Auburn Vs. Mississippi State: Another Game in a Series Full of Mystery

Auburn Tigers vs. Mississippi St. Bulldogs, 12 p.m. ET, ESPN

You never quite know what you're going to get when Auburn and Mississippi State meet on the football field. You know it will likely be something interesting -- but for better or worse is anyone's guess.

After all, this is the series that gave us the infamous 3-2 game back in 2008. Two years later, in 2010, with Cam Newton taking the field for Auburn -- the score was 17-14. Last year, an Auburn team that was 100th in the nation in total offense and a Mississippi State squad that was 84th combined for a 41-34 barnburner that the Tigers won. Auburn scored at least twice as many points as it did in any other SEC game that season besides Ole Miss; Memphis was the only FBS team against whom Mississippi State scored more points.

The signs so far would seem to point to at least the possibility of another blowout, especially after watching the Auburn defense struggle to stop Clemson. But this game usually doesn't go according to plan, and here's guessing that it follows the pattern that started in 2008 -- and if it's an even-numbered year, it's going to be slog on offense.

Auburn 20, Mississippi State 17