[Bamabeachlivin]

Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom was in high demand Monday, shuttling from a morning speaking engagement in Birmingham to an evening one in Memphis.
Once arriving in the Bluff City, he was likely to be greeted by the oustretched hand of a smiling Steve Ehrhart, the executive director of Memphis' AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Earlier Monday, Ehrhart said he looked forward to speaking with Croom - a feeling no doubt enhanced by the Bulldogs being on the verge of bowl eligibility.
"They would be a very strong candidate with that sixth win," Ehrhart said. "A lot of folks here would love to have them."
Suddenly, Mississippi State - a team nowhere near bowl games' radars in the first six years of this decade - is hot. And while Ehrhart's conversation probably was of little more substance than a handshake, that the bowl blazers and the maroon polos are even talking this time of year is an accomplishment, indeed.
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