Arkansas Football: Five Reasons to Believe Razorbacks Will Knock Off Auburn

After the last weekend of college football action the landscape in the SEC and in the Polls just got a lot more interesting.

The Alabama Crimson Tide was upset by the South Carolina gamecocks and that led to a flurry of changes in the polls, and the door was left open for other teams. Auburn, LSU, Alabama, and South Carolina hold down the 7-10 spots in the latest polls with Arkansas on the outside looking in ranked 12^th.

This will undoubtedly change if the Razorbacks can beat Auburn this weekend. Here are five reasons that the Razorbacks can pull off the upset.

Alabama Losing Changes Everything

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COLUMBIA, SC - OCTOBER 9: Quarterback Greg McElroy of the Alabama Crimson Tide dives for a short gain and a first down at midfield against the South Carolina Gamecocks October 9, 2010 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Al Me

Now don’t get me wrong, everyone in the SEC is excited that Alabama lost, and teams in the SEC West are especially excited. For Arkansas it is a huge loss because they already lost to the Crimson Tide and need to make up a game. A win against Auburn would push them into the top ten rankings in the college football polls and keep hope alive for the SEC championship game. The last game of the season against LSU could be huge if they beat Auburn.

Stats Don’t Lie

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AUBURN, AL - OCTOBER 23: Rafael Little #22 of the Kentucky Wildcats scores a touchdown through the Auburn Tigers defense on October 23, 2004 at Jordan-Hare stadium in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Auburn is 10^th in the SEC in pass defense behind teams like Tennessee, Georgia, and Mississippi St. Going up against Ryan Mallet will not make life any easier for the vulnerable air defense of the Tigers. Auburn is last in the league in allowing first downs and they are ranked 11^th in red zone defense. The Tiger defense will have trouble stopping the explosive offense of the Razorbacks and that could translate into a very big loss for Auburn.

Ryan Mallett

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ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 03: Quarterback Ryan Mallett #15 of the Texas A&M Aggies at Cowboys Stadium on October 3, 2009 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Quarterback Ryan Mallett is the leader of this team and one of the best quarterbacks in the country. He leads the SEC in passing yards per game and will be ready for this game against Auburn. He shook off the stigma that he could not win on the road early in the season against Georgia, and now will get a chance to add another signature win to this legacy if he can win at Auburn.

Defense is Better Than You Think

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FAYETTEVILLE - SEPTEMBER 25: Trent Richardson #3 of the Alabama Crimson Tide gets tackled by a group of Arkansas Razorbacks defenders during the first half at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Photo by

When people think about the Arkansas Razorbacks, defense is not the first thing that comes to mind. In fact it is one of the last things that come to mind and is often looked at as a weakness for the Razorbacks. Well not any more. The rank third in the SEC in sacks and they are number two in scoring defense only behind Alabama. The Hogs caused four turnovers in the win over A&M and can change the game. They don’t get as much hype as the offense but the Razorbacks defense is impressive.

It’s a Trendy Pick

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FAYETTEVILLE - SEPTEMBER 25: Arkansas Razorbacks fans cheer during the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Alabama won 24-20. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

The latest line was released and BetMania has posted the Auburn Tigers as three point favorites over Arkansas. That is a good indication that it will be a close game, and the trends agree. The Razorbacks are 4-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last five meetings in Auburn and the underdog is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.  The Razorbacks are 5-1 ATS against a team with a winning record and 5-0 ATS in their last five conference games.

If trends mean anything, this game is going to be close and Arkansas can win it.

This will be one of the better games to watch this weekend and can dramatically changes the SEC standings.

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]