Why Alabama May Be in Trouble Against Mississippi State

Let me start this article with the ending,  "Because we didn't really want it,  and it showed".  Those were the words spoken by Alabama safety Robert Lester after losing to LSU.  Some of you can stop reading here, because that's the bottom line.

I applaud Lester for not trying to gloss over what we all know to be true from observation.  This Alabama team has always talked a good game to the press,  had all the right answers,  not that it ever mattered what they said to the press. 

Alabama is not a good football team right now and it all boils down to the fact that Nick Saban isn't a system guy,  he coaches his teams to dominate physically.  When it works, its almost unstoppable,  when it doesn't,  his team looks pretty anemic. 

Mississippi State ranks 101st in passing yards nationally.  It doesn't sound too scary does it?  It doesn't until you realize the LSU team that just owned Alabama's secondary was ranked 112th.  It doesn't really matter what kind of season your having as a quarterback,  you want to play Alabama.

Not that Alabama has losers in the secondary.  Two years from now I think these guys are going to be part of one of the best you'll ever see,  but today they are young,  they make mistakes, and they aren't very physical.  The more experienced front seven was supposed to provide some pressure to help them out,  but presently there are still only twelve division 1 programs with fewer sacks than Alabama. 

As a student during the era of Cornelius Bennett and Derrick Thomas,  I find this to be nothing short of a disgrace to the uniform.  I don't necessarily confine my blame to the players, its hard not to cast an eye to the reshuffled defensive staff as a whole. 

I've heard the statement "Its about effecting the quarterback".  Alabama isn't doing that either,  unless by effecting you mean improving their stats.  

Alabama's offense continued to struggled against the LSU defense,  but the Bulldog defense might not be far behind LSU.  They are actually ranked higher nationally than LSU.  They are especially good at stopping the run.  It doesn't sound like Ingram will have a good day.  

You can whine and moan about the play calling if you like,  and there can always be improvement there, but no offense works when the line isn't blocking, and Alabama's offensive line is looking a lot more like the 2007 unit than the 2009 unit.

Alabama may get a preview of sorts to Cam Newton when they face his "mini-me" Chris Relf.  Relf is like a smaller less effective version of Newton.  He has rushed for 80 or more yards and a touchdown against the last two SEC defenses he faced,  Florida was one of them.

His passing yards don't look so scary but like I said,  good quarterbacks have been looking great against Alabama.

Alabama does get Mississippi State at home which should help. 

But this game is going to be about desire.  The Bulldogs emotionally have all the cards and everything to play for,  Alabama's players have nothing that they started the season to obtain. 

What kind of men has Alabama recruited?  Rivals Stars are great, but all that stuff is meaningless if you don't have heart. 

What Alabama needs is to play with the kind of intensity and desire that honors the uniform they wear and the many men who have come before them wearing crimson.  Sometimes playing for pride can be more important than playing for trophies.

If there is hope for Alabama they will win this game, anything short of victory and its time to start planning for next year.