Egg Bowl stakes high for Ole Miss, Mississippi St

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — For a few weeks in October, Mississippi State and Mississippi stood among college football's elite with undefeated records, star quarterbacks and rare relevance on the national stage.

Not anymore.

While the Bulldogs' dream season remains largely intact, the Rebels have fallen by the wayside — undone by a series of injuries and missed opportunities. Now No. 4 Mississippi State (10-1, 6-1 Southeastern Conference) must travel to face No. 18 Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3) on Saturday in the Egg Bowl.

The Bulldogs seem to have the edge in most categories — especially momentum. The Rebels have lost three straight conference games, including last week's embarrassing 30-0 setback to Arkansas.

But Ole Miss holds one key advantage: The home team has won nine of the past 10 Egg Bowls.