#1 Alabama at #10 Arkansas - Discussion Thread

[RD™]

This is the first Top 10 matchup in Fayetteville, that I can remember in a long, long, long time. Has there been one in the last 20 years?

[SingleWingGuru]

Has there been one in the last 20 years?

Probably not.

The last time Arkansas was ranked in the AP poll top ten for longer than a week was 1982; when they were number 9.

[AirWarren]

Wow this is big. Hope the hogs can candle the pressure and spotlight. We know bama can. I for one want serious payment. Me and some buddies made the trip last year to Tuscaloosa when we got hammered.

[Coach Venny Slocombe]

Wow this is big. Hope the hogs can candle the pressure and spotlight. We know bama can. I for one want serious payment. Me and some buddies made the trip last year to Tuscaloosa when we got hammered.

Battle between two top ten teams and College gameday goes to Boise? Oh well, I think the Hogs will play Bama tough for a half. Man Bama is good, but you never know. I just hope BP has something for that Bama "D" and I also hope that Willie pulls his head out of his rear this week.

[RD™]

Wow this is big. Hope the hogs can candle the pressure and spotlight. We know bama can. I for one want serious payment. Me and some buddies made the trip last year to Tuscaloosa when we got hammered.

Battle between two top ten teams and College gameday goes to Boise? Oh well, I think the Hogs will play Bama tough for a half. Man Bama is good, but you never know. I just hope BP has something for that Bama "D" and I also hope that Willie pulls his head out of his rear this week.

We aren't getting Gameday because of CBS exercising it's 7 day option

[powerlifter90]

can BAMA get to Mallet with just its front 3?
can BAMA match up with UA on the outside?
can UA's offense be one-dimensional and win?
can UA's D "slow down" BAMA?

to me these are the keys to the game

[Coach Venny Slocombe]

Wow this is big. Hope the hogs can candle the pressure and spotlight. We know bama can. I for one want serious payment. Me and some buddies made the trip last year to Tuscaloosa when we got hammered.

Battle between two top ten teams and College gameday goes to Boise? Oh well, I think the Hogs will play Bama tough for a half. Man Bama is good, but you never know. I just hope BP has something for that Bama "D" and I also hope that Willie pulls his head out of his rear this week.

We aren't getting Gameday because of CBS exercising it's 7 day option

Yeah, I forgot about that. Still a shame though. Biggest game of the year so far in college football.

[RHS]

I could have had 4th row tickets on the 20 yard line on the home side FOR FACE VALUE, but I have to work.

[SingleWingGuru]

can UA's D "slow down" BAMA?

No, not at all.

[Rzback4Life]

BUGEATERS brings up some great points.  I believe the biggest key to the game is do the Hogs truly believe they can beat Bama.  If Bobby has finally convinced them they belong on the big stage, they will give Bama all they want.

[B&GT]

I just want to keep it respectable.

[Romeo]

Anytime you go in front of 92,000 people with your back against the wall and come out with a victory your ready for the big stage. You guys may not realize how significant the Georgia victory did to our confidence heading into this game.

[Perfexion]

  Tickets bought                          check
  Tailgate site secured                 check
  Designated driver (post game)  check
  1st Class QB                              check
  running game                              tbd
  Defense                                    promising
 
  I can't wait.  Might get started with the festivities on Friday.

[Rzback4Life]

Anyone who knows football understands what a HUGE victory that was in Athens.  Few teams go there and leave with a victory.  Bama is a different animal.  You could see last year the players were not scared of Georgia.  Again, this year even though we were playing on the road, you could see the players BELIEVED they were going to beat Georgia.  I did not see that last year against Bama.  I saw a team who wanted to keep it close instead of winning the game.  I saw a team that did not believe it could beat Bama.  The Georgia victory showed guts and was great for the program BUT Bama will show us if we can play on the "big stage".

[AB™]

Wow this is big. Hope the hogs can candle the pressure and spotlight. We know bama can. I for one want serious payment. Me and some buddies made the trip last year to Tuscaloosa when we got hammered.

Battle between two top ten teams and College gameday goes to Boise? Oh well, I think the Hogs will play Bama tough for a half. Man Bama is good, but you never know. I just hope BP has something for that Bama "D" and I also hope that Willie pulls his head out of his rear this week.

We aren't getting Gameday because of CBS exercising it's 7 day option

What's CBS's 7 day option?

Because the game doesn't have to be on ESPN/ABC in order for Gameday to cover it. 

I'm not sure Gameday wouldn't have gone to Boise anyway.  I'm sure they've had their eye on the Boise/Oregon St. game in Boise or awhile now. 

I know they technically won't purposely avoid going to a game featuring the same team two weeks in a row, but I have a feeling Gameday may have their eye on Tuscaloosa and the Alabama/Florida game in a couple of weeks. 

[fastdrop]

This is the first Top 10 matchup in Fayetteville, that I can remember in a long, long, long time. Has there been one in the last 20 years?

and the cool thing is if the Hogs hang with Bama the Hogs will not drop much if they lose.

[RHS]

I'm not sure Gameday wouldn't have gone to Boise anyway.  I'm sure they've had their eye on the Boise/Oregon St. game in Boise or awhile now.

Which is retarded. Boise's "great win" already looks iffy and Oregon St got beat by TCU in week 1.

[RHS]

Has there been one in the last 20 years?

Probably not.

First time since 79.

[The Infidel]

This is a bammer defense that lost 9 starters. Although so far they look very good they haven't really played anybody with a passing attack like ours. I doubt seriously that we will be able to run on them so exploiting there secondary will the key. With that said our best hope will be to burn bammer's secondary quickly and frequently. Bammer fans are really looking down there noses at us and give us no chance what so ever of winning much less scoring. Let's hope their team is as arrogant.

[RHS]

A good thing for us, which unfortunately will help Bama too, is that we won't being playing in weather than is so dang hot and humid like it was in Athens.

[gatecrasher]

If I get to go and have to buy a ticket outside the stadium, I'm gonna bring a cop with me so that if someone tries to scalp me they'll go to jail....

[rsvl_hogfan4]

Our offense has to put together some drives to keep our defense off the field so they don't get tired as much as they did in the 2nd half against UGA. Our offense wasn't helping the defense out at all.

Our defense has to wrap up better this game. Richardson and Ingram won't go down with arm tackles. Anything can happen each week. If James Madison can knock off VT, then I feel Arkansas can knock off Alabama. Everything will have to go our way.

I think we lose, but hopefully we can keep it close.

[Ty]

I see a complete and utter beatdown.

But there's only about 2 schools in the entire nation that I would feel comfortable picking against the Crimson Tide this season and that's Ohio State and Oklahoma.

[InYoGrill]

I think we got a decent shot here at the upset.  The biggest "if" in my eyes is our lack of establishing a decent run game. Losing Dennis Johnson maybe bigger than most people think. We have good backs but our line just isn't consistently mean enough to widen those cracks for our backs. Hopefully some adjustments this week will help. The Bama D will be ferocious and the best we face all year. There O is good but reliant on their 2 very good backs. So if we can run even a little more than we did at GA then Mallett should have a split second more to pass and we know what that can do even against a great D.

[Rzback4Life]

Oklahoma???  I guess you have seen something I have not.  I am not going to argue about OSU,  although they have not fared well in the big game in some time.

[powerlifter90]

BAMA would THROTTLE the sooners.   

[colts52]

I've talked to a few players they say Petrino has them thinking that there is no way they can lose. I believe the Hogs can do it with a dismal running game(75-90yds) if mallett has a 400 yard game. I believe the defense will bend but not break 2 often. Can mallett outscore alabama??? that is the question

[DB]

I honestly feel like we are one of the top 5 teams in the nation right now. 

To beat Bama, we are going to have to play exceptional.  We can't turn the ball over.  We can't have ST mistakes.  On defense we have to play even faster than we have been.  We have to limit the times that those backs get to our LB's.  Seriously, we need to be making tackles behind the LOS.  There is no two ways about it, our cornerbacks are going to have to suck it up and cover the receivers man on man. 

Offense will have to be able to keep the ball.  Joe Adams must have a big game.  He is, IMO, our most potent weapon.  I'm not sure that I would expect DJ to have a big game catching the ball.  His big game needs to come as a blocker.  If Childs has 150 yards next week, I like our chances in this game.  The running game will probably be nil next week.  It's just who we are now. 

There is no way that you can feel good about our chances next week.  But we do have some things in our favor.  There is no reason to be afraid of this bunch.  If you want to keep taking steps toward bigger and better things, you simply have to face your big opponents with confidence and without fear.  One thing we know, if we beat this bunch, it won't be a lucky, emotion based win.  It will be because we are the better team that got the breaks.

Go Hogs!

[AirWarren]

Childs and Adams are the premier weapons in the nation. I may be wrong on this and get grilled but am I the only one who thinks Joe needs to tone it down on the mouthing after a big play to a defensive defender? In scared it's gonna result in a costly penalty or worse an ejection. I know he is pumped but he has to be careful and mindful.

[gatecrasher]

I've been harping about the lack of a running game from the Hogs, but I've been thinking about something....

The Colts went to the Super Bowl with a running game ranked dead last in the NFL. This is college....

Someone with a little more coaching sense than me explain how we can beat Bama with 63 yards on the ground like we had yesterday....

[Rzback4Life]

I noticed that as well AirWarren.

[SingleWingGuru]

I've been harping about the lack of a running game from the Hogs, but I've been thinking about something....

The Colts went to the Super Bowl with a running game ranked dead last in the NFL. This is college....

Someone with a little more coaching sense than me explain how we can beat Bama with 63 yards on the ground like we had yesterday....

Score on almost every possession and lead the game in takeaways.

Very difficult to do against the Alabama defense.

[SingleWingGuru]

I know everyone can talk about how horrible Duke is.  I bet they are better than Tennessee Tech or ULM.

Think about this.

Alabama didn't convert a single 3rd down in the first half against Duke.
BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T FACE A SINGLE 3RD DOWN.

[RHS]

I know everyone can talk about how horrible Duke is.  I bet they are better than Tennessee Tech or ULM.

I'm not sure they are better than ULM. Wake hung 35 on the dookies in the first half when they played.

[SingleWingGuru]

I'm not sure they are better than ULM. Wake hung 35 on the dookies in the first half when they played.

Don't be dogging the wake offense.  Their defense is in fact horrible.  The offense isn't that bad.

My cousin is averaging 5.7 a carry and he's not even the starting runningback.

[The Infidel]

More keys to victory.

There is lot of jaw jacking coming from the bammer front D line. They like to intimidate through this and cheap shots. We have to avoid the psych game they like to play.

Mallett has to keep his composier when they blitz. The backs must block better to give Mallett more time to get on target.

Our defense has to the stop arm tackling or Ingram and Richardson will tear the arm off and take them to the endzone.  Fly to the ball with intensity and wrap them up.

Lastly if we can knock that ego off there shoulders we have a chance. The arrogance they have will cost them a game soon or later. Just hope it is Saturday.

[colts52]

Would be a great day for Broderick Green to step up and have a good game. I'm sure he will take most the reps at RB because of blocking ability.

[RD™]

Alabama is bringing their cheering section

[colts52]

Alabama is bringing their cheering section

I wish i could give 6000 claps for this. Classic

[The Reality is back...]

I know everyone can talk about how horrible Duke is.  I bet they are better than Tennessee Tech or ULM.

Think about this.

Alabama didn't convert a single 3rd down in the first half against Duke.
BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T FACE A SINGLE 3RD DOWN.

ULM is a good team. They are chock full of former LSU Tigers and Miss State Bulldogs that were too stupid to stay.

In my mind, they beat duke by at least 14.

But, on the the big game. If we lose by 14 or less, I'll be ok. Not happy, but ok. As long as our offense shows up and puts some points up, and use that momentum for the rest of the year. If we lose to Bama and win out, we still make a BCS game, because I think USC-E is going to beat UF, and UGA may just beat them as well. They don't look like much.

[powerlifter90]

I honestly feel like we are one of the top 5 teams in the nation right now. 

To beat Bama, we are going to have to play exceptional.  We can't turn the ball over.  We can't have ST mistakes.  On defense we have to play even faster than we have been.  We have to limit the times that those backs get to our LB's.  Seriously, we need to be making tackles behind the LOS.  There is no two ways about it, our cornerbacks are going to have to suck it up and cover the receivers man on man. 

Offense will have to be able to keep the ball.  Joe Adams must have a big game.  He is, IMO, our most potent weapon.  I'm not sure that I would expect DJ to have a big game catching the ball.  His big game needs to come as a blocker.  If Childs has 150 yards next week, I like our chances in this game.  The running game will probably be nil next week.  It's just who we are now. 

There is no way that you can feel good about our chances next week.  But we do have some things in our favor.  There is no reason to be afraid of this bunch.  If you want to keep taking steps toward bigger and better things, you simply have to face your big opponents with confidence and without fear.  One thing we know, if we beat this bunch, it won't be a lucky, emotion based win.  It will be because we are the better team that got the breaks.

Go Hogs!

top 10 yes, top 5 no

IMO teams that are better than Ark:
BAMA, tOSU, TCU, Oregon, NU, Texas, S. Carolina

[fastdrop]

Oklahoma, Florida, Boise State, TCU, Michigan, LSU, Auburn, Oklahoma State

Would be a great year for a play-off.

[Ex-HAplayer]

I honestly feel like we are one of the top 5 teams in the nation right now. 

To beat Bama, we are going to have to play exceptional.  We can't turn the ball over.  We can't have ST mistakes.  On defense we have to play even faster than we have been.  We have to limit the times that those backs get to our LB's.  Seriously, we need to be making tackles behind the LOS.  There is no two ways about it, our cornerbacks are going to have to suck it up and cover the receivers man on man. 

Offense will have to be able to keep the ball.  Joe Adams must have a big game.  He is, IMO, our most potent weapon.  I'm not sure that I would expect DJ to have a big game catching the ball.  His big game needs to come as a blocker.  If Childs has 150 yards next week, I like our chances in this game.  The running game will probably be nil next week.  It's just who we are now. 

There is no way that you can feel good about our chances next week.  But we do have some things in our favor.  There is no reason to be afraid of this bunch.  If you want to keep taking steps toward bigger and better things, you simply have to face your big opponents with confidence and without fear.  One thing we know, if we beat this bunch, it won't be a lucky, emotion based win.  It will be because we are the better team that got the breaks.

Go Hogs!

Sorry to break it to you, but you guys are not the better team. Now, does that mean you guys can't win? Nope. I feel as if you guys can score quick and early and try to contain the run your chances are better.  I would attack the secondary on the first play if I was Mallett, because lets face it..you guys don't really have a run game. Arkansas is an interesting team though because you guys could actually open up the run with your pass game. Not many teams can do this. One thing to note though is that Bama secondary might be young, but they are physical as all get out. They won't just sit back in a zone. They will be jamming and hitting Childs all day, so hopefully he is ready to get some yards after the 1st hit. We will see

[Rzback4Life]

Childs does not appear to shy away from contact.

[PHIL IS MY HERO aka RTVM]

First time since 79.

Maybe for a home game, but Arkansas was ranked #10 when they had #1 tennessee defeated 24-22 with 1:45 left in the game in 1998, with the ball, first down, and Tennessee had no timeouts.  Then, we all know what happened next. 

It was really a remarkable game.  Two undefeated teams.

Arkansas finished the season 9-3 i think, and UT went on to win the NC.

Thanks Clint

[colts52]

First time since 79.

Maybe for a home game, but Arkansas was ranked #10 when they had #1 tennessee defeated 24-22 with 1:45 left in the game in 1998, with the ball, first down, and Tennessee had no timeouts.  Then, we all know what happened next. 

It was really a remarkable game.  Two undefeated teams.

Arkansas finished the season 9-3 i think, and UT went on to win the NC.

Thanks Clint

This could have remained unspoken. I think a tear came to my eye

[RHS]

First time since 79.

Maybe for a home game

This is the first Top 10 matchup in Fayetteville, that I can remember in a long, long, long time. Has there been one in the last 20 years?

[RHS]

IMO teams that are better than Ark:
BAMA, tOSU, TCU, Oregon, NU, Texas, S. Carolina

I'll give you Alabama, OSU and Texas, maybe even Nebraska, but the Hogs are on at least equal footing with SC.

People talk about the UGA game being the Hogs only decent opponent, who the heck has Oregon played? A crap New Mexico squad, a JV team in Portland St and a terrible Tennessee team that will probably finish 5th or 6th in the East this year.

Not going to put TCU up there either.

[HGaluminTN]

Wow this is big. Hope the hogs can candle the pressure and spotlight. We know bama can. I for one want serious payment. Me and some buddies made the trip last year to Tuscaloosa when we got hammered.

Battle between two top ten teams and College gameday goes to Boise? Oh well, I think the Hogs will play Bama tough for a half. Man Bama is good, but you never know. I just hope BP has something for that Bama "D" and I also hope that Willie pulls his head out of his rear this week.

We aren't getting Gameday because of CBS exercising it's 7 day option

The network carrying the game has no bearing on where Gameday is, as has been shown in numerous threads on hogville.net.  What is a 7 day option?  CBS has a 12 day option and is able to 2 times a year exercise a 6 day option.  AR/AL game fell under the 12 day window.

[The Infidel]

Qoute from a bama fan "Arkansas' offensive line is a disaster. We're going to be in the backfield more than their RB's". The hype continues............