Gator Bowl: Mississippi State vs. Michigan

by Johnny B
(Arkansas)

Nice article with previews of all the SEC football bowl games. I just don't agree with you about the Miss. State vs Michigan game.

This is a battle of two teams that finished right about where they were expected to finish this season. Mississippi State is a program on the rise in the SEC, and they are looking to secure their first 9 win season in quite some time. They have a stifling defense and they played extremely close games with the best teams in the SEC this season (Auburn and Arkansas). They were on a 4 game winning streak, which included a victory over Florida in the Swamp, before tragedy struck the tea in the form of one of their defensive leaders dying of a severe bout of cancer. They have dedicated the rest of their season to his memory.

Michigan has a high powered offense that can score in the 40s on just about anyone when they are clicking. Unfortunately, their defense gives up touchdowns like they were party favors. They have yet to show that they can stop anyone, let alone an extremely athletic SEC offense like Mississippi State’s. This could be a long day for Rich Rodriguez’s team, and it could mean his ticket out the door as well.

Look for a MSU Bulldog's win in this one.