In a game that felt like it should have been called during the third quarter simply for the Spartans’ safety, No. 7 MSU was destroyed by No. 15 Alabama, 49-7, in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Fla.

And the Spartans didn’t just lose. Much like the last time all eyes were on them against Iowa earlier this season, they crumbled and were embarrassed.

From the very first snap, the Crimson Tide physically dominated, to the point where there aren’t enough adjectives in the English language to describe how ugly it was.

Already midway through the second quarter, when Alabama held a 28-0 lead, the outcome was not in doubt. From that point on, the rest of the game was more about MSU having enough players to finish the game, which ended up being the most lopsided in Capital One Bowl history.

One by one, the Spartans were limping or being carried off the field.

Less than two minutes into the fourth quarter, both of MSU’s quarterbacks — junior Kirk Cousins and redshirt freshman Andrew Maxwell — were knocked out of the game.

There was no silver lining, nothing that could possibly be taken away from Saturday’s bloodbath as a positive. It easily was one of the ugliest bowl games I’ve had the displeasure of watching.

And even after a season in which the Spartans won a school-record 11 games and their first Big Ten title in 20 years, I’m not surprised.

Surprised it got as bad is it did? Yes.

But surprised that the Crimson Tide was able to do whatever it wanted for the entire 60 minutes of Saturday’s game? Not at all.

Despite everything MSU was able to accomplish this season, the Spartans are still a work in progress.

The pieces are there, but they still have to be arranged in a way that works.

This season was special, no doubt about that.

However, after watching the Spartans again fail to show up for a game in the national spotlight, it is clear MSU is not what the players and coaches have tried to perceive themselves as, which is a national power.

Not yet, anyway.

One day before Saturday’s mess, head coach Mark Dantonio questioned whether or not his team is elite.

Former Spartans head coach Nick Saban and Alabama gave Dantonio his answer, although it wasn’t the one he for which he was hoping.

The Crimson Tide put on an elite clinic, with future NFL star after future NFL star making big plays. They were faster, they were stronger and and they played at a higher level.

You can say what you want about preparation or other factors contributing to the blowout. But it was no fault of the Spartans’ they were drastically overmatched by a team such as Alabama, which has won nine games against the AP top-10 in the last three seasons compared to MSU’s one.

The defending National Champions simply were the better team.

Dantonio admitted after the game his team needs to overachieve to be a legitimate contender, and for much of the season, it did, as evidenced by the Spartans’ fancy new Big Ten championship trophy.

Conference championships are one thing. Competing with the likes of Alabama when the whole country is watching is an entirely different story.

Right now, MSU simply doesn’t have the talent to do that, something that never has been more evident than it was Saturday afternoon.

Most of this season, the Spartans have shown that the potential is there for a bright future in East Lansing. On Saturday, though, we learned about the present status of the MSU program.

Fortunately for Dantonio and the Spartans, the next big game could be another lesson.

Jeremy Warnemuende is a State News sports reporter. He can be reached at warnemu3@msu.edu.