Seth Walder, ESPN Analytics 5y

Why Mississippi State, others could become Giant Killer victims

Men's College Basketball, Mississippi State Bulldogs

There are two sides to the Giant Killer coin. And while it's plenty fun to dig deep into the weeds of mid-majors and suboptimal records to find the next George Mason, it's just as important to focus our attention toward the top of the polls and examine which Goliaths might have a critical weakness that could bring them down come March.

It could be a particular type of opponent a Giant is vulnerable to, or maybe the school simply has a record that's too big for its britches -- therefore bestowing confidence upon the team that it might not deserve (Example A: previously undefeated Michigan.) Really, the Giant Killers model thrives in those situations, advising to zig when blind seed-line followers zag.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. March is a ways off. For now, we're simply forecasting and scouting -- looking for 2019's vulnerable Giants.


Mississippi State Bulldogs

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