It always boggled my mind how Auburn's loss to Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl last year was overlooked while ranking Auburn this season. It's good to see Arkansas remind everyone that Auburn isn't so amazing.

Mandel, I love how you always tiptoe around your errors in judgment. Case in point, you have been ripping on my Hogs ever since the SC game, and after today's upset, you give us no credit, you simply remind everyone how you thought Auburn was overrated. I'm sure you weren't saying that two weeks ago when Auburn beat LSU. Give the Hogs, and the depth of the SEC, some credit, and save the judgment for later in the season when it really matters.

Anonymous Arkansas fan: I write a whole column raving about the impact of your offensive coordinator, and you intrepret it as "giving us no credit?" Did you not start reading until the fifth paragraph??

I believed, and still believe, that Auburn has a great football team. They have the talent to play, and beat, anyone in the country. However, Arkansas handed their butts to them today because Arkansas had a good game plan and they executed it. Meanwhile, Auburn played sloppy ball, made stupid mistakes, and failed to play with heart.

My Auburn cap off to Arkansas for being able to come in and solidly beat us.

Stewart,

rather than attack you after you gave our boy Malzahn his due, I'll ask you this: where do you think the Hogs will land in the poll? 4-1 and 3-0 in conference should lead to somewhere right around #20 I would think. Or will it be more people thinking Auburn was overrated than Arkansas being underrated?

Regarding Oklahoma officiating beefs, are officials given any sort of aptitude test, or an exam over the rules perhaps? It's my understanding that the ground can't cause a fumble, but it seems I am mistaken . . .

sc's stomping of arkansas looks even better with each passing day.

as for relative strengths of conferences, the sec is strong, but i'm not sure it has that much of a lead on all other major conferences (except the acc, which sucks). one of the things the sec has going for it is incredible defense, which usually sparkles from the very beginning of the season. in contrast, most offensive-minded teams take a little while for their offenses to really start gelling, so conferences with more of an offensive slant usually are better at displaying their strength as the season progresses. the sec could keep the initial gap between the conference open if its teams showed improvement in offense comparable to teams from other major conferences, but we all know that, with a few rare exceptions, sec offense is truly the pits. i would currently rank the big-10 as the strongest conference, but it's interesting to note that three out of the four bcs computers that have conference rankings posted have the pac-10 in the lead.

Arkansas will land at #19, money!

Hey,

How about all three SEC undefeateds losing today? Add in Wake Forest's loss, a possible Oregon loss, and an easily conceivable loss by Mizzou and we are down to 5 or 6 unbeatens by the first weekend of Oct.

Those of us in Arkansas who've been dreaming of the day Houston Nutt would hire an OC know exactly what happened in the USC game: Nutt finally let go of the reins in the 4th quarter, far too late to save the game but soon enough to give us a taste of what was to come.

Rest assured, those of you on the 2nd half of Arkansas' schedule: you don't get to play the team that USC embarassed.

The best news for Hog fans: since Malzahn has so little college experience, it's very unlikely that he'll be snapped up as head coach at a small I-A school for at least 2 or three years...

How poorly has the officiating been today? Between the pass interference at Minnesota, the Michigan touchdown, and another one just now, a personal foul against LSU. I understand it's not a perfect science, but c'mon! It's gotta be better than that!

So is it bad that I cheered against Ohio State on 4th and 9, with around a minute left in the 2nd quarter. I had 21-0 in my office pool, and with that completion, they would of for sure been in field goal range (even though they were on 4th down). But it worked out for me I guess. Im 25 bucks richer.

The auburn loss is no surprise. As I've stated since watching a pedestrian (slow) auburn escape usc last Thursday night from my 50 yd line seats. The real USC stomps Arkansas who beats Alabama first and then a highly overrated Auburn who beat LSU. This Auburn team looks no different than the one who was clobbered by Wisconsin in their last bowl appearance. The top Big 10 teams own the top SEC teams year in and year out come bowl time. Ohio State and Michigan would run through the SEC without much problem....

Stewart I'm not gonna lie I'm sorta disappointed by this blog. Having been an Auburn fan my entire life, since I was a little boy, I can tell you this may be the best Auburn team ever. But to say Auburn is overrated is crap, and so is it to say LSU is better. If LSU is better, why did Auburn beat them? And for everybody talking about the SC victory over the hogs, remember how SC barely beat Wash. St., a team Auburn owned in the first week. No I believe this goes along with what everybody has said all along, and thats that on any given day any SEC team can beat another SEC team. We saw it last week when Ole Miss nearly beat UGA and Bama drilled Florida for three quarters. Today the "underdog" happened to win. However do you really think Bama is better then Auburn? Because remember, Bama took the hogs to overtime, and Arkansas just drilled us.

What I'm getting at is this. I was at the game and the reason Auburn lost was because Arkansas got up for the game and Auburn didn't. The whole time Auburn, with the exception of Brandon Cox, looked flat. And Arkansas showed up ready to play football. My tigers on the otherhand, they showed up to give the hogs hugs and slap them on the butt, cause thats all they did instead of tackle and block.

The ground caused a fumble yet TX was given the ball. After the refs in Oregon I'm not surprised by anything that refs do.

I hope this puts to rest all the talk about how the SEC will get robbed and that we can reserve these conversations till the end of the year. There's no point to this talk other than BS and filling web pages (including hop talk about Ohio State being 11-0 by the Michigan game). Let's wait till Thanksgiving for these conversations, if then, and just talk about what's going on on the field, conference to conference and so on.

Wow Big 10 the strongest conference? Im wondering what this guy was doing when he typed that or then again what he was smoking. I agree that the SEC doesn't have the greatest offensive teams in the NCAAF but do you honestly think 5 SEC teams would be in the top 15 of the AP poll if they didnt have some offense. Besides Id rather have a great defense then the most potent offense any day. GO DAWGS

I'm an Arkansas fan and I think you have hit this right on the head in spite of one Hog fan thinking you weren't giving Arkansas its due. It has been interesting to watch this team after the USC game. They have gotten better each week and, for anyone watching carefully, you could see some flashes of what might be coming. Today, they played a complete ballgame and, I think, they are only going to get better. This is a pretty good football team right now.

afer watching the replay of the pass interference call you say was questionable in the PSU - MINN game, I think it was clear he hit him early. Close, yes, but clearly early. Do you simply bend the rules at the end of a game? Like "touch" fouls in basketball, if it is a foul call it. Mr Mandel clearly views himself a fictional writer, not a true sports writer.

To Anonymous Auburn fan (5:25pm post)..
I'm not here to defend Stewart, but your in your post you contradict yourself by using a bit of faulty logic.

By your own logic, Arkansas must be better than Auburn by virtue of their win today ("If LSU is better, why did Auburn beat them?"). Therefore, Arkansas must either be at least #2 or Auburn was overrated. I'd have to say Auburn was overrated. Even if this is your best team, they are no #2.
And your attempt to explain this loss with the 'any given day' theory doesn't float either. Either use one argument or the other.. using both at the same time is innane.

In most cases (excluding poor officiating perhaps) the best team on that day wins the game. If they don't 'get up' for every game then clearly your team is not a top 10 team. That doesn't mean they have to win every game they play, but it does mean they have to play every game to win.

As for Arkansas.. a great win. Let's hope they can build on it. At best they are #20. More reasonably though they'll finish with one more loss and get back into an above average bowl game. Football futures are up in Fayetteville.
Cheers,
Hog Fan in New England

I have to disagree with Stewart about the Minnesota-Penn State pass interference call:

Clip

As you can see, there's shoulder-to-shoulder contact between the Minnesota DB and the Penn State WR before the ball gets there. It was close, but I think it was the right call.

The winner of the Ohio State vs. Michigan game should get the Sears trophy right then and there. They are by far the best two teams in the NCAA this year. I've never anticipated a game this much in my life.

I would like to point out that even after that "blown" call in the Penn State-Minnesota game, Minn. still had the option of not allowing Penn State to drive in for another score. It's not good when you let a WR barrel through your linebackers on a 10 yard redzone run.

Also, while you're right that it was a close call, it was nothing like the Oregon game earlier in the year. Get some perspective.

Not only is the monkey off Mack Brown's back, but it's locked up in a cage, waiting to be sold for its fur. A solid win for Texas, shutting down OU totally in the 2nd half.

I am, and always will be, an Oklahoma Sooner fan. But I have to say, “Hats off to Texas”. I'm very impressed with quarterback Colt McCoy. The Texas defense is awesome, and they certainly deserve to be ranked higher. I'm not what I perceive to be a "normal" football fan. I don't hate Texas. I try not to hate anybody. But I am proud of the Big 12.

On OU's side, we are young and talented, but as a team, we not to the caliber of Texas this year, and frankly, we have a long way to go.

But, coach Stoops and staff will get it together. The players have learned what is wrong and what to change, and at some point, they will.

The "Red River Shoot-out" is an awesome event, and it usually provides a hard-hitting and exciting game. Here's a toast to all who were involved. Keep ‘em coming!

Do you have any thoughts on UNH's David Ball breaking Jerry Rice's career TD receptions record for Division 1 schools?

Ball's phenomenal (as is UNH's offense in general, they average over 50 points a game!) and I think it's time he starts getting talked about on a bigger level.

Stewart, what is wrong with the Referee's this year? Oklahoma vs Oregon and the refs botch a critcal call that changes the outcome of the game. Last week the refs reviewed and overturned a completed pass to Ted Ginn. Today the refs blew that pass interfence call against PSU for Minnesota. Then just a few hours ago official review overturned Ohio State's second intereception.

Are these refs on drugs or do they watch an entirely different game then we do? Because I'm beginning to think that even with the advent of instant replay and offical reviews; the refs are still a bunch of blind zebras......

Hey Florida is for real, their tough win over LSU proves it. I can't wait for next week when we get to tee off on Auburn. Yes the SEC is the toughest conference in the NCAA because any team can win on any given saturday. How many games on in the SEC can UF, LSU or Auburn (the three teams that had the most realistic national championship hopes coming into this weekend) not many. GATORS RULE!!!!!

"And for everybody talking about the SC victory over the hogs, remember how SC barely beat Wash. St., a team Auburn owned in the first week."

You think a road win in Pullman is the same as a home win on the Plains? Keep drinking the Kool-Aid, Homer. But I'll make it simple for you.

Common Opponents: Arkansas, WSU

USC: 2-0 (both on the road)
Auburn: 1-1 (both at home)

Take the big ten or pac-10, add a couple of tough teams to it so they can have a conference championship game. Get two or three more teams ranked in the top 15. Then we can compare it to Big-12 or SEC. Who knows, Big-Ten might win the debate. As far as offense, urban myer had to re-evaluate his whole offense after his tearful loss in the SEC last year. Today, Auburn was out of gas and a little beat up. Arkansas had a new QB, healthier McFadden, and a good day. Bottomline, this type of upset seems to be the rule rather than the exception in the SEC.

Although it doesn't hold a candle to the Oregon fiasco, the on-field and replay officiating in Dallas managed to push an ever-deepening thorn farther into Bob Stoops' side. Why don't zebras like the boys in crimson and creme?

It started at UCLA last year (a holding call on an OU defender AFTER an OU pick = UCLA ball? A pivotal moment in the game), continued in Lubbock (several questionable calls capped by an obviously short touchdown run in the waning moments for a Texas Tech win), was made infamous in Eugene, and lingered today by way of two big turnovers (the aformentioned fumble and the "lateral" to Peterson in the 4th, both of which were reviewed and miss-called by the booth). Stoops also got pretty fiery about an offensive pass interference call that negated a big OU gain.

Now I'll admit, I'm a pretty disappointed Sooner fan right now. Our defense looked better, and our offense showed it's capable of moving the ball against a great defense. But we didn't make the big plays. I expected a better result. Still, turnovers are probably the biggest determinant of wins and losses in college football, and the refs gave Texas two of them.

Although it doesn't hold a candle to the Oregon fiasco, the on-field and replay officiating in Dallas managed to push an ever-deepening thorn farther into Bob Stoops' side. Why don't zebras like the boys in crimson and creme?

It started at UCLA last year (a holding call on an OU defender AFTER an OU pick = UCLA ball? A pivotal moment in the game), continued in Lubbock (several questionable calls capped by an obviously short touchdown run in the waning moments for a Texas Tech win), was made infamous in Eugene, and lingered today by way of two big turnovers (the aformentioned fumble and the "lateral" to Peterson in the 4th, both of which were reviewed and miss-called by the booth). Stoops also got pretty fiery about an offensive pass interference call that negated a big OU gain.

Now I'll admit, I'm a pretty disappointed Sooner fan right now. Our defense looked better, and our offense showed it's capable of moving the ball against a great defense. We just didn't make the big plays. I expected a better showing against the Longhorns. Still, turnovers are probably the biggest determinant of wins and losses in college football, and the refs gave Texas two of them.

everyone wants to argue rankings and conferences. the bottom line is that THIS is college football. on any given saturday anyone can beat anyone. today unranked arkansas beat #2 auburn. it will happen again this year with upsets (maybe not that big) but it will happen. i'm a razorback fan, if auburn shouldn't have been ranked that high then who? media darlings like texas? good lord. notre dame? hahaha! just because auburn was beaten by an unranked doesn't mean they didn't deserve their ranking. as for conferences, claiming a conferences dominance or superiority is for people whose team they are a fan of usually sucks and they are just looking for an arguement to claim. woo pigs!

If the teams out of big-10 like Iowa, Penn state, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Purdue, Michigan state, play against teams out of sec like Florida, LSU, Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas in the ball game, I bet 3 wins and 3 losses.
At most 2-4 or 4-2. And all the above teams will be easily sled out by Michigan and Ohio State.

go home SEC fans.....
I am too much sick and tired of crying themselves saying they can not win anybody. If you want to be Champion, you gotta a win everybody.

Compare the Pac-10 to the Big-12?!!?! That's a joke right? The Big-12 can't even beat their I-AA cream-puffs. I'm not sure they even belong in I-A themselves. As for the SEC, every conference game is like over-time affair-- the first team to score wins. Unfortunately the other 59 minutes is just awful (and boring) football. LSU is so bad they can't even get over 7 points in a damn game. The reason everyone in the conference is in the top 10 is because they cowardly schedule teams like Buffalo, Tulane, Arkansas St., Louisiana-LaFayette, UCF, Southern Miss, etc. So of course they're only going to lose in conference play. They're too chicken to play anyone worth a crap out of conference, and in the once-a-decade time they do it's a home game for them. To put it in perspective, this season the Pac-10's best team gave the SEC's current #1 team their worst beating in history at home.

USC 50 AT Arkansas 14
Arkansas 24 AT Auburn 10

'Nuff Said.

Will the Auburn fans stop making excuses? "Playing sloppy" "out of gas" "out excecuted" are all phrases uttered by LOSERS! Good teams, Championship teams, get it done no matter what and don't lose at home to teams that needed Vandy to miss a FG to win. Geez. You lost, you're not that great. Get over it.

Stuart, one of the things I've noticed is that everyone always says that the SEC is the hardest division to play in, just because of it's depth. I am inclined to agree (you only need to look at Auburn, Alambama, LSU, Georgia, Florida, and now Arkansas). My question is this: Despite having these teams that continually dominate year to year, no one gives the SEC any respect. Why is this?

Pass interference on MINN...blah blah blah.

Consider it divine credit to PSU's account after the Ohio State pickoff return for touchdown where the player spiked the ball in front of the goal line but it was never reviewed.

I understand that USC defeated the Rbacks, and I understand that Pac-10 fans, now, believe there conference is legitimate; however, their understanding of "attrition" is non-existant.

When the Pac-10 has as many top 100 recruits and natioanlly ranked defenses as the SEC, which is not likely to happen, then, they will understand "attrition."

I am exhausted from hearing about SC's undefeated seasons, and SC's spectacular victories, after they trailed late in the game, e.g. Fresno State 05'. The Pac-10 teams do not compete against quality teams every week. SC keeps their players healthy because they play cream puffs.

Bring it to the "Swamp" or take it to "Neyland" every year, and I promise that SC will become educated in the game that we SEC boys call football. However, I warn you that some of your pretty boys may be injured in the process.

Why do you think that the Florida v. California game is won every year by Florida? We are better than you!

Anonymous OU Conspiracy Theorist: ENOUGH! I think we can all agree that the referees have shown an alarming tendancy to blow calls, this year in particular. However, to say that they are out to get your precious Sooners is ludicrous. Anyone who has been following a team for any length of time can come up with a list of plays to "prove" a bias against their guys. At the end of the day, the team that wins finds a way to overcome the setbacks it faces better than the other team.

Also, having seen the lateral to Peterson of which you speak, I'm sorry to say that including that play in your litany of complaints seriously damages your credibility. That "pass" definitely traveled backwards from where Thompson was standing. Get your crimson and creme glasses off and stop your whining!

how can someone sane say big -10 is better than the SEC and big -10 teams can run through SEC. There is no better conference than SEC. period. The only teams worth mentioning in big -10 are ohio state,Iowa and michigan. rest all is junk. SEC in comparison has florida, LSU, auburn, Tenessee and georgia besides alabama and arkansas which are good enough to beat all big 10 teams except ohio state, iowa and michigan.SEC rules-the biggest, the fastest players on the planet which hit you on the mouth. go-SEC.

Saying this makes USC's win over Ark a quality win is crap. Every team has changed quite a bit from week 1

Lock Ness Monster: it appears that you didn't "watch" the OU game... the ball was clearly on the same line as the quarterback and receiver were. Even the TV commentators called this one right. The big question of the day - does a lateral only occur when the ball travels backwards or can it be even with the quarterback/receiver as in this case?

BTW - Great victory for Arkansas!!! It was a TOTAL game for the Razorbacks.

This is why we need a TRUE playoff for the NC. Then it wouldn't matter if you had one loss at the end of the regular season.
Take the top 16 or so teams and run a playoff, just like all other divisions........

Re: Comment of Hog Fan in New England at 6:19. I'm a Hog fan in Vermont for the weekend. Drove all over the state looking for a sports bar to watch the game. The people are great in Vermont, but when you ask anyone where you can find a sports bar to watch a football game they look at you like you are from another planet. They just don't understand SEC football. I could only follow the action on my cell phone.

Great win for Arkansas, which has improved each week since the 'SC game. They will only get better, and should be ready to be considered a power in the SEC by the time they play the Vols and LSU in November.

It is so funny how the SEC fans are no longer talking that trash about how great LSU and Auburn are. How stout the defense is, and how great the smash mouth football is in the South. It is not that the SEC is the strongest conference in the country, but the fact that all those south teams are one dementional on offense (all they do is run). Hell, if USC,or Ohio State's D(s) knew that the offensese they were facing in their conferences were like this they would look dominat on defense and all that. The south sucks and it will never ride again.

The SEC is overrated and full of media hype. Yeah the SEC is strong, what ever. Last wekk the LSU and Auburn teams were great defensive stout teams. Reality, you are all one dementional, all yall do is run. If the USC or Ohip St. defenses faced this kind of offense in their respective conferences, they to would look as good on D if not better. No matter what the South will never ride again.

To "Anonymous" who said Big 10 teams are all junk except for OSU, Michigan and Iowa. What are YOU smoking? Just like most years, we'll see how you do in the bowl games. And by the way, you might look to see how Big 10 teams have fared in recent years against your conference...very favorably. Some reason you didn't mention Wisconsin, etc.? Oooops. The SEC is a good conference, but to make statements like you did basically shows any thinking you're doing is definitely NOT above your shoulders. And yeah, we'll play you any time, any where. Come up north in November...we'll be happy to take care of you.

Ah poor Tommy Tuberville. That's totally what you get for spending your time giving a pre-emptive whine about the system instead of you know... preparing for the week's game. Go Hogs Go.

"Posted: 8:30 PM, October 07, 2006 by Anonymous
Will the Auburn fans stop making excuses? "Playing sloppy" "out of gas" "out excecuted" are all phrases uttered by LOSERS"

if you go back and look the person who said Auburn was out of gas is an Arkansas fan. Me, im an Auburn fan born and raised. There are no excuses for their performance today. They played like crap and deserved to be beaten. Actually im surprised it didnt happen earlier. Auburn will bounce back and good luck to Arkansas

in reply to "solja of troy", if i remember right, it was a "southern" team, one that is probably THE most over-rated that rained on usc's party last year...texas? wasn't it? another thing, since they don't teach geography there, what about spelling? ohip st.? offensese? wooden horses don't have brains. and a parting shot, we don't "buy" our running backs.

I will admit that I didn't see the whole Oklahoma-Texas game, but I did see the play in question. The ball went slightly backwards. To respond to your question, if the ball travels parallel to the line of scrimmage, it is still a lateral.

Auburned: I couldn't agree more. Then again, maybe it's all part of Tuberville's master plan. If he has no chance of making the title game without a loss, maybe it's a better idea to try losing a game! Yeah, that's it...

How many games in the last few years has Penn State lost because of blown calls? They were a missed out of bounds call and a hometown clock away from an undefeated season last year. And who can forget all blown calls, that always seemed to go against Penn State, that directly lead to instant replay in the Big Ten. Remember Paterno running across the field to grab the ref? So, yeah, not feeling all that guilty about yesterday's game. Because all the reason given to Penn State (still had a chance to stop, that's just part of the game, call could have gone either way) apply to Minnsesota.

Speaking of inept/malicious officiating, why is no one talking about the apparent officiating bias against Ohio State? It has been shown that Ohio State opponents receive the least amount of penalties on a consistent basis. Yes, OSU has still managed to win, but is this supposed to justify the poor officiating? We can only complain if we lose?

After reading all of these post, I just have one thing to say: Playoffs!!!

OU fans: can you define the word "lateral"? If not, pick up a dictionary on your next trip out of state.

Maybe you're more upset about No. 28 giving up on the play.

"As for the SEC, every conference game is like over-time affair-- the first team to score wins...LSU is so bad they can't even get over 7 points in a damn game. The reason everyone in the conference is in the top 10 is because they cowardly schedule teams like Buffalo, Tulane, Arkansas St., Louisiana-LaFayette, UCF, Southern Miss, etc. So of course they're only going to lose in conference play. They're too chicken to play anyone worth a crap out of conference..."

Silly Pac-10 fans, the nonsense you spew can only be addressed in several separate paragraphs.

1) Let's look at some out of conference games the SEC played this year: Auburn 40 Washington St. 10; LSU 45 Arizona 3; Tennessee 35 California 18. I guess scheduling the likes of the Pac-10 (and subsequently destroying the teams) indicates the SEC is "too chicken to play anyone worth a crap out of conference." You are speaking very highly of your league.

2) "...the first team to score wins...LSU is so bad they can't even get over 7 points in a damn game." Again, we don't even have to leave the Pac-10 games to address the nonsensical comments. LSU hung 45 on Arizona, Auburn put 40 on Washington St. (as you well know, USC's high-flying offense could only muster half that total), and Tennessee scored 35 on California. It sounds to me like the SEC scores just fine out of conference. It is only when the SEC teams start playing OTHER SEC TEAMS that the scores might get bogged down (because the defenses improve? There's a novel idea, Mr. Pac-10 Man.)

mattjcd, you proved my point and didn't even realize it. The toughest 3 out of conference games the SEC won this season was against a conference you say completely stinks. The other 32 games SEC teams scheduled for their out of conference games were teams that are WORSE than that. And those "Toughest" OOC games, the one's against Pac-10 opponents, were all HOME games for the SEC chickens. It takes an Act of God to get an SEC team to travel.

Speaking of LSU, going into Week 7 the strongest opponent they have a win over is Arizona. Does that say enough about being over-rated? Tennessee's strongest opponent that they have a win over is Cal, The Gators have played all but one game at home, and their best victory was by one point against the team that beat Cal, and to top everything off, the #1 team in the SEC got smoked 50-14 AT HOME by a terrible (according to you) Pathetic-10 team.

I really didn't realize just how bad the SEC is until right now.

Lock Ness Monster: I guess we just have to disagree... I don't believe the ball went backwards at all. As for, "if the ball travels parallel to the line of scrimmage, it is still a lateral." I'd be curious as to what the rules state on this but I'd guess more than 9 times out of 10, this is called an incomplete pass rather than a lateral.

However, Peterson should have been aware enough to assume it could be called a lateral.

Sandy, after the Oregon-OU game, why would we want to travel to the Pac-10?

Oh, and it's nice to see one of the Booty's doing well. They were never able to get it done here in the South...