Slophouse Predictions: South Carolina vs. Arkansas
November 6th, 2009
It’s time to make your picks on the blog, tell us how you see the game developing and then head on over to Hog Call and win some Arkansas vs. Troy tickets by showing your picking prowess. Congrats to Aaron Latham for winning tickets last week for correctly picking all the games.
Make your picks and win some tix.
Here on the Slophouse, we’re 7-1 in predicting Arkansas games so far this season. We got back on track last week after incorrectly picking the Ole Miss game.
This South Carolina game is a strange one, folks. By far, this is the most difficult game for me to predict so far this season. What’s really strange to me is that the Hogs are favored by 7 points to a team that was just in the top 25 this time last week. Sure, free safety Chris Culliver’s shoulder injury and suspension for walking out of practice earlier this week will hurt the Gamecocks. After all, behind linebacker Eric Norwood, the safety has the most snaps on the team.
But I just don’t see Carolina’s defense struggling as much as some think.
I see Arkansas starting hot and having to hold back a South Carolina rally on offense in the second half. The problem with the Gamecocks, though, is their offense. While Stephen Garcia may be second in the SEC in passing yards, his offense is awful scoring points. The Gamecocks have scored 16 points or less in five games this season. That won’t cut it in Fayetteville, but you can almost count on the Razorbacks’ defense to give up at least two big plays in this one.
I see Ryan Mallett throwing for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns with 2 interceptions. The key in this game is the running game and whether Michael Smith can start slicing and dicing defenses again. If not, the Hogs could be sitting home when bowl invites are handed out next month.
Hogs start out hot, South Carolina not and the home team holds on late.
Arkansas 28, South Carolina 24.
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Share your picks below.
— Brandon Marcello
Mallett and company will be ready. The question, again, is will the defense show up? Assignment breakdowns in the secondary like last week and biting on the play action passing would be fatal. I think, and hope, that Willy is [finally] starting to put the right guys on the field and they will be ready to play their best game of the season. ARKANSAS 31, Carolina 21
It will boil down to who comes out and wants it more. We’ll gain a LOT more yards than they average allowed, I believe. I also know that our hogs can play early in the day (Auburn).
South Carolina has already met their team goal for the year (to become bowl eligible per Spurrier). We have not met our expectations to be bowl eligible yet and are still two games away. We will have the fire and intensity and on top of that a healthy Smith and Adams. We do need the crowd and atmosphere to show up though. I've already been to my one Hog game this year so I will be rooting and watching pay per view with the three Hog fanatics I'm friends with up in Kansas.
SC will be without one of their starting DE’s and starting safety.
24-10 Hogs at half
42-31 Hogs......Final Answer
P.S. GO HOGS!!!!!!!!!
Gonna be a shootout if we win! I don't believe our DBs can hold SC under 30. The offense MUST play well and I think they will.
Ark 31
SC 30
I think we're starting to get back a few of the weapons we've missed the last couple of games & it looks like USCe is experiencing some injuries on defense... not a good combination for them. If our d-line can generate a pass rush we should be OK. If we don't then Garcia may look like an All-American (like a lot who go against our D).
Hogs 31 Spurrier's Latest 20
Arkansas - 24
USC - 21
I think the ONLY saving grace in this game is the early kickoff. These 11:20 games have favored the home team the majority of the time. Otherwise, I think our defense is in trouble if they continue to allow tight ends free reign in the middle of the field and continue to allow wide receivers to get behind the defense. The Razorbacks' defense is where this game will be decided. If the defense that played well against TAMU, Auburn, and Florida shows, then I think the Hogs will win running away. But if the defense from the UGA, Ole Miss, and Eastern Michigan games shows, then the Hogs' don't stand a chance.
I think the defense will do just enough to eek out a 4-point win. Hogs--42, Gamecocks--38.
Must win for Arkansas and even more so for Petrino. Got to win SEC games at home, especially against the South Carolina's. Petrino still must prove himself to many Razorback fans. Razorbacks respond with a 38-28 win.
I'm going to go out on a limb and think that our defense will show up for most of the game, a la TAMU, Auburn and we blow out USC 45 to 24. Of course this will require Mallet to throw the short ball like he did in the EMU game with the occasional sexy long ball (instead of the other way around). And Smith is itching to explode. I think it will not be close. Let me rephrase that: I hope it won't be close! :)
little uneasy about this... I am not convinced that they have their game face on.. If they let Dennis play like he did against Florida..much better shot at winning. I just don't see Petrino going that route. who knows
It's a weird one. If the Ole' Miss game hadn't looked like it did I'd be more confident. I'll go with it though: Hogs 35 Gamecocks 13
One Prase to all ya'll pigs out there....SC beat themselves, not the Razonbacks, so, for all you Razorback fans who reside in that Chiken infested meph using hole of a town called Fayettevilleand surrounding areas, cant wait to see you next year....bumgholls
Billy Wren. Take your team's loss like a man. They lost, and they continue to be losers in November.
your right billy...SC beat themselves. It wasn't Ryan Mallett going 23 of 27 or anything. That kind of poor sportsmanship makes you sound more like a Tennessee fan than an SC fan.