College Football

2024 Mississippi State football predictions: Ranked No. 78 by RJ Young

Updated Aug. 12, 2024 10:32 a.m. ET

FOX Sports National College Football Analyst

Mississippi State Bulldogs Ranking: 78/134

[Check out RJ Young's ultimate 134 college football rankings here]

Conference ranking: 15th in SEC (+40000 to win conference)
Teams ahead of them: Miami of Ohio (77), Houston (76), Northwestern (75), UCLA (74), Old Dominion (73)
Teams behind them: Oregon State (79), Toledo (80), Syracuse (81), Michigan State (82), Washington (83)

[Mississippi State 2024 schedule]

RJ's take: If ever there was a man who calls plays like he doesn't pay the light bill, it’s Jeff Lebby, who continues lighting up scoreboards. Lebby doesn't draw plays up to pick up first downs. He draws up plays to score touchdowns — on every down.

His idea of complementary football is hearing the defense’s applause.

In five years, Lebby has called offenses at UCF, Ole Miss and Oklahoma that have scored 50 or more 14 times. And he tends to like a gunslinger in the pocket. With former Baylor QB Blake Shapen, he’s got yet another. When Shapen’s sharp, he’s lethal. Three years ago, he burst onto the Big 12 title game stage to complete 17 consecutive passes en route to the Big 12 title. But he’s never been asked to sling the ball like he’ll be asked by Lebby.

Shapen has never passed for 3,000 yards in a season, and Lebby has never called plays for a starter who hasn’t.

Mississippi State's Win Total Odds: Over 4 (-150) Under 4 (+130)

[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]