The highly-anticipated matchup between the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide and the then No. 11 Mississippi State Bulldogs did not go as the Dogs, nor State fans, were dreaming.
While no one can pinpoint exactly what went wrong for the Dogs, fans have already put the game behind them and are looking forward to this weekend’s top-20 clash with Texas A&M.
I think the game was headed south for MSU before the clock even began to run. Here’s why. Alabama has played in countless big games against big opponents in the past few years. With one exception, the Tide has won every one of those games. Those guys know what it’s like to have a lot of hype building up to a game, and they know how to handle it.
On the other hand, this was the biggest game on the biggest stage MSU has played in quite a while. The thought of knocking off the No. 1 team in the nation was on the forefront of so many minds, it almost seemed to become a reality before the game even started.
While the “We Believe” phenomenon was one of the greatest movements to support a team by a fan base, I think it almost gave State fans the idea MSU was expected to knock off Bama.
Therefore, the loss was much more disappointing because of the extremely high expectations going into the game.
Don’t hear me wrong—- – I think the “We Believe” movement was incredible and clearly showed how much State fans support this football team. But I also think it unfortunately made the loss that much tougher to handle.
Watching the players warm up for the game, the Tide seemed calm and collected like it was any other game. The Bulldogs were excited, jumping around and getting themselves hyped up, which is great but can add pressure to a team.
The first quarter showed just that. Alabama came out confident and played like the No. 1 team in the nation. State came out tight, blowing coverages and missing uncharacteristic throws and catches.
I’m not bashing MSU by any means. I can’t imagine the pressure to perform when you go into one of the most hostile environments in the nation and play against the best team in the nation with a chance to go on top in the West.
I think our guys fought hard and never gave up, which is all a fan-base can really ask out of a team. And the cool thing to me is, I think our fan base believes that as well.
The support shown to the Dogs after the loss was just as great as the support for the team before the game. The encouraging tweets and the number of people who were at the Bryan Building at 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning to welcome the Dogs home are just a few testaments to the amazing fan base at MSU.
To be honest, I really don’t think many other schools, including Alabama, have that supportive of a fan base as MSU. The unity brought by the “We Believe” movement seemed to encompass the country. Bulldog fans from all over came together to support their team. And even after the loss, those same fans are still supporting their team and believing in the Dogs.
So keep it up, Bulldog fans. This season is a long way from over, and the Dogs need your support now more than ever.