TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — University of Alabama fans who were exhausted following Saturday’s dramatic 20-13 overtime win at LSU can only imagine what it was like for the players.

Facing the Tigers always takes a physical toll, and often an emotional one as well. The postgame celebration on the field was one to be relished, but once they stopped jumping around the bumps and bruises began to be really felt.

“They played their hearts out,” senior quarterback Blake Sims said. “When they got on the plane, on the way back to Tuscaloosa (that night), everybody was knocked out from being so tired. When you’re in the air and you look back on the plane and everybody’s tired you feel good because you know everybody gave it their all.”

Sunday was a little rougher, though. Senior right tackle Austin Shepherd made a comparison to being hit by a “Mack Truck,” albeit a purple and gold one, and was sore everywhere.

“It was a bang-bang game,” junior safety Landon Collins said.

“It was tough, but I got out of bed,” said junior Reggie Ragland, who was credited with a career-high 13 tackles. “I didn’t really feel it until I started moving around. I came up here for treatment yesterday and my shoulder just started killing me, so I had to get in the hot tub and cold tub and calmed it down a little bit.”

The tubs probably never looked so good, waterfalls or not, only Alabama didn’t have the luxury of being able to soak in them for long. Next up is No. 1 Mississippi State, and those who don’t think there’s a hangover effect from playing LSU haven’t been watching the Crimson Tide closely the past few years.

Last year it visited Mississippi State and played pretty poorly. Running back T.J. Yeldon ran for 160 yards and quarterback AJ McCarron had two touchdown passes, but Alabama committed four turnovers in the 20-7 victory.

Actually, one could argue that Alabama never recovered from the LSU game, although it really didn’t catch up to the Crimson Tide until it visited Auburn.

In 2012 after surviving LSU 29-24 it lost the following Saturday to Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M. It was the third straight Saturday that Alabama faced a ranked opponent, but quarterback Johnny Manziel essentially won the Heisman Trophy that day.

After Alabama lost to LSU 9-6 in 2011, it got off to a slow start the following week at Mississippi State, but wore down the Bulldogs, 24-7.

“After a loss like last week, a win is the only medicine,” Richardson said after rushing for 127 yards.

If only Nick Saban could only pretend that the Crimson Tide lost last week. Instead, his approach has been to treat the LSU victory almost as if it didn’t happen – at least in terms of preparing for the Bulldogs.

It’s not just trying to keep the team’s focus on the task at hand, but there’s been no easing up during practices.

Saban calls is relief syndrome, the natural tendency after enduring something considered grueling to try and take things easy or “go to the golf resort. It’s the wrong time of the year. We have another tough game coming up.”

“You sit in a chair and you think you’re dead tired and one of your kids scream in the back yard and jump up and have all kind of energy,” he described. So is that more mental or physical? I think it’s pretty mental.

“So a lot of this all about mental, it’s all about motivation, it’s all about where does your energy come from? What’s important to you? How determined and dedicated are you to want to accomplish something? That’s what helps you bounce back.”

Regardless, Alabama does have a couple of significant intangibles going for it this week including Mississippi State being in the way of the SEC West title and more, and being back at Bryant-Denny Stadium, where the Crimson Tide has had one home game since Sept. 20.

Saban should also send a thank you note to the College Football Playoff Committee for essentially saying that Alabama wasn’t good enough yet. You know Dan Mullen said something like “Thanks a lot,” when he saw that.

But it’s like the old saying: I’ll sleep when I’m dead. Alabama has all offseason to rest up.