Last Week:
Last week Alabama rolled into Duke and blew them out (62-13) and it could have been much worse, as Alabama was able to put up 28 points in the first quarter alone last week. The questionable decision of playing Mark Ingram for the first time this season did end in disaster, but a disaster for Duke. Mark Ingram managed to put up 151 yards and 2 touchdowns on just 9 carries. In a lot of ways this was not only a message that he is healthy, but a message to Trent Richardson just to make sure he remembers who the starting running back on this team really is. Greg McElroy had a great day through the air as he went 12 of 20 for 258 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception in an absolute rout of Duke. Through their first 3 games Alabama has not really been challenged, they were challenged some by Penn State but ultimately Penn State’s untimely turnovers helped to do them in.
Arkansas had a tougher battle in their game last week as they went on the road to Athens, Georgia to face the Bulldogs. Arkansas came into the game 1.5 point underdogs at most shops, but it did not take them long to let everyone know they came to play. Arguably one of the hottest quarterbacks in the nation Ryan Mallett started the scoring off in the first quarter with a 57-yard touchdown pass to Chris Gragg. Arkansas then went on to really control the first half of play, taking a 17-7 lead into halftime. In the second half of the game, Georgia’s defense began to assert itself more, especially when the fourth quarter came around. Georgia even came back to tie the game late at 24-24. However, Ryan Mallett was able to lead his team down the field for one final drive, capped off with a 40-yard touchdown pass to Greg Childs, to give Arkansas a 31-24 in Athens.
This Week:
Alabama comes into this game with the nation’s 4th best overall offense and 10th best overall defense. Arkansas is sporting the nation’s 15th best overall offense and 11th best overall defense. The line for this game has not moved very much from where it opened and is currently sitting at Alabama (-7) at most shops with the total at 56. Last year Arkansas went to Alabama and get pushed around in a 35-7 beat down. I actually expect this year’s meeting to be a much closer game. I feel that Arkansas will definitely be Alabama’s biggest challenge so far this season and will be one of their biggest challenges this entire season.
Arkansas Wins This Game If:
So far this season Alabama has looked to be unstoppable on both offense and defense, however there have been some times where their defense has looked vulnerable. If not for throwing mistakes by some of their opponents, the Alabama defensive backs would have been exposed on numerous occasions. Ryan Mallett, being as good as advertised will relish the opportunity to exploit the Crimson Tide defensive backs and take advantage of soft spots in the zone. On defense Arkansas needs to be concerned about stopping the run. The run sets up many other offensive opportunities and is one of Alabama’s strong suits. This task however is much easier said than done, but if it can be done, Arkansas may very well find themselves playing in the SEC Title game if they can grab a victory at home over Alabama.Alabama Wins This Game If:
Most of Arkansas’s offense rides with the hot hand of Ryan Mallett. So far this season Ryan Mallett has thrown for 1,081 yards on 70 of 100 passing with 9 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. So far this season Alabama has given up 132.7 yards per game through the air, while Arkansas has averaged 367.7 yards per game passing. There is no secret here, stop Ryan Mallett and you can stop Arkansas. However, as mentioned earlier the Alabama DBs will be tested and will need to have much better coverage against the Arkansas wide-outs than they have shown in previous games this season. On offense, Alabama should try and pound the ball with their Heisman winning running back Mark Ingram. This will allow them to tire out the Arkansas defense for later in the game, and will allow them to set up pass threats from Ingram to Alabama’s leading receiver Julio Jones.We do not currently have a recommended play or even a lean on this game. My suggestion would be grab your favorite football food, kick back in your favorite chair, and enjoy every minute of this game. My only opinion on this game would be that it will be a lot closer than last year’s meeting. I would be very surprised to see this game be a blow out, I would also be surprised if Alabama wins that they cover much more than the (-7) spread. Enjoy every one, this should be a classic SEC battle!
Where The Bookies Don't Stand A Chance!
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