No. 1 Alabama faces Arkansas in tune-up for SEC title game

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Sam Pittman knows what it takes to take down Alabama. He’s done it before.

The first-year Arkansas coach was on the Northern Illinois staff on Sept. 20, 2003, when the Huskies pulled off a 19-16 stunner.

“I was there when we went to Alabama and won that game,” Pittman recalled this week. “I remember that we scored more than they did. It was a long time ago. It was a historical day for the Huskies of Northern Illinois.”

That was then, and this is now. Top-ranked Alabama rolls into today’s game at Arkansas with 97 consecutive wins over non-ranked opponents in the Nick Saban era.

“It’s incredible,” Pittman said of the streak. “Alabama is Alabama We’re really excited to have the opportunity to play them. If you’re going to get a real measuring stick of where you are, you might as well play the best team in the country.”

The Crimson Tide (9-0, No. 1 CFP) has already wrapped up the SEC West and will take on Florida next week in the SEC championship game in Atlanta. Pittman said Alabama’s offense is the best in the country.

“This year their offensive line is incredible, it’s the best in college football,” said Pittman, who was the offensive line coach at Georgia before being hired at Arkansas a year ago. “I’m not sure I’ve seen a college offensive line that well-coached, and that includes offensive lines I’ve coached.”

Although Arkansas (3-6) will finish with a sub-.500 record for a fourth consecutive season, Saban noted the Razorbacks have several close losses and are better than they’ve been the previous three seasons.

“Arkansas, to me, has a really, really good team that their record doesn’t reflect how well they’ve played,” Saban said. “They’ve lost three games this year by a total of seven points, or they’d be 6-3 instead of 3-6.”

Saban said the Tide, who are favored by 31 points, would not be taking the Razorbacks lightly.

“(Arkansas) plays hard, and the coach has done a really, really good job,” Saban said. “Sam’s done a good job, I think, of getting these guys to really come together and play hard, believe in themselves.”