The Only Game That Matters---MSU @ Bama
 

Ok, a bit over the top with the title. But this game has HUGE national implications. You all know I'm Cowbell-clanging Dawg from Cow Patty U, but I'm gonna try to remain as objective as possible to analyze this thing...your inputs are more than welcome...if you see any glue-sniffer tendencies with the following, call it out:

QB - Edge MSU. Dak's injuries have slowed his running game, and I like Sims' game...but Dak has a knack for big plays & short yardage. Sims makes better decisions in the passing game, but Dak's ground game has the edge.

RB - Edge Bama. Really no contest here. Yeldon & Henry are freakin' horses. MSU has one reliable RB in Robinson, but he does have fumbling issues.

WR/TE - Edge Bama. No contest here, either. When you own Cooper, White, & Howard (sounds like a law firm), it's hard to deny them the edge. MSU does have Wilson & Lewis, but then you just have a gaggle of WRs & TEs who show up sometimes and are sometimes completely absent.

O-Line - Slight edge MSU. Bama's O-line is far more talented, but MSU's O-Line has more continuity and more experience.

D-Line - Slight edge MSU. MSU's 1st team is pretty darned good and they have depth. Tackles for Losses & sacks tip the scales MSU's way over Bama's very good and deep D-Line.

LB - Edge Bama. Yes, MSU has McKinney, but Bama owns 2 pretty dang good ones in Ragland & DePriest

Secondary - Edge Bama. No Contest. Bama has play-makers just littering that backfield and are very, very well coached. MSU has some good corners in Redmond, Love & Calhoun, but MSU's safeties are liabilities to the deep ball and have proved it over and over this year.

Special Teams - EDGE BAMA. My Lord, MSU's Spec Teams are Gawd awful with 4 turnovers on just punt returns and they cannot make a FG over 40 yards and sometimes miss extra points.

Coaching - Do I even need to say it? Saban has won how many national championships? Lane Kiffin is a creep, but he is a good OC. Smart is one of the best DC's in the nation.

Match-up Legacy - Edge Bama. MS-Who? Bama freakin' owns MSU. Has owned MSU since the beginning of time. No contest. Psychologically, Bama owns this edge by as far and as wide as you can imagine.

If this game was in Stark-Vegas, MSU could get away with playing their "B+" game and squeak out a "W". However, with the game in Tuscaloosa, MSU will need their "A to A+" game to squeak out a "W". Anything less than that will be a 2 TD loss for my Dawgs considering the very, very thin margin for error in Tuscaloosa against Saban's Bama team. If State loses the turnover battle and has just ONE special teams break-down, Bama wins going-away. Bama is too good of a team at home to make mistakes and still expect to win the ball game.

If State wins the turnover battle, stays composed in the most hostile environment they've been in thus far, and wins the short yardage game on offense & defense, there is a chance MSU gets a very tough win. But they will have to battle at 100% for 60 minutes to get it.

Re: The Only Game That Matters---MSU @ Bama
 

Great analysis Barry. Bama has been a bit Jeckle and Hyde this season. If Bama brings their A-game, I don't think there's any way they lose.

But we've seen their C-game several times this season and they were very fortunate to beat LSU and Arkansas.

Just my opinion, but I think the winner of this game wins it all.

Re: The Only Game That Matters---MSU @ Bama
 

I agree...FSU, Oregon and TCU or whoever else out there could not withstand the Front 7 of Bama or State. The SEC has proven over and over in "championship-mode" that a good Front 7 beats pansy little spread option offenses.

FSU is the only one that might be alright, but FSU has not seen and will not see a good front until the playoffs...hell, FSU had problems with Notre Dame's front. Please.

Notice I did not even mention these other teams' defenses...they're freakin' jokes.

Hope tomorrow's game is an instant classic, and I know we all definitely want both teams to come out as healthy as they both went into the game.

Re: The Only Game That Matters---MSU @ Bama
 

Nah, bro ... that title ain't over the top. All season long I've been griping because, for some reason, they broadcast SEC games over BigTen matchups in my area. For the first time and this weekend, I'm glad, :).

Re: The Only Game That Matters---MSU @ Bama
 

Man...that 25-20 score in no way indicative of the game in my opinion. Bama led the whole game and were even up 19-3 for a while. Dak got outplayed by a pretty good margin by Sims...the last TD drive by Sims on 2 third and longs was just the dagger with the score 19-13.

The Special Teams battle was completely one-sided. State's special teams completely blew and Bama's played lights-out. Unreal the difference in field position for both teams.

You just cannot turn it over 3 times with 1 in the end zone and 2 around the Bama 20 and expect to win. Gotta credit Bama with consistently keeping MSU out of the end zone for 3 quarters and forcing some pretty awful throws by Prescott.

Gotta pull for Bama to take this whole thing as they are the best team in this conference. Our season now as cowbell-clanging Dawgs is beating the Oxford Bears by 8 or 9 TDs and I will be satisfied with this season.

And MSU will drop out of the Top 10...just you watch and see. They can't have MSU ranked anywhere between #5 and #9 as that means they could slide into the playoffs without playing in the SEC Championship if MSU wins out. There cannot and will not be 2 SEC teams in the playoffs, even with MSU's only loss coming by way of Bama by 5 points on the road.

Re: The Only Game That Matters---MSU @ Bama
 

Also, can we trade for Bama's punter somehow? Good Lawd, that kid is good.

Re: The Only Game That Matters---MSU @ Bama
 

Yep ... tough game, :neutral:. This whole college playoff thing is turning in to a farce p.d.q., IMO. You can't tell me Ohio State or any other team from the Big Ten is going to rate a playoff berth ahead of a second SEC team. I'm sure the same applies for the other major NCAA Conferences as well. Return it to a regional sport as it once was and give the Conferences their Bowls back, IMO ... the constant, mythical "national champion" debate never bothered me that much to begin with, :lol:.

Re: The Only Game That Matters---MSU @ Bama
 

No one beats Bama the rest of the year, even if Georgia gives them a hard time in the SEC championship game. Good game Bama and MSU!

Re: The Only Game That Matters---MSU @ Bama
 

Please explain to me how that was a good game? My Dawgs lost. How dare you, sir.

But seriously, it was a good game overall. State should have been blown out of the stadium with 3 turnovers and forcing none. Their defense held up when the offense was farting away the ball. And the special teams turned in their worst game of the year despite making 2 FGs. Bama simply dominated the field position the entire game.

And I am certainly not one of those State fans that hopes Bama gets beat by Auburn if we happen to win out the rest of our season. It'd be a joke if we still get into the SEC championship game when we couldn't beat the best team in the SEC on the road. It'd be embarrassing.

I do hope Bama wins out, and I hope we win out as well. I'd love to hear the validation from the playoff committee on choosing to keep State out of the playoffs with an 11-1 record and our only loss being @ Bama by 5. But we gotta TCB from now until then...Vandy then beating the Ox-fraud Bears by 56.

Re: The Only Game That Matters---MSU @ Bama
 

Well Bama and State would meet again it looks like and then play FSU, if Winston doesn't get thrown off the team before it happens. Of course, Oregon may actually beat FSU if they can prevent the ever suspicious repeating comebacks.