From four wins to who knows? But confidence in Bulldogs rising

Mississippi State’s confidence is growing ahead of 2025, but will it translate to wins? See why four victories feel like the Bulldogs’ floor this season.

Mississippi State Running Back Davon Booth (#21) and Mississippi State Offensive Lineman Albert Reese IV (#76) during the game between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field in Starkville, MS. | Mississippi State Athletics

We’re getting closer and closer to the time where we’ll have to make official predictions about the upcoming Mississippi State season.

Personally, I’m waiting until the first official depth chart is released before the Bulldogs face Southern Miss. That’s mostly because of the possibility of starters getting hurt, which would have a big impact on the Bulldogs’ predicted win total.

But also because Mississippi State’s coaches and players are saying (and doing) all the right things that leaves me wondering if I’m underestimating this team.

ICYMI: Predicting Mississippi State's 2025 quarterback depth chart

For instance, before last Sunday’s scrimmage, the defensive players walked together as a unit from the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex to Davis Wade Stadium. That wasn’t something that happened last year.

“If we do stuff like that on game days, we’ll really be prepared,” junior safety Isaac Smith said. “We’re much more connected this year. We hang out outside the building, come in early, put in extra work, and build team cohesion.”

̶W̶e̶d̶n̶e̶s̶d̶a̶y̶ ̶W̶a̶l̶k̶t̶h̶r̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶

Ice Cream ✅#HailState pic.twitter.com/WMpyXB5nQR

— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) August 14, 2025

“Nobody left without the other and that was good to see,” Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby said after Sunday’s scrimmage. “I think there's connection over there. There's some trust being created inside the unit. There's accountability and that's what we got to have to have a chance.”

It’s not just what the coaches and players say, but how they say it is more intriguing. When watching the post-practice press conferences, whether in-person or on video, there’s a confidence, a swagger that leads one to believe this season will be a lot better than last season.

How much better is the main question, but the secondary question is this: if talk is cheap, how much are the Bulldogs’ words worth?

This is absolutely the time of year the best hope is given to fans and others outside the team. You’ll struggle to find quotes from any coach or player declaring the sky is falling on the team before it even plays a game.

So, take everything said right now with a (small) grain of salt. That’s the advice I’m giving myself because, well, I like to be right. It doesn’t happen often, but blind squirrels find nuts, too.

I’m not sure how many wins my official prediction for Mississippi State will have, but there is floor for the Bulldogs’ win total.

Four.

That is the minimum amount of wins I think Mississippi State will have this season. I even know what three of those wins will be: Southern Miss, Alcorn State and Northern Illinois.

Beyond that, though, I’m not sure where a fourth win will come. The leading candidates right now are Arizona State, Arkansas and Missouri. I’m not as confident as some social media posts I’ve seen about the Bulldogs upsetting Arizona State.

.@JamesLakendrick + @williams_jayven 🔒#HailState pic.twitter.com/aA3NdB8UAm

— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) August 13, 2025

Plus, I do not believe Mississippi State will go winless in SEC games this year. An SEC team going winless in back-to-back seasons has never happened and these Bulldogs don’t want to make that kind of history. If it does happen, expect a lot more changes to the 2026 team than a new offensive line coach and 60 new players.

Again, I don’t expect that to happen and won’t predict it either.

I’m also not at the point of predicting Mississippi State to go bowling. But there’s plenty of time for me to convince myself otherwise.