NO. 1 ALABAMA (6-0, 3-0 SEC) VS. ARKANSAS (2-3, 0-2)
7:15 p.m. › Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. ESPN & 97.3/99.3 FM
THE MATCHUP
Alabama won last year’s matchup 49-30 despite allowing 400 passing yards to Arkansas quarterback Austin Allen, who injured his right shoulder in last week’s 48-22 loss at South Carolina. But Allen is going to “give it a go” tonight, Razorbacks coach Bret Bielema said. “Their quarterback certainly played well against us last year,” Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said. “He made some fabulous throws and really good plays.” Should Allen be unable to go, Arkansas would turn to 6-foot-7, 268-pound backup Cole Kelley, who is more of a threat to run. The Arkansas offense was able to stay on the field for 37 minutes and seven seconds during last year’s meeting in Fayetteville, which irked Saban and several members of the Tide defense. That could be a point of atonement tonight.
ONES TO WATCH
In last week’s 27-19 win at Texas A&M, the Tide relied heavily on quarterback Jalen Hurts and running backs Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough, who combined for all 43 of the team’s rushes. Calvin Ridley has been the go-to receiver when Alabama looks to throw, but his absence after suffering a thigh bruise late in last week’s win was noticeable because nobody stepped up. Look for first-year offensive coordinator Brian Daboll to try to get more players involved tonight, and especially because Saban made a point of that earlier this week. “We need to get Josh Jacobs a little more involved in the game, and Najee Harris is a good player who we would like to get more involved,” Saban said. “I think the young receivers — Jerry Jeudy, (Henry) Ruggs and (DeVonta) Smith — are making nice progress, and I think we need to play those guys more.”
IN THE END
Tonight marks homecoming for Alabama, and former coach Gene Stallings and his 1992 national championship team will be honored at halftime. Among the players who will take part is former walk-on receiver and current Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, whose Tigers played Syracuse on Friday. Swinney, of course, is the only coach to knock off Alabama since former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze in September 2015. “There’s a lot of tradition here when it comes to homecoming,” Saban said. “I think it’s special with the kind of support and tradition that we have. It’s certainly something that we respect and look forward to being a part of.” Alabama’s past three victories over Arkansas have not come by blowout, with the Tide winning 14-13 in 2014 and 27-14 in 2015 before the shootout last year, but tonight should get ugly — and ugly quickly.