In the war of conference play, Mississippi State has lost the high ground.
At the start of February, the Bulldogs were 5-3 in the Southeastern Conference, nationally ranked and poised for a high tournament seed.
Three weeks later, MSU has lost four games in a row and will probably have to win at least one game in the SEC Tournament to make the NCAAs.
For a team with goals that reach beyond the first weekend of March Madness, the skid is inexcusable.
State has squandered a golden stretch that could have synched a bye in the SEC Tournament and solidified the Bulldogs’ tournament resume.
And I’m not talking about the Kentucky game.
In the flow of any season, there are losses. As hard as it is to admit, there are even acceptable losses.
Tuesday night’s loss to No. 1 Kentucky, the one where MSU led for most of the game before being worn down by a superior opponent, is an acceptable loss.
Kentucky is deep, talented and conditioned to survive the best efforts of most every team they play. An upset was within MSU’s grasp, but understand that it would have been an upset.
No, Kentucky, even for all the heartbreak, is an acceptable loss. But the three games that preceded it are not.
Losing consecutively to Georgia, LSU and Auburn (regardless of where the games are played) is not the mark of a great team. Georgia and Auburn are two of the worst teams in the Southeastern Conference.
LSU is in the middle of the pack (along now with Mississippi State), but any time a ranked team leads by 17 points, it should win.
The trend is clear: this team plays to its competition, whether up or down. The team that played Kentucky to the death on Tuesday night has a chance at the Final Four.  The team that lost those other three games doesn’t deserve a bracket spot.
So here’s the reality: Saturday’s game at Alabama is a must-win if the Bulldogs are to have any chance at an SEC Tournament bye.
Great teams find ways to win, even on the road.
Just ask Kentucky.