TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama ranks No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll, and the Crimson Tide also should get high marks for having good manners.
Alabama Coach Nick Saban and his players are saying nice things about SEC West rival Arkansas, a team the Crimson Tide beat 52-0 last season and one that comes into Saturday’s game at Bryant-Denny Stadium as a 28-point underdog in the aftermath of a 52-7 loss to South Carolina.
“We don’t really want to look at those results,” Saban said. “We’d rather look at technically what they’re capable of doing and what they’ve done well as a team.”
When Saban and some of his players met with the media on Monday, they seemed to offer 52 reasons why Alabama (6-0, 3-0 SEC) can’t overlook the Razorbacks (3-4, 0-3).
The Razorbacks are averaging 216.3 rushing yards and had 218 yards on 24 carries against the Gamecocks.
“I think the game last week, they still ran the ball effectively,” Saban said. “They had a couple of long runs where they fumbled the ball … or the game might have been completely different.
“It doesn’t matter who their opponent has been and what they try to do, they’ve been able to run the ball effectively on each and every team that they’ve played. They’re very capable of making plays in the passing game, so this is very, very challenging.
“Their defense has been very opportunistic in terms of the way they’ve created negative plays, pressured the quarterback, gotten sacks. They do a good job on special teams.”
Saban said Alabama has “total respect” for Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema and his staff and players.
“Bret has done a really good job there of getting these guys to play hard and compete and play with a lot of toughness,” Saban said. “I’m sure we’ll get their best game.
“I think it’s going to take a very good effort on our part, because this is really different than anything that we’ve played against so far this year in terms of how they run the ball and the sort of formations, the heavy formations, they get in to do it.”
Alabama has beaten three teams that are or have been nationally ranked this season - Virginia Tech, Texas A&M and Ole Miss - but Saban said playing Arkansas “certainly is going to be the biggest test that we’ve had in terms of some of the challenges that they present to us.”
Arkansas had 30 passing yards against South Carolina and allowed 537 yards in total offense, but that didn’t stop Tide junior safety Vinnie Sunseri from heaping praise on the Razorbacks.
“Arkansas has great threats, they’ve got a great running game,” Sunseri said, referring to tailbacks Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams. “Great passing game, great coaches and great defense.”
Alabama senior quarterback AJ McCarron said he can’t remember the score of last week’s game at Kentucky - the Tide won 48-7 - so he’s not giving much thought to remembering Alabama’s 52-0 victory over Arkansas last year.
“It’s never about the opponent or who we’re facing,” McCarron said. “Coach likes to say they’re faceless - and they are.
“It’s about us and about what we do and how we take everything on the field. It doesn’t matter who we play. We’re trying to play the way we’re capable of playing.”
Senior guard Anthony Steen, the SEC offensive lineman of the week, said Alabama’s players never take a conference opponent lightly regardless of what the Tide did to the Razorbacks last season or what South Carolina did to them last week.
“If we want to beat them that bad we have to go out in the beginning and play our ‘A’ game,” Steen said. “That’s the bottom line, because if we go out there and don’t play our ‘A’ game, then they’re going to get it in their head that they have a chance.
“So we’ve got to go out there and be on top of things. We take it to them early, then it’ll be our game.”
Sunseri was asked if the Tide, who are going for their third consecutive national championship and fourth in five years, can take Arkansas seriously.
“Any given Saturday they can bring their best game,” he said. “We always get everybody’s best game, so it’s always about us.”
Saban lamented that the Tide - averaging 38.8 points and holding opponents to 11.3 - have only had seven takeaways and given up too many big plays on defense.
On offense, the running backs and receivers combined for five dropped passes at Kentucky - the Tide still gained 688 yards - and Saban said there needs to be more consistency on special teams.
“I don’t think we’ve played our best game by any stretch of the imagination,” Saban said. “I think there’s a lot of things we can improve on.”SATURDAY’S GAMES All times Central South Carolina at Tennessee, 11 a.m.
Georgia at Vanderbilt, 11 a.m.
Florida at Missouri, 11:21 a.m.
Auburn at Texas A&M, 2:30 p.m.
Arkansas at Alabama, 6 p.m.
LSU at Mississippi, 6 p.m.
Up next Arkansas at No. 1 Alabama WHEN Saturday, 6 p.m. Central WHERE Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
RECORDS Arkansas 3-4, 0-3 SEC; Alabama 6-0, 3-0 TV ESPN
Alabama (6-0, 3-0 sec) DATE OPPONENT
- 31 Virginia Tech, W 35-10* Sept. 14 at Texas A&M, W 49-42 Sept. 21 Colorado State, W 31-6 Sept. 28 Ole Miss, W 25-0
- 5 Georgia State, W 45-3
- 12 at Kentucky, W 48-7
- Arkansas
- 26 Tennessee
- 9 LSU
- 16 at Mississippi State
- 23 Chattanooga
- 30 at Auburn at Atlanta
Sports, Pages 17 on 10/15/2013