For the third time since October of last year, Mississippi State has been featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. For a school that hasn’t had much hype or press concerning football since opening in 1878, the covers have caused excited and a fury to purchase one before they were all gone. Many framed them and got them for gifts. In other words it was a very exciting time for Mississippi State who at the time was enjoying their very first number 1 ranking for football.

Now a week before the first game of a brand new year, where “experts” have decided even with the best quarterback in the SEC, they will fall to last of the dreaded SEC West. So after such predictions being repeated over and over again and State fan’s thinking what’s new? We should really worry when they start predicting us to win, don’t hold your breath for that though.

If you ask any sport fan they will tell you sometime superstition worries them more than actual stats, and that can be said about fans now. Myself and other State fans are not worried about what the experts are saying, like how Mississippi State’s offensive line is depleted and lacking practically any except for a few like seniors Justin Malone and Justin Senior have experience, or how the defense won't be nearly as good as last year without powerhouses Preston Smith and Benardrick Mckinney, or how the run game could decrease significantly without human bowling ball Josh Robinson.

Now all that sounds like possible reasons for State to fall last in the SEC West, but shouldn’t we superstitious fans actually be afraid of the jinx of the Sports Illustrated cover? To wit:

• In 1988 Michael Spinks appeared on the cover right before his fight with Mike Tyson with the headline “Don’t count me out.” Tyson knocked Spinks out in 91 seconds.
• In 2003 the Kansas City Chiefs were 9-0 when they appeared on the cover. The would go on to lose their following game and finish the regular season 4-3, losing home field advantage and seeing their season end with a playoff loss against the Indianapolis Colts.
• In 2003 the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox were featured on dual covers. Both teams would go on to suffer great collapses, as the Florida Marlins beat the Cubs in Games 6 and 7 and the New York Yankees beat the Red Sox in Game 7.
• In 2008 Tom Brady appeared on the cover of the NFL season preview issue. In his first game that season, Brady tore the ACL and the MCL in his left knee against the Kansas City Chiefs.
• In 2010 the “Core Four” from the New York Yankees (Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Peettitte, and Jorge Posada) appeared on the cover together. Within a week all were injured except Jeter, who went on to have the worst offensive season of his career.

So all the State fans should grab their horseshoes, throw some salt over their shoulder, stay far away from black cats and ladders, and if you say anything stupid knock on wood three times.

We have a Heisman-caliber quarterback in Dak Prescott. Last year's back up, Ashton Shumpert, is showing he is ready to take the load of Robinson, and two other talented guys in Dontavian Lee and Aeris Williams will be in the rotation as well. Athletic defensive tackle Chris Jones seems ready for a breakout year, and he's joined on the defense by two talented cornerbacks in Will Redmond and Taveze Calhoun (the former of whom is preseason all-SEC).

Maybe this cover is what we should be really worried about. I don’t know about everyone else but I would like some good luck for the Bulldogs this season; it’s pretty clear we already have talent.