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December 1, 2011

Arkansas Compared to Georgia

One thing that has stuck with me this week is the obvious comparison between the SEC's two 10-2 teams. Both lost to very good teams. So, is it enough to say Arkansas dominated one of the teams Georgia lost to and be done with it? No. Not at all.

True, Arkansas dominated the Gamecocks, but that was South Carolina's second game without Lattimore. Furthermore, when you look at the other head to heads, the picture is very different. Georgia and Arkansas faced six common opponents:



Team
Ark Result 
UGA Result
Ark Off/Def
UGA Off/Def
Auburn
38-14
45-7
438/395
528/195
Ole Miss
29-24
27-13
438/370
475/183
Vandy
31-28
33-28
388/462
443/348
South Carolina
44-28
42-45
435/207
436/395
Tennessee
49-7
20-12
499/376
366/269
Mississippi State
44-17
24-10
539/211
315/213
If you are keeping score at home, this is very, very close. Arkansas gained about 30 more yards per game. Georgia held the common opponents to nearly 70 yards per game less than Arkansas did.  Both teams nearly lost to Vandy in Nashville.

One thing that keeps jumping out at me is the same thing we all have been harping on.  Georgia lost to South Carolina thanks to the unholy trifecta of Interception/Fumble/Fat Guy Fake Punt touchdowns. If any one of those three don't happen, Georgia wins. If Georgia wins South Carolina, there is a strong likelihood we'd not only be having a Game of the Century of the Week discussion, it is possible this would be for a berth in the national championship game. We allow any of those Saturday, it'll be Orlando or worse for the bowl.

To put it another way, if Vandy doesn't allow a 94 yard fumble return for a TD or could hit a field goal on October 29th, the whole Arkansas is way better than Georgia conversation is laughable.

It seems apparent to me that with Arkansas' schedule, Georgia would be no worse than 9-3, and more likely at least 10-2. We certainly belong in the best of the rest conversation. We'll find out Saturday if we might belong somewhere above that.

But if your argument is Arkansas beat South Carolina and Georgia couldn't, just know how dumb that sounds when you look at the match ups.
TD

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

UT was the first game South Carolina played without Lattimore. Arkansas was the second.

Tony Waller said...

Thanks for the clarification.

Erk Van Grantham said...

"Tyler Dawgden." Best handle ever.

Anonymous said...

The dude is just a Hog homer. I took it as sour grapes. He has learned well from Pig Petrino.

 
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