Citadel Bulldogs Vs Alabama Crimson Tide

College football Saturdays down South are serious business.  Nothing, but nothing interferes with it.  This, however, is Cupcake Saturday in the SEC so you are cleared to tackle those pesky items on your Honey-Do List.

After the Citadel Bulldogs were crowned 2016 Southern Conference Champions, Head Coach Brent Thompson said of the 2018 schedule which included the Crimson Tide, “These games are important for many reasons and they allow us to provide our cadet-athletes with once-in-a-lifetime experiences.  I’m excited that our team will have the experience of playing in front of more than 100,000 fans against one of the premier teams in college football.”

By any objective measure, this contest will be one of the biggest mismatches of the year in college football. The Citadel rode buses nearly 8 hours from Charleston, SC to Tuscaloosa to be out-manned at virtually every position. For the Bulldogs this game is not about winning; it’s about the money.

One Citadel player, 2006 alum Porter Johnson, chose to have some fun with the overwhelming odds his Dogs face this weekend:

This is just disrespectful. You mean my Alma Mater only as a .1% chance to beat Alabama this weekend....really @espn? We couldn't even get at least 1%? C'mon man...😀 That's alright, we are going to shock the world this weekend. Go Bulldogs!! pic.twitter.com/eD1tRMOayj

— Porter Johnson (@PorterJ40) November 15, 2018

Last week the Mississippi State Bulldogs were the victim of ludicrous officiating by the SEC referees.

On Bama’s first possession of the game there appeared to be a fumble by Damien Harris before his knee touched the ground that was never reviewed.  Minutes later the Tide scored at TD.

At the end of the first half, Missy’s sophomore RB Kylin Hill scored a TD only to have it called back when WR Deddrick Thomas was penalized for an illegal block in the back. Replays shown in real time and slow-motion showed the Tide defender was never touched.  

Absolutely ridiculous call for block in the back to negate that TD. 🙄 pic.twitter.com/FtvPy2hlhQ

— Belle Es You (@SouthernbeLLSU) November 10, 2018

Alabama's new mascot: 🦓

— Wes Blankenship (@Wes_nship) November 10, 2018

The booth’s failure to a review a clear fumble and the official’s phantom flag for a penalty that did not happen gave plenty of ammo to the throng of Bama haters who frequently flap their gums claiming it isn’t fair that teams have to compete with Alabama and the refs calling the game.

Mississippi State Athletic Director John Cohen complained to the Conference saying, “I’ve personally communicated with the coordinator of football officials, Steve Shaw, and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. Both of them assured me that Saturday’s game with Alabama is being fully reviewed and they also stated that the official issues will be identified swiftly and dealt with directly.”

As a dyed-in-the-wool Bama fan since the 1950s, I cannot defend the zebras sorry officiating nor dispel the charges of “Bama Bias” and “Alabama Collusion”.  This team is either good enough on its own or its not.  The zebras should not do anything to cheapen their season.  There.  I said it.  Now, on to the cupcakes of The Citadel and the impending decimation of War Eagle in the Iron Bowl.