While this year’s postseason may be Sylvester Croom’s first trip to a bowl game as a head coach, it certainly won’t be his first bowl.During his college days at the University of Alabama, Croom went to four post-season games with the Crimson Tide, three as a player, where he played center from 1972 to 1974.
The fourth-year Bulldogs coach recalls his four bowl trips, as well as the national championship Alabama won in 1973.
However, the one thing he can’t remember is the fun times spent on those trips. Reason being, there weren’t many.
Croom played under legendary Alabama head coach Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant and said the icon was all business.
“This is one area I always differed from my former head coach; the four bowl games I went to were miserable,” Croom said with a laugh.
However, Croom vows to let his team enjoy the moment this season.
Senior linebacker Gabe O’Neal said he’s been having fun all season.
“I’m going to my first bowl game and I just want to give praise to my fellow teammates,” O’Neal said. “Coach was what made this whole season fun. He’s been loose at practice, laughing and joking, and when we go to the bowl, we’ll practice, compete and have fun.”
With last Friday’s win over in-state rival Ole Miss, the Bulldogs ensured themselves the opportunity of receiving an invitation to a post-season berth.
This will be State’s first trip to a bowl since the 2000 season when the Bulldogs defeated the Texas A&M Aggies in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La.
That game, commonly known within the Bulldog family as the Snow Bowl, saw State defeat the Aggies 43-41 in overtime, as snow fell on an uncharacteristic Southern night.
As the sixth or possibly the seventh seed in the Southeastern Conference, the Bulldogs could receive invitations by three bowl-hosting cities.
The Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl, which is played in Nashville at LP Field, is held on New Year’s Eve.
If State is selected by the Music City committee, the Bulldogs will face a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference.
If selected, it would be the Bulldogs’ first trip to Nashville in a bowl game.
If Mississippi State doesn’t find itself playing in the Music City bowl, the next SEC bowl tie-in would come from the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis.
The Dec. 29 bowl would put the Bulldogs against the top team from Conference USA, which this season is the University of Central Florida. If selected, this would be Mississippi State’s third trip to the Liberty Bowl, its last visit being in 1991.
According to ESPN.com, bowl projections have State playing in either of the two bowls.
The Petro Sun Independence Bowl in Shreveport stands with only an outside chance of hosting the Bulldogs in its bowl game.
The Independence Bowl, which is played Dec. 30, is the last bowl game with SEC tie-ins, and the Bulldogs may be snatched up by the time its committee gets to select. The Big 12 Conference is the other conference associated with the Independence Bowl.
The Bulldogs will find out their destiny on Sunday night when the bowls are announced on the FOX network.
According to NCAA rules, Mississippi State will get 15 practice days to prepare for whoever its bowl opponent will be, and Croom said his team will handle all its preparations before they leave Starkville.
“Once we get our schedule, most of our practices will be like our normal practices,” Croom said. “We’ll get all of our work done here before we leave for the bowl game. It’s not going to be spring practice for the guys who are going to play.