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Alabama Football: Begging Nick Saban’s pardon but Arkansas is no trap

By Ronald Evans

TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 08: Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks on during the game against the Arkansas State Red Wolves at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 08: Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks on during the game against the Arkansas State Red Wolves at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Never correcting Nick Saban about Alabama football or anything football related is good advice, but … Arkansas is no trap game.

Alabama football fans are secure Nick Saban knows how to motivate his football team. When he foresees a potential lull in Crimson Tide focus, he proactively reacts. This week his reaction included calling the Arkansas game “a little bit of a trap.”

Not to quibble but college football trap games are on-paper mismatches where the underdog rarely comes out on top. Upsets occur but not frequently. So a “little bit” suggests this trap game is even less risky than the average trap game. Meaning it is not much of a trap game at all.

If the equipment truck, a few coaches and most of the Crimson Tide players arrive in Fayetteville on schedule, the Razorbacks have no chance. Sure Alabama football could suffer enough injuries and turnovers to lose. But it would take an unprecedented number of both.

Don’t be fooled by the Hogs performance against the Aggies last week. The Aggies missed two field goals and Kellen Mond threw two interceptions. Rebuilds like the one facing Jimbo Fisher often include wild first season inconsistencies. An example would be 2007 Alabama losing to Louisiana-Monroe. Getting up to play heavyweights like Clemson and Alabama, only to lose, makes it hard for a coach to fire up a team for a lightweight.

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Arkansas is as bad as the team who lost to North Texas at home, 44-17. It is too soon to blame Chad Morris. His system is ill-suited to the type of players recruited by Bret Bielema. He does not have a quarterback. The duo of Cole Kelly and Ty Story have thrown eight interceptions and only seven touchdown passes.

Chad Morris began his Arkansas tenure last December promising to light up the scoreboard. So far the result is a Razorbacks team ranked No. 108 in Total Offense and No. 102 in Scoring Offense. Among the multiple deficiencies is a weak offensive line, ranked No. 101 in the FBS in Sacks Allowed.

For at least one more recruiting class (and probably two) Chad Morris does not have the size, the speed or the skill on his Arkansas roster to battle the Crimson Tide. No scheme can make up for such a deficiency. Alabama football will win even if it wins ugly, the result of massive misfortune that would cripple a lesser team.

Arkansas cannot play well enough to win and the Crimson Tide cannot play poorly enough to lose. That’s why this game is not even a “little bit” of a trap.

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