SEC Football: Three different teams went 6-7 in 2016

We are 67 days away from the start of college football season, and today we focus on teams that will be at a crossroads in 2017.

Going 6-7 is a difficult spot for any SEC football team to be in. Yes, you did go to a bowl game, but almost everyone goes to a bowl game these days. But when a team is 6-7, not only did they lose half of their games in the regular season, but it also means they likely lost the bowl game, leaving the program and the fanbase with an even more sour taste in their mouth.

And that leads us to no. 67 on the Southbound and Down College Football Countdown.

Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt went 6-7 in 2016.

Must Read: 68 percent for freshman QB

Mississippi State

Despite my previous statement, that was not the case for the Bulldogs. Mississippi State went 5-7 in the regular season, then beat Miami (Ohio) in the St. Petersburg Bowl. Four of Mississippi State’s losses came by a total of 13 points last season.

There were several positives for the Bulldogs to take from last season. They beat in-state rival, Ole Miss, for the first time since 2013, and they also upset no. 4 Texas A&M. It was the Bulldogs’ first win over a top-5 team since beating no. 2 Auburn in 2014.

And maybe the most important takeaway from last season was that they found their quarterback in Nick Fitzgerald, who will be a junior this season.

South Carolina

After starting the season 2-4, the Gamecocks rallied in the second half of the season to finish 6-7 after losing to South Florida 46-39 in overtime. South Carolina’s season had a very similar feeling as Mississippi State.

The Gamecocks got their signature win of the season when they upset no. 18 Tennessee. And, like the Bulldogs, they found their quarterback. Jake Bentley, who started the final seven games of the season. Bentley will be a sophomore this season.

Vanderbilt

Like South Carolina, the Commodores also started the season 2-4. The one thing that each of these teams have in common, other than the 6-7 record, is that each of them had a signature win, and when a team gets a signature win, it just changes the tone of the season.

Vanderbilt got their signature win in a 17-16 upset of Georgia in Athens. It was their first win over the Bulldogs since 2013, and their third win over them in the last 22 years.

Each of these SEC football teams is at a crossroads. They could take a step forward and win eight or nine games in 2017, or they could take a step backwards and a miss a bowl game, only time will tell.

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