A Super Talk Mississippi Media Production.

Mississippi State making history this weekend with their inclusion in the NCAA

tournament hosting the number one seed in their region.

I like soccer, but I don't know enough about it, so I had to bring in an expert.

Marion Crowder, cover soccer for ESPN, former SEC player at Georgia.

And, Marian, let's just start off with this. You know, this team, I knew last year they were good. They were the NCAA tournament. They make a good run in there.

I didn't have any idea that coming into this season, this was going to be a team that was going to be a top two team in the country, a number one overall seat. From a national perspective, which you have,

how surprising is Mississippi State success this season? That's a good question. I actually

felt like within the conference, Mississippi State was that team that was really on the Rumble

last year, and they just got, I mean, Brian, they just got ridden with injuries at the exact wrong time. They were peaking, they were peaking, and then just so many key players, one after the other. And it was tough, I mean, for them to even have enough people to really field a chance at the SEC championships last year. And so this year,

you knew all the conference coaches knew kind of in the back of their mind that this is a team

that's going to be problematic because they're going to have all those players, not only with

a year more experience under their belt, but obviously with some time to get healthy. And everything

for Mississippi State has fallen into place.

And so I think from a national conversation, people are surprised because let's be honest.

I'm a Mississippi native.

We are not known for our soccer prowess.

Okay.

I've been on the national stage, been to national team camps.

One of the first questions I get asked when everybody's going through the room.

Hey, where are you from? Tell us something about yourself. Hey, I'm Marion Crowder. I'm from Mississippi.

Right. I mean, just heads immediately turn because it's just not something that people think of.

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