Why Texas A&M defeats Mississippi State: A&M takes care of the ball
This is the most important one on this list. Mississippi State was able to stay close to Tennessee last week chiefly because of how many short fields they had to work with throughout the game. They weren't able to drive the length of the field with consistency, but when they turned the Vols over, they scored nearly every time.
That's why the Aggies need to take care of the ball. Whether it's Marcel putting the ball out there on a passing play or Le'Veon carrying between the tackles, they need to make sure that State doesn't get anything free in this one. The Aggie defense is good enough to hold them if they do this.
It was a turnover against Auburn that made that game seem far closer than it actually was. If the Aggies give it away again, we could see the exact same dynamic play out in this game.
If they don't, however, the Ags could be looking at open season when it comes to scoring. A&M has the ability to put up a lot of points on this State defense, but they have to be savvy when they have the ball if they want to take advantage.