Three Biggest WHAT IFs For Mississippi State Football This Season

[Music] year one of the Jeff lebby era in Starkville is just around the corner what are the three biggest wh ifs for Mississippi State football in the 2024 season hello everyone I'm Chris Phillips of SEC unfiled appreciate each and every single one of you tuning in make sure you like subscribe turn notifications check check us out via podcast wherever you get your podcast you can also find us across all social media platforms as well as our website sec unfiltered.com we're brought to you by our friends over at priz Pi guys download the priz piic app or go to priz pick.com when you do use promo code SECU for a first deposit match of up to $100 again guys that's our friends over at prize pick promo code SECU to get your first deposit match today it's a new era in Starkville Mississippi as Jeff lebby has officially taken over the Reigns he looks to return Mississippi State to former glory by bringing in a new highflying offensive attack brand new coaching staff across the board and he's got one hell of a slate he's got to go up against in year one the SEC doing Mississippi State absolutely no favors with what they drew in the 2024 season what are the three biggest what ifs for Mississippi State football this season the hypotheticals that are going to sway this season one way or another guys and we will start with number one guys my first biggest what if for the Bulldogs this season starting with the offensive side that that's going to be the bread and butter right guys of Jeff leby his program that's going to be the signature of the program and guys we talked about it when Jeff Levy was hired the thing that I was most excited about was the fact we're getting highflying offense back in Starkville we're getting this highflying attack we're getting this entertaining product which again I think you saw Mike Leech obviously in still and listen if you cannot be better across the board if you can't be better at every single position and in a place like State guys where it is somewhat difficult to recruit that's the reality but if you can't be better across the board you got to be different and I think that's what Jeff lebby is going to provide especially on the offensive side a guy a guy that I was surprised the reaction to was quarterback Blake shaping you know you look at what he did at Baylor guys this is an all conference player of the Big 12 right was really productive he played some big-time football when you talk about quarterback rankings and you're looking at the signal callers of the SEC there's a lot of guys for whatever reason ranked ahead of him that have never played before and you got a guy in Blake shapen that again he's got stripes on the wall right like he's done it before my first biggest what if guys for State this year what if the Blake shapen to Kelly aari connection is as good as some of us think it can be because guys I think it can be one of the best Connections in the SEC right Kelly aari a kid coming in via the transfer portal he's done it before at a big time level the UTEP transfer I mean he has been incredible and I know it's a spring game I get it don't overreact to spring game but from the glimpses we saw in that spring game that Blake shapen to Kelly aari connection I liked what I saw guys and again I'm I'm a Blake shapen guy I believe in Blake shapen I don't understand why Blake shapen isn't getting more love why he didn't get more love when he signed on and committed I think this is a dude that can be the perfect fit in the Jeff lby offense and again guys they're gonna have to score a lot of points I think they're gonna score they're gonna have to score more on that in just a second but that Blake shapen Kelly aari connection nobody's talking about this as one of the most dynamic Duos in the SEC what if they're as good as we think they can be Blake shaping he's a perfect fit in the system he comes on the scene and Kelly aari turns into one of the best wide receivers in the SEC that you're probably not paying attention to so what if that shapen to aari connection is as lethal as maybe some of us think it can be guys my second biggest what if for Mississippi State this season like I mentioned the offense is going to have to be lethal because I'm not sure the defense is going to stop anyone Coleman hutler guy he's bounced all around the SEC and listen if you're on Nick Sabin staff you know football right you know what you're talking about guy has coached linebackers at Alabama under Nick Sabin he's coached special teams at the places he's coached in Texas under Steve sarkeesian he's coached at South Carolina I mean this guy has bounced all around the SEC bit of a journeyman this is the guy that Jeff leby picked as his defensive coordinator to say I am somewhat worried about this is an understatement so guys my second biggest what if what if Coleman hutler is in over his head and and I say this as respectfully as I possibly can but guys show me the list of firsttime defensive coordinators they got their first job as a DC in the SEC where worked I'll wait because that list ain't very long at all and those who got their opportunity it typically didn't go very well like there's a reason why you see these old heads these veterans veterans in the game right and I know everybody's got to get their first job somewhere at some point I get that but in this situation I think you'd prefer a guy that was a little bit more tenur that you felt like sort of knew what he was doing in this spot also you look at Mississippi State defensively guys they've got holes they've got issues right like they it's it's not just the coaching I'm worried about it's the actual bodies on the field there were very few hit harder in the transfer portal than Mississippi State over the course of this offseason and that was expected obviously with the coaching changes you lost guys like like Nathaniel Watson and Jet Johnson and some of your key defensive pieces and it's whole new look group but what if Coleman hudler what if this turns out to be greater a challenge than maybe he even expected and to great a challenge for him to handle because again I think even with a tenear DC even with a guy who had been in the league a while even with a guy I trusted this would be a really tall task to get the most out of Mississippi state's defense and again that's gonna be the question guys because I think state they're gonna be able to score can they stop anyone that's the question and with a brand new DC it doesn't instill a lot of faith and a lot of confidence in me that that will happen guys my third and final biggest what if for the Mississippi State Bulldogs this season you know what's so interesting the expectations guys as you can imagine are extremely low Mississippi State picked to finish 15th in the SEC by the media I think the over under wind total in Vegas is something like four and a half you're seeing a lot of four and eights and five and sevens heck I've seen some three and NES projected for Mississippi State football this year guys if you look at the schedule there was an opportunity for Mississippi State to really build some early momentum right that game at Arizona State in week two that's a big one I know State isn't a great football team but still going on the road to the West Coast western part of the country winning that game be a nice tone Setter in year one then comes the SEC opener in week four the Florida Gators Billy Napier coming to town cow bells are going to be ringing Davis Wade's gonna be rocking guys we're sitting here talking about you know can State get to four wins can they get to five what if Mississippi state starts 4 and0 have any of thought about that possibility what if and listen I'm not saying that Mississippi State if they started 4 and0 they're going to be on the path to go eight and4 and a dark horse for the college football playoff but they would obviously be much better than anyone projected they would obviously be much better than anyone predicted they would be exceeding expectations right off the rip right so you know it's interesting if one game goes this way one game goes that way all of a sudden instead of people saying man you're going to be 4-8 you start 4-0 I guarantee you state wouldn't lose eight straight to go four and eight right so what if Mississippi stay under Jeff leby what if the offense is clicking what if maybe they found something defensively and in in over the summer or fall camp that we're just not aware of right now Coleman hutler is ready for the job you get that big tone setting win week two at Arizona State and then really the big one against Florida because who knows what Florida's going to be what if Mississippi State finds themselves early build some big time early season momentum pulls that upset over the Gators and we look up and say wow Jeff levian company are four and0 and are a team to be taken seriously throughout the 2024 season so guys my three biggest what ifs for Mississippi State football in year one of the Jeff lebby era number one what if the Blake shapen to Kelly aari connection is as good as some of us think it can be number two what if Coleman hutler is in over his head and number three what if the dogs start 4 and0 guys this going to do off for me appreciate each and every single one of you tuning in make sure you like subscribe turn notifications check us out via podcast wherever you get your podcast you can also find us across all social media platforms as well as our website SEC unfiltered.com until next time guys I'm Chris Phillips of SEC unfiltered appreciate each and every single one of you tuning in and we'll catch you on the other side [Music]