Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Todd Monken Photo courtesy USM Athletics
Folks in Mississippi will be talking about the 2014-2015 college football season for years to come. Last season was nearly dream-like for the state, as the eyes of the college football world fell on us.
Who would have believed before the season that Mississippi State University would become the top-ranked team in the country and stay there for five weeks? The Bulldogs also laid claim to the No. 1 slot in the new college-football playoff poll.
As Mississippi State rocketed to the top, its rival, the University of Mississippi, rose all the way to No. 3 in the polls and stayed there for three weeks. Like the Bulldogs, the Rebels also reached one of the "New Year's Six" bowls in the new college-football playoff format.
However, it wasn't just the Rebels and the Bulldogs who had great seasons. Alcorn State University won its first SWAC Championship Game in football in its first appearance, and Delta State University reached the second round of the Division II playoffs.
But not every team had banner seasons. The University of Southern Mississippi is still trying to rebuild after its freefall from the 2012 season. Jackson State University slipped in Harold Jackson's first year in command. Mississippi Valley State University continued its seemingly never-ending rebuilding project. Mississippi College struggled as it moved from Division III to Division II. Millsaps College took a tumble after successful seasons, and Belhaven University struggled for the second year in a row, while both Hinds Community College and Holmes Community College made it to the junior college ranks.
No matter how good or bad the 2014-2015 season was for each team, it doesn't matter this season. That was last year, and each team wants to build on what they did then.
Plenty of questions need to be answered this season. Can MSU or UM take the SEC's top spot? Can USM build itself back up? Can Alcorn State stay on top of the SWAC while JSU pulls itself back up? Can MC start gaining ground at the Division II level? Can DSU reach the playoffs again? Can Millsaps and Belhaven turn things around? Are Holmes and Hinds going to compete at the junior-college ranks? Is this thing on? Nail-biting might ensure, but by the end of the season, we will have all the answers.
JFP 2015 College Football Preview: Mississippi State University
JFP 2015 College Football Preview: University of Mississippi
JFP 2015 College Football Preview: University of Southern Mississippi
JFP 2015 College Football Preview: Jackson State University