Alabama heads into Starkville this weekend for what could quietly become one of the best games of the entire college football slate.
The Crimson Tide and Mississippi State are both 4-0, and the biggest storyline is obvious: Keelon Russell vs. Kamario Taylor.
Russell appears to be getting better every week. After some early growing pains, the Alabama quarterback is beginning to look extremely comfortable running this offense. His performance against South Carolina was his best yet, throwing for 365 yards and four touchdowns as Alabama cruised to a 49-18 victory.
Taylor has been just as impressive for Mississippi State. He has turned the Bulldogs into one of the most explosive offenses in the SEC and gives Alabama a completely different challenge because of his ability to beat defenses through the air and with his legs.
How Alabama Wins
Alabama needs to make Taylor uncomfortable early and, more importantly, avoid giving up explosive plays. Mississippi State has enough offensive firepower to punish the Tide if this turns into a sloppy defensive performance.
Offensively, Alabama should trust Russell. The Tide have plenty of weapons around him, and this could be another opportunity for the young quarterback to prove he’s ready to perform in a hostile SEC environment.
How Mississippi State Wins
The Bulldogs need this game to become chaotic.
Starkville should be rocking, and Mississippi State needs to feed off that atmosphere, create turnovers and force Alabama into a shootout. Taylor is good enough to keep the Bulldogs within striking distance, especially if Alabama’s secondary gives him opportunities downfield.
Prediction
Don’t expect Alabama to walk into Starkville and dominate.
Mississippi State is going to land some serious punches, and Taylor could have a huge afternoon against this Alabama defense. I expect this to go back and forth deep into the fourth quarter with both quarterbacks putting up big numbers.
But Alabama simply has more ways to win.
Russell leads one final scoring drive late, and the Crimson Tide escape Starkville with their toughest win of the season.
Prediction: Alabama 41, Mississippi State 38
