CFB analyst reveals why Mississippi State is the “most underrated team” in the country

Could the Mississippi State Bulldogs be one of the underdogs to look out for in the upcoming season? Josh Pate, who runs one of the hottest college football podcasts, believes that the Bulldogs are not getting the recognition they deserve.

According to him, there may be a shimmer of hope that Mississippi State come forward to upset the favorite teams to move on from the SEC West division to the SEC Championship.

Last year was a tough time for the Bulldogs, as Mike Leach, who was their coach, passed away last December after succumbing to a heart attack. That is when Zach Arnett, who was previously a defensive coordinator for the team, was chosen to fill in the void left by Leach's death.

In his Late Kick Podcast, Josh Pate stated the reasons why he feels that Mississippi State is being slept on by the fans. He further went on to talk about how fans should know everything about the Bulldogs, as they could be a team looking to impress in the 2023 season.

"Mississippi State is the one that gets LSU and Bama at home. They don't play Georgia in the regular season. They get Ole Miss at home at the end of the year. And really, nothing is known about them, which is ridiculous because you should know everything you need to know about them," Pate said.

He then further went on to talk about how almost a dozen players with great stats are returning as starters in 2023, which makes them an underrated team in the college football scene.

"I'm saying that public is out to lunch on Mississippi State. They're one of the most underrated teams in the country. No one knows anything about them, and like 18 or 19 of their starters are going to be seniors this year.

"It's wild. Also, you've got like a 15 million yard career passer who's returning at quarterback. And people are like 'Oh, Mississippi State, kinda enigmatic. Don't know much about them.'"

It is definitely new territory for MSU with Zach Arnett as their coach. He does not have a glorious coaching history like the others. He had multiple positions with San Diego State for nine seasons, before joining the MSU Bulldogs as their defensive coordinator for three seasons.

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Zach Arnett will be looking to carry forward Mike Leach's legacy

Coming into his first full season as the coach, there is definitely a lot of pressure on Arnett. But he led the team to win the ReliaQuest Bowl last season in their first game as the head coach. And during SEC media days last month, Arnett talked about how he is hoping to carry forward this momentum in 2023.

"I hope it's a continuation of the identity that Mississippi State has always had as a football program: Tough, hard-nosed, disciplined. If we can have a football team who lines up excited to play with a physicality and a determination and a disciplined football team, you've got a chance in every game regardless of scheme," Arnett said.

With him as the coach, Matt Brock has stepped in as the defensive coordinator for the Bulldogs. You've got Kevin Barbay guiding the offensive line. Apart from this, Tony Huges, a 12-year running backs coach for the team, was retained by Barbay. Chad Bumphis and Mike Schmidt are the latest additions as assistants to Barbay.

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Are the Mississippi State Bulldogs looking impressive ahead of the season?

The MSU Bulldogs finished their final scrimmage on Saturday. And there are a few key pointers to take away from it, according to Arnett. There are almost 15 returning starters to the team this year, out of which seven of them had their best regular season under coach Mike Leach.

In the quarterback position, you've got Will Rogers, who is returning as a senior. In 2022, Rogers had 3,974 passing yards and 35 touchdowns. But the team also has Mike Wright, who transferred from Vanderbilt to Mississippi State. While Rogers will be the first choice as the starter, Wright could prove to come in clutch at certain moments.

Mississippi St Preview Football

Apart from this, the team also boasts a veteran running back room. Jo'quavious Marks will be the undisputed choice as the starter on the roster. But in the scrimmage, freshman Seth Davis has been continuing to impress on the field. Coming in from Katy High School in Texas, Davis could quickly transform himself into a future MSU star.

While it is still too early to tell how the SEC conference will play out this year, Zac Arnett will be looking to give his best efforts and will expect the same from his team as well.