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Auburn Tigers vs. Arkansas Razorbacks Preview + Free Predictions

The Auburn Tigers vs. Arkansas Razorbacks will both be trying to pick up a win in Week 6 on Saturday…

#15 Auburn Tigers (4-1, 2-0 SEC) vs. #10 Arkansas Razorbacks (4-1, 0-1 SEC)

Two strong SEC West division teams not named Alabama and LSU do battle on Saturday night in the foothills of the Ozarks. The visitor happens to be last year’s National Champion – an Auburn team that was invincible until an upstart Clemson program humbled them a couple weeks back.

Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville AR
Saturday, Oct. 8, 7:00 pm EST
NCAA Odds from BetUS.com:
MoneyLine: Auburn +310, Arkansas -380
Spread: Auburn +10, Arkansas -10
Over/Under: 63.5

Arkansas will have its work cut out in order to grab its first conference win of 2011.

For its part, Arkansas rolls out a deadly passing attack. The Hogs are 7th in the nation through the air and it all starts with QB Tyler Wilson and WRs like senior Jarius Wright and lanky junior Cobi Hamilton (the pair has combined for nearly 800 yards receiving so far). The Razorbacks’ running game has been decimated by injuries, but Ronnie Wingo, forced into action some weeks back, brings enough to the table to keep defenses honest.

This could definitely be a game with plenty of points on the scoreboard. The Hogs score nearly 40 points per game to go along with a merely average defense, while Auburn is putting up over 30 per contest with an even worse “D”, statistically speaking at least. The Tigers lean on RB Michael Dyer and WR Emory Blake to generate their offense; QB Barrett Trotter, who had the unenviable job of replacing school hero and #1 overall NFL draft pick Cam Newton, has been decent in the limelight (895 pass yards, a 9-5 TD/INT ratio).

There was a time when Auburn was known for its defense and Arkansas was feared for its ground attack, but those days have come and gone. Instead, fans should expect a performance more indicative of a Pac-10 game from several years ago – lots of aerial fireworks and not a lot of defensive stands. This is a really big game for both teams, in terms of asserting themselves in the division and the conference. [soliloquy id=”82219″]

Both teams are looking up at the West division foes ranked numbers one and two in the country, but there is no conference like the SEC in terms of its members beating up on each other. LSU or Alabama is bound to make a mistake or two before the end of the season; the two competitive teams in Saturday night’s contest must control what they can control.

Head coaches Bobby Petrino (Arkansas) and Gene Chizik (Auburn) were both wildly unpopular at various points along the way, but both have done well and have earned the fan base’s admiration and respect. This fealty, however, is based on the premise that both teams keep winning ballgames and at least contending for a spot in the SEC Championship game. With both Auburn and Arkansas with one loss a piece, a second loss could be devastating for its respective chances. Long story short: you can expect Fayetteville to be buzzing this weekend.

If Arkansas can predictably use its vertical passing game to burn the Tigers’ secondary deep, you have to like the Hogs’ chances at home. Perhaps Wingo can find some running lanes and Wright and Hamilton present a tricky duo to cover. Pivot Wilson has been excellent since he replaced graduated Ryan Mallett this season and so long as he stays upright, he has a great shot at accumulating another night of prolific passing numbers.

The Auburn Tigers are tougher than anyone in close games, but the Clemson game showed that even they are human – and also exposed them to be much less talented than the 2010 national title version. Expect Arkansas to nab this game in a high-scoring affair.

Score Prediction: Arkansas 41, Auburn 31
Over/Under Prediction: 72

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