A matchup between the land-grant college in Alabama and the land-grant college in Mississippi is pretty much a natural. So it is not surprising that Auburn and Mississippi State have played each other 84 times in a series that goes back to 1905. For most of that history, Auburn has had the advantage; the Tigers have an all-time record of 59-23-2 against MSU, and have won 9 of the last 10 meetings between the two squads. But it hasn't always been easy; when MSU is on their game, they play with the same sort of white-hot intensity -- and resentment toward the rest of the world -- in which Auburn specializes. This can make for some very intense games. In 2008, the teams played one of the most violent games I can remember, with Auburn hanging on to win by the very unusual score of 3-2. Last year, MSU defended Auburn really well in a game before Cam Newton had gotten into his groove, and the Tigers were very happy to get away with a 17-14 victory.
This year, MSU is coming off of a very encouraging season -- the 2010 Bulldogs went 9-4 over all, 4-4 in the SEC, and pounded Michigan 52-14 in the Gator Bowl. In week one, MSU crushed Memphis 59-14 in Memphis, and the Bulldogs have jumped up to number 16 in the AP poll. Meanwhile, Auburn's struggles last week with Utah State caused the AP voters to drop them from the top 25 entirely.
Taking these facts into mind, the folks in Vegas have made MSU a 5 1/2 point favorite to end Auburn's long winning streak and take the UCFC back to Starkville. I definitely think that MSU will be tough to beat -- and I worry about Auburn's tendency to play badly in games that feature early kickoffs -- but Auburn is rarely easy to beat at home, and I expect another great UCFC matchup.
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