STARKVILLE – Despite rolling into Saturday’s showdown against No. 4 Alabama as the top-ranked team in the country, No. 1 Mississippi State suddenly finds itself in a familiar position.
MSU running back Ashton Shumpert was hoping it would happen.
“I want us to be the underdog,” said Shumpert after running for 82 yards in last Saturday’s win over UT-Martin. “I think we play better as the underdog, it gives us that fuel that we need.”
Shumpert’s wish has come true.
Heading into what has shaped up as the game of the year in the Southeastern Conference, unbeaten MSU will make the trip to Tuscaloosa as a seven-point underdog to the Crimson Tide, who have won six straight in the series.
Like his sophomore tailback, the role of underdog is just fine to MSU coach Dan Mullen, who was asked about that topic during his weekly press conference on Monday afternoon.
“I guess every article you read or everywhere you look, we’re an underdog,” said Mullen. “We’ve done that before. Our guys will come in, play with great effort, play with a chip on their shoulder.”
Being overlooked is nothing new to the 2014 Bulldogs.
Through its historic 9-0 start, MSU has played three ranked teams – Texas A&M, LSU and Auburn – and has been the underdog in all three. But against Alabama, MSU finds itself in uncharted territory, as the Bulldogs head to Tuscaloosa with an opportunity to take huge steps toward a Southeastern Conference Western Division championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff. With a win in Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. game, which will be broadcast nationally on CBS, MSU would own a two-game lead in the West race with two to play.
But for Mullen, the focus Monday wasn’t on his team’s underdog status or the Bulldogs’ lofty goals. Instead, it was on a very good Alabama team that ahs won 13 straight games at home.
“It’s a tough place to go play,” said Mullen. “They probably have more five-star guys on their bench that can’t even get into the lineup than we have on our entire team. They are a model program, what Nick (Saban) has been able to build over there.”
Saban, who arrived in Tuscaloosa prior to the 2007 season, has amassed an 82-16 record at Alabama, a mark that includes three national championships (2009, 2011, 2012). But a 23-17 loss to Ole Miss earlier this season has the Crimson Tide scrambling to get back into the College Football Playoff picture, as the Tide ranked fifth last week, one spot away from a berth in the initial playoff. MSU, meanwhile, has topped the College Football Playoff Committee’s rankings each week.
“Mississippi State, based on its body of work, has proved it is one of the best teams in the country,” said Saban at his weekly press conference on Monday. “This will be the most physical game of the year.”
Saturday’s matchup offers Alabama to take charge of the SEC West race, as a win would deadlock the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs atop the league race. But a win for MSU would almost be the death knell in the divisional race, as the Bulldogs would need just a win over unranked Vanderbilt on Nov. 22 to clinch the division title.
On Monday, Mullen was asked about his team’s championship aspirations, and he again referred to Saban’s program.
“You look at Alabama, and they are playing for championships every single year,” said Mullen. “They are always in the conversation. That’s where we want to be. I want to have a program that is playing big games in November year after year.”
The Bulldogs, now 9-0 overall and 5-0 in league play, have not lost since a 20-7 setback against Alabama in Starkville last season. That current run includes 12 wins in a row and seven straight in league play. While he vanquished LSU and Texas A&M earlier this season for the first time in his tenure in Starkville, Alabama remains the lone SEC West team that Mullen hasn’t beaten. The veteran coach is 0-5 against the Tide.
But MSU junior quarterback Dak Prescott, who remains in Heisman Trophy contention, did not play in last year’s MSU-Alabama game, missing the 13-point loss due to injury.
Mullen, when asked of his quarterback’s ability to win a big game in a hostile environment, affirmed his belief in the Haughton, Louisiana native.
“Dak has been in big games in tough environments,” said Mullen. “He played well in Baton Rouge, one of the toughest places to play in the country. And I think that goes for our entire team. We have veteran kids who have been there before.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brandon Walker on Twitter @BWonStateBeat
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