I am a huge Braves fan, like many of you are. And some of you may be Red Sox fans (either because of Papelbon or because you just are). And if you are a fan of either one of those teams you know just how bad a complete and utter collapse feels. Both teams had a 9-game lead in the wild card with a month to play and fell on their faces (in a historically bad way) last fall. Little did I know the same thing would happen to our Dawgs.
On February 10th, MSU was basking in the glow of a Ole Miss thrashing the night before. They were 19-5 and looking to get their 20th win in a game at home against lowly Georgia. Winning that game would've meant the 4th fastest MSU team to hit 20 wins (25 games). But it didn't happen. A loss, then another, then another, then another, then another. Then overtime to beat South Carolina (pretty much the same thing as a loss). State quantum leaped for the Arkansas game before coming back to the collapse in the SEC Tournament. Now a month later and here we stand having watch a scenario play out similar to the Braves and Sox.
The collapse is hard to watch, but you can't look away. You tune in every game thinking it could still be turned around but you are stung again. You wonder why a team with better players could lose to a lesser team, but they are in a collapse. A free fall. Nothing goes right. No breaks. All bad. I was sick last September about the Braves. I am sick now about MSU.
Once it got to the last game of the season and the Braves were still in it, but still in the collapse, I figured what's the point - they are just going to lose quickly in the playoffs. Same thing for Mississippi State. If they had made the NCAA Tourney, would we realistically expect them to win? Would you have picked them to win a game (outside the first four) in your bracket?
The good news is: the collapse is over. Oh wait, we accepted an invitation to the NIT. Is anyone interested in going to the Hump to watch the free fall continue? Not I, said the Croom.