Southern Cal must be great (1 Viewer)

[JimEverett]

I know they lost to Oregon State, but they put a whoopin on Arkansas and Arkansas is very very good.
That win by USC just gets more impressive as the season goes on.

 

[bclemms]

I know they lost to Oregon State, but they put a whoopin on Arkansas and Arkansas is very very good.
That win by USC just gets more impressive as the season goes on.

That wasn't nearly the same Arkansas team you seeing now.

Check out the schedule and look how far this Arkansas team has come.
http://www.hogwired.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=6100&SPSID=30723&SPID=2419

 

[JimEverett]

It wasn't the same team?
What does that mean?

 

[bclemms]

It wasn't the same team?
What does that mean?

It means they are a young team that is getting better as the season goes on and had to get some confidence going.

Before beating Auburn they struggled with Utah State, they beat Alabama in 2 OT's and got lucky and they almost lost to Vandy.

Since beating Auburn they have won by 56, 35, 33, 6 and 17. It is not the same team.

If you ask me it was stupid of Houston Nutt to schedule a team like USC much less for the first game of the season. I could understand scheduling a top team as an out of conference opponent to help your strength of schedule but not if you play in the SEC.

 

[JimEverett]

Ok - I see what you are saying, and agree to a point.

I have been lucky enough to see Arkansas quite a lot this year, and the yare definitley better than they were when they squeaked by Vandy. But they are still basically the same team, and USC beat the living hell out of them. I remember watching that game and thinking how pathetic Arkansas looked as USC was faster, stronger and just dominated.
I mean I do think Arkansas has gotten better, but there is no way they could improve enough to overcome that USC game and still have the same players and stuff.

 

[Ozark Mountain Saint]

I mean I do think Arkansas has gotten better, but there is no way they could improve enough to overcome that USC game and still have the same players and stuff.

I call BS on that. The game was close in the first half, we turned it over 5 times in the game and USC converted those into 31 points.

Our backs had been wearing green jerseys in practice and had not been hit at all until the game. pretty dumb to wait until gametime to let em get hit......

McFadden barely played as he had just had his toe reattached a few weeks earlier.......

Bring on the Trojans, we can hang with them.......

 

[stevedrum]

They were good enough to beat Tennessee so what does that say about the Vols?

 

[Yeti]

You can't compare wins and losses like that. Just because USC beat Arkansas doesn't mean they can beat who Arkansas beat.

 

[bclemms]

Arkansas pounded the Vols today 31-17. The Vols pounded Cal 35-18. Cal pounded Oregon State 41-13. Oregon State beat USC 33-31. If only it worked that way.

Jim, the Broncos lost to the Rams in week 1 and the game wasn't even close. Do you think if they played again tomorrow the outcome would be the same?

The Patriots lost to the Bills 31-0 in week 1 a couple years ago and in the second game the Pats killed them.

Teams change over the course of a season, especially the teams that are young or don't have a lot of experience.

I promise you if those two teams played again it would be different. I would even think Arkansas would win but at the very least the game wouldn't be another USC blowout.

 

[THAJCODE]

.......fusc.

 

[JimEverett]

They were good enough to beat Tennessee so what does that say about the Vols?

Huh? USC didn't play the Vols.
If you are talking about Arkansas beating the Vols today then I am not sure what your point is. I mean I am not saying Tennessee is better than USC or anything.

My point is just that Arkansas is the best team in the SEC this year and they were manhandled by USC in all aspects of the game against USC - I just think that says a lot about how good the Trojans are.

 

[DeuceMcAllisterFan]

McFadden was coming off an injury during that game and almost didn't even play... If Arkansas played USc with an healthy McFadden USC would lose 9 out of 10 times.

 

[JimEverett]

McFadden was coming off an injury during that game and almost didn't even play... If Arkansas played USc with an healthy McFadden USC would lose 9 out of 10 times.

I agree McFadden is a great player, but c'mon. You don;t get beat 50-14 just because your starting HB is al ittle gimpy. I mean Arkansas is a great team for a lot more reasons than Darren McFadden.
Plus, I am sure USC can throw some excuses around as well and say they couold have put up 100 or something like that.

I actually did forget that most of you have some serious hostility towards USC because of the AP National Championship stuff the year LSU won the BCS. Just remember that wasn't USC's fault - it was the idiots who put a team that got blown out in their conference championship in the BCS Championship game.

Right now, if a 1 loss team makes it to the BCS Championship, and USC wins out, they should go - due in no small part to the Arkansas game.

 

[DeuceMcAllisterFan]

McFadden had 6 carries by halftime... The game was 3-0 USC after the first quarter.The first turnover from Arkansas was a fumble by the back-up RB Felix Jones deep in Arkansas territory... which lead to a 3 yard rushing TD for USC. 10-0 USC...

Halftime was 16-7 USC.

Do you think that if a healthy Mcfadden was playing it would have been alot closer at halftime?

3rd Quarter.... USC ball.. no score punt....
Arkansas has the ball... no McFadden in site... 3rd down int...deep in Arkansas territory.... (The Qb who started that game is now probably the last Qb on the depth chart right now)...USc drive 27 yards for a Td...

23-7 USC.

Arkansas next possession. Mcfadden has 1 carry.... got a few first downs and Punt...

USC... Ball at the 20... drove down the field for a TD...

30-7 USC.

Arkansas last possession of the 3rd quarter.... Mcfadden gets 2 carries... (and the last we heard his name called that night) punt.


4th Quarter.... still 30-7 .. USC ball..drives 73 yards for a TD..
now it's 37-7

long story short... that fourth quarter Arkansas was forced to force the ball downfield. another Arkansas int deep in arkansas territory ... USC drove 20 yards for a score.

44-7 USC

QB Change... Mustain enters the game... Long drive TD for Arkansas.

44-17 USC

Next Possession USC punts... Mustain throws int deep in Arkansas Territory... USC drvies 26 yards for a Td...

50-14.



Final...



Now... let's observe

9 carries for a back who normally needs at least 20 carries in a game of that magintude.... who was injured and didn't start. guess who was involved in the first turnover? Jones had the first fumble of the game deep in arkansas territory.. which lead to a short drive for a td for usc. We're talking about a playmaker here... who gets at least 25 carries agianst competitive teams this year... can you really tell me that arkansas's gameplan would have been the same of a healthy McFadden was on the field?

QBs? ...hmmm.. The guy who started got benched after that game and has never seen the field again.... he threw 3 ints inside the razorbacks 30 yard line... which eventually lead to 21 points.....

so... so far thats''' 28 points on turnovers inside the arkansas 30 yard line by players who are not sarting today.

Mustain came in late i nthe game when the game was over... socred a td, and threw another int deep inside arkansas 30 yard line which lead to another td...

that's 35 points off of Turnover that night deep inside arkansas's territory... so that means USC had 5 possesions inside of arkansas's 30.

Arkansas is not that same team... they have corrected their QB issues and Mcfadden is healthy...

I'll say it again... Arkansas would beat USC 9 out of 10 times if they played today.



BTW: This has nothing to do with LSU...

 

[ThibodauxSaint]

It means they are a young team that is getting better as the season goes on and had to get some confidence going.

Before beating Auburn they struggled with Utah State, they beat Alabama in 2 OT's and got lucky and they almost lost to Vandy.

Since beating Auburn they have won by 56, 35, 33, 6 and 17. It is not the same team.

If you ask me it was stupid of Houston Nutt to schedule a team like USC much less for the first game of the season. I could understand scheduling a top team as an out of conference opponent to help your strength of schedule but not if you play in the SEC.

If you ask me, what you said here, could be a perfect argument for why a playoff system is needed. Why should a team, in this case Arkansas, not get a shot at the title just because they lost the first game of the season. I agree with you, teams do get better as the year goes on and they should get a chance to prove that.