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The Southeastern Conference revealed the Mississippi State Bulldogs' football schedule for the 2017 season, and it features seven home games and eight SEC games for the Maroon and White, highlighted by the Egg Bowl returning to Thanksgiving.
The Bulldogs open their season with Charleston Southern on September 2. After opening the season against the Buccaneers, Mississippi State heads to the Pelican State for matchup against Louisiana Tech in Ruston on September 9.
The Bulldogs open their SEC slate at home on September 16 against LSU before hitting the road for a contests against Georgia (September 23) and Auburn (September 30).
This three game stretch will provide an early test for the Bulldogs, and it will go a long way in determining if Mississippi State will be a threat to win the SEC West and play in the SEC Championship, which will be played at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta on December 2.
The Bulldogs have their open week set for October 7 before hosting BYU in non-conference play on October 14. Mississippi State returns to SEC play the following weekend, October 21, when they host Kentucky.
Mississippi State rounds out October with a road matchup at Texas A&M on October 28.
November has traditionally been a tough month for Mississippi State's schedule, and the three games to close the month will test the Bulldogs. Mississippi State begins November with a matchup against UMass in Starkville on November 4. The Bulldogs stay at home for a November 11 contest against Alabama before heading to Fayetteville for a November 18 matchup against Arkansas.
The Bulldogs complete regular season play at home against Ole Miss in a Thanksgiving Day Egg Bowl affair.
Game times and television channels will be announced in 2017.
At first glance, Mississippi State has two difficult stretches of games. The first comes early when Mississippi State hosts LSU before traveling to Georgia and to Auburn. Those three games will play a large role in determining how the 2017 season will go for Missississippi State. If the Bulldogs go anything less than 2-1 in that stretch, their odds of winning an SEC West title will diminish greatly.
The Bulldogs also end the season with three tough games. Any matchup with Alabama will be difficult, but at least the Bulldogs have the Crimson Tide at home. Mississippi State has traditionally struggled in Arkansas, but the Bulldogs have won their last two visits to the Natural State. Both Mississippi State and Ole Miss face the challenge of preparing for their rival on a short week to close the season.
On a positive note, the Bulldogs have several of their toughest matchups at home with LSU, Alabama and Ole Miss coming to town. The road trips to Georgia and Texas A&M jump out as the two toughest, followed by a road games at Auburn and Arkansas.
The Bulldogs will be favored in home games against Charleston Southern, Kentucky, and UMass, and although they will be favored when they travel to Ruston to take on Louisiana Tech, that matchup could prove to be a tough one with a Louisiana Tech looking to score a big win over an SEC team at home.