.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
No. 17 Mississippi State has embraced a formula that's familiar to Alabama fans: Physical, attacking defense, pounding offense and a penchant for winning the turnover battle.
It's working for the Bulldogs, while the 11th-ranked Crimson Tide have slipped by its standards.
The Bulldogs (7-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) ride a six-game winning streak into Tuscaloosa Saturday night while Alabama (7-2, 4-2) is starting to look mortal, if not vulnerable.
The Tide is coming off a 24-21 loss at No. 5 LSU that took the defending champions out of the national title picture and left coach Nick Saban grumbling about his team's attitude.
''We're 2-2 in our last four games. We're not last year's team and this year's team has got to decide what they want to accomplish,'' Saban said. ''We harp on focus and execution and sometimes we have some lapses and we don't get it.
''It's been very costly relative to what we could accomplish. The players are going to have to respond to that, and it's a reality check.''
The season hasn't been a total letdown for Alabama, which is still in the running for a BCS bowl.
Mississippi State fans have few complaints about a team that is enjoying a terrific season even if it has been largely overshadowed in a loaded SEC Western Division. The Bulldogs have won six straight for the second time since 1955 and first since opening the 1999 season 8-0.
They've got considerable ground to make up to turn this game from across the state line into a rivalry. Alabama leads the series 72-18-3 and has won seven of the last nine.
''When you start winning games and splitting those wins and it becomes a tough game each year, then it becomes a little more of a rivalry,'' Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen said.
A Bulldogs win would be another signal of how far they've come in Mullen's second season.
They were picked to finish last in the SEC West while Alabama was the preseason favorite to win the division - and a second straight national title. Instead, they come into the game with virtually identical records.
''They're playing with a lot of hunger, they're playing with a lot of passion,'' Tide tailback Mark Ingram said. ''That's why they're playing so tough out there.''
The Bulldogs were hit hard during their open date. Defensive end Nick Bell died Nov. 2 after a brief battle with cancer. It's something that struck both teams hard.
Tide defensive end Marcell Dareus and Bell had been friends since they were kids in suburban Birmingham. The two spent part of the weekend before Bell's death together in Tuscaloosa.
''Of course they'll want to dedicate this game to Nick,'' Dareus said. ''I'm dedicating this game to Nick. I'm going to dedicate the rest of the season to Nick.
''He was a real close friend of mine. A great guy all the way around.''
The Bulldogs will wear patches honoring Bell on their jerseys.
Mullen and his program have also been caught up in the allegations involving the recruitment of Auburn quarterback Cam Newton last year.
On the field, Mississippi State has excelled Alabama-style. The Bulldogs rank 14th nationally in rushing behind quarterback Chris Relf and running back Vick Ballard; Alabama is 34th, even with Trent Richardson and Heisman Trophy winner Ingram. Richardson is questionable for the game with a knee injury sustained against LSU.
The Bulldogs are 20th in run defense, 13 spots ahead of Alabama. Mississippi State hasn't overtaken Alabama in turnover margin, where they're tied for 15th.
''They probably create more negative plays than anybody we've played all year,'' Saban said. ''We expect a really tough game on the line of scrimmage.
''You'd better be ready to bow it up.''
---
AP Sports Writer David Brandt in Starkville, Miss., contributed to this report.
