All eyes are on the state of Mississippi this weekend. In Starkville, No. 12 Mississippi State took on Texas A&M in the biggest matchup of Dan Mullen’s career, and the Bulldogs have a chance to give their fans a win to remember. Of course, in Oxford, the Rebels welcome in long-time tormentor Alabama in the biggest Ole Miss game in recent memory.

Under Nick Saban, mostly thanks to the coach’s reputation, Alabama is known as college football’s evil empire. They adhere to “The Process,” stay disciplined and have the talent every year to bludgeon their competition. Any year that the Crimson Tide don’t win 12 or more games seems like a disappointment.

In Vaught-Hemingway Stadium this afternoon, Alabama has the chance to crush Ole Miss’ SEC and playoff dreams. The Rebels are riding high under Hugh Freeze. Last year, they pulled in the top recruiting class in the nation. Now sophomores, those blue chippers are powering a very good Ole Miss team. While they’re on their way up, they don’t know what it’s like to beat Alabama, and neither do the upper classmen on the team.

If Alabama comes out and plays their game, moving the ball efficiently on the ground and through the air on offense, they’ll take some of the air out of the crowd and Mississippi’s defense. If they deliver some crunching hits on Bo Wallace and throw the Rebels offense off kilter, they can send the message that this is the same old Alabama that’s owned the Rebels for a decade.