STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State's regular season has 10 days remaining and the schedule includes two winnable games against Arkansas and Ole Miss.
But no matter the outcome, the Bulldogs' season has fallen short of expectations.
This was supposed to be the year that Mississippi State challenged for its first Southeastern Conference championship in more than 75 years. Instead, the 25th-ranked Bulldogs (6-4, 2-4 SEC, No. 16 CFP) are in fifth place.
There's little doubt it's been a rocky first season for coach Joe Moorhead.
"I know there was an elevated expectation level heading into this season for a myriad of reasons," Moorhead said.