Crimson Red Sports

Around Campus => The Quad => Topic started by: Coach Hank Crisp on September 25, 2011, 11:51:25 PM



Title: It is Obvious Arkansas Hasn't Recruited Well Enough To Beat Alabama
Post by: Coach Hank Crisp on September 25, 2011, 11:51:25 PM
http://www.arkansassports360.com/26817/jim-harris-it-should-be-obvious-arkansas-hasnt-recruited-well-enough-to-beat-alabama

Quote

(http://www.arkansassports360.com/img.php?w=630&src=http://assets.inarkansas.com/18421/alabama-coach-nick-saban.jpg)

It's beginning to look like Alabama may never lose to Arkansas as long as Nick Saban is in charge of the Crimson Tide. Understand that he has outrecruited most of the country in four years, and Arkansas has been close to Alabama in collecting good football players under Bobby Petrino. But on Saturday, with his better players, Saban's staff also outcoached Petrino and his coaches.

Arkansas' players and coaches talked a tough game in the spring and summer leading up to this season. They believed the 14th-ranked Razorbacks deserved mention with Alabama and LSU as the leading Southeastern Conference teams in 2011. Razorback faithful may have been fooled seeing the Razorbacks compete well and, in fact, beat a more-talented LSU three out of the last four years. LSU Coach Les Miles, though he may be as lucky as any coach, is no Nick Saban.

This time it would be different. Forget that the game was being played in front of 101,821 mostly partisan 'Bama fans, and that Vegas oddsmakers set the opening line on this game at Alabama giving 13 points; in Arkansas, the feeling was that Vegas and nobody else really knew these Hogs.

In a waning sunset behind Bryant-Denny Stadium on this Saturday, it seems it was only Arkansas — its coaches, players and supporters — who didn't know the Razorbacks and who vastly underestimated the gap in talent between the two teams.

But not only that, Alabama's Nick Saban and his staff seemed vastly superior to the Arkansas brain trust in terms of special teams and adjustments. And, while Bobby Petrino's renown is offense, he didn't have a whole lot of success finding much against the No. 1 defense in the country.