I can't wait for the Arky trickle down. Any early hints?
I haven't broken it down, but a lot of the scores I am seeing people throw out are probably pretty close to what I will call. Last season I knew what would happen...I could see it playing out and if you remember, my prediction was exactly right.
This season it is totally different. I still don't think Arkansas has much on defense, but they are improved overall. It is really hard to get a read on them based on the first two games. Missouri State is a middle of the road D1AA team...UNT would beat them soundly. UGA gave up a lot of yards and points to Arkie, but UGA gave up a lot of yards and points to South Carolina (who is not very good offensively). and looked offensively inept against Okie State. I have a hard time buying Mallett based on his torching of a secondary that Stephen Garcia also torched.
Honestly, I *kinda* think Arkansas offensive prowess may be overrated.
Right now I am thinking Alabama scores in the 30-40 range, Arkansas in the 14-28 range, depending on field position, special teams, and turnovers.
I think we will try to control the ball and the clock, and limit Arkansas' opportunities. The only way I can see us repeating last year's offensive output, is if we have a lot of big plays...which is possible against their defense. 49-14 is possible, but I am thinking 38-17 or 38-21 is more likely.
I will narrow down the scoring range as the game gets closer and I do more research into individual match-ups, trends, and tendencies.