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Alabama looks to snap slide against Mississippi State

Nov 15, 2008 - 11:26 AM Mississippi State (3-6) at (1) Alabama (10-0), 7:45 pm EST

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama (Ticker) -- Alabama escaped Baton Rouge with its national champion hopes intact.

Now the top-ranked Crimson Tide would like to settle a score against a native son when they host Mississippi State on Saturday.

Bulldogs coach Sylvester Croom, a Tuscaloosa native and former Alabama player under Bear Bryant, has won two straight meetings against his alma mater.

In 2006, Croom won at Alabama, 24-16, and repeated the feat with a 17-12 victory in Starkville a year ago. That win enabled Mississippi State to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2000.

Alabama (10-0, 6-0 SEC West) has not dropped three in a row against the Bulldogs since 1996-98. The Crimson Tide own a commanding 71-18-3 lead in the all-time series.

This Alabama team, of course, is far superior to the ones that lost to Mississippi State the previous two seasons.

Last week marked Alabama coach Nick Saban's first trip back to Baton Rouge since he bolted the LSU program for the NFL's Miami Dolphins following the 2004 season.

The Tigers' fans still haven't forgiven Saban, who guided LSU to a national championship in 2003, but the Crimson Tide overcame the hostile environment at Tiger Stadium for one of their most satisfying wins in years.

Alabama posted a 27-21 victory in overtime to clinch its first berth in the Southeastern Conference championship since 1999 and stay in contention for its first national title since 1992.

With the Crimson Tide getting closer to their goal, Saban doesn't want his team to stumble now.

"We are at about 19,000 feet," he said. "The mountain is at 26,000 feet, and the air is changing a little bit. The air is a little rarer and you have to change how you breathe sometimes, but you still have to focus on the task at hand.

"Because of that, if you slip up and don't focus on what you are supposed to, the consequences can be devastating even more so than when you are at 7,000 feet."

Mississippi State parlayed its win over Alabama last year into a berth in the Liberty Bowl, where it defeated Central Florida, 10-3.

But the Bulldogs (3-6, 1-4) have been unable to build on last season's success. After losing at Kentucky, 14-13, last week, they will need to win out just to salvage a .500 season.

Last week's loss was especially frustrating as a blocked extra point turned out to be the difference.