By admin 
Twelve years ago this week, Sports Illustrated put Mississippi football on the map with its “Mississippi Mayhem” cover.
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The Magnolia State was the toast of college football, with the national spotlight belonging to Oxford and Starkville.
The magic began Oct. 4, 2014, as 11th-ranked Ole Miss stunned No. 2 Alabama 23-17 to end a 10-game losing streak against the Crimson Tide.
That same day, 12th-ranked Mississippi State steamrolled No. 6 Texas A&M 48-31 behind quarterback Dak Prescott, who accounted for five touchdowns.
The victories propelled both teams to No. 3 (behind Florida State and Auburn) in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, setting off a football frenzy across the state.
A week later, Mississippi State beat Auburn 38-23 to improve to 6-0 and rose to No. 1 nationally.
Ole Miss kept rolling, too, beating Texas A&M 35-20 to go to 6-0 and remain No. 3 in the nation.
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Mississippi State started 9-0 and finished the regular season 10-2, while Ole Miss rolled to a 7-0 start before finishing 9-3, including a 31-17 win over the Bulldogs in the Egg Bowl.
For a few unforgettable weeks in 2014, Mississippi wasn’t just part of the college football conversation. It was at the center of it.
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Now, 12 years later, the schools are back in the rankings and chasing big things again.
Led by quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, No. 9 Ole Miss (4-1, 2-1 SEC) welcomes No. 13 Missouri (5-1, 2-1) to Oxford on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET/SEC Network).
Paced by sophomore sensation Kamario Taylor, No. 16 Mississippi State (4-1, 2-1) faces No. 22 LSU (4-2, 1-2) in Baton Rouge on Saturday (noon ET/ESPN).
The stakes are different, but the opportunity is familiar.
With two ranked SEC showdowns on tap, Magnolia State football has another chance to deliver a little mayhem.
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Mike Garbett is a content specialist working with McClatchy’s Content Innovation Lab.
The post A dozen years after ‘Mississippi Mayhem,’ the Magnolia State is buzzing again appeared first on Student Section.
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This story was originally published October 14, 2026 at 7:46 AM.