SEC Power Poll: Week 2

I (obviously) haven’t seen how the Hogs will hold up against a SEC team or even anything near a FBS team, but I would imagine by the way Georgia has been playing that we will be able to pull off that game.

In Georgia’s last game, you wouldn’t know it by the final score but they were beat by South Carolina outright on paper.

I suppose my post is going to sound more like ‘Dispatches from the Enemy’, maybe rightfully so! But I want to make the argument why I believe the Razorbacks should be sitting at the number 5 seat in the SEC.

Arkansas has had two weeks to prepare for a rebounding Bulldog team. We have had the chance to really study Junior Linebacker Rennie Curran’s ability to be " In the Right Place at the Right Time". Curran tied a career high with 15 tackles against South Carolina and saved the game for the Bulldogs in the final seconds by tipping away Stephen Garcia’s fourth-down pass at the goal line.

Arkansas has also had time to prepare for Brandon Boykin the Sophomore Cornerback who had 187 kickoff return yards against South Carolina, the second most ever for Georgia. His 100-yard return for a touchdown set a school record and he also had a 48-yard return that set up the Bulldogs’ second touchdown.

The good thing about Boykin is that (with the exceptions of Reggie Fish and Jarius Wright) our receivers are much taller than the 5’10" Boykin who’s interception in the second quarter against SC led to a field goal. I’m guessing Boykin won’t get a pick vs Arkansas.

Now the Georgia O-line is impressive too. Junior 304lbs O-tackle Chris Boling had 10 knockdown blocks. Which certainly doesn’t hurt the running game. And we all know the running game opens the passing game. If Arkansas can’t get pressure on Joe Cox, then he’ll easily put points on the board. Going into the South Carolina game Cox had had an injured shoulder. You wouldn’t have known it by the way he played. I expect he’ll be still be 100% going in to Fayetteville which should mean getting pressure on him should be the defenses top priority. I think our offense will win the game, I just hope our defense can hold them for a quarter or two.

And that is why I believe we should be the number 5 seat in the SEC. Of course we haven’t played any FBS or Conference teams. Not to mention that by week 2, we’re only now starting to see just how good everyone is. It won’t be until week 5 that we really be able to put an educated guess as to the rankings in the SEC. I may be daft, but I’ll put my Petrino led Hogs against the Bulldogs even this early in the season.

I sure hope you are right, Ron. I went from Georgia scares me to they don’t scare me that much after OSU beat them, and then back to they scare me after the South Carolina game. I was hoping their offense might always be a ten point affair, I guess. As others have pointed out, our special teams play or lack there of could very well kill us vs. Georgia. I hope John L. Smith earns his paycheck this week!

I would prefer we earn our spot on the power poll rather than think about where we “deserve” to be based on limited evidence. There’s no reason we should be above Georgia, at this point. Hopefully, after Saturday, there will be a reason why we should be above them.

Kevin. It sure would be nice if Dennis Johnson could return another one for six. But you’re absolutely right. Alex Tejada has to be right on, which he was against Whoever-State. We’ll see just how he’ll do under some real pressure.

I see the hog backfield ripping off big yards against Georgia (Knile Davis, Wingo, Smith, and possibly Green). Then, Mallet begins to thread the needle. The defense gets nasty not wanting to be left out.