Arkansas Razorbacks Set Sights on No. 1 Ranked Alabama Crimson Tide

The Arkansas Razorbacks tackle the best team in the country this weekend, when they play the No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. College football odds makers have Alabama as road chalk, laying seven points in this SEC showdown.

The Razorbacks believe that they are ready to compete with the elite in the SEC and this game will be a true test to see if they are ready to challenge for the SEC crown.

Last week quarterback Ryan Mallett connected with Greg Childs in the waning seconds to secure a SEC road win over Georgia. In the past Mallett had been criticized for his poor road games against the SEC, so this was an enormous victory for the leader of the Hogs.

Head coach Bobby Petrino still has plenty to work on if this team is going to compete with Alabama. The Razorbacks still have some holes on the defensive side of the ball and committed too many penalties against the Bulldogs. To beat the No. 1 team in the country, the Hogs will have to play near perfect football.

Alabama is undefeated but have yet to face a real challenge in the early season. In the latest game, the Tide dismantled the Duke Blue Devils in nearly every facet of the game. The big news in the game against Duke was the return of running back Mark Ingram.

The Heisman winner returned and broke a big play the first time he touched the ball and finished the day with 151 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Alabama’s offense looks as good as they have ever been and will be a challenge for any defense they go up against.

This game will be the first big challenge for Alabama as they have to travel for a big road game against an SEC opponent.

The Razorbacks had this game circled when the season started and realize a win in this game would be one of the biggest the football program has had in a long time.

Petrino will need to put Mallett in situations that compensate for the ferocious defense of Alabama. Expect a quick attack by the Razorbacks to take pressure off Mallett and allow him to spread the ball out all over the field.

Arkansas has some talent at wide receiver and Joe Adams will be a tough cover for the Alabama secondary.  Mallett has the skill set to put up points against Alabama, but the defense may be the x-factor in this game.

In the last meeting the defense did a decent job of controlling Ingram out of the backfield allowing just 50 yards. However the pass defense was torched by Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy and they will need to improve to keep this game close.

Alabama’s defense will also need to make some plays against Mallett. They are relatively young and inexperienced and have yet to run into a quarterback with any real experience. It will be interesting how they handle Mallett and the play calling of Petrino.

Arkansas is 4-0 against the spread (ATS) in their last four conference games, 4-0 ATS in their last four games as a home underdog, and 5-0 ATS in their last five home games against a team with a winning road record. They are also are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games following a win and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 home games.

The offense and the home field advantage will keep the Hogs in this game from start to finish and they will have a shot to win it in the end. Taking the points on the conference underdog at home is the way to go in this game.

In the biggest game of the week, I am backing the home team.

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Matt Regaw is a B/R Featured Columnist and the founder of BookieBlitz.com, your one-stop shop for sports articles, previews, and predictions. Feel Free to contact Matt at [e-mail]