It was looking like a banner year for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs were 4-0 behind rising star quarterback Kamario Taylor. But then Taylor got hurt against Missouri and Hail State hasn't won a game since.

The Bulldogs have been dreadful in the two years that Texas has been in the SEC. In 2024, Mississippi State finished dead last and there 0-8 in conference play. Last season, the Bulldogs were 1-7 and finished 14th.

One of the best games Mississippi State played last year was actually against the Longhorns. Texas needed overtime to finish off the Bulldogs in Starkville 46-38. UT QB Arch Manning was knocked out of the game and Matt Caldwell threw the winning touchdown for Texas.

Without Taylor, Mississippi State is back trying to scrape out wins. But even though Hail State has lost three games in a row, it's still an improving and potentially dangerous team under head coach Jeff Lebby.

And as we've learned, Texas actually plays better against ranked teams than the unranked.

Tommy Bresee's Prediction

Texas is coming off a much needed win over Ole Miss and now, they welcome their rivals into town. The Bulldogs are without their star QB Kamario Taylor this week, someone they've struggled mightily without. The Bulldog offense will be led by Parker Puckett, a redshirt freshman. He's struggled in his limited time but Jeff Lebby has been known for creating offense with any QB.

On defense, the Bulldogs are much better against the run than the pass. Considering Texas’ success on the ground last week, it'll be interesting to see how Sarkisian approaches this game.

Overall, it's a game that profiles very well for Texas, both offensively and defensively. I expect Texas to win this game rather comfortably and head into November with some building confidence.

Jamie Gatlin's Prediction

After a much-needed conference win over Ole Miss last week, Texas is back in action to take on Mississippi State. So far this season, Mississippi State is 4-3 and has won two conference games.

However, they will be put to the test against a Texas team determined to turn their season around. In their latest win veterans such as Rasheem Biles and Justin Cryer came up big on defense. If they can do that again the offense should be able to do enough to earn another conference win.

It will all come down to Texas takes care of the football and how they perform in the clutch. Texas has a good chance to add another SEC win to its resume.

Trey Luerssen's Prediction

While Texas got a quality win last week against a Top 10 team, UT's win over Ole Miss was not aesthetically pleasing. Texas committed an astounding 14 penalties for 134 yards and once again looked terrible in the third quarter.

After building a 17 point lead in the first half, the Rebels were able to come all the way back and tie the game early in the fourth quarter. "Edgy Arch Manning" still threw two interceptions and lost a fumble that turned into an Ole Miss defensive touchdown.

It is still hard to forecast where this Longhorns team will end up. If Taylor was playing for the Bulldogs, I'd say UT might be in real danger of its third loss of the season. But without its star QB, Mississippi State should be a "get right" win for Texas. Even if the Longhorns struggle coming out of the halftime locker room.