Tag Archives: national championship game

The most significant game in Arkansas razorback football history? (Part 2)

November 24, 2011 – 12:04 am

A few days ago it looked like we would not have the opportunity to play into the national championship game, but now all that has changed.

Life is funny that way sometimes. The Arkansas News Bureau reported:

“I think we’ll have the opportunity,” Bequette said. “That’s what I believe.”

All we got to do is beat LSU and keep that boot in Arkansas hands. Max Brantley of the Arkansas Times Blog rightly noted, “The Boot looms larger than ever.” (Picture below from Arkansas Times Blog)

boot.JPG

Wally Hall actually said on his radio program on Nov 22, 2011 that the Arkansas v. LSU game on Nov 25, 2011 is the most significant game in razorback history. I have to respectfully disagree. I will agree that it is in the top 5, but I will continue  my  list today of other games that were more significant.

I got this info from wikipedia about the game that sealed Arkansas’ first national championship:

5 Cotton Bowl Classic

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1965 Cotton Bowl Classic
Nebraska Cornhuskers Arkansas Razorbacks
(9-1) (10-0)
7 10
Head coach: 
Bob Devaney		 Head coach: 
Frank Broyles
AP   Coaches  
6   6  
AP   Coaches  
2   2  
  1 2 3 4 Total
Nebraska 0 7 0 0 7
Arkansas 3 0 0 7 10
 
Date January 1, 1965
Season 1964
Stadium Cotton Bowl
Location Dallas, Texas
MVP Ronnie Caveness, ArkansasFred Marshall, Arkansas
Attendance 75,000
Cotton Bowl Classic

 < 1964  1966 (Jan) > 

The 1965 Cotton Bowl Classic was a post-season college football bowl game with national championship implications[1] between the Southwest Conference champion Arkansas Razorbacks[2] and the champions of the Big 8, the Nebraska Cornhuskers.[2] Arkansas defeated Nebraska, 10-7 in front of 75,000 spectators, to win their first national title.[3][4][5]

Contents

 [hide] 

[edit] Setting

[edit] Arkansas

The Razorbacks stormed into Dallas after going 10-0 and winning the Southwest Conference.[2] The Hogs defeated #1 Texas 14-13 in Austin to clinch the bowl berth, and the conference championship. Longhorn coach Darrell Royal went for two in the game and failed, giving the game, conference, bowl bid, and later the national crown to the Razorbacks.

Razorback guard Ronnie Caveness was named an All-American. Ken Hatfield again led the nation in punt return yards, with 518. Tom McKnelly scored 45 points kicking 27 extra points and 6 field goals, which tied him with LSU’s Doug Moreau for fourth place nationally.

Arkansas had also entered the bowl season on a sour note, losing bowl games in 1961, 1962, and 1963.

[edit] Nebraska

Nebraska went 9-1, losing only a 17-7 contest to Oklahoma. The Huskers previous bowl trips were split at 2-2, with the two most recent contests being Nebraska victories.

[edit] Game summary

Arkansas and Nebraska met for the first time in this game in Dallas, Texas. Arkansas’ number-one rated defense was giving up only 5.7 points per game, where Nebraska’s #7 scoring offense was scoring 24.9 points per contest.

A standing room only crowd watched as the Hogs opened the scoring on a Tom McKnelly field goal, but the Huskers responded with a Harry Wilson punching it in from one yard out. The third quarter passed with no scoring before Arkansas quarterback Fred Marshall took over in the fourth quarter. Engineering an 80 yard drive with little time, Marshall pitched to Bobby Burnett, who scampered in from the three yard line with the game’s final touchdown.

[show]Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring Information Score
Plays Yards TOP NEB ARK
1 9:47   42 8 ARK 31-yard field goal by Tom McKnelly 0 3
2 7:45   69 10 NEB Harry Wilson 1-yard touchdown run, Duncan Drum kick good 3 7
4 4:41   80 9 ARK Bobby Burnett 3-yard touchdown run, Tom McKnelly kick good 10 7
“TOP” = Time of Possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 7 10

[edit] Aftermath

The Razorbacks were selected as national champions by the Football Writers Association of America and the Helms Athletic Foundation as the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide lost their bowl game against the Texas Longhorns in the Orange Bowl.[6][7] Because the final AP and Coaches (UPI) Polls were released before bowl games were played at the time, the Crimson Tide was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches (UPI) Polls.[8] Because of the controversy, the AP Poll decided to wait until after the bowl games to select their champion in the 1965 season.

Arkansas improved to 3-4-2 in bowls with the win, while Nebraska’s record in the postseason dropped to 2-3. Nebraska ended sixth in the AP poll, while Arkansas ended the season second despite being the only undefeated team.[9]

Jerry Jones, the Arkansas co-captain, went on to build the stadium where the Cotton Bowl Classic is now played.

Ken Hatfield of Arkansas returned to the Cotton Bowl Classic in 1989 as the Razorbacks head coach, where Arkansas was defeated by UCLA (quarterbacked by Troy Aikman whom Jones signed for the Dallas Cowboys.)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Robertson, Walter. “Porkers, Longhorns Bowling Champs.” 1/2/1965. Story. The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved on February 19, 2009.
  2. ^ a b c “Major Conference Champions.” 1964 SWC Champions. Infoplease.com. Retrieved on July 13, 2008.
  3. ^ “2009 AT&T Cotton Bowl-Past Classics.” History. The official site of the 2009 Cotton Bowl Classic. Retrieved on February 19, 2009
  4. ^ “Arkansas 10, Nebraska 7.” Summary. Retrieved on February 19, 2009.
  5. ^ “1964 College Football Recap.” Arkansas- 1964 National Champions. Infoplease.com. Retrieved on February 19, 2008.
  6. ^ “All-Time Grantland Rice Trophy Winners”. Football Writers Association of America. http://www.sportswriters.net/fwaa/awards/rice/winners/index.html. Retrieved 2007-12-31. 
  7. ^ Kirlin, Bob. “Helms Athletic Foundation/Bill Schroeder National Champions of College Football 1883-1982”. http://homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~dwilson/rsfc/history/helms.html. Retrieved 2007-12-31. 
  8. ^ Kirlin, Bob. “Coaches’ polls (UPI 1950-1990, CNN/USA Today 1991-present)”. http://homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~dwilson/rsfc/history/CoachPolls.txt. Retrieved 2007-12-31. 
  9. ^ “Final AP Top 10.” 1964 AP Poll. Infoplease.com. Retrieved on July 11, 2008.
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This story below is from a LSU fan evidently:

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

The LSU Tigers and Arkansas Razorbacks battle it out Friday for the SEC West and a national championship bid, and it features the most interesting matchups of the year.

I’ve been saying it all season that I could not wait to see LSU’s amazing secondary going against the best wide receiving corps in college football, and here it is.

It’s going to be fantastic, and even though the Tigers’ defense looks nearly invincible, the Hogs possess enough talent on offense to put points on the board.

For those who complained about the defensive struggle between LSU and the Alabama Crimson Tide on Nov. 5, this game will be more pleasing to you.

The road to the BCS Championship Game has been full of unexpected turns and thrilling football games.

It’s only fitting that it comes down to this Friday’s top-three matchup between two of the best teams in the nation. Here are the five matchups that will decide Friday’s outcome.

Related posts:

The most significant game in Arkansas razorback football history?

Wally Hall actually said on his radio program on Nov 22, 2011 that the Arkansas v. LSU game on Nov 25, 2011 is the most significant game in razorback history. I have to respectfully disagree. I will agree that it is in the top 5, but I will start a  list today of other games […]

Reading Louisiana newspapers makes me mad

Reading Louisiana newspapers makes me mad and this video doesn’t make me any happier. LSU says past 11 wins prepared them for Arkansas LSU coach Les Miles yells out to receiver Kadron Boone (86) during the first half of its game against Ole Miss Saturday in Oxford, Miss. Brett Martel The Associated Press Published: Tuesday, […]

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Video and story on Iowa St victory over Oklahoma State

Several pieces of the puzzle have to come together for Arkansas to have a chance at the national title. This was a big piece!!! Mark Schlabach of ESPN wrote this article below: AMES, Iowa — So what happens now? We’ve spent the past few weeks wondering what would happen to the BCS national championship race […]

Razorbacks’ road to national championship just got more simple

[+] Enlarge Before the BCS standings came out yesterday, it was the common belief that the Arkansas Razorbacks were possibly going to finish 11-1 and miss out on a BCS bowl, but now that has all changed. Arkansas is sitting pretty at number 3 and I no longer hope Auburn beats Alabama so we can […]

Mangino speaks at Little Rock Touchdown Club (Part 2)

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Photo by Stephen B. Thornton I saw him play for Catholic against Bryant and I saw him run out on the field just yesterday, but he was found dead this morning in Fayetteville. The Arkansas News Bureau noted: I am proud of the way he represented our program,” Petrino said. “He did everything right and had […]

Johnny Majors speaks at Little Rock Touchdown Club (Part 12)jh80

Uploaded by TheMemphisSlim on Sep 3, 2010 Johnny Majors from Huntland, TN tried out for the UT Football team weighing 150 pounds. His Father, Shirley Majors his HS Coach,encourage him and then 4 younger brothers all to be Vols. Johnny Majors was the runner-up in 1956 for the Heisman Trophy to Paul Horning, on a loosing Notre Dame […]

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Also tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Reading Louisiana newspapers makes me mad

November 22, 2011 – 4:03 pm

Reading Louisiana newspapers makes me mad and this video doesn’t make me any happier.

LSU says past 11 wins prepared them for Arkansas

LSU coach Les Miles yells out to receiver Kadron Boone (86) during the first half of its game against Ole Miss Saturday in Oxford, Miss.

Brett Martel
The Associated Press
Published: Tuesday, November 22, 2011 at 9:32 a.m.

BATON ROUGE — LSU cornerback Ron Brooks is aware that those who delight in BCS chaos are fantasizing about an Arkansas upset of the top-ranked Tigers on Friday.

Such chatter means little to him, though.

“We don’t live in a fantasy world,” Brooks said. “We live in the real world and we don’t focus on what-ifs and possibilities and what could be.”

While the unbeaten Tigers are showing no lack of respect for an Arkansas squad that has climbed to No. 3 in the national rankings, they’re also expressing supreme confidence in their ability to handle their high-stakes clash with the Razorbacks in the same way they’ve handled every other game this season.

“We all have just one goal: Get to the national championship. And we don’t think anything can stop us from doing that but ourselves,” LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers said.

If LSU were to lose, it would become one of a half-dozen or so one-loss teams hoping to find a way into the BCS national championship game in New Orleans on Jan. 9.

Adding to the intrigue of the latest matchup is the fact that LSU has struggled against Arkansas in recent years, losing to the Razorbacks in three of the last four meetings, including a triple-overtime setback in 2007, when the Tigers were on their way to their last national title.

Yet, the 2011 LSU team has been on a historic run of dominance. Not only are the Tigers 11-0 for the first time since 1958, but they’ve also won 10 games by double-digit margins.

Throw out LSU’s 9-6 overtime triumph at Alabama earlier this month, and the Tigers’ average margin of victory in their other 10 games is 30.4 points. That includes a 13-point victory over Oregon on a neutral field (Dallas) and a 26-point victory at West Virginia.

“We play the style of football that, if we do what we are capable (of), it makes it very difficult on our opponents,” coach Les Miles said. “We move the ball efficiently without turnovers. Our defense does not allow an opponent to go down the field routinely. They get turnovers. … It does not surprise me that we have been able to have success.”

LSU has won its home games by an average of 34.4 points this season, and its overall winning streak in Death Valley stands at 16 games, dating to the middle of the 2009 season.

That might explain why the Tigers do not seem all that nervous about the prospect of hosting the third-ranked team in the nation.

“We’ve played Top 5 teams, Top 15 teams, it doesn’t matter,” LSU offensive guard Will Blackwell said. “Regardless of whether (Arkansas) was ranked No. 3 or No. 100, it would still mean the same.

“We’ve got some tough games left ahead of us, but we’ve played a lot of tough games this season and I feel like we’re prepared to take on that challenge, mentally.”

Oddsmakers seem to agree, having listed LSU as two-touchdown favorites.

Arkansas’ path to 10-1 has been a little shaky at times, particularly away from home.

The Razorbacks had to rally from a 10-point halftime deficit to win by five at Mississippi, where LSU had a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and won by 49. Arkansas also had to come back against a 5-6 Vanderbilt squad and narrowly beat Texas A&M, 42-38, in a neutral-site contest in Dallas. Arkansas’ lone loss at Alabama was by more than three touchdowns, but that was back in September, and the Razorbacks say they’ve improved since then.

“A lot of people wrote us off there after the ‘Bama game,” Arkansas defensive end Jake Bequette said. “We had some ugly wins afterward, but we’re playing well right now and we’re going to stay focused and try to get one more.”

LSU has only trailed in parts of two games, fewer than 20 minutes combined all season. LSU’s victory over the Crimson Tide, in which they trailed 6-3 for the first 47 seconds of the final period, is the only triumph that would qualify as a fourth-quarter comeback.

For the overwhelming majority of the season, LSU has led, and by a lot.

The Tigers often talk about being “a dominant team.” Brockers said he does not believe LSU players are cocky, but know they have a lot of talent and high expectations.

“I feel like dominance is more of confidence,” Brockers began, “confident in what you’re doing, confident in playing fast and confident in you knowing that you’re better than the guy on the other side of the ball.”

Notes

LSU CB Morris Claiborne, who leads LSU with four interceptions, has been named one of three finalists for the Jim Thorpe award, given to the top defensive back in college football. … Tigers CB Tyrann Mathieu, who has four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions, has been named one of three finalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which goes to college football’s most outstanding defensive player.

Copyright © 2011 HoumaToday.com — All rights reserved. Restricted use only.

Tyler Wilson

 

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Also tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Video and story on Iowa St victory over Oklahoma State

November 21, 2011 – 8:43 am

Several pieces of the puzzle have to come together for Arkansas to have a chance at the national title. This was a big piece!!!

Mark Schlabach of ESPN wrote this article below:

AMES, Iowa — So what happens now?

We’ve spent the past few weeks wondering what would happen to the BCS national championship race if No. 2 Oklahoma State lost to No. 5 Oklahoma in the Dec. 3 Bedlam game in Stillwater, Okla.

[+] EnlargeIowa State celebrating

AP Photo/Charlie NeibergallIowa State notched its biggest win in program history Friday night.

We’ve pondered what would happen if No. 1 LSU lost to No. 6 Arkansas in Baton Rouge, La., on the day after Thanksgiving, or maybe even against No. 14 Georgia a week later in the SEC championship game.

If the Cowboys lost to the Sooners, which they’d done in each of the past eight seasons, would No. 3 Alabama play LSU again in the Jan. 9 Allstate BCS National Championship Game?

If not Alabama, then what about No. 4 Oregon? The Ducks lost to the Tigers 40-27 in their Sept. 3 season opener and haven’t lost since.

Or, even better, what would happen if LSU and Oklahoma State both lost?

Well, let the debate begin.

Somehow, Bedlam arrived two weeks early, and it was delivered by the most unlikely of teams. Iowa State, which had been 0-56-2 against opponents ranked in the top six of the Associated Press top 25 poll since 1936, stunned the No. 2 Cowboys 37-31 in double overtime at Jack Trice Stadium.

The Cowboys, who only had to win at Iowa State and then beat Oklahoma at home to punch their tickets to the BCS title game, had a chance to defeat the Cyclones in regulation. But after OSU intercepted a tipped pass at the Iowa State 29 with the score tied at 24 with 3:16 to play, Cowboys kicker Quinn Sharp narrowly missed a 37-yard field goal wide right with 1:17 to go.

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After the teams traded touchdowns in the first overtime, the Cyclones intercepted Heisman Trophy candidate Brandon Weeden for the third time on the first play of the second overtime. Three plays later, Iowa State running back Jeff Woody plowed into the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown, giving the Cyclones their biggest win in school history.

“Once I got in the end zone, I realized the enormity of what happened,” Woody said. “Senior night. Friday night on ESPN; only show in town. We’re 0-for-history [against top-six teams]. We need a sixth win to go bowling, and on ESPN.com they say we’ve got a 12 percent chance of playing in a bowl. All those things combined together create the perfect storm.”

On a cold night in America’s heartland, the Cyclones turned the BCS race into an absolute mess.

“We knew when we got on the field, it was our time,” said Iowa State quarterback Jared Barnett, who completed 31 of 58 passes for 376 yards with three touchdowns, while running 14 times for 84 yards. “It was our time to shock the world.”

It was a nightmare for the Cowboys, who might have been playing with heavy hearts after OSU women’s basketball coach Kurt Budke, assistant Miranda Serna and two others were killed in a plane crash Thursday. The Pokes committed a season-high five turnovers against Iowa State.

[+] EnlargeBrandon Weeden

AP Photo/Charlie NeibergallHeisman candidate Brandon Weeden threw three costly picks in the loss.

“Obviously, it’s a real tough loss for our team, and I hated it for the guys,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said. “But it’s real simple: If you lose the turnover battle in such a big fashion, it’s definitely difficult to win games, especially on the road. We had five turnovers. And with five turnovers, it’s quite difficult to overcome.”

Weeden didn’t labor through the game, completing 42 of 58 passes for 476 yards with three touchdowns, but his three interceptions were costly. Running back Joseph Randle lost two fumbles, and the Cowboys failed to cover an onside kick in the third quarter.

“They’re just mental errors,” OSU receiver Tracy Moore said. “Fumbles aren’t something Joe does and throwing picks isn’t like Brandon. You can blame it on the weather, but that’s not what we do. I don’t expect it to happen in the next game. Those are the things that happened just in this game and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

With two more weeks to play in college football’s regular season, the Cowboys might not be entirely out of the BCS championship race. But their loss at Iowa State certainly pushes them to the back of the line.

As many as five teams — LSU, Alabama, Oregon, Oklahoma and Arkansas — could end up being in the mix to play in New Orleans. The Tigers still have to play at Ole Miss on Saturday, host Arkansas next week and then play in the SEC championship game if they win the first two. Alabama plays FCS foe Georgia Southern at home Saturday and at No. 24 Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Nov. 26, which is never a given regardless of the teams’ records.

The Ducks might be tested by USC at home on Saturday night and then host rival Oregon State in the Nov. 26 Civil War. Oklahoma still has three games to play — at No. 22 Baylor on Saturday, home against suddenly dangerous Iowa State next week and then at Oklahoma State.

The Razorbacks host Mississippi State on Saturday before playing at LSU next week.

With so many games left to be played, there’s still a lot left to shake out.

But there’s little doubt the Cyclones mucked it up pretty good on Friday night.

“We know this isn’t the end of the road,” Iowa State receiver Darius Darks said. “It didn’t surprise us.”

Hang on. College football might have plenty of more surprises in store for us.

Mark Schlabach covers college sports for ESPN.com. You can contact him at schlabachma@yahoo.com.

Follow Mark Schlabach on Twitter: @Mark_Schlabach

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Also tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Razorbacks’ road to national championship just got more simple

November 21, 2011 – 7:52 am

[+] EnlargeTyler Wilson

Before the BCS standings came out yesterday, it was the common belief that the Arkansas Razorbacks were possibly going to finish 11-1 and miss out on a BCS bowl, but now that has all changed. Arkansas is sitting pretty at number 3 and I no longer hope Auburn beats Alabama so we can get into the SEC Championship game. ALL WE HAVE TO DO NOW IS BEAT LSU AND WAIT TO BE INVITED TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.

That means instead of beating two great teams (LSU and Georgia), we just got a bye if we beat LSU and Alabama has to go face Georgia!!!!

Life is funny that way sometimes. The Arkansas News Bureau reported:

“I think we’ll have the opportunity,” Bequette said. “That’s what I believe.”

All we got to do is beat LSU and keep that boot in Arkansas hands. Max Brantley of the Arkansas Times Blog rightly noted, “The Boot looms larger than ever.” (Picture below from Arkansas Times Blog)

boot.JPG

Below is an article from Arkansas 360.

11/20/2011 at 8:54pm

Arkansas’ approach to climbing in the BCS Standings has paid off.

Rather than politick or complain, the Razorbacks just talked about the importance of winning and letting the rankings “take care of themselves.” Now they sit at No. 3 with an opportunity to play No. 1 LSU on Friday for a shot at the BCS national title.

Of course the Razorbacks had help to go along with their seventh consecutive victory, a 44-17 demolition of Mississippi State.

A wild weekend of upsets in college football, including Iowa State over Oklahoma State, USC over Oregon and Baylor over Oklahoma, helped the Razorbacks climbed three spots.

This is the highest ranking for Arkansas since Jan. 4, 1978.

Joining the Razorbacks in the Top 3 are the Tigers and No. 2 Alabama. All three aren’t just members of the SEC, they’re all in the SEC West Division.

BCS Top 10
1. LSU (11-0)
2. Alabama (10-1)
3. Arkansas (10-1)
4. Okla. State (10-1)
5. Virginia Tech (10-1)
6. Stanford (10-1)
7. Boise State (9-1)
8. Houston (11-0)
9. Oklahoma (8-2)
10. Oregon (9-2)

______________________

Update: I just checked Tolbert out and here is what he had to say:

As I see it, there are three possible ways Arkansas could end up playing in New Orleans on January 9 and much of it depends on Alabama.

  1. Auburn beats Alabama – By far, the clearest path for Arkansas is for Auburn to help us out by beating Alabama when they meet in Auburn on Saturday.  This – along with Arkansas beating LSU – would likely put Arkansas at the top of the polls in the SEC Championship game against Georgia.  Then, if Arkansas beats Georgia, they will play for the National Championship.
  2. Alabama beats Auburn, but loses to Georgia – If Alabama and Arkansas both win, there will be a three-way tie. It could go several ways, but most likely this would mean Alabama would play Georgia in the SEC Championship Game.  However, Georgia is one of the most improved teams in the country.  After losing their first two games, they won their next nine straight. If Georgia pulls an upset here, Arkansas could go to the title game.
  3. Alabama beats Alabama and Georgia – There is still a good chance Arkansas could play for the National Championship even if Alabama wins out.  Of course, Alabama would go but we could be their opponent in an all-SEC title game.  To do this Arkansas will need to overcome a couple of biases.  Voters in the polls which factor into BCS rankings do not like to see a non-conference winner in the title game nor do they like to see two teams from the same conference.  The best case Arkansas can make to overcome these biases is to not only beat LSU on Friday, but to win big.
By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Also tagged , , , | Comments (0)

SEC week 12: SEC dominates BCS, Vandy gets ripped off by refs

November 20, 2011 – 5:35 pm
By Chris Low
As it turns out, the weekend was a productive one for the SEC, even if there were more than a few shaky performances around the league against lesser opponents.Here’s a look at what we learned in Week 12:1. BCS takes on SEC flavor: Brad Edwards, ESPN’s BCS standings guru, is projecting that the top three teams in the newest BCS standings that come out Sunday night will be No. 1 LSU, No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Arkansas. In other words, it might as well be an SEC world. The losses over the weekend by Oklahoma State, Oregon and Oklahoma cleared the path more than ever for two SEC teams to meet in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game and extend the league’s streak to six straight national titles. And at this point, it’s just about impossible to come up with a scenario that doesn’t include at least one SEC team in the national title game when you look at the entire BCS picture after this weekend. LSU obviously controls its own destiny. But, really, so does Alabama. In fact, if the Crimson Tide can win comfortably over Auburn next Saturday, they might be in the best shape of anybody, especially if LSU wins Friday over Arkansas. That’s because Alabama would just about be a lock at that point for one of the top two spots in the final BCS standings and wouldn’t have to risk anything in the SEC championship game. Yes, it sounds crazy, but that’s the way it looks right now. As for Arkansas, the Hogs are going to have a difficult time making it to the SEC championship game unless Alabama loses to Auburn or looks shaky in winning over Auburn and drops in the polls. Even so, Arkansas could also settle into that No. 2 spot in the final BCS standings just by winning at LSU next Friday and not going to the SEC championship game. The only team really lurking at this point that could possibly break up the SEC stranglehold is Oklahoma State. The Cowboys are strong in the computers, but they also still have to play Oklahoma on Dec. 3. It was a wild weekend, for sure, but the jockeying these last two weeks could be even wilder.

[+] EnlargeTyler Wilson

AP Photo/Danny JohnstonTyler Wilson continues to spread the ball around as eight different players caught passes on Saturday.

2. Arkansas is on top of its game: For the third straight week, Arkansas blew out an opponent, which suggests that the Hogs are as ready as they’ll ever be to go into Baton Rouge next week and take down No. 1 LSU. Junior quarterback Tyler Wilson is spreading the football around, and Jarius Wright and Joe Adams are the kind of game-breakers who can soften up any defense. The Hogs have been outstanding in special teams and are playing more consistently on defense. This is also a different team than the one that was battered 38-14 at Alabama back in September. For one, the Hogs are healthier. Senior defensive end Jake Bequette is back in the lineup and playing great. He didn’t play at all against Alabama with a hamstring injury. Senior defensive end Tenarius Wright is also back after breaking his arm in the Alabama game, while junior running back Dennis Johnson has added a different dimension to the running game after being slowed by hamstring problems to open the season. What the Hogs still have to prove is that they can win a big game on the road. Take a look at their home performances this season, and take a look at their performances away from home. There’s been a noticeable difference.

3. Vanderbilt is still Vanderbilt: There’s no need to take offense, Vanderbilt fans. We’re not talking about the way the Commodores play, because they’ve come miles under first-year coach James Franklin. We’re talking about all the screwy calls that have seemed to go against Vanderbilt over the years. There’s another one to add to the vault after Saturday’s 27-21 loss to Tennessee in overtime, although Vanderbilt was its own worst enemy in a lot of ways. The Commodores threw three costly interceptions and committed a horrid clipping penalty that nullified a pass play down to the Tennessee 1-yard line. But the officials’ gaffe in overtime was the clincher. An official blew Eric Gordon’s interception return for a touchdown dead because he incorrectly thought that Gordon’s knee had touched the ground. By rule, the play is not reviewable, according to SEC coordinator of officials Steve Shaw, because a whistle was blown. The Vols should have been given the ball at the 25 for their possession in overtime. But Gordon continued running for a 90-yard touchdown on the play. The officials did allow it to go to the booth for a review, and the call on the field was overturned, giving the Vols the winning touchdown and adding to the Commodores’ misery of late calls that haven’t gone their way.

_________________

Here is another article on the bad call at the Vandy/Vol game:

SEC coordinator of officials: Crew blew call twice in Vols victory

By Andrew Gribble

Originally published 09:35 a.m., November 20, 2011
Updated 06:49 p.m., November 20, 2011

For Tennessee to survive a blown call at the end of Saturday’s 27-21 victory over Vanderbilt, the officiating crew made it right by bypassing proper protocol.

SEC coordinator of officials Steve Shaw released a statement early Sunday morning detailing how the crew erred on multiple occasions during the game’s final, hectic moment.

“On the last play of the Vanderbilt-Tennessee game, in overtime, the Tennessee defender intercepted the pass, his knee did not touch the ground and he returned the interception for a touchdown,” Shaw wrote of Eric Gordon’s game-winning, 90-yard interception return for a touchdown. “During the play, the head linesman incorrectly ruled that the Tennessee player’s knee was down when he intercepted the pass by blowing his whistle and giving the dead ball signal. The play was reviewed as if there was no whistle on the field and as a result, overturned the incorrect ruling.

“By rule, if there was a whistle blown, the play is not reviewable.”

But it was, and UT (5-6, 1-6 SEC) escaped with its first SEC win of the season and its 28th win in the past 29 meetings against the Commodores (5-6, 2-6).

“He made a huge play and it was really exciting and then it almost got ripped out,” UT coach Derek Dooley said. “But you know what, maybe the ole luck has turned on Tennessee.”

Though he was irate on the field, Vanderbilt coach James Franklin was calm and even-keeled when detailing his side of the story shortly after the game.

“They blew the play dead,” Franklin said. “They blew him down, but they explained to me again why you can do that and it still counts.

“They explained every call on the sideline and I didn’t have my rulebook. They explained it very well. (The referees) were very pleasant when they explained them.”

 James Franklin – Tennessee 27, Vanderbilt 21 (Nov. 19, 2011)

Uploaded by on Nov 19, 2011

http://vucommodores.com – Vanderbilt football Head Coach James Franklin addresses the media following the Commodores’ 27-21 loss to Tennessee at Neyland Stadium on Nov. 19, 2011.

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Also tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Arkansas fans pull against Alabama every week for chance to get back into SEC West race jh40

October 24, 2011 – 9:43 pm

Alabama wide receiver Marquis Maze (4) is brought down by Tennessee defensive back Brian Randolph (37) after a catch in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011, in Tuscaloosa Ala. (AP Photo/John Bazmore)

Alabama wide receiver Marquis Maze (4) is brought down by Tennessee defensive back Brian Randolph (37) after a catch in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011, in Tuscaloosa Ala. (AP Photo/John Bazmore)

I really was pulling for Tennessee last week. When I heard the score was 6 to 6 at halftime, I became the biggest Big Orange fan of all-time.  I know that Alabama needs to lose for Arkansas to get back in the SEC West title race. Harry King hopes that Arkansas can take care of business and get to the 10-1 record which would possibly make the Arkansas at LSU game very important. (King pointed out we probably would not win a tie-breaker.)Most people have said that no team except Alabama and LSU has a chance to win it all this year. I do mean win it all. If you win the SEC the last 5 years then you naturally will play in the National Championship game and will win it too.

Trent Richardson and Alabama will try and run away from LSU in the game of year on Nov. 5.

Will history repeat itself this year? We will see. I am shocked that Arkansas went backwards in the BCS after the road victory at Ole Miss. Arkansas was jumped by Kansas State and Oregon this week in the BCS.

BCS

HarrisUSATodayComputerBCS
Rank Team Record Rank Pts % Rank Pts % Avg Avg Last Week
1. LSU 8-0 1 2854 .9927 1 1457 .9878 .930 .9702 1
2. Alabama 8-0 2 2777 .9659 2 1434 .9722 .950 .9627 2
3. Oklahoma St. 7-0 3 2559 .8901 4 1301 .8820 1.000 .9240 4
4. Boise St. 7-0 5 2410 .8383 5 1213 .8224 .830 .8302 5
5. Clemson 8-0 6 2346 .8160 6 1174 .7959 .860 .8240 7
6. Stanford 7-0 4 2523 .8776 3 1327 .8997 .660 .8124 8
7. Oregon 6-1 7 2136 .7430 7 1121 .7600 .560 .6877 10
8. Kansas St. 7-0 10 1764 .6136 12 827 .5607 .830 .6681 11
9. Oklahoma 6-1 8 1866 .6490 9 964 .6536 .690 .6642 3
10. Arkansas 6-1 9 1851 .6438 8 974 .6603 .670 .6581 9
11. Michigan St. 6-1 11 1760 .6122 10 932 .6319 .370 .5380 16
12. Virginia Tech 7-1 15 1343 .4671 15 729 .4942 .640 .5338 12
13. South Carolina 6-1 14 1378 .4793 14 730 .4949 .530 .5014 14
14. Nebraska 6-1 13 1508 .5245 13 798 .5410 .250 .4385 13
15. Wisconsin 6-1 12 1731 .6021 11 867 .5878 .110 .4333 6
16. Texas A&M 5-2 17 1040 .3617 16 520 .3525 .570 .4281 17
17. Houston 7-0 18 975 .3391 18 507 .3437 .420 .3676 19
18. Michigan 6-1 16 1072 .3729 17 519 .3519 .300 .3416 18
19. Penn St. 7-1 19 769 .2675 19 448 .3037 .350 .3071 21
20. Texas Tech 5-2 21 407 .1416 22 180 .1220 .340 .2012 NR
21. Arizona St. 5-2 20 542 .1885 20 253 .1715 .130 .1633 NR
22. Georgia 5-2 22 337 .1172 21 208 .1410 .220 .1594 NR
23. Auburn 5-3 30 60 .0209 38 3 .0020 .370 .1310 20
24. Texas 4-2 25 152 .0529 26 49 .0332 .270 .1187 24
25. West Virginia 5-2 23 330 .1148 24 155 .1051 .000 .0733 15
Others Receiving Votes:
Tennessee quarterback Matt Simms (12) drops back to pass against Alabama during the first half of a NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)Tennessee quarterback Matt Simms (12) drops back to pass against Alabama during the first half of a NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Also tagged , , | Comments (0)