Mississippi State (8-0, 5-0 SEC West) is off to the best start in school history and can just about secure its second straight division title with a win. Alabama (7-2, 5-1) appears to have its proud program heading back in the right direction.

The winner of this game will all but lock up a trip to the SEC championship game in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on December 4. But all might not be lost for the loser.

If Mississippi State wins, the Bulldogs need only a victory over Arkansas or Mississippi to clinch the division. Should the Bulldogs lose to Alabama, they could still beat out the Crimson Tide by winning out in the last two games and having Alabama fall to Auburn.

Alabama would assume control of its own fate with a win over the Bulldogs, needing to win the finale against Auburn. But even with a loss to the Bulldogs, there is another way the Tide could win the West.

If Alabama, Mississippi State and Mississippi each finish 6-2 in the conference, the Crimson Tide would win the three-way tiebreaker. In that three-way tie, Mississippi State would be the first team eliminated because of its two divisional losses. The Tide would take the division by virtue of their win over Ole Miss.

Mississippi State is trying to reach nine wins for just the fourth time in school history, joining the 1980, 1974 and 1940 teams. The Bulldogs' 11-game winning streak in regular-season games is their best since a 12-game run from 1942-44.

This team has survived because of the top-ranked defense in the nation. The Bulldogs are rated first against the run, second against the pass and fifth in scoring. They yield 54 yards rushing, 198.5 overall and 12.0 points per game.

The offense has been sporadic, but has come through at the end of the game numerous times. The Bulldogs have barely pulled out each of their last three games, winning by a total of four points over Auburn, Louisiana State and Kentucky. In its second game of the season, Mississippi State was a 13-10 winner over Memphis.

The Bulldogs have enjoyed little success against Alabama, winning only 14 times in 83 games. But they have beaten the Tide three straight times for the first time since 1912-14. They have never won four in a row against Alabama.

The Tide should have running back Shaun Alexander and quarterback Andrew Zow back at near 100 percent. But three players from the front seven, defensive end Kenny Smith and linebackers Marvin Constant and Canary Knight, were lost for the season in last weekend's 23-17 victory over LSU and had surgery.

"Based on what I saw Saturday, I would be surprised if Shaun and Andrew both are not ready to play this coming Saturday," Alabama coach Mike DuBose said. "But that doesn't mean that they will. And if they're not ready, then we won't play them. If they are ready, then we will play. But, again, I would be surprised if they were not ready this week."

MISSISSIPPI STATE Season schedule and results	ALABAMA Season schedule and results
Sep. 4 Middle Tennessee State W 40-7 Sep. 11 Memphis W 13-10 Sep. 18 Oklahoma State W 29-11 Sep. 25 South Carolina W 17-0 Oct. 2 @Vanderbilt W 42-14 Oct. 9 @Auburn W 18-16 Oct. 23 LSU W 17-16 Nov. 4 Kentucky W 23-22 Nov. 13 @Alabama 3:30pm ET Nov. 20 @Arkansas 2:00pm ET Nov. 25 Mississippi TBA	Sep. 4 @Vanderbilt W 28-17 Sep. 11 Houston W 37-10 Sep. 18 Louisiana Tech L 28-29 Sep. 25 Arkansas W 35-28 Oct. 2 @Florida W 40-39 Oct. 16 @Mississippi W 30-24 Oct. 23 Tennessee L 7-21 Oct. 30 Southern Mississippi W 35-14 Nov. 6 LSU W 23-17 Nov. 13 Mississippi State 3:30pm ET Nov. 20 @Auburn TBA