Mississippi State's Dan Mullen compares SEC football to European soccer

Dan Mullen addressed the crowd of reporters at SEC Media Days on Tuesday morning looking like a man beaming with confidence.

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The head coach at Mississippi State enters his sixth season in Starkville with a roster that could be his deepest and most talented during his tenure that has seen him win at least seven games in four straight seasons and win three bowl games in the same time frame.

He has a potential program-changing quarterback in Dak Prescott who led the team in rushing and passing last season and could find himself in the Heisman discussion if he can deliver an upset or two in the uber-competitive SEC West and build on the season he had in 2013.

It’s a division that is unrelenting and unforgiving, a conference with rapid fan bases and loyal and passionate fans, which had Mullen comparing SEC football to European soccer.

Dan Mullen: “SEC football could be compared to European soccer.” First time that statement has been uttered in Hoover. Also probably true.
— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) July 15, 2014

The comparison may make you raise an eyebrow initially, but it’s a pretty valid comparison at that. Fans celebrate wins for weeks and mourn losses for months. Rivalry games bring out the best and the worst from the fanbase. Stadiums are always packed with fans from both teams and you can see the divide based on the team colors.

Mullen is likely to fall under the radar as he was sandwiched in between Steve Spurrier and Kevin Sumlin, but that’s just par for the course for the head coach of a team that will emerge from out from the shadows and into the forefront in college football’s toughest division and conference.

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Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen compares SEC football to European soccer

By Patrick Schmidt | Jul 15, 2014