Last season’s meeting between Mississippi State and Alabama on Halloween was downright scary for the Bulldogs.

The Crimson Tide thumped Mike Leach’s club 41-0 in Tuscaloosa on their way to the 12th national championship in school history.

This year, Mississippi State welcomes Alabama to Starkville on Oct. 16. The game will take place after the Bulldogs’ Oct. 9 bye as MSU hopes to rebound from last year’s thrashing.

Here’s what to know about this year’s Tide team.

Editor’s note: This is the sixth installment in The Dispatch’s 2021 Scouting the Schedule series. The fifth installment was published in Wednesday’s edition. The series continues Sunday with a look at Mississippi State’s seventh game of the season.

Alabama quick facts

2020 record: 13-0

Coach: Nick Saban, 15th year

ESPN Football Power Index: No. 1

All-time series: 82-16-3, Alabama

Last meeting: Oct. 31, 2020

History

As you might expect, Alabama has dominated the all-time series between the two teams, winning 82 of the 101 games in the history of the matchup.

The Bulldogs’ last win against the Crimson Tide came in 2007, Nick Saban’s first year at the helm in Tuscaloosa. It was the second straight MSU victory after a 24-16 win at Bryant-Denny in 2006, when Mike Shula coached Alabama.

Since 2007, the Tide have beaten the Bulldogs every year, racking up a 13-game win streak.

2020 season

But if there’s any good news for Mississippi State, it’s that the dominant wide receiver who made last year’s game so lopsided can no longer hurt the Bulldogs.

Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, who grabbed four touchdown passes from Mac Jones, is on to the NFL, selected 12th overall by the Philadelphia Eagles. Smith racked up 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns in an all-time great season.

Jaylen Waddle, injured early in the season, was also a first-round pick of the Miami Dolphins. Wideout John Metchie III is Alabama’s top returning option at receiver after a cool 916 yards in 2020.

Running back Najee Harris ran for 1,466 yards last season and headed to Pittsburgh in the first round. But once again, the Tide have a capable replacement in senior Brian Robinson Jr., who ran for 483 yards on 91 carries in 2020.

Jones, yet another first-round pick, is headed to New England with Bryce Young taking over the starting job. Young threw just 22 passes last season, finishing with 156 yards and a touchdown.

While Alabama’s defense was no slouch, holding opponents to 19.4 points per game, it was the potent offense averaging 48.5 points per contest that allowed the Tide to roll. And that they did, sweeping through the Southeastern Conference in the regular season, handling Florida in the SEC title game and beating Notre Dame and Ohio State to win the College Football Playoff.

Key additions

Alabama lost a nation-leading 10 players to the NFL draft, but the best recruiting class in the country — as usual — will help avoid any sort of a down year.

Offensive tackles JC Latham and Tommy Brockermeyer are both top-five recruits in the nation, according to 247 Sports. The Tide have five more five-star signees, all at different positions — edge rusher, cornerback, defensive lineman, wide receiver and running back.

Add 16 four-star players (and East Mississippi Community College cornerback Khyree Jackson, a three-star prospect and the top JUCO cornerback in the nation), and it’s easy to see why Alabama will likely be at the top of the SEC once again this season.

Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.