No One Wants To Mount Cody: The Arkansas - Alabama Preview

Arkansas 2-0 vs. Alabama 3-0
Kickoff: 11:30 am CST
Odds: Alabama favored by 9
TV: Raycom Sports


Oh, that's his nickname? I thought that's what Terrence Cody's homeboys wanted to do to him. Everything makes more sense now.
I am, of course, referring to Alabama's one big, scary looking dude of a noseguard by the name of Terrence Cody, also known as "Mount Cody" because of his excessive hugeness. His Enormousness is about seven-feet, six inches tall, weighs 600 pounds, and still runs a 4.6 40 according to many Alabama bloggers who know way more than me about this beast of a lineman.




(Can you guess which one plays noseguard for the Bammer defensive line and which one would eat the defensive line? Think carefully before answering.)



There seems to be a lot being made of the monster in the middle of this Alabama book. Apparently, Clemson and Tulane and Western Kentucky struggled trying to run up the middle past the 800 pounder who bench presses Ford 350s.

I guess it's a good thing we are not predominantly a running team anymore, though I wouldn't be surprised to see Michael Smith break free for some yardage tomorrow around the ends.

But, if we do pound a few up the middle, don't forget that we have the best center in the history of football - Jonathan Luigs. Luigs, who is the current Rimington award winner for the best center in college football, will have his hands full with the 900 pounder. It's not too often that your "featured matchup" is a center vs. a noseguard, but that's what a lot of writers have seemed to focus on the past few days.

Let's not forget about the other players including the two QBs. Bama's Sarah Jessica Parker Wilson is off to a solid start this season with four TD passes and only one pick through three games to go along with his 62 percent completion figure.

Casey Dick, on the other hand, is averaging over 300 yards per game passing and completing his passes also at a 62 percent clip with four TDs and one interception. Last year at this time, did you ever imagine the words 300 yards passing and Casey Dick would be included in the same sentence together?



(Sarah Jessica Parker Wilson is in his 14th season quarterbacking the Crimson Tide and has never looked better.)



The Bama RB duo of Coffee and Ingram have combined for 455 yards on the ground, while Arkansas' Michael Smith has 156 yards in his only appearance so far this season against UL-Monroe.




Oh, and don't forget about the matchup between two of the most vilified coaches in the history of college football - Darth Saban and Bobby Petrino. The defensive genius and the offensive guru have taken their share of critisism for bailing on their pro franchises to jump ship back to the college game.










The Final Analysis:
I'm sticking with my original pre-season prediction as I like the Hogs to throw for over 300 yards again and win going away in Fayetteville 47-21. Roll Hogs Roll.

Arkansas Ninja: Alabama Week

Like the ninja that I am, I slipped in and out (that's what she said) of enemy territory to see what the Bammers and Bammer bloggers were talking about as they prepared for their undefeated season to come crashing to an end this Saturday at the hands of the Razorbacks. Most don't seem too worried...




Eight in the Box doesn't like Arkansas one bit... not even a little.

Uncle Rico's Time Machine takes a different approach and chooses to Love Thine Enemy...

The Capstone Report breaks down the matchup of Saban vs. Petrino...

At Roll Bama Roll, the few predictions on there so far are not even close scores...

Third Saturday in Blogtober takes the Tide in a win over the Hogs while making a few Casey Dick jokes and talking about Mt. Cody's gravitational pull...

Tomorrow: The Arkansas-Alabama Preview

The Hog Tale Interviews Nick Saban

As was fairly customary last season in The Hog Tale, we would always track down the opposing coach for a quick satellite interview about the week's game. Coach Saban was tough to track down because of where he is, but thankfully he took some time out of his extremely busy schedule to answer a few questions.

That doesn't look like Tuscaloosa in the background. Are you even in Alabama prepping your team for Arkansas this weekend?

Why are you in Iraq instead of coaching your team in practice this week?

Why are you picking on your quarterback? John Parker seems to really be a leader in this his 15th year at Alabama.

Wait, now you're getting political by taking a shot at Barack Obama. Would you care to tell us who you're voting for come November?

Good luck in November. Let's get back to Saturday. Assuming you are done cutting down terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan and you make it back to Arkansas in time for the game, what is your game plan against Coach Petrino and Arkansas.

So, you are basically predicting that you will out coach Bobby Petrino and that is how Alabama will dominate Arkansas on Saturday morning?

What happened to the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan? It now looks like you are in front of an ocean.

Thanks for the time, Coach. And, to quote the title of Joe Namath's favorite movie of all-time, I say "Bring It."

The Saban Speaks

(genius cover courtesy of Gump4Heisman)


I took in Alabama coach/demi-god Nick Saban's inverview on ESPN radio this afternoon as Van Pelt and Herbstreit peppered him. I was sorely disappointed. All I got was (loosely quoting) "Arkansas is the best team we've played so far" and a bunch of gibberish about his team needing a better turnover ratio and more explosive offensive plays. He and his staff also harp on the team about playing with consistency and finishing. Weak.

Where were the "Petrino is a football intellectual child compared to me, aight?" quotes, and the ones about how Bama is going to roll into Arkansas and roll Tide right over the hugely overmatched Razorbacks? His interview was terrible at best, aight?

It gave me no fuel for the fire that will surely be burning in the pits of Razorback fans everywhere come Saturday morning. I have a feeling that The Hog Tale's interview with Darth Saban will be much more interesting later in the week.

Same Story, New League

Couldn't stop them last year, can't stop them this year. The dynamic duo of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones is already wrecking havoc on the NFL just two weeks into the season. D-Mac is off to a better start than Adrian Peterson after two games and Felix the cat went off for 247 return yards last night in Big D in front of a prime time audience. Hopefully all the haters who thought the Raiders should have taken Glen Dorsey instead of D-Mac, and the Cowboys didn't need a "complimentary running back" will shut their traps now. Hats off to Fred and Barney so far...














D-Mac with his first NFL touchdown against the lowly Chiefs. Bring dat wood!


















I'm a Cowboy hater by heart, but I couldn't help hoping Felix would break every return for a touchdown just like this one. Poor, slow, white David Akers...

Stupid Hurricane Ike

(Hurricane Ike became #1 on the list of Ikes that like to batter and smack things around supplanting the long time champion Ike Turner)


As you all know by now, stupid Hurricane Ike ruined what would have been a total Razorback thrashing of Texas. Now, instead of 3-0, the Hogs will have to settle for their current 2-0 record heading into the total domination of a highly overated Alabama team this Saturday. More on the SEC opener for both schools coming this week.

This Day in Arkansas-Texas Revisionist History: 1987

1987's classic matchup at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock featured a 4-1 Arkansas team taking on a 2-3 Texas team that was limping into the game with some wounded pride.

Texas QB Bret Stafford had completed a mere one touchdown pass on the season to go along with 10 interceptions and would be squaring off against an Arkansas team led by freshman sensation Quinn Grovey and junior running back James Rouse.

Arkansas would jump to a 14-7 halftime lead and would hold onto that lead late into the game as Texas still trailed 14-10 with only 1:48 remaining. With one time out remaining, the Horns took over on their own 44 yard line with one last chance to steal a win in Little Rock.

Stafford made a great throw to keep the drive alive on a crucial 4th and 10 from the Hogs 32 when he found Eric Metcalf for a first down. Texas' Coach David McWilliams burned their final timeout with four seconds remaining and the ball on the Arkansas 14 yard line. During the timeout, Stafford told Coach McWilliams that he could find Anthony Jones on a seam pattern if he could look off safety Steve Atwater first.

On the ensuing play, Stafford's prediction came true and he found Tony Jones underneath the backed up Razorback safeties for an apparent touchdown. What he didn't count on was the vicious hits from Atwater and Anthony Cooney. The pair blew up Tony Jones so hard that it jarred the ball loose and ripped Jones’ torso apart from his legs. As Jones’ legs lay squirming in the end zone next to the incompleted football, the Razorbacks celebrated and let out a collective sigh of relief.

Jones’ legs would later be re-attached thanks to the miraculous surgeons at a Little Rock hospital, and he would go on to an outstanding receiving career at UT.

Tomorrow: The Arkansas - Texas Preview