Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Razorbacks must replenish adrenaline
FAYETTEVILLE — The best week after Alabama week is an open week.
Alabama’s three opponents before Arkansas can vouch for that, as could last year’s Razorbacks.
Fortunately for the Razorbacks their lone bye week is this week after losing 27-14 to Alabama’s Crimson Tide last Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Consider that until presented a patsy to pulverize — New Mexico State, 52-3 last Saturday in Oxford, Miss. — the Ole Miss Rebels haven’t been the same since their 4337 victory over Alabama on Sept. 19 in Tuscaloosa.
The following week Ole Miss led hapless Vanderbilt 20-16 with eight minutes to play in Oxford before finally prevailing 27-16.
On Oct. 3, Florida flogged Ole Miss 38-10 in Gainesville, Fla.
Meanwhile, on Sept. 26 outclassed Louisiana-Monroe did all it could defensively and trailed just 14-0 at halftime before succumbing 34-0 to Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
The next week at home, Louisiana-Monroe lost 51-31 to Georgia Southern.
Then there is Georgia. The Bulldogs, No. 7 nationally at the time and playing at home in Athens, Ga., were actually favored Oct. 3 over Alabama because of the Tide’s loss to Ole Miss. The ticked-off Tide rolled Georgia, 3810. Last Saturday, Georgia blew a 24-3 second-quarter lead while losing 38-31 at Tennessee.
Last year’s Razorbacks provide a classic example of post-Tide trauma.
Defeated 52-0, 52-0 by Nick Saban’s Tide when John L. Smith coached the Razorbacks in 2012 and in Bret Bielema’s debut season at Arkansas in 2013, last year’s Hogs outplayed Alabama most of the game in Fayetteville. Arkansas lost 14-13, ultimately on a blocked extra point.
It was a heartbreaking loss yet a heartening one. Fans and even odds makers saw such vast improvement in the Hogs that Arkansas was a fashionable pick to beat Georgia the following Saturday in Little Rock.
Georgia breezed 38-6 at half. The Hogs belatedly made it respectable, losing 45-32. But that first half reflected the typical team low ebb after high for the Tide.
It’s typical because, as Bielema remarked, Alabama is “the gold standard of the SEC.”
And whether it’s Texas football back in the Southwest Conference days, or Kentucky basketball in the SEC, or Ohio State in Big Ten football or Duke in ACC hoops, the gold standard customarily inspires top-dollar inspiration from the opponent, followed by letdown the next game.
Now sometimes the “gold standard” is just too high for the opposition to cope. But if opposition talent and confidence has drawn relatively close, like Arkansas last year and this year, you often see adrenaline pumping tooth-and-nail battles like Arkansas gave Alabama last year and last Saturday. Arkansas led 7-3 deep into last Saturday’s third quarter.
However, as Frank Broyles said during his 1958-1976 Arkansas coaching tenure, teams can max their adrenaline just a couple of times per season.
So Bielema will do all he can during this off week to replenish the adrenaline reservoir with Auburn scheduled to arrive Oct. 24 at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.