The Alabama Crimson Tide returns to the SEC road on Saturday with a trip to Starkville, MS. Mike Leach’s Bulldogs are 3-2 on the season and 1-1 in the SEC. Mississippi State had an open date last weekend. The Bulldogs have good wins over No. 22 ranked North Carolina State (4-1) and Texas A&M. In twenty seasons as a head coach, Mike Leach’s teams have won just under 60 percent of their games. Take away his 66.1 percent success rate at Texas Tech and based on records, Leach is a below-average coach.
His notoriety comes from the Air Raid offense he uses and his terminal quirkiness. Leach’s opinions and perspectives are always unpredictable.
Leach did not invent the Air Raid. He wasn’t even a college football player. The offensive schemes go back many decades to the NFL’s Sid Gillman. When BYU’s Lavell Edwards wanted to open up his offense, Gillman’s concepts were the foundation. Leach was a BYU student and he and the SEC’s first Air Raid guy, Hal Mumme learned from BYU.
The pass-first offense Mike Leach loves would be No. 1 nationally this season in passing attempts if the Bulldogs had played more than five games. Instead, they are No. 4 in pass attempts and No. 1 in completions.
The Bulldogs don’t give up many sacks for a team that passes so often. That is because the ball comes out so quickly. The Alabama secondary will be tested in Starkville
Alabama vs. Mississippi State Odds
According to WynnBET, the Crimson Tide is an 18-point favorite The over-under is set at 57 points.
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Alabama vs. Mississippi State Game Prediction
A given is the Alabama football team will be highly motivated. As potent as Leach’s offense can be, his defense is not. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 70 in the FBS in Scoring Defense. The Alabama Crimson Tide secondary will be vulnerable to repeating past communication issues. The Bulldogs can be stingy on the ground, allowing just 3.32 yards-per-rush.
What the game will not be is anything resembling a trap game. The Alabama Crimson Tide knows it must now run the table and it will not look ahead to any game.
An early-week prediction is Alabama wins by two touchdowns.
It will be no surprise if the Crimson Tide, looking to make a statement, blows out the Bulldogs.