Game of the Week Breakdown: Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Alabama Crimson Tide

The SEC season will kick off for the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Arkansas Razorbacks in Week 4 of the college football season.

For fans of college football, the SEC is the mecca of football talent. These two teams are no exception to the standard.

The Crimson Tide have been perennial contenders since Nick Saban's arrival in 2007. In 2011, Alabama is vying for its second national title in three seasons.

Defensively, the Tide are as stout as they come. Athleticism at linebacker, skilled cover corners, and a tenacious front line give Saban many exciting toys to attack teams with.

Heisman Trophy-contender Trent Richardson complements the defense with his dazzling running ability on offense. Richardson is a household name. His eight touchdowns in three games thus far this season sum up his skill.

Arkansas enters Tuscaloosa with an offense capable of scoring points on the daunting Tide defense. 

Tyler Wilson has carried the torch after the graduation at Ryan Mallett. He has five touchdowns and over 800 yards through three games. Playmakers like Ronnie Wingo, Jr. and Joe Adams make Wilson's job much easier.

Defensively, the Razorbacks have concerns, after giving up 28 points to Troy in Week 3.

SEC football is always worth tuning, too. This matchup could set the tone for two very good teams.

Here is how this big matchup breaks down.

Quarterbacks

Arkansas and Alabama both were faced with replacing their quarterback over the offseason.

The Razorbacks would turn to Tyler Wilson to replace Ryan Mallett behind center. So far, Wilson has over 800 yards passing and five touchdowns.

Success for the Razorbacks will fall heavily upon the arm of Wilson. If the junior can continue to throw the ball well, it will soften the loss of Knile Davis in the Razorbacks' backfield. Wilson has the tools. Now, he just needs to execute against arguably the best defense he will see all season.

The Crimson Tide are also replacing a successful quarterback. Greg McElroy was a winner in his college career. A.J. McCarron is expected to be the same.

Through three games, McCarron has thrown for over 500 yards and two touchdowns. He has also thrown two interceptions.

McCarron's lack of production can be interpreted a few ways. He is inexperienced, still learning the offense, and still getting used to being in the spotlight. Or it could be the structure of Alabama's offense taming McCarron's arm.

Both quarterbacks still have some work to do. How they test out in their first SEC clash could determine how the rest of the season looks for their respective teams.

In this instance, give the edge to Wilson. He has the arm and the weapons needed to challenge the Alabama secondary.

Running Backs

Entering 2011 Arkansas's Knile Davis and Alabama's Trent Richardson were viewed as two of the best running backs in the nation.

Davis would be a huge factor in Week 4's SEC matchup if he were healthy. Before the season, Davis suffered a season-ending injury to his left ankle.

Stepping in for Davis is Ronnie Wingo, Jr. So far, the junior tailback has over 200 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. At 6-foot-3 and 231 pounds, Wingo is a massive running back. He has bruising power, but he can get to the second level if given enough room to run.

Also running the ball for the Razorbacks is freshman Kody Walker. He has five touchdowns this season in goal-line situations. Like Wingo, Walker is a physical presence in the backfield.

The Crimson Tide are privileged to have one of if not the best runners in the nation. Richardson is a force inside or outside. He can run you over or run around you.

Richardson has accumulated over 300 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground so far this season. He has done this on 6.3 yards per carry.

Wingo has done a solid job of replacing Davis in the Arkansas backfield. However, Richardson is as good as it gets in college this season.

Look for 'Bama to use him early and often.

Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

Arkansas and Alabama both have weapons at wide receiver. However, Arkansas' group has produced much more so far this season.

Wide receivers Joe Adams, Jarius Wright and Cobi Hamilton are all major contributors to the Razorbacks' passing attack. Adams has also seen snaps in the backfield because of his athleticism and versatility.

Hamilton leads the Razorbacks with over 250 receiving yards through the first three games. Wright is the Razorbacks' leader, with three receiving touchdowns in three games.

Tight end Chris Gragg has also caught a touchdown for Bobby Petrino's passing attack.

The Razorbacks have several weapons for Tyler Wilson to find down the field. Now, he must find a way to penetrate the excellent Crimson Tide secondary.

Alabama has a very different situation.

Marquis Maze and backup tight end Mike Williams are the only two Tide players to catch a touchdown so far this season. Maze is also the only Alabama receiver to have over 10 receptions and over 100 yards.

Darius Hanks is talented. However, the frequency of Trent Richardson's carries combined with A.J. McCarron's inexperience behind center, does not allow the receivers to showcase their talents.

Arkansas will lean on their passing attack on Saturday afternoon. Their receiving core will play a major role.

Offensive Lines

The offensive line will play a major role for Alabama and Arkansas on Saturday, due to question marks on offense for each squad.

The Crimson Tide have question marks up front.

Barrett Jones and D.J. Fluker are both experienced and extremely talented at either tackle. It will be very important for these two to play well against a talented Arkansas front four. Jones is versatile as well, because of his experience at guard.

Center William Vlachos is also back at center. This gives Alabama three experienced linemen up front.

Despite the talent and experience, Alabama has had lapses up front. With an inexperienced quarterback, this could cause problems as they enter SEC play.

The Razorbacks' offensive line lacks chemistry. Last week was their first time playing as one cohesive unit this season.

Five offensive lineman have made their debuts this season for Arkansas, with Richard Smothers earning a starting spot before last week's game.

Because of the potential and lack of real concern, the Crimson Tide hold the advantage up front. It also helps to have Trent Richardson plowing his way through the smallest hole.

Defensive Lines

The Alabama Crimson Tide are stacked on the defensive side of the ball. The defensive line is no exception.

Josh Chapman and Damien Square return to lead the unit. Chapman was a contributor as Terrance Cody's backup for two years, and excelled in his starting role in 2010. Square is the leading pass rusher on the front four for the Crimson Tide.

Kerry Murphy and Luther Davis will also work in to give Alabama depth, talent and experience along the front line.

The Razorbacks are also no pushovers on their defensive front.

Jake Bequette returns as Arkansas's sack leader with seven last season. He is fast and powerful. He should be a handful for either D.J. Fluker and Barrett Jones.

Robert Thomas and D.D. Jones provide two explosive options on the interior for the Razorbacks. It will be very important for Jones and Thomas to provide a push in the middle.

Collapsing the offensive line in the middle could be Arkansas' only shot at slowing down 'Bama's dynamic rushing attack.

In terms of talent, Alabama holds the edge on the defensive front.

Linebackers

The Alabama Crimson Tide boast the top linebacking core in the nation this season. A combination of tenacity, speed, and strength makes the middle of the field dead space against the Tide's defense.

Leading this group is Dont'a Hightower. Not only is Hightower physically imposing but he is incredibly athletic as well. Hightower is the Rolando McLain of this year's Alabama defense. He is their physical and emotional leader both on and off the field.

Next to Hightower are C.J. Mosley and Courtney Upshaw. Mosley is young and gets better as every week passes. Upshaw is very fast, and provides an explosive pass rusher off of the edge.

Arkansas also has talent, just not as much.

Jerry Franklin returns to the middle of the Razorbacks' defense. He has led Arkansas in tackles in each of the last three seasons. He may not be the best athlete, but he is a consistent and smart tackler.

Jerico Nelson is also talented and, like Franklin, is a four-year starter for Arkansas. Nelson may not have the numbers Franklin has, but he is just as talented. The Razorbacks will lean on these two heavily as the season wears on.

Alonzo Highsmith fills the other spot for the Razorbacks. It is his first season as a starter, and he is unproven against tough competition.

The Razorbacks are not a pushover. However, the Crimson Tide are absolutely loaded.

Advantage: Nick Saban.

Secondaries

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the Alabama defense is stacked in the secondary.

Dre Kirkpatrick and DeMarcus Milliner are a pair of shutdown corners with great size for their position. Kirkpatrick is a lanky playmaker, but his maturity has lacked at times. Milliner is also a physical presence. He uses his size to body up with the SEC's larger targets.

At safety, Robert Lester and Mark Barron both know how to play their positions. Lester led the SEC in interceptions with eight in 2010. Barron has the size and physical attitude to provide a major physical presence in the box against the run.

Arkansas's secondary is also talented, but they are behind Alabama in terms of talent.

Darius Winston and Isaac Madison will start at corner for the Razorbacks. Neither possesses the size of an Alabama cornerback, but both have above-average ball skills.

Tramain Thomas is the leader of the Arkansas' secondary. He led the team in defended passes, and interceptions and was third on the team in tackles.

Once again, the Razorbacks have their share of talent in the secondary. However, the Crimson Tide have more potential, athleticism, and versatility.

Don't expect the Tide to air it out on this Razorbacks' team. As for the Arkansas' offense, expect stiff resistance on every ball in the air.

Special Teams

In a game pitting two very talented teams against each other, one big play could change everything. In this instance, the play could easily come from the return game.

Joe Adams returns for Arkansas, and is extremely dangerous on offense; but the return game is no different. Adams has great change of direction, vision and smarts. He understands how to set up blockers and find his way to the end zone.

For Alabama, Marquis Maze is also very dangerous. Maze is relied on for plays in the passing game, and he could be relied upon for a game-changing play in the return game as well.

The kicking game featured two talented kickers. Zach Hocker is 3-for-4 so far this season. Alabama's kicker, Jeremy Shelley, is 6-for-8, and has made the longest field goal between the two.

Every game in the SEC is tight. Neither team usually makes many mistakes. If that is the case, special teams will have to be on point for both teams Saturday afternoon.

Because of Adams' electrifying return ability, give the edge to the Razorbacks.

Conclusion and Prediction

At the end of the day, both teams have the talent to compete on both sides of the ball. The Alabama Crimson Tide just have the right talent in the necessary positions.

Defensively, the Crimson Tide have weapons at all three levels. The Razorbacks' passing attack will need to exploit every weakness if they want to make this game interesting for 60 minutes.

Offensively, Alabama runs the ball as well as anyone. Trent Richardson carries the load, with Eddie Lacy providing quality relief off of the bench. A.J. McCarron should continue to make more plays as the year goes on.

The Razorbacks could win this game, but will need everything to go their way. Ronnie Wingo, Jr. must find a way to keep the Tide's defense honest. Doing so will allow Tyler Wilson time to find his array of receiving weapons.

On defense, the Razorbacks must penetrate the offensive front and get to Richardson and McCarron before they have time to react.

In the end, Nick Saban will draw up the necessary plays to make sure his team starts off their SEC schedule on the right foot.

Prediction: Alabama 24 Arkansas 13