The First Game That Will Show What the 2010 Alabama Crimson Tide Are All About

Larry Burton (Panama City Beach, Fla.)

History is an indicator of what may happen again in the future, and if that's true, then one game should worry the Crimson Tide faithful more than any other. It is the game that will tell if Alabama is focused on each team, one at a time, or if they're looking ahead like last year.

That game is the forth game of the year. That game is Arkansas.

Here are the reasons why Alabama could trip in this early season contest.

1. They play Florida the next week and may over focus on that game

Last year Alabama almost slipped up and got beat prior to the Florida game by a vastly less talented team, Auburn.

Alabama players were singularly focused on revenge on Florida for knocking them out of the previous year's national championship game and for taking the SEC crown. Alabama had that game circled since that loss as the most important game of the year.

Could they have overlooked Auburn just a bit, even though it's such a big rivalry?

Perhaps, since Auburn was going through a late season skid and was thought to be little more than a speed bump on the way to the SEC Championship.

Will the Crimson Tide overlook Arkansas as they apparently did Auburn last year?

They could, after all, the Crimson Tide pummeled Arkansas last year and may only be remembering that this year when they face them again this year.

2. Arkansas' quarterback Ryan Mallett has something to prove after last year's game

Last year Mallett was supposed to be one of the premier quarterbacks in the SEC and Greg McElroy was supposed to be a scared first year starter.

Instead McElroy looked like the best quarterback in the SEC and Mallett was the one who couldn't jump start the offense.

With the NFL looming for Mallett after this year and a national audience looking in, this could be a dangerous time for Alabama to be visiting the Hogs at home.

3. They'll be overconfident after beating Penn State

Anytime you beat a Joe Paterno coached team, you've beaten a great team. This is a game that the players are pumped to play. Penn State is one of the year in, year out best teams in the Big Ten and the Tide players know that beating them will help justify this team's high rank.

But this is not a year that the Nittany Lions will be at their very best. Though the win here will be big, it is not the win that will show how they play against an SEC type defense and offense.

Simply put, Penn State may not be as good as Arkansas, but Alabama may not take either team that way.

Final Wrap Up

This could be the trap game that could tumble Alabama's chances of repeating as national champions.

They'll certainly be up for the big games but they could overlook a dangerous Arkansas team after a big Penn State win and just before another big Florida game.

Last year Alabama had it's toughest games over teams that at least on paper, had no real chance of causing them so much trouble. Those games were Tennessee and Auburn.

Against the so called great teams, they did what they were expected to do, dominate them.

If the players have truly bought into Nick Saban's process, they won't let it happen this year, if they haven't bought in all the way, they could falter, and falter here.