer than the football streak, but at the end of the day, football rules.
Alabama
Just 82 miles down US Highway 82, no kidding is the campus of the University of Alabama.
The Bulldogs have been playing the Crimson Tide every year longer than the Auburn streak.
The games have been played consecutively for 74 years since 1948.
Granted, the Win/Loss record is slightly lopsided in favor of the Tide at 18 – 86. But that doesn’t mean Bulldog fans aren’t optimistic every year, especially when the games are in Starkville.
Both student bodies regularly make the short drive across the state line to visit each other’s campuses, even when there isn’t football afoot. Columbus, MS, is also a neutral nightspot where Alabama players have been spotted.
In 2023, the Tide will make the trip to visit State one last time before the streak is broken.
LSU
But of all the streaks that will be broken in 2024, the longest is known as “Cowbells and Cajuns.”
Mississippi State has been playing LSU every year since 1944, three years longer than the Tide. It would be longer, but there was a break for World War II in 1943.
Those 79 years are only part of what is LSU’s longest rivalry and State’s second behind Ole Miss.
LSU has dominated the series since 1985, losing only six games. The most recent loss to the Bulldogs was in 2020 when the late MSU coach Mike Leach took them into Death Valley and upset the #6-ranked Bayou Bengals 44-34. The Dawgs went into the game an 18-point underdog.
New Kids on the Block
The SEC Commission laid out the new schedule requiring each of the existing SEC teams to play either Oklahoma or Texas in 2024.
Mississippi State’s wheel of fortune landed on Texas with the Bulldogs traveling to Austin, the first time since 1992. The first time was in 1921, and the 2nd in 1992.
Actually, State has only played Texas four times in its history. The first time was in 1921, and the 2nd in 1991.
In 1921, the game was in Austin, and the Dawgs lost that one 54 – 7. 70 years later, in 1991, the Longhorns would travel to Starkville and lose that contest 13 – 6. State traveled to Austin the following year, and MSU won that one 28 – 10.
The last time Mississippi State played Texas was New Year’s Day, 1999, in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. The Bulldogs lost that one 38 – 11, clearly in front of a partisan crowd.
If you were keeping score, State has split the only four meetings with the Longhorns 2 – 2.
The Cowbell Rarely Rung
The hosts of SEC Now mentioned that Mississippi State’s 2024 SEC schedule stands out because it pits them against opponents rarely seen on the Dawg’s schedule.
A short history lesson will help with where the Dawgs have come from.
The SEC is the third iteration of conference play in the South. The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) was the first in 1894. The Southern Conference was next in 1921, and the SEC came along in 1933 to this day.
Many original members of all three go back to 1896. Of those, only Georgia and Tennessee remain on the Bulldog’s schedule next year. Florida is on the schedule but didn’t join the SIAA until 1912.
In those 127 years, Tennessee and Georgia have only been on MSU’s schedule 46 and 26 times, respectively.
Florida’s 111 years have only pitted the Gators and the Dawgs 55 times, or half of those years.
This isn’t the first time the SEC has raided the Big 12 or what used to be called the Southwest Conference.
Arkansas joined from the old SWC in 1991, a huge rival of Texas in their old conference. Texas A&M and Missouri came over from the Big 12 in 2012.
Arkansas has been on State’s schedule all of those 32 years since joining the conference, as has Texas A&M for 11 years. That remains the same in 2024 as it does this year.
Missouri has only been on Mississippi State’s docket four times in 11 years but finds its way on the 2024 schedule for a fifth meeting.
The Egg Remains Unbroken
One bit of foresight the SEC Committee did have was in preserving or reinstating the rivalries. I’m sure if that had not been the case, all fanbases would be at their door with torches and pitchforks.
The Egg Bowl, Mississippi State v. Ole Miss, has been played 117 times between 1901 and 2023. 2024 will be no exception. They only took a four-year break for World War I and a one-year break for World War II.
The committee also retained the rivalries between Auburn – Alabama, Georgia – Florida, Arkansas – LSU, Alabama – Tennessee, and the Red River Rivalry, Oklahoma – Texas. They needed to keep something alive for the new kids so their fanbases could be happy with the move.
The SEC also reinstated some old Southwest Conference rivalries as well. Arkansas – Texas, Texas – Texas A&M, and Oklahoma – Missouri have been reset for the next years. Those will be worth watching if just for the pure nostalgic aspect.
The Bulldogs of 2024
Will Rogers will emerge from the Manning Passing Academy this month. He will start preparations as the keystone of the Bulldogs’ 2023 season. Rogers will also be joining with many of his offensive starters from last year.
While that bodes well for this coming season, what will the Dawg days of 2024 look like? It’s anyone’s guess at this point in terms of personnel. Rogers will be gone along with many others who are seniors for the 2023 season.
Coach Zach Arnett can take advantage of some of Mike Leach’s recruiting plus some of his own. They ranked higher than usual in recruiting this year. They also made out pretty well with the transfer portal.
247Sports gave them a composite ranking of 27th. That’s staying consistent with previous classes but lightyears ahead of pre-Mullen.
Then, There’s the 2024 Schedule
Whatever team takes the field next year, Mississippi State’s 2024 schedule itself may bear some good tidings.
Besides the SEC schedule, MSU has a list of non-conference games with Eastern Kentucky, Arizona State, Utah State, and UMass. Three of those are in Starkville, and the Dawgs will be flying to Tempe for the AZ State game.
The other four home games are with Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, and Texas A&M.
Furthermore, Spikes said on SEC Now, “If I’m a fan of Mississippi State, you have to be excited about the optimism that lies ahead because I think the schedule is really conducive to them getting on a run if they can win their home games.”
Away, they still have to face Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, and the arch-nemesis Ole Miss in Oxford.
It’s anyone’s guess at this point how State will do next year. But a great 2023 season could provide momentum going into a unique 2024 for the Bulldogs.
