AP College Football Rankings: How Arkansas Made Historic Slide out of the Poll

You aren’t the only one unimpressed with Arkansas football.

The Razorbacks woke up on Saturday ranked No. 8 in the nation. Today, they continue to scan up and down the AP poll in search of their name, but to no avail.

Arkansas isn’t there.

The supposed SEC powerhouse fell to Louisiana-Monroe this weekend by the score of 34-31 in overtime. Its plummet in the rankings is a historic one. According to the Associated Press, it’s the second-greatest dive from being ranked to unranked in college football history (via ESPN).

Did the Razorbacks really deserve such a spurning from voters? I mean, it’s just one loss—and by three points in OT, no less.

Yes, they deserved it.

The Associated Press also reported a few fun facts about the Warhawks’ monumental upset that justify Arkansas’ absence (via ESPN):

"

The win is Louisiana-Monroe's first over a ranked team since joining the FBS in 1994, and it is the school's first over an SEC team since defeating Alabama in 2007. The Warhawks are 4-34 against the SEC, with their only other win coming against Mississippi State in 1995.

It is also the Sun Belt Conference's first win over a top 10 team, and the league's first over a ranked opponent since Troy defeated Missouri in 2004.

"

Believe it or not, this wasn’t supposed to be a game. It was expected to be a massacre. The Razorbacks should’ve slaughtered Louisiana-Monroe, a team not even on the AP radar that competes in arguably the worst FBS conference in the country.

But they didn’t. They choked.

With a comfortable 21-point second-half lead, Arkansas started to warm up the bus. Then the team prestigious enough to recruit the entire nation ran out of gas.

The Razorbacks don't deserve to be ranked. Their defense is a joke. Not only did the Warhawks explode for 21 second-half points against them, but even lowly Jacksonville State managed to score 24 on Arkansas the week before.

Alabama is licking its lips.

The Razorbacks will be given the opportunity to fight their way back into the AP Top 25 against the Crimson Tide this upcoming Saturday. More likely than not, though, Nick Saban’s crew will slaughter Arkansas like the Razorbacks should’ve slaughtered Louisiana-Monroe.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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