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SEC power rankings, Week 4: It’s all about the Bulldogs, Tigers not so much

By John Buhler

STARKVILLE, MS - SEPTEMBER 16: Mississippi State Bulldogs defensive lineman Braxton Hoyett (95) celebrates after a play during a football game between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the LSU Tigers at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi on September 16, 2017 (Photo by John Korduner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
STARKVILLE, MS - SEPTEMBER 16: Mississippi State Bulldogs defensive lineman Braxton Hoyett (95) celebrates after a play during a football game between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the LSU Tigers at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi on September 16, 2017 (Photo by John Korduner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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STARKVILLE, MS – SEPTEMBER 16: Mississippi State Bulldogs defensive lineman Braxton Hoyett (95) celebrates after a play during a football game between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the LSU Tigers at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi on September 16, 2017 (Photo by John Korduner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
STARKVILLE, MS – SEPTEMBER 16: Mississippi State Bulldogs defensive lineman Braxton Hoyett (95) celebrates after a play during a football game between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the LSU Tigers at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi on September 16, 2017 (Photo by John Korduner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
4

LSU Tigers (2-1)

Last week: Loss at Mississippi State, 37-7
Last rank: 2nd

What happened? The LSU Tigers were supposed to be the best challenger in the SEC West to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Instead, Ed Orgeron’s team laid a fat egg in Starkville, as the then-unranked Mississippi State Bulldogs destroyed them 37-7 on Saturday.

Mississippi State could be really good, or is this more of an indictment of LSU as a program? The offense looked incompetent and LSU had no answer for Nick Fitzgerald at quarterback for Mississippi State. LSU has two easy wins coming up against Syracuse and Troy, but it’s no walk in the park when the Bayou Bengals take on the Florida Gators in The Swamp in a couple of weeks.

3

Mississippi State Bulldogs (3-0)

Last week: Win vs. No. 12 LSU, 37-7
Last rank: 6th

Through the first three weeks of the 2017 season, yes, the second-best team in the SEC West is Mississippi State. They have an excellent head coach in Dan Mullen and Fitzgerald is probably the best pure talent at quarterback in the conference.

Beating No. 12 LSU at home was huge for the Bulldogs. They have improved to No. 17 in the country. The problem is that they have another tough game on the slate this weekend. Mississippi State has to travel to Athens to take on the No. 11 Georgia Bulldogs in a night game. The Bulldogs are going to win on Saturday, but which Bulldogs: Georgia or Mississippi State?

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