Remember LSU vs Ole Miss in '97? Let's not be that team. Remember LSU vs MSU in 2001? Let's be that team.
If Mississippi State were an automatic win, we wouldn't have to go to Starkvegas and tee it up this weekend. I am nervous about how the Tigers will compete this Saturday. Granted, there is no comparison in talent or coaching, but can we play flat enough to lose? Absolutely. It will be a huge challenge for the coaching staff to get this team to stay focused on Miss. State for several reasons, not the least of which being the fact that we just knocked off #7 Georgia while State was dropping its second in a row to a CUSA team. Dropping this game would do more harm for our team than beating Georgia did good emotionally.Mississippi State Mississippi State
It would be great to see the offense bounce back by having a big game. Miss State can't be taken lightly no matter what. They are an SEC team after all.
Honestly, I believe this game is a tougher mental task for the team than the UGA game. Saban has repeatedly discussed the ability of champions to handle both success and failure well. Sometimes it is more difficult to handle success and move on to the next task, as we must do this week. The team seems to have taken Saban's "business-like" attitude of playing with intensity for 60 minutes to heart. Hopefully they will continue to play like this, focusing on playing hard and not the scoreboard.
I know Saban will drilling into the heads of the players that you do not take anyone lightly. MSU is clearly overmatched and should not even have a chance to compete. The let-down games need to be a thing of the past, lets keep on moving forward.
We also have to be careful not to start substituting too early. If you look at MSU even though they have not won a game, they have put points on the baord. We need to strike early and often. JS is going o believe that a win here will save his job. He'll do everything to pump this team. We must stay focused laying the foundation one game at a time. Geaux Tigers!
