Arkansas Football: The BCS Ranking Won't Affect the Hogs Bowl Bid, so Relax

Larry Burton (Syndicated Writer)

The Arkansas Razorbacks lost to the LSU Tigers by the same margin as they did to the Crimson Tide of Alabama. That 24-point difference hurt them little in their previous number three BCS ranking, and it won't hurt them that much now.

Voters will feel that they were only beaten by the nation's Top 2 teams and by equal margins.

I guess that while that shows that Arkansas is clearly a step down from those two schools, it's not as large a step as the 24-point margin might show. It also shows that could clearly be the third best school in the nation.

The Sugar Bowl could still go to the Hogs as they will be ranked higher than Georgia after the Tigers of LSU give them the expected beat down.

Alabama will accept the BCS Championship bid with LSU, and that leaves the Sugar Bowl free to pick the highest ranked SEC team not otherwise involved in postseason.

This is still a high honor for any SEC school. The fact that the best two SEC schools were able to fight their way into a BCS Championship does not diminish the fact that the Razorbacks will play in the Sugar Bowl.

Though anything could happen, it's very unlikely that Georgia would defeat LSU and go on to the Sugar Bowl. They will more than likely go the Capital One Bowl route in Orlando and that would suit them just fine.

That could put the South Carolina Gamecocks or Auburn in the Cotton Bowl.

While the season could have ended better for the Razorbacks, losing and still finding yourself in the Sugar Bowl isn't too bad.