Can the Bulldogs keep it close against the Crimson Tide this weekend?

Alabama and Mississippi State are set to square off this weekend in Starkville, and both teams will likely enter the matchup ranked in the College Football Playoff Top 25. It is an intriguing game to keep an eye on, but Bulldogs fans were probably hoping for a better performance against UMass to prepare for the Tide.

The Bulldogs struggled heavily against the Minutemen but did enough late to come away with the victory to set up the matchup. Meanwhile, the Tide did not have their best effort against LSU but still came away with a 24-10 win over the Tigers.

Greg McElroy and Marcus Spears took time to break down Saturday’s game on The SEC Network, and McElroy sees MSU as a tough matchup for the Tide:

“This is the toughest game for Bama this year ,” said McElroy. “By far the most difficult matchup for Alabama to this point of the season…Alabama has struggled, at times, over the course of the last decade against dynamic, dual-threat QBs.”

On the other hand, both Spears and McElroy wonder if QB Nick Fitzgerald will be able to do enough throwing to keep the Tide off balance. Spears said he is not sold that the Bulldogs can get it done through the air if Fitzgerald’s ability to run the ball is shut down.

To his point, Fitzgerald threw two, first-half interceptions against UMass and the offense struggled as a result. It was not until Fitzgerald established his running ability that the Bulldogs took control of that game, but it will likely be tougher to get the running game going against Alabama.

You can hear the whole segment here.

Saturday’s kickoff is set for 7 pm EST on ESPN.