Silkk
Can't Change My Damn Avi :beli:
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Their confidence never wavered.
Dak Prescott, Josh Robinson and the rest of theMississippi State Bulldogs weren't defeated, even in defeat.
They walked off the field in Bryant-Denny Stadium last Saturday in pain. The dream of an undefeated season was over. Their No. 1 ranking would soon vanish. That terrible feeling in the pit of their stomachs? Their coach, Dan Mullen, said to embrace it. Feel it. Let it serve as motivation.
An hour after that 25-20 defeat to Alabama, they met with the media. They were somber, but more determined than ever.
"I still think we're one of the best four teams in the country," Prescott said. "We just played one of the other best four teams in the country. It's an early playoff game, in my mind."
"We're never going to roll over," Robinson explained. "That's not us, it's not in our character.
"I'm pretty sure we're going to see [Alabama] in the playoffs. I don't know when, but we're going to see them."
It sounded unlikely at the time, another "We want Bama" sign in a pile of hundreds. From Ball State to Baton Rouge, everyone wants a piece of the Crimson Tide. Sometimes you'll hear fans chant it in the fourth quarter of blowouts.
But Mississippi State wanted Alabama -- again.
Something about the Bulldogs' 20-6 run and finishing only 5 points shy gave them confidence. In spite of losing the red zone battle, the field position battle and the turnover battle, they were right there at the end. As Mullen said, it wouldn't have taken a "Herculean effort" for them to win the game.
"Everybody felt like if we had five more minutes it would have been a different game," said linebacker Richie Brown. "So I know everybody wants a piece of them again."
If the season ended today, they would.
On Tuesday, the College Football Playoff selection committee ranked Alabama No. 1 and Mississippi State No. 4. If everything holds, they'll meet in New Orleans for a playoff semifinal game.
"I didn't see the rankings," Robinson said on Wednesday.
Informed of the situation, his eyes lit up.
"That's fine with me," he said. "Karma, it'll come back to you now."
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Mullen didn't watch the release of the committee's newest rankings, either.
"I didn't pay much attention to it because I knew we'd be in the mix anyway," he said. "We're 9-1 with wins over three top-10 teams and our only loss is a 5-point loss on the road to the No. 1 team in the country.
Dak Prescott, Josh Robinson and the rest of theMississippi State Bulldogs weren't defeated, even in defeat.
They walked off the field in Bryant-Denny Stadium last Saturday in pain. The dream of an undefeated season was over. Their No. 1 ranking would soon vanish. That terrible feeling in the pit of their stomachs? Their coach, Dan Mullen, said to embrace it. Feel it. Let it serve as motivation.
An hour after that 25-20 defeat to Alabama, they met with the media. They were somber, but more determined than ever.
"I still think we're one of the best four teams in the country," Prescott said. "We just played one of the other best four teams in the country. It's an early playoff game, in my mind."
"We're never going to roll over," Robinson explained. "That's not us, it's not in our character.
"I'm pretty sure we're going to see [Alabama] in the playoffs. I don't know when, but we're going to see them."
It sounded unlikely at the time, another "We want Bama" sign in a pile of hundreds. From Ball State to Baton Rouge, everyone wants a piece of the Crimson Tide. Sometimes you'll hear fans chant it in the fourth quarter of blowouts.
But Mississippi State wanted Alabama -- again.
Something about the Bulldogs' 20-6 run and finishing only 5 points shy gave them confidence. In spite of losing the red zone battle, the field position battle and the turnover battle, they were right there at the end. As Mullen said, it wouldn't have taken a "Herculean effort" for them to win the game.
"Everybody felt like if we had five more minutes it would have been a different game," said linebacker Richie Brown. "So I know everybody wants a piece of them again."
If the season ended today, they would.
On Tuesday, the College Football Playoff selection committee ranked Alabama No. 1 and Mississippi State No. 4. If everything holds, they'll meet in New Orleans for a playoff semifinal game.
"I didn't see the rankings," Robinson said on Wednesday.
Informed of the situation, his eyes lit up.
"That's fine with me," he said. "Karma, it'll come back to you now."
----------
Mullen didn't watch the release of the committee's newest rankings, either.
"I didn't pay much attention to it because I knew we'd be in the mix anyway," he said. "We're 9-1 with wins over three top-10 teams and our only loss is a 5-point loss on the road to the No. 1 team in the country.
