Arkansas Razorbacks News: It’s Alabama Week!

This year’s home schedule was dubbed the “greatest in school history,” and this week is when that finally kicks off. After last weekend’s scrimmage in Little Rock, Arkansas is preparing for Alabama to come to town. There’s always a huge buzz when #1 comes to Fayetteville, and Bielema has talked about how big of a deal beating Alabama would be for the program, but right now he is trying to downplay some of the hype from the media. He is urging his team to be sharp but not to try to do anything extraordinary in preparation this week.

On the other side of the ball Alabama is getting ready for their toughest stretch of the year. Alabama players and coaches have all talked about the physicality that the Hogs will bring at the beginning of this stretch. And with as good of a coach that Nick Saban is, it’s no surprise that all of his players sound completely locked into this week’s game.

Alabama has been the pretty clear front runner in college football this season, but haven’t faced too many stiff challenges. Like mentioned earlier, this is the first part of a three game stretch where the Tide will really have to prove they’re the team to beat this year. And starting with Arkansas is part of the most defining games the Tide will have this season.

One of the tidbits from last week’s game against Alcorn State was that Dan Skipper got another blocked field goal. That’s his seventh in his career and now just two shy of the NCAA record. That got Skipper SEC co-Special Teams Player of the week honors. I’m not going to fact check it, but I’m willing to bet he’s the largest to win that award in quite some time.

It’s deep in the middle of SEC Football season, but the Razorback basketball team opened their official practices this weekend as well. There are several new faces to the team so for some it might take a while to get acquainted to all the new names. From what’s been said about the team there is certainly some talent and depth. And the athletic department has really been emphasizing the conditioning workouts the players have gone through, so there should be plenty of the #Fastest40 in Bud Walton this year.