Congratulations to longtime reader Razorblade for the closest prediction last week of 34-3. His quote: “<Crickets chirping>.“ When it comes to picking wins over Sun Belt Conference teams, Razorblade is apparently a man of few words. Let’s see if an SEC opponent will bring out a little smack talk from him.
If you need a quick refresher on how we judge the winner of our little weekly contest, you can check the rules here. So here we go:
Walking on Sunshine: Tough one this week. Neither team has shown any ability to run the ball so far. That’s going to make quarterback play pretty important. Let’s see…Heisman Candidate vs. Redshirt Freshman with two games under his belt. You make the call. Statement game for the defense. Arkansas 24, Georgia 12.
HogBaller: Georgia will be ready and this will be a tough fought contest, with the defense keeping the Razorbacks in it. The Bulldogs expose the Hogs’ offensive line and show others how to beat Arkansas — hurry Mallett and keep him on the run. The kicking game looks improved, but Coach Petrino will still be looking for a running back to emerge after this week. Georgia 21, Arkansas 17.
HogBlogger: The Hogs’ defense takes their “we have something to prove” tour on the road and gets their revenge against the Bulldogs. Arkansas 31, Georgia 17.
TipsterHog: Not sure people realize the hangover that the Bulldog Nation is experiencing after last week’s loss. And it doesn’t get any better after this week. Hello Seat…you’re Hot. Arkansas 31, Georgia 20.
Leave a comment with your name, e-mail address and pick. And feel free to add your own take like “The first 1,000 fans receive an Independence Bowl game jersey for just $1 courtesy of Green’s Department Store” or “A quick swim before the Tide comes in. Hogs roll.”
A.J. plays because the NCAA doesn't want Georgia to be 0-2 in the SEC… but it doesn't help because Joe Adams makess a outstanding catch for a TD… Hogs win 33-28!
Razorblade, you've got mail.
Running game- Yes I said Running game sets up play action in 3rd quarter- we roll 41- Georgia 8
TUSK III- 38
UGA VII's brother Russ – 13
With out an true UGA out their to support the Hogs take advantage of a team depressed. Sports nation spins it off as UGA being down instead of the HOGS being up. Alabama awaits….
Tight one on the road. Hogs lack of run game and slow starting offense comes back to bite them. Can't see Richt going 0-2 in conference to start.
Dawgs 14 Hogs 13
Richt does not play so, he won't start 0-2. The Bulldogs will.
Hogs 34
Dogs 21
Watch out Athens!!! Little R and T-towner are invading for the weekend!
I'm worried about the game but PRAYING our Hogs will prevail and overcome the 10K-Hog curse (yes, he's going too but his road record is like that of last year's Hogs!)
Hogs 28
Dawgs 24
Because this game is on the road, this one will be closer than most think. However, I believe the Razorbacks will still be undefeated after this game.
Arkansas 21
Georgia 17
GO HOGS!!!
Hogs do it with confidence.
Hogs 24
dogs 10
This game comes down to the 4th quarter and the defense makes a stop and a field goal won't do the Dawgs any good.
Hogs 27
Dawgs 21
Defense is for real. Hogs have something to prove.
Contenders 31, Pretenders 17
Hogs 37-21. I think the stories of our Offensive demise are greatly exagerated and I don't see how their D does better this year than last. I think our D is growing after 3 years of one system and improved recruiting. If anything I think the change in Defensive system causes more short term problems as players think more and react less trying to get used to a new system. Hog fans have seen that movie. Secondly, I don't see where the points come from for the Dogs even with AJ Green, who I 100% believe will be playing. That's alright, I love to see great players in person and we want their best.
Having said all of that, I am going to this game and it scares the crap out of me because its Georgia but in the the words of Bob Marley
"If you are a big, big tree, we are a small axe ready to cut you down."
Cut'em down Hogs!
There were a ton of points scored in this game last year… more of the same, but to a lesser degree
Hogs 38
Dawgs 34
Razorbacks win the battle between the hedges on "Prove It" weekend!
Hogs – 35
Dawgs – 21
I've gotta say, as a Dawg fan, I'm definitely worried about this one. Our running D looks suspect at best, but Arky's run game isn't other-worldly, so I believe they cancel out. Y'all will probably be able to run just enough to keep our DB's guessing. By all indications your D has improved since '09's slugfest, so maybe we'll see something more SEC like this week.
I think our only shot is to get Mallet on the run and not let him get comfortable. We did this late in the 3rd and most of the 4th qtr last year and it's probably the only reason we held on to win. Arky's receivers are big and fast and they do something ball catchers are supposed to do……catch balls!!! Something UGA's receivers seem to have a problem with almost every year. We've gotta limit the big plays and be stingy with the ball.
Coaching will be interesting on both sides of the field. If Arky gets up early, does Petrino stay aggressive and go for the kill, or does he try to establish a ground game and wear down our D? He has shown in the past that he's perfectly OK with a high scoring game, so I say he does the former. As for Richt, does he hand Murray the keys and let him become a player, or continue to hold him back in fear of him folding? I personally think he stays conservative early and doesn't turn him loose unless he has to. Having AJ or not having AJ will probably factor into his decision.
Unfortunately I see UGA continuing to grow and improve, but it won't be enough to upset the Hogs.
Ark 31
UGA 24
Upset the Hogs? It's hard to tell from all of the optimism here… but isn't GA favored by 3 or so?
Oh yeah, safe travels to all coming to Athens and y'all enjoy your stay in the Classic City. See you @ the tailgate!
Dawgs 28-24
This is strictly a t-shirt pick. I actually believe Hogs win big this weekend.
The running game is sufficient to pull out a close on the road in the SEC.
Hogs – 24
Dogs – 20
The zone blitzes from that new 3-4 offense are going to take the O-Line by surprise a few times and lead to at least five sacks by Georgia. On the other hand, the Georgia d will take the wrong lesson from our preceding two games and assume that we will come out passing. Watch the thankfully deep running back corp (get well soon Dennis Johnson!)gain close to 200 yards not on the inside, like USC did, but around the corners as the Georgia D drops their zones deeper to cover the eventual big play. This will mostly occur in the third quarter as the two defenses are going to rule the first half. Somewhere in the third, as those zones tighten up to stop the run, Mallet will throw the giant-killer bomb and permanently remove the Georgia crowd from their enthusiasm. The Arkansas d will have a bad series soon afterward and give a scare, but Arkansas' ability to score touchdowns in response to Georgia field goals will win the day.
Arkansas – 24
Georgia – 16
OH PLEASE BE RIGHT!!!!!
A back and forth game with lots of field goal practice.
Hogs 30
Dogs 27
We start out sloppy on offense, but the defense keeps impressing us. Once Mallet and the offense gets settled, Petrino opens up the playbook a bit and pulls out a pretty easy win.
Arkansas 35
Georgia 13
The Hogs are gonna blow the Dawgs out. Petrino said last night on his show that they have not shown all of their offensive strategy yet. We sandbagged and still blew out lesser teams…bottom line is that we could score at will but chose not too until we had to. After playing against the 3-3-5 last week the 3-4 will be a piece of cake. And I don't care what we've read, the offensive and defensive Hogs have been planning this one since the morning after the Liberty Bowl win….kind of like Boise did against Va Tech. To say we are prepared is an understatement. These are seasoned road warriors playing against an average defense and average offense at best.
Hogs – 42
Dawgs – 10
I hope they spent more of their time after the Liberty Bowl prepping for Bama!
I am with Soupdhog – our plain vanilla offense wins easy. Georgia is going to see Showtime.
Hogs win 42-13
I shouldn't jinx my winning streak with a quote…but I can't help it. Hogs finally unveil the full playbook and jump on'em quick. Mallet stays in the Heisman discussions and Defense gets some respect
Hogs: 40
Dogs: 16
I think that is the key. If we start quick and jump out on them, I think we'll roll on from there.
Hogs 31 – Dogs 21 to set up the showdown with Bama.
It's hard to see Richt going 0-2 in the SEC, but I think it's about to happen. This is going to be close, but UGA coming off last week's lost combined with creative Petrino playcalling that we've yet to see this season, Arkansas has the edge: Hogs 31, UGA 27.
Little R and I pack a ton of mojo for the trip and the Hogs use plenty:
Razorbacks 38
UGA 16
Ark: 24
UGA: 7
Razorback defense makes a statement and scores some points for us. A top 10 ranking and ESPN's Gameday await us next week in Fayetteville, not to mention St. Nick and Bama.
Hogs get what has been so elusive in years past in playing Georgia – a 'W'.
Hogs – 28
UGA – 14
Defense continues to prove themselves.
Go Hogs Go!
Arkansas 38
Georgia 21
Arkansas will take the pistol out of the holster and the run will open up the pass. Georgia will get several sacks and rush Mallet all day. But Arkansas will show the country that they have arrived.
I like others am scared to death of this game. I think the Hogs D has improved but have we gotten over that hump of playing on the road. I am going out on a limb but I think if the Hogs win they win big 28-10. Mallet will continue to pad hit stats through the air. I have heard talk of how good the Dawgs secondary is but what I think people overlook is we have the deepest crop of receivers in our stable and when you spread the field it will be all but impossible to cover everyone. Anyone of our wr or te are capable of big games at anytime. The big key is Mallet and if he can keep his composure.
I am surprised nobody has mentioned the fact that Vegas has GA a 2 pt favorite…
What the heck: Hogs 24 Dogs 13
Someone later has mentioned this point spread. Here's why. GA is at home. Unfortunately Arkansas, last year, folded in big games. GA has the respect of tradition. Gamblers are in the mode of: Prove that you belong. It seems that the defense has improved, special teams have improved, and Mallet can still throw the ball and the recievers can still catch it. Add one more year of experience. Mallet probably will sprint out more, only as planned and not just running away from pressure. On the other hand, I don't see the upsides of GA over last year. I have no idea how this will turn out, but Arkansas showed it can score against GA; I'll take BP at his word in that he hasn't shown eveything on offense (or defense. What the heck,
Hogs 45
Dawgs 17.
It is my understanding that point spreads are designed to have even betting for both sides, so that vegas breaks even and makes their money on the fees paid by the loser. Spreads are not a prediction, it is a way to entice even betting on both sides. Georgia is giving two points because to casual observers who go mostly on name and history Georgia is the bet so you throw a few points to Arkansas get more bets on that side. Is this game ever going to get here and will the NCAA end up waiting until the 2nd quarter to re-instate AJ Green. Freaking redic to leave an opponent hanging this long.
I know how Vegas and the spreads work, fellas, though thanks for the info. And being a long time Hog fan I know all too well what this spread means…exactly what jimdogg said…we need to prove it on the road this year. The number #12 team in the country is a -2 underdog to an unranked, seemingly mediocre GA team. Let's go make a statement in this game to make things real interesting for next week!
Go Hogs!!!
31- 24.. Alabama Arkansas gameday enough said
31-21 arkansas my bad guys
third times the charm 31-23 arkansas
30-17 Hogs! Our D is ready! Mallet is ready! Coach P will have the rest ready!!! ARE YOU READY?! WPS!!!
Arkansas 27
Georgia 17
I have a feeling the Defense holds strong and we dominate early. Georgia scores a couple of second half td's but the hogs have the game in hand from the start. And im gonna say the Hogs pick off Murray at least once.
If AJ Green plays we lose 28-24. The 'must win' and an AJ Green spark means we can get over the bump. We have yet to get a turnover and have several outselves. Georgia's has the emotional edge.
If AJ Green is denied again tomorrow they lose the emotional edge and we win.
Georgia runs the ball, playing a ball control offense to keep our offense off the field. But, our D bends but does not break(to much) forcing three field goals and only one TD.
Hogs: 17
Dawgs: 16
I have zero animus towards Arkansas, and don't even care about Petrino's disrespecting of Atlanta. I also think Arkansas is about even money to win on Saturday.
But I have to say, the rampant optimism here about a Hog blowout surprises me, perhaps because us Georgia fans are so much more cautious. Maybe Mallot's epic fails on the road last year were attributable to a nervousness that's gone away in some sort of zen self-hypnosis, and maybe the Hog defense is a lot better than they've proved so far. But I wouldn't be too confident about some sort of big, program-defining win on the road against a team that's wounded but very talented.
donkey, you all have great reasons to be cautious. The team you're playing tomorrow is basically the same team as it was last year. The same team that played at Bama, Florida, Ole Miss, and LSU. The same team that came within a field goal of beating 2 of those teams despite the 'epic fail' of Mallett.
Playing between the hedges will not rattle this team. Mallett and his team mates have a year of experience of playing in SEC matchups on the road. Our defense is improved.
What you have:
- a freshman QB that has 1 game of SEC experience, with 1 of your 2 marquis offensive players suspended. Don't like your offensive chances
- a brand new defensive scheme with 2 games of experience – with the SEC performance being abysmal against an offense most wouldn't consider high powered
- a defense that was massively exposed against SC….and who knows about your secondary? SC didn't have to test that since you couldn't stop the run..don't like your defensive chances against a high powered offense
Bottom line – last year doesn't matter. This is a new team. When you take these facts, I like the Hogs. I hope I'm right.
What you need to realize about Arkansas fans, and I think this is something that we share with the fans of Georgia of late, is we have very high hopes that are revealed in all our predictions here, but we all have a very nagging doubt in the back of our minds that things aren't actually going to turn out well.
I don't really believe it, but just for that last guy who is shocked to find homers on this board
hogs 42
dogs 0
DonkeyDawg: The feeling around Arkansas right now is one of cautious optimism. A bog difference between the two programs is that Georgia has pretty high expectations on a consistent basis and more times than not measures up to those expectations. However, the Razorbacks often enter a season with not much to be excited about, but this year is an exception. Perhaps Razorback fans aren't accustomed to high expectations and are getting a little over optimistic, but Hog fans are relatively humble and realistic. Check Arkansasexpats.com; they represent the attitude of the majority of Hog fans.
Anyway, I am no exception to the cautious optimism and I say Arkansas is due for a win like this: Ark 31 UGA 24
I think Petrino shows some new things we havent seen this year as of yet but just enough to win! He wont show it all before next week.
Hogs 27
Bulldogs 24
They say the biggest improvement comes between the first and second games. For all intents and purposes, this is our second game.
Pigs 24
pups 13
Late Tejada FG seals it for the Hogs.
Arkansas 31
UGA 28
This is an absolute statement game for the Hogs – a season-defining game. It speaks volumes that the 12th-ranked Razorbacks are an underdog to Georgia. It's a match-up of a traditional SEC power at home, already with 1 conference loss and desperate for a win vs. a team that appears improved on defense but was awful on the road last year, so the whole country seems to have adopted a wait-and-see approach about them. All that sets up Razorback fans for the classic fail here, a let down, wind-out-of-the-sails type of loss we have grown accustomed to.
I say not this year. This feels more like Matt Jones v. Texas in Austin to me. So, at least for now, I remain fully optimistic…
Hogs 45
Dogs 27
Hogs 43
Dogs 6
The statement will be loud and clear, GO HOGS!
Thanks to those who responded to my earlier comment. Maybe you're right that "homers" on football blogs are standard, but the Georgia fan base, while it does indeed have high expectations for the program, tends towards pessimism about any particular game. Could be it's just the product of listening to the ever-paranoid Larry Munson call games for decades. Last year the majority of Georgia bloggers I read thought we'd lose to USC and Arkansas, and almost no one predicted the win over Tech.
As for Soupdhog's assessment of the game, I'd dissent on two points. Georgia fans look at Murray right now and see a more mobile and stronger-armed version of David Greene, who played pretty well as a RS freshman. He seems very smart, totally unperturbable, and was actually as big a deal coming out of high school as was Mallett. Maybe he'll play like a freshman tomorrow, but most Georgia fans think he's a lot better than Joe Cox, who had his career game against the Hogs.
The defensive scheme wasn't really the problem against the Roosters, who consistently put out three WRs and then ran the ball up the middle with young Mr. Lattimore, who seems to be Knowshown Moreno with more size. He was consistently hit at or near the line, and just broke a million tackles. If your RBs can do that, we've got a serious problem. Without any doubt, our pass rush is vastly improved over last year, so Mallett may need a lot of those quick releases he's famous for.
My own biggest concern about this game isn't any of that, or the probable absence of A.J.; it's the supposedly elite OL that's been singularly unimpressive so far, probably because of early injuries (one of our starting guards is recovering from mono!). It's been generally assumed they'll get a lot better as the season goes along, which is one reason Dawg fans have been more worried about the early games than about Tennesseee, Florida or Auburn.
Anyway, we'll soon see. Thanks for entertaining a "guest" here, and good luck on a fine season after tomorrow.
Glad to have you stop by. Good conversation.
For our sake I hope Murray doesn't blossom tomorrow!
Hogs 34
Dogs 24
Will be very close till the end of the third quarter.
We havent seen the Hog's offense yet. Last week when the offense struggled, the camara showed Petrino laughing w/ his players. Petrino is one of the best and knew they would walk with a W. No need to show anything but an average offense against TT and ULM. Expect a huge difference now its SEC time. Hogs win by 17 againt the Dawgs. Freshman QB for Georgia is going to struggle against a much improved and tough Arkansas defense.
next week…Hogs upset Bama at Home!
Hogs 31
bulldogs 20
No matter how many times Walsh tries, a FG only counts as 3 points.
DJ Williams goes for almost 100 yards and a TD and the script is flipped so we come out slow in the 3rd Quarter.
#WPS