I also think Mullen did a good job, but not anything award winning.
This Mississippi State team wasn't completely devoid of talent. Last year they were 2-6 in the SEC. This year they were 3-5, one game better. Last year they were 4-8 overall, this year 5-7. That's one game better. Not to mention that they won 8 games just two years ago. Their defense has been pretty good in recent years, and they are running a first round NFL back out of the backfield.
Again, Mullen did a good job, but look at what the team did from last year to this year. If we're not handing out moral victories to Auburn, then why hand them to Mullen for losing to LSU, Florida, etc. Sure, they just beat Ole Miss, which was predictable (go back and look at my post from two weeks ago, I said "Nutt will probably beat LSU and then lose to Mississippi State). But don't forget MSU just got destroyed 42-21 the week before by Arkansas (which you used against Auburn, but not against MSU?), and was destroyed the week before that by Alabama, a team Chizik's team had a lead on into the last minute and half of the game.
And if you go back to early in the year, you'll find Auburn's most complete win of the year...over Mississippi State. Followed by a 15-3 victory over 0-8 in the SEC Vanderbilt.
Come on Kaos, I'm honestly not sure why you want to slant it so badly. Moral victories to MSU and Tennessee, but not to Auburn. Ignoring the head to head victories Chizik has over both coaches. Using a loss to Kentucky as the staple bad game, yet Tennessee (during their upward swing) beats the same team in OT.
I'm not sure how you can't at least grade them all equally.