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STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State and Ole Miss meet at Davis Wade Stadium for the 116th time and the 92nd edition of “The Battle for the Golden Egg” on Thanksgiving Day at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Mississippi State comes in with an overall record of 5-6 (2-5 SEC), needing a win to keep its bowl-streak alive. Ole Miss comes in with a 4-7 (2-5 SEC) and is out of the bowl picture.
The Bulldogs are coming off a 45-7 Homecoming win over Abilene Christian. Junior running back Kylin Hill led the offensive with 153 rushing yards on 16 carries and raced in for an 88-yard touchdown completion from senior quarterback Tommy Stevens.
The Rebels had a week off last week following their 58-37 loss to No. 1 LSU two Saturdays ago.
Ole Miss gave up 58 points to the Tigers but also scored 37 and tallied 614 total yards against them. Freshman quarterback John Rhys Plumlee finished 9-of-16 passing for 123 yards and an interception, but where he was most effective was on the ground. He carried the ball 21 times for 212 yards and four touchdowns. His longest run of the game was a 60-yard touchdown skamper.
Let’s get into the picks!
Collin Wilmes: Could John Rhys Plumlee carry the momentum into this week? Sure. Does the Bulldogs’ passing game need to be better? Sure. I’m not picking against the Bulldogs, though. Hill comes into this Egg Bowl leading the SEC with 1,215 rushing yards. Feed him the ball! Final score: Mississippi State wins 38-35.
William Mitchell: I have had a hard time picking this game. I know that Mississippi State has the better team but has also struggled at times against teams that can run the ball. I like our odds in the passing game, but I still feel that this game is far from an obvious win. State will have to play very well on both sides of the ball to pull this one out. I see a true battle and a much closer game than last year. I have to go with the Dawgs at home. Hail State! Final score: Mississippi State wins 31-28.
Gil Maneclang: You just have to believe we’re going to win this one...right? Not at all confident about this pick. I could see a blowout both ways as well as a close contest. Given our headache of a season, I feel like we’ve got a nail-biter this Egg Bowl season. Plumlee and Stevens duel all night, but Kylin Hill is the difference. Final score: Mississippi State wins 27-24.
Landon Young: This. Game. Is. Unpredictable. BUT I WILL NEVER PICK THAT SCHOOL UP NORTH TO WIN. FINAL SCORE: DAWGS 30-21!