No. 7 Alabama (-9) @ Arkansas TV: ESPN 6 pm Saturday
Daniel: I get it. Arkansas is better this year. Alabama isn’t the same. I just can’t see this one being too close despite all of that, however. The Ole Miss defense did a good job against Alabama, but the Tide still has some of the best offensive weapons in the nation. The Razorbacks don’t have anybody to cover Amari Cooper and if they focus on him too much, that’ll open up space for T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry on the ground. Arkansas sticks around for a half of so, but a furious Nick Saban will get the job done on the road. Winner: Alabama 31-14
Houston: Arkansas has impressed me this year with their ability to run the football, but Alabama will be looking for blood in this one. After last weekend’s loss to Ole Miss in Oxford, you can bet that he used this week to regain the focus of his squad – they will be ready this weekend. Bama is most vulnerable on defense when teams attack them through the air and Arkansas simply does not possess enough firepower at quarterback or receiver to keep pace with the Tide offense here. I think that Arkansas will be able to keep it closer that some think due to their time of possession and ability to shorten the game with the run, but they’ll eventually give way late in this one. Winner: Tide 31-17
Reed: Alabama is 4-3 in their last seven games with all three losses coming to ranked teams. Fortunately for Saban and Company, a ranked team the Razorbacks are not. Arkansas is still looking for their first SEC win of the Big 10 Bret Era – it’s not coming against an Alabama team that, despite a loss to Ole Miss, is still very much alive for an SEC West title and College Football Playoff berth. Winner: Tide 35-32
Kyle: You don’t suppose…? Naw, an Arkansas team that finished dead-last in the SEC West a season ago and lost the last two to Alabama by a combined triple digits couldn’t possibly hand Nick Saban back-to-back losses…right?
The turnaround Bret Bielema’s engineered in his second year at Arkansas is nothing short of remarkable. And speaking of remarkable, running back Alex Collins has future Heisman contender written all over him.
Nevertheless, Alabama is the more talented team. The Deathstar may not be fully operational, but I suspect Emperor Saban’s troops will not be lacking for motivation. It may take some time and the tempo should grind down with both teams committing to the run, but Alabama wins the war of attrition and pulls away to a multiple-score lead late in the game.
Arkansas has a bright, bright future under Bielema. The outlook for the immediate future is somewhat bleaker, though. Winner: Alabama 35-21
