Mississippi State did not upset Auburn

Oct 11, 2014; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver De

The ESPN.com notification read “Upset Alert.” Mississippi State was up 21-0 against Auburn in the first quarter, and the ESPN site notified users of the potentially unexpected outcome. While Auburn cut it to 28-20 at one point, Mississippi State held on for a 38-23 victory. But was it an upset?

Auburn came into the game ranked second in the country, with Mississippi State ranked third. By strict definition this was an upset, as the “underdog” claimed victory. Unlike most upsets, though, I don’t feel this result was surprising.

Both teams entered the game with identical 5-0 records, and their seasons have been somewhat similar. Auburn and Mississippi State each have two victories against ranked opponents, including both beating LSU. Both squads came into the game at 2-0 in the SEC.

The only difference is where they started the season. Auburn was ranked sixth in Week 1, moved up to fifth after beating Arkansas, and went to second after last week’s win over LSU. Mississippi State was unranked for four weeks, until polling at 12th in Week 5. They moved to sixth and then to third these last two weeks.

It’s time to forget where Mississippi State came from, and give them their just due. They are a legitimate playoff contender, and a better team than Auburn. This was no upset.