Currently, we are a little less than 48 hours from game time in the Ozarks, where the Auburn Tigers will try to improve their perfect season to an impressive 6-0 against the Arkansas Razorbacks who sit at 2-2. This may seem like a no brainer win for the Tigers, but their previous five wins have come against a weak notch Big East squad, two no names, and two of the worst teams in the SEC (sorry Tennessee, you still suck, even with $5m + coaching staff). This matchup leads us to an interesting crossroads for two teams and their very young 2009 seasons.
Scenario 1: If Auburn wins, they are already bowl eligible, and head into the Kentucky game looking to secure their 7th win. They then get the heart of the SEC (LSU, Ole Miss - sort of, Georgia, and Alabama). Their season could end 8-4 or 11-1.
Scenario 2: The Razorbacks give Auburn their first true test of the season, and the explosive Tigers running game gets shut down by a much improved Arkansas defense. The Hogs win will give them a ton of confidence going into the Swamp, where a post LSU letdown will leave the Florida Tebows vulnerable to an upset (see Ole Miss 2008). The Hogs would likely end their season 7-5 or 8-4, and a New Years day bowl would be a possibility.
So now that we've documented what's on the line, it's time to go over what we should expect from the game on Saturday.
- Gus Malzahn will still be loved by the Razorback faithful. He will enter Fayetteville looking to avenge his loss last year while coaching Tulsa, and will manage to make all Hog fans happy by either losing, or by getting our hopes up that his prolific offense will some day lead our team into SEC battle. Gus is a great coach and a class act, and everyone will recognize this fact by the end of the game
- Traffic will be bitched about by everyone that has the unfortunate task of driving into Fayetteville for the 11am game. Exits will be backed up for miles, and the Fayetteville and Springdale Police departments will do nothing to alleviate the problem that will leave the stadium half empty until the beginning of the second quarter
- Ryan Mallett will get his chance to shine at home against another unproven defense. If he is given enough time, he'll get his fair share of opportunities to exploit the Auburn D, and barring our receivers having a bad hands day, should have very efficient (note: not prolific) passing numbers
- The Running Backs will finally get the game they've been looking for. Texas A&M was not a good team, and by the end of the game the offense had worn them down. This allowed for a solid 62 yard TD at the end of the game which might have been what the offense has been looking for all season. In order to truly prove themselves, they're going to have to be able to get that 2 yard touchdown run they've been missing
- The Defense will likely get torn to pieces. While I do believe the Jerry Franklin TD runback against A&M was the turning point in the defensive season, they're still not there yet. Look for the running defense to be truly tested, and if they don't respond, look for the secondary to be tested just as much. It might be a very long day for these guys However, if they carry over some of what they had while playing in the Death Star, they might be the heroes of the game
- If you're watching on TV, expect to see the gayest commercial in the SEC on at least 200 times. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, it's the one where someone is fishing on a boat in Alaska, and a plane lands on the water with the Auburn Tiger tail flying off of the back of it. The jackass flying right into the middle of the guys fishing spot leans out of the plane and yells "WAR EAGLE," and the fisherman responds in kind. This commercial is so stupid it hurts my head to think that a marketing degree at Auburn might actually be worth the paper it's written on
- Arkansas fans will cheer whenever they hear the score of the Alabama v. Ole Miss game. While Houston Nutt may have avoided a loss at Vanderbilt (congrats on that one!), there is no way he defends his home turf against arguably the best team in the nation. Hootie is on the record as saying that if the Rebels make it to the 4th quarter they'll be good. Guess what guys, Jevan Snead is going to show off that Heisman arm and throw 2 picks... in the first quarter. Not only will they not make it to the fourth quarter, they likely won't make it to halftime before it's a blowout. Have fun Ole Miss, you're really going to enjoy that new coach of yours
- People will have a tough time rooting for anyone in the night game. Nobody likes Florida, and everyone hates LSU. It's a lesser of two evil situations, and either way, rednecks in some white trash city will be celebrating after the game is over. The only question is if they'll smell like corndogs or not
I'm sure there is plenty more that will transpire during what will be a perfect weekend in God's Country. Other highlights might include Orange Peel jell-o shots at a tailgate in the pit (http://bit.ly/1NQIXn), people celebrating on Dickson with a post game pub crawl, a pint at the pub and some pub bowling, and undoubtedly a few drinks at Razorbelle's favorite bar with a Big Ass Fan.
Enjoy the weekend Hog fans. And remember, nothing is better than a game day on The Hill.
GO HOGS!
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