Arkansas vs Alabama: Woo Pig Sooie or Roll Tide?

A	Roll Tide!

B	Woo Pig-Sooie!

Coach Bobby Petrino takes his Arkansas Razorbacks offense to challenge Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide defense in Tuscaloosa, AL in week four of the 2011 College Football Season. The Tide have won four in a row in this series, and were able to pull off the comeback last season after the Hawgs star quarterback, Ryan Mallett, threw two interceptions late in the fourth quarter.

This season, the Razorbacks are led by quarterback Tyler Wilson and his stable of star wide receivers, Greg Childs, Cobi Hamilton, Joe Adams, and Jarius Wright. On the season, Wilson has completed 59 of 86 passes for 822 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions. The Hawgs running game has also been descent after the loss of Knile Davis during sring practice. Arkansas destroyed its first two opponents, but struggled somewhat versus Troy. For them to beat Bama, they can not defeat themselves with turnovers and penalties.

The Crimson Tide's defense has been flat-out nasty this season allowing only six points per game and already shutting out one of its opponents. However, the Tide have yet to face a passing attack as sophisticated as Coach Petrino's. Coach Saban's offense will also have to play better than it has so far this season because they will need to score some points to beat the Razorbacks. He needs running back Trent Richardson to grab the spotlight and show he deserves to be in the Heisman race.

Stat Comparison of the Two Teams

Arkansas Razorbacks Statistics through Week Three

Rushing Offense - ranked 52; 170.67 rushing yards per game
Passing Offense - ranked 8; 346.67 passing yards per game
Total Offense - ranked 11; 517.33 total yards per game
Scoring Offense - ranked 8; 47.00 points per game
Rushing Defense - ranked 27; 87.67 rushing yards given up per game
Pass Defense - ranked 68; 218.00 passing yards given up per game
Total Defense - ranked 35; 305.67 total yards given up per game
Scoring Defense - ranked 18; 12.67 points given up per game

Alabama Crimson Tide Statistics through Week Three

Rushing Offense - ranked 15; 242.00 rushing yards per game
Passing Offense - ranked 57; 233.67 passing yards per game
Total Offense - ranked 21; 475.67 total yards per game
Scoring Offense - ranked 24; 38.67 points per game
Rushing Defense - ranked 4; 55.33 rushing yards given up per game
Pass Defense - ranked 5; 114.67 passing yards given up per game
Total Defense - ranked 3; 170.00 total yards given up per game
Scoring Defense - ranked 2; 6.0 points given up per game

Alabama Crimson Tide, Bryant-Denny Stadium

Alabama is favored by 12.5 at home so odds-makers like their defense over Arkansas' offense. I also like the Tide, but that is a lot of points. For the Tide to be able to cover, their offense will have to play better than they have earlier in the season. They haven't faced any serious opponents, thus far, so it is hard to judge how great their defense really is at this point.

On the other hand, the Razorbacks were only able to defeat Troy by ten points at home and their rush defense isn't the best. However, I think they will be able to score to possibly keep them in the game until the fourth quarter. If they were playing at home, I would give them a chance and have Alabama on upset alert. But that's not the case, and the Crimson Tide faithful will be chanting Rammer Jammer at the end of the game.

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Brian Johnson

Arkansas vs Alabama: Woo Pig Sooie or Roll Tide?

A. K.

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