While the MSU offense has been one of the biggest revelations in college football through the first 1/3 of the 2026 season, their defense has left a bit to be desired, and has, thus far, what is keeping them from looking like a true contender. They’ve given up 34 points to South Carolina and 24 points to Missouri – not terrible, but not great either – giving up over 400 yards in both weeks.
Defensive coordinator Zach Arnett put together some impressive defenses in Starkville in the early 2020s but failed as the Bulldog head coach when he was promoted up in 2023. It didn’t take long, though, and MSU brought him back this season to be their DC yet again. Still, they’re coming off some bad defensive seasons, and it’ll take a little while to turn that around even if Arnett is able to recapture his old results.
Roster-wise, it’s a very veteran defense, with pretty much all of the Bulldogs’ starters being 4th or 5th year players, most of which are tranfser portal players
On the defensive line, veteran nose tackle Jaray Bledsoe transferred in after multiple seasons with Texas, and is not only a big body, also the team leader in tackles for loss with 4.5. He’s a real problem as an interior disruptor, which is something they desparately need since the Bulldog edge rush has been rather lacking.
Moving back a level, linebacker Jalen Smith looks to be one of the bright spots on defense after transferring from Tennessee last year. He’s got excellent sideline to sideline speed and leads the team in total tackles.
The secondary… well, there’s a lot of veteran players but not much in terms of household names or expected future NFL players. Again, they’very had their fair share of struggles.
Schematically and on paper, I don’t see a lot of reson to think this defense will be able to have a whole lot of success against Alabama’s offense. I think they’re likely on par with what we saw from South Carolina.
However, the combination of Road Bama, the Cowbells, and the potential bad weather could put a damper on things for the Tide offense. How the team can handle those conditions without making costly mistakes will determine their score more than the MSU defense will. I’m feeling a little optimistic that Keelon Russell has worked some things out the last few weeks, so let’s go with 38 for the Tide.
