The 7-2, 3-2 Mississippi St. Bulldogs will be playing with full hearts, as this is their first game since the loss of DE Nick Bell to skin cancer on Nov. 2. Meanwhile the 7-2, 4-2 Alabama Crimson Tide start a three-game home stand starring our Georgia St. Panthers. Oh, and the No. 2 Auburn Tigers.
Hey, remember all those basketball scores from last Saturday? Michigan-Illinois, Navy-East Carolina, and so on? If you like defense, this is Saturday's finest showcase, with each team featuring a top-ten D.
Returning to the BCS National Championship was expected to be a tall order for the Tide this year, considering the talent they lost on defense and the SEC's bye-happy scheduling, but few predicted they'd have two losses at this point. At the same time, few predicted the Bulldogs would only have two. Both of the teams Mississippi St. lost to are currently in the BCS top five, and they have top-tier bowl hopes of their own.
TV time: 7:15 on ESPN2 and ESPN3.
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