Alabama Football: Post-Spring game-by-game predictions for 2019

Alabama’s won the last 11 meetings against Mississippi State, but rarely does it find itself in a game that isn’t a grind-it-out affair, especially in Starkville. Even in last season’s 24-0 win, the contest felt more like a root canal than a football game. The last trip to Starkville was a close call, with Alabama escaping with a 31-24 win.

This is typically the case because Alabama always faces off with Mississippi State after a physical, and emotionally draining game against LSU, and the Bulldogs are the type of team that always make you earn every inch.

This could be a bit of a rebuilding year for Joe Moorhead in his second season in command, though. Mississippi State has to replace a lot of talent, including a trio of defenders who were selected in the first round of the draft in Montez Sweat, Jeffery Simmons, and Johnathan Abram. They’ll also move forward without record-setting quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, and it remains to be seen whether rising junior Keytaon Thompson or another will take over. The Bulldogs have been a popular potential landing spot for Penn State transfer Tommy Stevens.

With the talent Mississippi State boasted last season, it was hard to not look at Moorhead’s first season as a bit of a disappointment, even though the talent at hand didn’t necessarily fit his system all that well. The Bulldogs had one of the best defenses in college football, and yet still managed just an 8-5 finish because of consistent offensive ineptitude.

Mississippi State should still be a bowl team, but it’s unlikely that it will be able to surpass last season’s results, and even with the cow bells clanging in Starkville, Alabama should be able to come away with a semi-comfortable win.

Pick: Alabama 31, Mississippi State 7

Record: 10-0 (7-0)