... Tide against the Michigan State Spartans, may be one of the most interesting match ups of the bowl season.

Both teams were in the mix this year for BCS bowls at some point in the season; MSU finished No. 8 in the final BCS standings with an 11-1 record, while the Crimson Tide saw their hopes for a BCS game dashed when LSU upset them in early November. They finished 9-3 on the season.

But these two teams also have other things in common. One is 'Bama coach Nick Saban, who captained the Spartan ship before jumping to LSU almost a decade ago. Current MSU head coach Mark Dantonio was an assistant under Saban, and the two men know each other well.

The two teams also played a common opponent in Penn State. Alabama faced the Nittan...

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