WATCH: Mississippi State is ready for UK challenge

The Mississippi State Bulldogs are hosting the Kentucky Wildcats in what should be an intriguing intra-division SEC contest. 

There are certain parallels between each program. While both have sustained good success at times during their respective histories, neither Kentucky nor MSU would be classified as a "powerhouse" within the college football landscape. There also isn't an overly fertile recruiting base from which to draw from.

As such, Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops and Mississippi State head man Dan Mullen have to rely considerably on player development and "unearthing" gems on the recruiting trails.

Once Mullen took over in Starkville, he helped to revive a dilapidated program into a very respectable one. 

In essence, that's what Stoops is trying to do with Kentucky. He's surely hoping the Wildcats can somewhat mimic what Mullen's done with his team. 

It should be a competitive, hard-fought contest. Mississippi State is looking for its sixth win, which would make the team bowl eligible. Kentucky is hoping to win its fifth game of the year. If such a scenario were to occur, it'd tie the Wildcats' win total from 2014.