FAYETTEVILLE -- For Arkansas, tonight's game with Alabama appeared more winnable in August than October.
Nick Saban's No. 1 ranked reigning national champion Alabama Crimson Tide seldom have cause to be apprehensive about anything. Not even an ESPN televised 6 p.m. road game at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
But the Tide (5-0. 2-0 SEC) lost some big pieces from last year's national championship puzzle, including their starting quarterback and Heisman Trophy running back.
Coach Bret Bielema's 16th-ranked Razorbacks (4-1, 0-1) also graduated their starting quarterback, Brandon Allen, but they had cause in August to feel more secure about Allen's successor than Alabama did on succeeding quarterback Jake Coker.
Arkansas redshirt junior Austin Allen, the backup in 2014 and 2015, has improved each game replacing his older brother, who now plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Blake Barnett, Saban's opening game starting quarterback, left the Tide last week to transfer.
Also it seemed Bielema had stockpiled his deepest secondary on his fourth Arkansas team. With returning starters Dan Skipper and Frank Ragnow, he had pillars on which to build an offensive line, even with three 2015 starting linemen gone.
As noted, Bielema hasn't fretted about quarterback.
Unfortunately for Arkansas, neither has Saban.
True freshman Jalen Hurts relieved Barnett during Alabama's victory over Southern California, and he's been sensational ever since.
The running dimension Hurts has added to Alabama is something for Arkansas to worry about. Texas A&M quarterback Trevor Knight ran through the Hogs in their only loss of the season.
Hurts supplements a running back-by-committee approach, which is picking up 2015 Heisman winner Derrick Henry's slack.
Alabama has the rest of the offensive pieces -- including outstanding receiver Calvin Ridley, who caught an 81-yard touchdown pass against Arkansas last year -- and a defense that not only is stopping opponents but also scoring against them in abundance.
Alabama's defense has scored five touchdowns. Its punt returners have scored two.
The Tide roll as completely as ever.
Season-ending injuries to defensive backs Kevin Richardson and Britto Tutt depleted what was projected as a deep Arkansas secondary.
Arkansas' offense has struggled on goal-line and short-yardage situations, and its place-kicking is unreliable beyond an extra point.
Junior center Ragnow, Arkansas' rock in the middle of the line, has been gone this week through Thursday, preoccupied by last Saturday night's sudden death of his father from a heart attack.
Even if sophomore backup Zach Rogers starts for Ragnow if he understandably finds he's not emotionally ready, these Razorbacks know they can go toe to toe with the Tide.
They have done that the past two years with third-quarter leads in eventual 14-13 and 27-14 losses in Fayetteville and Tuscaloosa, Ala. So it's not a matter of whether they can play with the Tide, it's whether they can play the complete game it takes to beat the Tide.
"They play a full four quarters of football," Arkansas senior cornerback Jared Collins said. "It's tough to beat that, but it's possible."
Sports on 10/08/2016