re: Give an honest assessment of your team going into the season

Last week I saw a prediction that had Mississippi State 9-3, 5-3. Later that day I saw one that had them 4-8, 1-7.

A team that was 7-5 last year, beat a couple of decent teams, and returns 17 starters would be called a dark horse to win any other conference. But we live in the SEC West.

Memphis, Arizona, Bowling Green and East Tennessee - Should be a 4-0 non-conference for MSU.

at LSU on September 17 is going to tell us a lot about State. LSU fans will get chippy, but on paper, State is the better team and should win this game. If they do, they will be closer to that 9-3 in the first prediction. If they lose a tight game, we're probably looking at another 6-6/7-5 team. If they get blown out, they will struggle to get to 6 wins.

There's three weeks of tossups mid-season. A&M and Arkansas at home, and at Kentucky. State's not winning in Tuscaloosa, but they get Auburn and Georgia at home late in the season before going to Ole Miss. Mike Leach is the worst Thanksgiving weekend coach in history, so we probably don't win in Oxford.

My prediction: 8-4 and a Big Ten bowl opponent in Florida.

Best case: 10-2 and a NY6 game
Woest case: 5-7