STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State hasn't been here in more than decade.
It's midway through the college football season and the No. 15 Bulldogs are contending for the Southeastern Conference Western Division title and a spot in a BCS bowl game.
Those are realities not often seen in Starkville, though the Bulldogs are getting used to the attention.
Not that Mississippi State has a lot of time to bask in its early success. The Bulldogs (6-0) host Middle Tennessee State (4-2) on Saturday before a brutal stretch that includes showdowns against Alabama, Texas A&M and LSU.
The Bulldogs haven't been ranked this high since 2000, and their No. 12 spot in the current BCS standings is the third-highest in school history.
They haven't been undefeated this late in a season since 1999.