Mississippi State Football

On Saturday, Nov. 16, the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide will travel to play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in a meeting of SEC football foes. Alabama will look to preserve its perfect season under Nick Saban, while Mississippi State will be searching for the upset of the year as it pursues a .500 record under Dan Mullen.

The question is, what should you be watching for when the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide clash this weekend?

Date	Time (EST)	TV	Live Stream	Betting Line (via BOVADA)
Saturday, Nov. 16	7:45 p.m.	ESPN	Watch ESPN	Alabama (-24)

Key Injuries

Entering Week 12 of the 2013-14 college football season, it's hardly surprising to note that there are injuries. As unfortunate as it may be, teams have played something in the ball park of 10 games, and that puts every player at risk of a nagging or sidelining ailment.

This game is no exception.

The most notable name on the injury list is Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott. Coach Mullen labeled Prescott as questionable for the game against Alabama, per HailState.com, due to an elbow injury.

Mississippi State has been splitting quarterback duties between Prescott and original starter Tyler Russell, but that doesn't make Prescott's health any less concerning.

As for Alabama, an already banged up Crimson Tide secondary could be without a key player. Andrew Gribble of AL.com reports that cornerback Bradley Sylve is still nursing a high ankle sprain, and that could keep him out of this weekend's game against Mississippi State.

Cyrus Jones has played well in his place, but depth in the secondary will be a key in this game and beyond for Alabama.

Upset Alert

This one's a long shot.

At 4-5, Mississippi State is far from a team that has earned the label of an upset threat. With a closer inspection of those losses, however, it becomes clear that the Bulldogs have been within striking distance during games against high-profile opponents.

That's either broken Mississippi State's spirits, or it's prepared them to do the unthinkable against Alabama.

Mississippi State lost 51-41 on the road to No. 11 Texas A&M on Nov. 9, and they trailed by 10 points with less than 14 minutes remaining before falling apart down the stretch. The Bulldogs were down 17-10 at the half against No. 10 South Carolina before losing 34-16 away from home.

Furthermore, the Bulldogs lost 24-20 at the No. 7 Auburn Tigers and 21-3 to No. 12 Oklahoma State. A 59-26 loss to No. 21 LSU is discouraging, but the score was 31-26 entering the fourth quarter.

Mississippi State has been in the thick of things against some of the best teams in the country, and that offers some form of hope entering a clash with Alabama.

It'd be the biggest shock of the year to see Alabama fall to Mississippi State, and that must be stated. With that being said, all five of Mississippi State's losses have come against Top 25 teams, and that makes Dan Mullen's squad a dangerous one.

Alabama deserves to be the heavy favorite, but this one may not be as easy as it seems.

AJ McCarron: Heisman Hopeful?

Johnny Manziel and the Texas A&M Aggies are having another magnificent season. Jameis Winston and the Florida State Seminoles are ranked No. 2 in the country.

Why does this matter? Manziel and Winston are the top two Heisman Trophy candidates. They're also two players who have been been out-classed by AJ McCarron and the Alabama Crimson Tide, whether it be on the field or in the rankings.

This isn't to say that McCarron deserves to win the Heisman Trophy, but where's his hype?

Through the air, McCarron currently has 2,041 yards, 19 touchdowns and three interceptions on a completion percentage of 69.4. That creates career marks of 68 touchdowns and 11 interceptions during his time at Alabama.

More impressively, McCarron has already won two national championships and is in a position to win an uncanny third.

In his biggest game of the year, McCarron earned his Heisman moment by out-gunning Manziel in College Station. Manziel put up monster numbers, but it was McCarron who went 20-of-29 for 334 yards, four touchdowns and no interception en route to a 49-42 win.

Mississippi State is 4-5, but if McCarron is going to enter the Heisman conversation, he can't afford to do anything but take over this contest.

Peggy Prescott, the 52-year-old mother of Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott, passed away on Sunday morning after a lengthy battle with colon cancer.

According to Logan Lowery of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Dak was her youngest son, and Peggy is also survived by his two older brothers, Tad and Jace.

Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen said the following in a statement released by the team, according to Lowery's report:

The Mississippi State football family is completely saddened by the passing of Dak Prescott’s mom, Peggy. They shared an extraordinary mother-son relationship. We know Dak will carry on her great strength and kindness. Please pray for Dak and his family as they go through this difficult time. We also kindly ask that you please respect their privacy.

Prescott reportedly shaved his head before the season in support of his mother's battle.

A benefit called "Huddle Up For Cancer" was held on her behalf in late October, with the proceeds going toward a foundation that will help families cope with having a loved one diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Prescott, a sophomore, started 2013 as the backup to Tyler Russell, but he has been forced into action by injuries and started six of the Bulldogs' eight games.

Though Mississippi State has struggled to to win those games, Prescott has looked pretty good in that extended action, totaling just under 2,000 yards (568 on the ground) and 15 touchdowns on the year.

Not that it matters compared to what Prescott must be dealing with, but there has been no word on his availability nor timetable given for his return. Mississippi State plays at No. 15 Texas A&M on Saturday before hosting No. 1 Alabama the following week. 

Our thoughts and condolences go out to Dak, Tad, Jace, the entire Prescott family and everyone involved with the Mississippi State football program.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs have had an easy time on the field and at the payout window in their recent football meetings with SEC rival Kentucky. Can they do the same Thursday night while spotting the Wildcats 10 points on the Week 9 spread?

Point spread: Miss State opened as 11-point favorites; the total was 56. (Line updates and Matchup report)

Computer Prediction: Bulldogs, 31-16

Why the Wildcats can cover the spread

The Wildcats have played a punishing schedule in facing four teams that have ranked in the Top Five this season. So, if quality of competition is a handicapping factor, Kentucky knows it may have an easier time against Mississippi State. Do the Wildcats wilt or thrive in this situation?

Kentucky has disappointed its supporters six times in a row against the Bulldogs (0-6 ATS), according to the OddsShark.com searchable college football database, so they are due for a bounce game.

Why the Bulldogs can cover the spread

The Bulldogs have been excellent at home in the tough SEC, riding a 10-2 mark straight up (SU) in their past dozen home games. When laying points at home, they are even better at 11-0 SU and 9-2 against the spread (ATS) in 11 games as home chalk. Kentucky is a young team, playing on a short week in a hostile environment.

None of those factors bode well for Kentucky staying close here. Neither does Kentucky’s 2-9 ATS mark in 11 conference games.

Smart Pick

The OddsShark predictor computer believes Mississippi State will win and cover here. They are 6-2 ATS in eight recent home games against the SEC and have the superior roster to combat a short week. The computer should be close here, but it could be even more one-sided in favor of the Bulldogs.

Trends

Kentucky is 1-6 ATS in its last seven games on the road

Mississippi State is 6-0 ATS in its last six games against Kentucky

Note: All spread and odds data powered by Odds Shark. Follow them on Twitter for injury updates and line move updates.

Elijah Staley has excelled as quarterback at Wheeler High School in Marietta, Ga., earning scholarship offers along the way. However, it appears the Mississippi State commit's days as a Wildcat have reached a conclusion.

The 3-star recruit has been dismissed from his high school squad, according to Clarion Ledger reporter John Talty. The dismissal reportedly stems from Staley's disagreements with Wheeler head coach Mike Collins, who didn't want his quarterback changing plays or making substantial adjustments at the line of scrimmage.

Talty reports that Staley was asked to apologize for butting heads with the coach during a game. When he declined, Collins kicked him off the team.

"I apologized for how I approached the situation but I didn't apologize for what I said,” Staley told the Ledger. "I don't feel the need to because that's how I feel."

The 6'6", 230-pound passer committed to Mississippi State in June, two months after he backed out of a verbal pact with Vanderbilt. Staley also holds offers from Boston College, Virginia and Marshall.

In the aftermath of his exile from Wheeler's football program, his father told the Ledger there is a "99 percent chance" he will enroll early at Mississippi State. An online course is likely all that stands in the way of his high school graduation after this semester, according to Talty.

Staley is expected to suit up for the Bulldogs basketball team and split time between basketball and football in college. He earned accolades as one of Reebok's top 25 most dynamic high school athletes this year, per MaxPreps.

With his career as a Wildcat apparently a thing of the past, Staley will turn his attention toward completing the necessary high school courses and preparing for life as a dual-sport student-athlete in Starkville.

While all of the SEC's attention is focused squarely on College Station, Texas, this weekend for the showdown between No. 1 Alabama and No. 6 Texas A&M, another SEC West matchup is also quite intriguing.

Mississippi State will travel to Auburn on Saturday night to take on the Tigers in what will be the most important game of Dan Mullen's head coaching career with the Bulldogs.

In his fifth year at the helm of the Mississippi State program, Mullen is still lacking a signature win on his resume.

The Bulldogs are 5-21 against Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents that finish the season with eight or more wins. That number in the loss column will likely jump to 22 if Oklahoma State—which beat the Bulldogs, 21-3, on opening night—posts six more wins before the end of the season.

Would a win over Auburn qualify? 

It did last year, according to Mullen, despite the fact that Auburn finished last season at 3-9 and winless in the SEC.

"To me, that was one of my top wins as a head coach," Mullen said on Wednesday's weekly SEC coaches' teleconference. "Every year, when it's that same team in the first conference game, it makes it huge. That was a great win for us and our program, last year."

This game will shape the direction of the Mississippi State program moving forward. Win it, and finding four more wins this season with Troy, Bowling Green and Kentucky on the schedule is attainable. Lose it, and there's little-to-no chance Mississippi State goes bowling in the 2013 season.

That could drastically impact Mullen's status as head coach.

Bowl games are the goal at Mississippi State  and Mullen has done a fantastic job raising the floor of the program. His Bulldogs have appeared in three straight bowls, which for most programs isn't exactly saying a lot. But prior to his hiring, Mississippi State had only appeared in 13 bowl games in its history.

However, Mullen he hasn't done anything to impact the ceiling at Mississippi State. Despite his reasonable success, the program hasn't sniffed contention yet in the SEC West. A sub-.500 record would signify that the program is taking a step back, or at the very least, getting jumped.

Mullen's job isn't in jeopardy this season. Opinions vary as to whether or not it should be, but he has done enough over the past four years, both from a bowl game standpoint and a facilities standpoint, to build up quite a bit of job security.

That could change in a hurry, though.

If the program takes a step back this year, the 2014 season will be one in which Mullen is coaching for his job.

A loss to Auburn on Saturday makes it hard to conceive a scenario in which the program doesn't take a step back.

It truly is the most important game of Mullen's head coaching career.

Follow @BarrettSallee

After this past Saturday’s opening-season loss to Oklahoma State, Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen finds himself searching for answers.

Mullen comes into year five at Mississippi State with a roster full of players he recruited—a fifth-year senior quarterback, a senior running back and an offensive line loaded with multiple players with SEC playing time.  Despite all these positives, his club mustered only three points against the Cowboys of Oklahoma State.

This recent offensive output seems to be an ongoing trend dating back to last year, when the Bulldogs lost five of their final six ballgames to end the 2012 season.  Simply put, the Bulldogs are struggling mightily on the offensive side of the ball and have been for some time now.

After Saturday’s performance, fans of Mississippi State are upset and want answers.  As head coach, Dan Mullen is now 0-16 against Top 20 opponents, and his offense seems to be going backwards moving into year five at Mississippi State.

I posed the question recently whether Dan Mullen was at an unfair crossroads, and he very well may be.  But, fair or unfair, Mullen is now in a situation where he needs to fix his offense or it could be to his demise. 

To do that, I urge Mullen to revisit his past so his future can be a bright one at Mississippi State.

Mullen, as everyone knows, was basically joined at the hip of now-Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer for most of his career.  Mullen and Meyer got credit for revolutionizing the offensive side of the football back in 2003 at Utah.

Yes, there are guys like Dabo Swinney at Clemson, Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State and even Chip Kelly while at Oregon who are known as offensive geniuses, but before these guys, there was Mullen and Meyer.

When Mullen and Meyer rolled the “spread option” out in 2003, many felt this was a change in the way offense would be played in college football, and they were right.

In an article dated June, 2006, titled “The Secrets of Urban Meyer’s Spread Offense," which can be read here, Mullen and Meyer are mentioned in the following opening statements:

The legend lives on: From the flat lands of northern Ohio to the depths of Salt Lake City to the swamps of Florida, Urban Meyer, at the young age of 41, has already earned the moniker of legend. He has been called a football genius, an offensive innovator and is considered the architect behind an offense that even the best minds in college football can’t harness, let alone stop.

His spread option offense helped change the game and in turn brought respectability to Bowling Green, an undefeated season to Utah and renewed success for the Florida Gators. Meyer certainly brought with him plenty of impressive credentials, including a two-time National Coach of the Year. And with the help of Meyer, his Offensive Coordinator Dan Mullen and a few guys paid to try and stop this offense, we will take an inside look at the legend’s offense, how it works and why it works.

Mullen and Meyer lived by the philosophy that, “All things being equal, anybody can stop the run and anybody can stop the pass,” Meyer said. “But can you stop both?”

Mullen continues to talk about the offense, stating, “The greatest strength of the offense is creating mismatches and we rely on our personnel to do that. We are trying to get our players in position to make plays based on a one-on-one mismatch in athleticism.”

Mullen continued, “In basketball, you don’t put a quick point guard with great speed and a tremendous cross-over move down on the blocks or pass him the ball in the deep corner. The same goes for a receiver with a great first move and tremendous breakaway speed. You put him in situations where he can best use his skills - in the open field, with room to run and not limited to one side of the field.”

This is an interesting statement by Mullen because if you watch his offense today, you see what appears to be just the opposite.  Of course the Mississippi State coaching staff wants to get the ball to its playmakers, but if you watch this offense today and go back and watch a former Mullen offense, it is night and day as far as creativity and production. 

There are several moving parts in all of this that could be attributed to the lack of offensive production for the Bulldogs.

Is quarterback Tyler Russell suited to run Mullen’s offense or is he out of his element?  Are there enough playmakers on the offensive side of the ball for Mullen?  Is there a conflict in philosophy between Mullen and offensive coordinator Les Koenning?

I think the jury is still out on Russell as a quarterback capable of running a Mullen-led offense.  He is a pure pocket passer and could be better fit in a more traditional pro-style set, but why is Mullen trying to run the zone read with a guy who cannot run?

I also do not believe there just aren't enough playmakers in Starkville.  Several guys from LaDarius Perkins to Josh Robinson, Jameon Lewis and more are capable of being those guys Mullen uses to create those mismatches he talked about in 2003.

What we are seeing today from Mullen is simply a very watered-down offense, with no pre-snap motion or movement, that either runs a basic run play or, what seems to be, a very basic passing package. 

I literally have seen more creativity from high school coaches than what I am seeing from the Bulldogs of Mississippi State.  After all, it was Dan Mullen that brought the slogan to Starkville in 2009 that read, "Spread the fun."

Mullen seems to like the dual-threat quarterback over the traditional pocket passer and has one in Dak Prescott.  Mullen talks about having a “Dak Package” where he can use Prescott’s skill set to his advantage. 

All we see in this package is Prescott coming in on 3rd-and-short down, and running up the middle with everyone knowing what he is about to do.

Mullen’s offense has become a shell of its former self, lost its creativity and now has people second-guessing what the former whiz kid can do.

I urge Mullen to go back and see what made himself and Urban Meyer great.  I urge Mullen to go back to the drawing board and remember the days of pre-snap motion, multiple backs in the backfield and plays that kept defenses on their heels.

I urge Dan Mullen to do this because I want to see him succeed in Starkville, and he can—he just needs to remember where this all started, back in 2003.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs' embarrassing 21-3 loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys has put Dan Mullen under an intense spotlight. 

Going into the game, it was thought that with the Bulldogs and Cowboys playing in a neutral location and with Oklahoma State using a two-quarterback system the preseason Big 12 favorite could be on upset alert. 

Instead, questionable play-calling on offense by the Bulldogs held Mullen's squad to just three points despite gaining 332 yards of total offense and holding the ball for 34 minutes and one second. 

Where the Bulldogs struggled in particular on Saturday was on third downs. Mississippi State went just 2-of-16 on third-down conversions. 

In fact, after the Bulldogs' first offensive drive that went 13 plays and 57 yards, which resulted in a field goal, the Cowboys shut out the Bulldogs despite Mullen's team reaching Oklahoma State territory three more times. 

What has Bulldogs fans particularly irked, though, has been the team's record over the past seven games, which is just 1-6. The only win in that stretch came against Arkansas, a team that went 4-8 last year. 

According to Rob Fischer of Sports 56 WHBQ, Saturday's loss to Oklahoma State also marks the 11th straight loss to a ranked team by Mullen. 

Clearly, the Bulldogs aren't where they need to be offensively, and things could get even worse as Mississippi State QB Tyler Russell left the game with an injury. His status is uncertain for now, but he looked shaken up.

Faith in Mullen is slowly dying amongst Bulldogs fans, as he is proving time and time again that he can't win the big games. 

Dan Mullen has built an impressive resume as he enters his fifth season as the head coach of the Mississippi Bulldogs. Prior to his arrival, the Bulldogs had not won more than four games in seven of their previous eight seasons.

Over the past three seasons, the Bulldogs have averaged eight wins a season and have played in three consecutive bowl games.

However, Mullen is still looking for that signature win. A win this week versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys could be the kind of win that catapults Mississippi State to the next level.

Why Oklahoma State could win this ball game

Offensive mastermind Mike Gundy had the Cowboys offense firing on all cylinders once again last season. Oklahoma State averaged 45.7 points per game last season and just under 550 yards per game.

Quarterback Clint Chelf looks primed for a breakout season in 2013. He started five games down the stretch for the Cowboys and was effective throwing for 1,588 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Chelf will have a lot of help with one of the top receiving units in college football. The most impressive wide receiver in the stable is Josh Stewart who caught 101 passes for 1,210 yards and seven touchdowns.

The Cowboys will look to expose a Mississippi State defense that is replacing six starters. The Bulldogs had a solid defense last season that only surrendered 23.3 points per game. However, the departure of cornerbacks Johnthan Banks and Darius Slay could be problematic for the Bulldogs in this game.

Oklahoma State should be able to move the ball with consistency in the air, and that could lead to a long night for the Bulldogs.

Why Mississippi State could win this ball game

The Bulldogs' offense was far from explosive last season. However, the return of quarterback Tyler Russell who passed for nearly 2,900 yards and 24 touchdowns last season gives Mississippi State hope for improvement this season.

Russell improved dramatically as the season went forth and has the advantage of LaDarius Perkins returning for another season with the Bulldogs. Perkins had just under 1,300 yards of total offense and 10 total touchdowns last season.

If the Bulldogs can control the clock with their running game it will have a two-fold impact. It will keep the Cowboys offense off of the field, and it will also take the pressure of an unproven group of wide receivers.

Moreover, if the Bulldogs can control the clock, their defense does not have to be great, just opportunistic. If they can force a couple of turnovers, the Bulldogs will be there at the end.

Prediction:

The Bulldogs will keep this game close and will be there at the end. However, they have not proven they can win the big game. As a result, I am going to pick the Cowboys in a close finish.

Score Prediction: Oklahoma State 34 Mississippi State 28

Stat Prediction: Chelf 300-plus yards passing.

It's that time of year again, folks!

Football games, junk food and new uniforms that can make you facepalm more than Tim Tebow. Mississippi State is the latest school to release its new wardrobe, which will be worn on November 28 when the Bulldogs play Ole Miss in the annual Egg Bowl.

It's obvious Mississippi State couldn't keep these uniforms in the closet any longer and just had to release them three months in advance.

Adidas, the company which has provided the uniforms, released a video to preview the new look:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_DGPJfAJJI

Besides the music getting stuck in your head, the video doesn't really do the uniforms any justice. You can't get a good look at them with the player bouncing up and down and fading away in a light that makes the uniform look a completely different color. Don't worry Mississippi State fans, the new uniform is not black.

Oh, that's better. (All photos were provided by Facebook.com/adidasfootballus)

The Bulldogs decided to stick with tradition by going with an all-maroon look. This will make traditionalists extremely happy, which is important with the Egg Bowl being played since 1901, but there seems to be a little too much maroon.

The color has covered the jersey, pants and helmet. Colorways seem to hold weight with today's players and with schools such as Oregon mixing it up, the one color throughout is a little disappointing.

However, the sea of maroon does help make the gold numbers pop. New uniforms need to catch the eye, and Adidas made sure to hit the mark with the numbers and lettering across the jersey. Maybe an all-maroon look isn't so bad after all.

The helmet doesn't appear to be messed with, as it's the standard Mississippi State helmet. Leaving the lid alone was probably the best idea after what Notre Dame was forced to wear last year against Miami.

Overall, Mississippi State will look sharp when it takes the field to play Ole Miss. Tradition wasn't played with too much and the uniform should shine under the lights of Davis Wade Stadium. It may have been better with a little white added to the pants, but college football fans have noticed in the past that these changes could always be worse.

Whether you prefer the new look or not, Mississippi State fans won't care as long as their team is winning. The Bulldogs are looking to regain momentum over their in-state rival after losing 41-24 in last year's meeting.

Follow @Randy_Chambers

After a 1-5 finish in the 2012 football season, critics have come out of the woodwork to blast Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen, and for almost seven months, the mantras have stayed the same.  It's been either Mullen cannot recruit or Mullen cannot coach.  Some have even suggested  Mullen is on the hot seat and must go. 

Mullen finds himself in a very peculiar situation at Mississippi State heading into the 2013 college football season and, honestly, at an unfair crossroads.

Mississippi State has long been considered an SEC doormat in football.  Minus a 1998 SEC Championship Game appearance and one SEC football title, there just isn't much to hang your hat on when talking about Bulldog football. 

When talking about football success in Starkville, Jackie Sherrill instantly comes to mind.  Remember the brash coach who was in Starkville for 13 seasons and is currently the school's all-time winningest coach? Sherrill ended his career with the Bulldogs with a very modest 75-75-2 record.

Yes, Sherrill took his teams to six bowl games, an SEC Championship Game appearance and beat rival Mississippi seven times before ultimately stepping down due to NCAA sanctions.  But let's look at Sherrill in his first four years in Starkville and even into his fifth—the same exact spot Mullen is in today.  

In Sherrill's first four years in Starkville, he won 26 ballgames, lost 19 and had two tie games.  Sherrill's teams had three bowl appearances and lost all three.  In that stretch, Sherrill's bowl teams had not played in a New Year's Day bowl game either.  In Sherrill's first four years, he had a losing season in year three.  

Year five brought another losing season—a 3-8 campaign—and year six brought a 5-6 record.  It was not until after year six that fans started to grumble and wonder if the coach had overextended his stay in Starkville, MS.

Following  Sherrill was Sylvester Croom and the monumental hire by the university to hire the league's first African-American head coach.  For that, I applaud the university and the league.  

When it came to on-the-field success though, Croom was abysmal.  After four years, Croom had one winning season and an overall record of 17-30.  Even after suffering losses to Maine, Troy and others, people still clamored that Croom needed more time.  

It wasn't until after a 4-8 finish in 2008—a year that saw attendance dip to basically nothing and rival Mississippi beat the Dawgs as badly as they wanted—that Croom was let go.  

This brings us back to Mullen.  In four years, Mullen has accumulated a 29-22 record, made it to three straight bowl games, winning two, and his teams have played in two New Year's Day games.  Mullen also holds a 3-1 edge over his rival in the state.

Mullen has also placed 12 Bulldogs into the ranks of the NFL and has more on the current roster that could garner attention from the professional ranks.  Mississippi State has also seen a four-year stretch where its football home games were all sold out.  This four-year run heading into year five is nothing short of amazing, considering the history of the program and the nature of today's SEC.  

Yet many—including some of his own fans—are claiming "Mullen cannot recruit good players," Mullen cannot coach and it may be time for him to go.  

In the world we live in today, it has truly become a "What have you done for me lately?" type of society. People tend to forget quickly about the good, harp on the bad and dream about the future. What Dan Mullen has done while in Starkville is an amazing feat regardless of what anyone writes or says. 

Mullen's Bulldogs are again picked close to the bottom of the SEC West for the 2013 season and many in the media have written his team off, saying if he doesn't win this year, it's time for a change in Starkville. 

Jackie Sherrill, Sylvester Croom and other coaches before them never accomplished what Mullen has done in the same time frame, and never had near the criticism Mullen has had to endure.  It truly is an unfair crossroad for Mullen heading into the 2013 football season.  It is a crossroad he brought upon himself due to winning, success and consistency.

Mullen has built a consistent winner, and if he stays consistent or drops off a step, it could be to his demise.  If that is in fact the case, those in Starkville who have forgotten their history may be forced to relive it—all because of the unfair crossroad Dan Mullen faces in 2013.