Dan Mullen didn’t admit to it during his Sunday teleconference, but this week ahead poses several challenges.
It’s not just that the USA Today’s No. 1-ranked team in the country comes calling in Starkville next Saturday, but with the Florida team comes friendships and personal ties for Mullen.
For the time being, though, the Mississippi State head coach answered all the questions asked about he and Florida coach Urban Meyer’s relationship, he and Tim Tebow’s relationship and how it has all changed this season now that Mullen man’s the ship at State.
All personal feelings aside, what this week seems to be about to the coach is a chance to put his new program on the map.
Mullen knows full-well where Florida is in regards to football programs across the country – he helped build it up.
Now, he wants his Bulldogs to begin their process of stepping up in their own level of play.
But it’s hard for him not to compare the two schools and where they stand before they go head-to-head at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Scott Field in a nationally televised game on ESPN.
“Yeah, we’re doing a good job,” Mullen said. “Florida is obviously the best program in the country right now. You know they have NFL talent at every position.
“They have done a great job recruiting over the years.”
How good of a job, according to Mullen? Well, he quickly evaluated his statement about how deep the Gators are this season.
But it all starts with Tebow.
“There’s a lot of depth at every position, and when you look they have probably the best player in the history of the game at quarterback – and his backup is probably the second-best quarterback in the Southeastern Conference,” Mullen said.
Rivals.com listed Mullen as the man responsible for recruiting John Brantley, Florida’s backup who the coached referred to in that last statement, and usually Mullen’s judgement hasn’t been all that far off in regards to quarterbacks.
But that kind of depth and that kind of talent at most positions is why Mullen believes Florida is the top program in the country – even if the AP Top-25 voters snuck Alabama into the top spot over Florida this week.
That is also why Mullen believes that his team won’t be distracted about any of the side angles to this week’s game ahead.
The State coach thinks the team will remain focused on its toughest challenge yet this season.
In his own mind, knowing that helps him stay focused on the task at hand and not the personal aspects of the game. That’s why he responds like this when asked what it’ll be like to take to the opposite sideline of Meyer this weekend.
“You know what, it’s going to be tough, because he’s got an awful lot of talented football players standing on his left and his right when you look across the field as well,” Mullen said. “It’s going to be a great challenge for our guys, though, and you know what it’s a great opportunity to get to play the No. 1 team in the country.”
