True Maroon

they should be...

When we play an SEC game of merit I listen to and/or watch every single interview available from our upcoming opponent. I watch all the available interviews with coaches and players of the opposing team available to me, and I am a member of several sites that give me access to these interviews.

Like I said before in a previous thread, Tennessee NEVER took State seriously. Seldom did the VolNation think State had a chance of beating them, all their interviews were about Tennessee playing a solid game. No mention of John Banks, no mention of Tyler Russell, no mention of Ladarius Perkins, Chris Smith, Clark, etc. All their talk was about them simply gettng their act together and they should and would and could win the game.

The Vol Nation got a rude awakening.

Bama's coaching staff is trying really hard to get their players to not make that same mistake that Tennessee made...but they are having little sucess. Listen to A.J. McCarrons interview and while he does give State some accolades he always follows up such accolades with a "but". Like he will say..."State always plays us tough, but all we need to do is execute and we should be ok." Actually, this year you are going to have to do more than just execute to be ok vs State this year. Yes, that strategy worked when State had a quarterback that liked to smoke weed on occasion and had limited passing skills and was unable to read and adjust to defenses....but that strategy will NOT work with States new NFL caliber quarterback that can sustain drives and stretch any defense and keep them on their heels in Tyler Russell. There is a reason Bama recruited Tyler Russell heavily...and that reason is because they knew what Russells capabilities were back in his high school days.

Interviews with Bamas Offensive Line leader, their defensive backs and their linebackers were not really much different than the interviews with A.J. McCarron. These guys regurgitate the company line and sound bites they have been coached to say...like..."they play us tough every year"..or..."its an SEC game and they are undefeated for a reason.."...but body language communicates 7 times as much information as what a person is actually saying...and Bama's players body language is that:

1. They think Mississippi State is a joke and hasnt really proved anything this year and
2. They think they are better than they actually are

In summary, the players are actually believing the hype that much of the media is saying about them, that they are 24 point favorites. Pat Dye, former coach of Auburn having said, "This Bama team is the best college football team I have seen in the history of college football." Other football "experts" saying that Bama's offensive line is better than some NFL offensive lines....and on and on.

But the local media covering this Bama team knows differently...as does Nick Saban. The local media knows that a very thin undersized tsun team gave Bama fits and was able to run between the tackles almost at will against them. Bama came out of that game really banged up and those covering SEC sports know that Mississippi State is a much harder hitting team than tsun. If Bama players think tsun was a physical team then they will think State is the Pittsburgh Steelers.

What concerns the local media and Nick Saban is they know that Bama is gonna get hit with a very talented, physical, and motivated team that is capable of making deep passes all over the field, running between the tackles and breaking off really long runs if just one Bama player misses a tackle. The local media and Saban also know that State has EVERYTHING TO GAIN by winning this game and nothing to really lose, whereas Bama has nothing really to gain by winning...so that means Bama will face a team of rabid dogs with a Kamikazi type mentality. Bama's players think this is no big deal, they say they face teams with this mentality every week....but the fact of the matter is..they dont face a team like they will face this Saturday every week.

Bama didnt pull away from State last year until the 4th quarter and that was after 3 quarters of disastrous play by Chris Relf and our Special Teams, and State kept Trent Richardson in check for 3 quarters. The year before State nullified and contained Mark Ingram, the Heisman Trophy winner. This year they have Lacy who is prone to injury and Yeldon who is a freshman, and freshmen are prone to making mistakes when under duress.

Bama isnt playing well at home, and one of the leaders on their team, Barrett, said its because of all the distractiions that come with home games. Well, this weekend is Bama's homecoming so the level of distractions for their players will be at its peak for home games...and puts Bama in a position ripe for State to pounce, hit them hard and early, and send Bama's young team into a state of panic and realizing they are in a dog fight much more severe, bloody and vicious than they had any idea or predilection they would find themselves in.

The local Bama media is very worried about this game. Nicks Saban is very worried about this game...but Bama's players are not.

But they should be.