sides
Alabama is 3-0, sitting pretty for a great SEC run that starts this weekend with the Arkansas Razorbacks.
I have a large number of Razorback readers. So I will try to be gentle. First step to recovery is acceptance. Let’s look at some facts…
Arkansas 28, Western Illinois 24 - at home. Last minute heroics against a team that they shouldn’t have needed last minute heroics on.
Arkansas 28, Louisiana-Monroe 27 (Little Rock). The theme repeats itself.
This is just not a very good team, with limited offensive weapons. They play hard but they will be outgunned in every SEC match-up this year save the Ole Miss game.
Alabama is a team on the rise, finding itself, figuring out how to finish games. Arkansas is a team trying to figure out how to play for the most despised coach in recent history. (By the way, Alabama fans across the world want to say thank you to Bobby Petrino for taking the attention away from Nick Saban.)
Alabama is looking like a team that given the right bounce or break, could upset LSU or Georgia. Arkansas given the right bounce or break, beat Louisiana-Monroe.
The Piggies have two things going for them. Alabama doesn’t hate Arkansas like they do Tennessee, Auburn, and LSU. So there is a chance that the Tide is overlooking the Hogs. But not likely seeing how pork is the best way to serve BBQ.
Second, the game is in Fayetteville - one of the loudest places in the SEC to play a game. Fans are great, tailgating is awesome and you’ll find plenty of people willing to share their spreads. Traditionally, Alabama field goals and extra points are allergic to the uprights in that stadium. I can’t remember a straight kick from the Tide.
Alabama is a young team and could be prone to lose focus. That was the theme last year. Having said all of that, I think it will be a blow-out. I think the gap between Arkansas and Alabama has widened with the loss of McFadden, Jones, the other transfers and a new coaching staff. I think Petrino’s introduction into SEC football is a harsh one.
Let the smack talk fly…
6 responses so far ↓
1 jlo // Sep 15, 2008 at 3:36 pm
About what I expected to here and not sure you are wrong. That is the problem with this team, they have shown flashes of excellence mixed with lots of “this is the worst I have ever seen a team play in a while”. Is it because they are so young they were overlooking the opponents every one was saying would be a blow out? Also, how does a team come from behind when they are down in the 4th quarter by 18 without having something in them?
I haven’t decided if I want to go. If it is a blow out, I would rather stay home. If it is a good game, I wouldn’t mind being there but I need to scout for deer season as well. And the weather here is AMAZING right now. and it is a LONG drive to Fayetteville. And I am thinking it might just be a blow out, probably should be given that we are playing 18 freshmen.
I am interested to see how we play against a top 10 team. If non of the others loose, we will be playing 4 consecutive top 10 teams in the next 4 weeks. I guess we will find out what we are made of.
2 John Nelson // Sep 15, 2008 at 3:40 pm
I’m a pretty fair-weather Razorback fan. Rarely do I have much faith in them, but they usually make the games fairly exciting. Usually, we will play to the level of competition. When we play high school teams, we play like high school teams. When we play real college teams, we will have some glorious plays and sometimes give them a run for their money.
But Alabama is going to bowl us over. I’ve come to terms with that feeling for this year.
3 Darren Z // Sep 15, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Not much of a chance to talk smack here, even Arkansas fans agree with you Grant.
I was however looking for an obligatory mocking of the Auburn game on Saturday. 3 - 2 Wow, what an exciting game. At least you can tell Cooper the good thing is with the way it sounds like he is lighting up the flag football league he could probably earn a scholarship to Auburn right now.
4 Grant // Sep 15, 2008 at 5:09 pm
The Auwful Tigers aren’t worth a post right now. I was forced to watch that ridiculous game with my son. It set football back 75 years.
Auburn’s offense looked lost. Mississippi State’s worse.
What will be interesting is to see how long Petrino stays at Arkansas.
5 clay // Sep 16, 2008 at 9:02 am
yall also did not score an offensive touchdown against the mighty tulane green wave, and if not for mistakes in the redzone, tulane could have won that game.
and just for future reference, if you want to compete with the big boys, you are going to have to get a d line. 370 pounds of slop at nose guard isnt going to cut it.
6 Steve Boehm // Sep 20, 2008 at 6:54 am
Dude,
Where are we watching the Arkansas - Alabama game today? My plane touches down at 11:44 your time.
Steve
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