We have officially reached Week 6 of the SEC football season. Alabama (5-0) is coming off an impressive 48-17 win against Tennessee, but Mississippi State (1-3) will present a whole new set of challenges.
Yes, the offense has struggled for the Bulldogs. And yes, the Crimson Tide is a 30.5-point favorite, according to BetMGM.
Alabama is fighting complacency, however. Despite the massive loss of star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, the team seems to be moving in the right direction. But with that movement can create overconfidence, and that is something head coach Nick Saban wants to avoid.
The crew here at Roll Tide Wire decided to bring you our predictions for Saturday’s matchup. Check it out below.
AJ Spurr, Contributor
Final score: Alabama 56, Mississippi State 10
Clint Lamb, Managing Editor
There are a lot of signs pointing towards Alabama blowing out Mississippi State. The offense has been unstoppable for the Crimson Tide, and the Bulldogs haven’t been able to get anything going offensively since a record-setting performance against LSU in Week 1. Advantage goes to Alabama.
Defensively, the Tide seem to be moving in the right direction.
Yes, the opposing offenses haven’t been spectacular, as Georgia and Tennessee both bring more of a vanilla style than some of the other teams Alabama has played this season. But third-down efficiency and tackling looks improved — at least on paper.
The Bulldogs also seems to have a formidable defense. It doesn’t compare to Georgia’s defense, however, and the Crimson Tide still wasn’t consistently slowed down. In other words, it is unlikely that State defense has much — if any — success on Saturday.
With all that being said, this game isn’t won on paper. It’s won on the field, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Bulldogs make a backdoor cover. I could easily see Alabama cruising to a large lead early before pulling starters late and allowing that to be the difference.
Final score: Alabama 47, Mississippi State 17
[lawrence-auto-related count=3]