Mississippi State vs. Oklahoma State: Dan Mullen's Hot Seat Rises with Ugly Loss

The Mississippi State Bulldogs' embarrassing 21-3 loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys has put Dan Mullen under an intense spotlight. 

Going into the game, it was thought that with the Bulldogs and Cowboys playing in a neutral location and with Oklahoma State using a two-quarterback system the preseason Big 12 favorite could be on upset alert. 

Instead, questionable play-calling on offense by the Bulldogs held Mullen's squad to just three points despite gaining 332 yards of total offense and holding the ball for 34 minutes and one second. 

Where the Bulldogs struggled in particular on Saturday was on third downs. Mississippi State went just 2-of-16 on third-down conversions. 

In fact, after the Bulldogs' first offensive drive that went 13 plays and 57 yards, which resulted in a field goal, the Cowboys shut out the Bulldogs despite Mullen's team reaching Oklahoma State territory three more times. 

What has Bulldogs fans particularly irked, though, has been the team's record over the past seven games, which is just 1-6. The only win in that stretch came against Arkansas, a team that went 4-8 last year. 

According to Rob Fischer of Sports 56 WHBQ, Saturday's loss to Oklahoma State also marks the 11th straight loss to a ranked team by Mullen. 

Clearly, the Bulldogs aren't where they need to be offensively, and things could get even worse as Mississippi State QB Tyler Russell left the game with an injury. His status is uncertain for now, but he looked shaken up.

Faith in Mullen is slowly dying amongst Bulldogs fans, as he is proving time and time again that he can't win the big games.