Neither the Mississippi State Bulldogs nor the Ole Miss Rebels have had the best seasons this year. The teams are a combined 9-13 on the year and 4-10 in conference play. Only Mississippi State is on the cusp of bowl eligibility, as the Rebels are going to fall one game short at best to go bowling this year. The Rebels have been pitiful on the road, having not won a single game. State isn’t much better, as the Bulldogs have amassed only one win away from Starkville. Their offenses haven’t been great. Their defenses aren’t much better.

Apart from that? Well, everything is just peachy.

Needless to say though, this Egg Bowl won’t have the fanfare that others have in the past. In 2016, a similar situation occurred, as both the Rebels and Bulldogs entered the game with four and five wins. But it’s just the third time this decade that both teams are under .500 going into the Egg Bowl.

That said, it will not be quite like the 2011 edition, when a 2-9 Rebels team squared off with a 5-6 Bulldogs team. No, the Rebels are not in the midst of one of their worst seasons ever. It just hasn’t been great. The same can be said for State, but certainly, a lot is left to be desired here.

It’s tough to really call this one given both team’s struggles. State probably has the best offensive player in Kylin Hill, but the man can only do so much on his own. On the flipside, there’s John Rhys Plumlee, who has been rather good under center with his arm and his legs. The Rebs may have someone who can go stride for stride with him. That being said... besides Kellen Mond of the Texas A&M Aggies, who not many QBs have been able to run it effectively against the Bulldogs. Mond collected 8.4 yards per carry against the Bulldogs defense. Can Rhys Plumlee achieve the same?

That’s a tough ask obviously from the outset. You can consider though that he’s coming off a game where he rushed for a ridiculous 212 yards against the LSU Tigers and amassed 10.1 yards per carry. So, hey, anything’s possible, right?

In general, I suspect that whichever team gets it done on the ground the best will be the one to pick up the W. Neither team’s passing offense is that great, so expect much of this game to be a grind on the ground.

HOW TO WATCH

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Watch Online: WatchESPN

ODDS

Spread: Mississippi State -2.5

Total: 58

Moneyline: Ole Miss +115 | Mississippi State -135