AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Mississippi State and Auburn would both love to gain some national credibility this weekend.
The 16th-ranked Bulldogs have climbed up the rankings but are still only 2-8 against SEC Western Division opponents under coach Dan Mullen entering Saturday’s game. The Tigers fell out of the Top 25 after getting a surprising scare from Utah State, even though they have easily the longest current winning streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision at 16 games.
The Bulldogs bring powerful runners in Vick Ballard and quarterback Chris Relf and an offense coming off one of the most prolific games in program history. The Tigers’ mostly new offensive and defensive lines were physically bullied at times by the Aggies.
Auburn coach Gene Chizik says getting more physical is this week’s biggest priority.
