Bama-Miss St.

Ok, so I was wrong about the outcome of Tenn/SC. At least the Vols put up a fight 'til the end.
About a quarter left in the UGA/FLA game and I'm shocked at how sloppy this game has been. The intensity in this game comes as no surprise. Jawing back and forth is the norm in this rivalry, but good lord, I've lost count of turnovers at this point. I still like the Dawgs to get this done.
Moving on to the next SEC battle of the night, Bama/Miss. St. pits two undefeated SEC West teams against each other with national title implications on the line. Bama is the favorite at home, as the oddsmakers in Vegas have State as 20 something  point  underdogs. Give Dan Mullen credit. State has been a perennial doormat in the SEC for a very long time. Losing to the Bulldogs has been the nail in the coffin for various SEC coaches through the years, including Alabama's previous head guy, Mike Shula. I can still remember being a student at the Capstone when Shula's team fell to Sylvester Croom's bunch. The sign on the outside wall of a local business that was closing down read, "Out like Shula. " Things have since changed in Tuscaloosa, and while a loss to State tonight would certainly be disappointing, Nick Saban would be in no danger of losing his job. Mississippi St. has grown tremendously under Mullen, and although their competition this season has been less than stellar, Coach Mullen clearly has his team on the rise. Both State and the Crimson Tide are colliding tonight with undefeated records hanging in the balance. Statistically, State stacks up pretty well, but statistics tend to take a backseat to talent and depth when the grind of four quarters begins to take its toll. State will fight, and probably keep it close for most of the game. In the end however, Alabama is too balanced and too deep on the roster to let this one slip away. This Tide team is on a mission and refuses to go the way of the 2010 squad. Coach Saban has done a masterful job keeping them focused. The recruiting classes of the past few years haven't hurt either. Bama wins this one, but the final score won't be indicative of how well State plays.
The Tide keeps rolling, 38-14.

Do you think Jon Gruden will be looking on to get an early look at the competition he'd be facing in the SEC should he decide to take the job at Tennessee? Vols fans better hope not. Nick Saban has built a juggernaut that no coach would want to face, especially a coach coming into a mess like the one in Knoxville.

--Hawk