Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss: Three Predictions

Three things to keep an eye on as Mississippi State faces Ole Miss on Saturday.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs face a big challenge at home when they face off against Ole Miss in Thursday's Egg Bowl.

The Bulldogs (7-4) have won their last two games against Auburn and Tennessee State, but Ole Miss is one of the toughest opponents they have faced all season. The Rebels (9-2) are looking to finish the regular season with 10 wins and a Sugar Bowl berth. The stakes are high for both teams, and there's nothing like a bloodthirsty rivalry game to determine it all. 

Mississippi State is the 52.6% favorite according to ESPN's football power index, but anything can happen. In a game that is never truly predictable, here are three predictions for how the matchup will go for the Bulldogs. 

1. There will be more turnovers than usual. 

Tomorrow night's weather forecast for Starkville calls for cold rain showers. That makes an impact on just about every part of the game, especially ball control. Obviously, it's hard for a player to control a slippery football as he's being taken to the ground or throwing it through the air. MSU quarterback Will Rogers struggles some with interceptions, and although he has done much better in the past few games, he will likely throw at least one interception. Both teams will likely fumble the ball a good bit too. Fans will need to remember this when criticizing both teams: although turnovers are unacceptable in football, unfavorable circumstances such as weather will make them much more likely. 

2. Special teams will play a big role in the game.

Talk about a sentence that will make any Mississippi State fan shudder. The Bulldogs have struggled every week on special teams. Starting kicker Brandon Ruiz has been sidelined for the past few games, and backup Nolan McCord is young and struggles to make field goals. Nearly every year, it seems like the Egg Bowl comes down to a special teams play or is at least decided by only a few points. While MSU has struggled on special teams, there is the possibility that Ole Miss kicker Caden Costa might not be playing. Apparently, he has been suspended for the game for using PEDs, but the university is trying to appeal it to the NCAA. It's unclear who would kick in his place. Hopefully, McCord has been working in practice this week so that if it comes down to it, he doesn't have a fate similar to Luke Logan in 2019. 

3. Will Rogers will outshine Matt Corral.

For the past week, all of the talk in Mississippi has been about whether Matt Corral or Will Rogers is the best quarterback in the state. Stat-wise, it looks like Rogers, but Corral is a dual-threat quarterback who has the ability to complete extremely long passes. In the end, Rogers will likely be the one who plays the best. He has improved in recent weeks, while Corral has not been as explosive as he once was. Plus, Corral is dealing with some ankle problems, so his ability to run in the weather conditions will likely be limited. Without his run game, Corral doesn't stand out as much, and Rogers has proven that he can outperform him through the air.