Bulldogs At No. 17 In Initial College Football Playoff Rankings
November 04, 2021 | Football
State boosted by victories over three Top-25 teams.
STARKVILLE – Tuesday night, Mississippi State was hard at work on the practice fields at the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex. At the same time, the first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2021 season were being announced.
While the Bulldogs were getting better, the nation learned MSU's current standing. State stands at No. 17 in the country in the year's initial CFP rankings. It's a strong spot to be in, but for head coach Mike Leach and his team, they're not planning to spend much time dwelling on it. There's too much else to worry about.
"Some were happy and stuff," Leach said of the Bulldogs' reaction when learning of their ranking. "I didn't notice it until later at night [when I had] people texting me. It's fun for now, but we have to play well. We have to go out there and improve as a team and play well this weekend [at Arkansas]."
Saturday's 3 p.m. CT game against the Razorbacks provides MSU with a chance to boost its standing even more. The Bulldogs have already compiled an impressive resume. Mississippi State is the only school in the country that has notched three victories over current Top-25 teams this season.
MSU defeated NC State 24-10 back in September, then topped both Texas A&M and Kentucky last month, beating the Aggies 26-22 on the road before taking down the Wildcats 31-17 in Starkville.
Mississippi State now stands at 5-3 overall this season, with a 3-2 mark in Southeastern Conference action. The Bulldogs have won three of their last four games heading into Saturday's showdown against the Razorbacks.
