Sure won't be Texas in the South

[AR Husker Fan]

As you can tell from my screen name, I live in Arkansas, and have for a while. Given that, it's hard to escape anything related to the Razorbacks - it's kind of similar to the situation in Nebraska in that regard.

 

For those that didn't see it or read about it, Texas barely escaped Arkansas last Saturday. The score was 22-20 - and Arkansas should have won. On its first series, Arkansas had to punt - and the new deep snapper sailed it over the punter's head and out of the endzone for a safety.

 

In the final two minutes of the game, Arkansas was inside the red zone and driving - at the very least they could have kicked a field goal and won it there. The game was lost when the quarterback scrambled, and had the ball knocked loose at about the 15. He had it tucked away - the defender simply punched it out.

 

The point, though, is this - Arkansas lost 18 starters off last year's team. Ten of them were lost off offense alone. On defense, only one returning starter started all the games last year. The secondary is completely new.

 

Let me tell you - stop Benson, and you stop Texas. While he ran for a little more than 150 yards on Arkansas, they were tough to come by for the most part. The quarterback - Young - wasn't much of a threat. Arkansas crowded the line and didn't give him a chance to run much. While Young hit a couple of relatively long passes, in each case there was a defensive breakdown and the receivers were wide open. I mean wide open. I didn't see Young really drill one in between tight coverage. And Arkansas was able to move the ball - both on the ground and in the air.

 

Texas was saying all week that after they lost to Arkasnas last year, they vowed to get tougher. And I'll admit that their running attack was better statistically than it was last year against Arkansas. But this was supposedly the number 7 or 8 ranked team playing an unranked opponent that lost damn near every starter from last year - and they should have lost.

 

Look for Oklahoma to bitch-slap them again this year. I can't wait...

[Eric the Red]

Look for Oklahoma to bitch-slap them again this year. I can't wait...

 

Yes, my thoughts as well. If you take a look at my small preview which is pinned above, I couldn't agree with you more. Bitch slapped and then spit on.

[RedCountry]

Im not so sure TX-ARK just isnt "one of those matchups" like NU v CU that is close no matter what the talent level or where its played, you can "throw the record out the door" ... and all those other cliches.

 

I think TX will actually give OU a better run this yr. No way they blow em out like last yr.. that was an anomaly.

[AR Husker Fan]

Hmmmm...well, let me add this. Benson racked up over 100 yards rushing in the first half alone. Arkansas, after halftime, put 8 men in the box to stop him, and did reasonably well at it. Young didn't do diddly when that happened - his passing didn't impress me or score them any points in the second half. And Arkansas had to replace all it's secondary this year.

 

I suspect that Oklahoma will do throughout the game what Arkansas did in the second half - load up the box and dare Texas to throw. And when they do, I suspect that the pass rush will be better than Arkansas, and the secondary play will be much better.

 

It may not be a blowout of last year's proportions, but no way does OU lose that game - or even have a particularly difficult time, unless Young makes major improvements.

 

Texas reminds me a lot of KSU - take away their primary running threat, and they have nothing on which to fall back.

[Eric the Red]

Something I stole from Red November, that no doubtedly stole from someone....

 

Go OU