DJ DALE

Bryce Young passed for 249 yards and two touchdowns and No. 6 Alabama’s defense continued its domination of No. 24 Mississippi State in a 30-6 victory.

For years, college coaches have worried about players partying too much ahead of big games.

– Alabama has been the dominant program in college football for more than a decade and Arkansas coach Sam Pittman has been coaching in the Southeastern Conference almost all of it. “On tape, it’s the best Alabama team I’ve seen,” said Pittman, a longtime assistant at Tennessee, Arkansas and Georgia in his first season has head coach. “(Alabama coach Nick Saban) is going to hate me for saying that. Arkansas: An encouraging first regular season under coach Sam Pittman ended with a four-game losing streak. Alabama: Another trip to Atlanta for the SEC title game, the Tide's third in five years.

3 Crimson Tide received that programs equivalent of a humbling last season, if an 11-2 record can qualify as such. Alabama failed to make the College Football Playoffs for the first time thanks largely to a 48-45, regular season-ending loss to rival Auburn. Making matters worse, that followed a 2018 season that ended with national championship game thrashing at the hands of Clemson. Speculation abounded that highly recruited freshman Bryce Young might push Jones for the starting job before COVID-19 canceled spring practice. Harris emerged as Alabamas latest star runner last season, gaining 1,224 yards and scoring 20 combined touchdowns rushing and receiving.