SEC Football: Top 15 Out of Conference Games for 2016

14. Mississippi State at BYU

When: Friday, October 14th, 9:15pm CT

Where: LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, UT

How to Watch: ESPN

Mississippi State struggled last season to keep Dak Prescott upright, and now Dak is gone. There is uncertainty as to who will replace him. Nick Fitzgerald, Prescott’s backup last season is probably the front-runner. The question is not so much will Mississippi State find a quarterback, but rather will his offensive line be able to give him time to operate in the pocket.

The good news for State in this game is that BYU’s best pass-rusher, Bronson Kaufusi, is no longer on the team. Also, the Cougars lose their top two receivers from last season. The bad news for state is that the Cougars return both their starting quarterback and running back. If some of the younger receivers step up the Cougar offense should hum along nicely.

On defense, the Cougars are something of a patchwork unit. This is because they transitioned to a 4-3 defense this off-season. That necessarily means that there will be guys playing in new positions. The same can be said for the Bulldogs, who are transitioning to a 3-4. By October both teams should be a little bit more comfortable in their new schemes.

Prediction: This one is hard for me to predict because there are so many unknowns for both teams. But I think I will take BYU to win a close game at home. They have an experienced and talented quarterback as well as a star at running back. Plus, the home crowd should give them a boost.

Next: Battle of the Bluegrass