FAYETTEVILLE — Two results Saturday have reshaped the perception of the pecking order within the SEC.
Arkansas' win over Ole Miss sets up the Razorbacks for a chance to finish at least third in the SEC West, while Alabama throttled Tennessee in what may be a preview of December's SEC Championship Game. If Tennessee is the best the eastern division has to offer, third in the West may very well constitute third in the conference.
Coming into the week, I thought Ole Miss was probably the third-best team behind Alabama and Texas A&M. The Rebels had two losses, but they were to two teams that have won national championships since 2013.
Arkansas looked every bit as good as Ole Miss on Saturday, if not better. And it wasn't just because the Razorbacks were the home team.
That game was more along the lines of what we expected to see from Arkansas in the preseason. The Razorbacks were able to run the ball and get some pressure on the quarterback - both of which figured to be a strength before the year began.
It begs the question: Is Arkansas better than many felt in the wake of lopsided losses to Texas A&M and Alabama? I'd argue yes.
We'll see next Saturday just how well the Crimson Tide and Aggies match-up, but it appears clear they are the two best teams in the SEC. They are so good, in part, because of the play of their defensive lines, a position group in which both likely have multiple first-round NFL draft picks. Alabama has future NFL players across the board on defense.
Ole Miss doesn't have that type of personnel. Neither do many of the teams the Razorbacks will face over the final five games of the regular season.
Arkansas' win over the Rebels renews the belief that the Razorbacks may actually be able to build on their 8-win season a year ago. Arkansas' offense is capable of scoring with anyone - as evidenced by the 30 points it put on Alabama - and that should keep it competitive in most games, especially against teams with quarterback inconsistencies like the ones it will play down the stretch.
The Razorbacks may not be favored in every game and probably won't go undefeated, but all appear winnable.
Targeting rule too inconsistent
Let's call targeting for what it is: a terrible rule.
In fact, I'd venture to say targeting is the worst rule in college football since the halo rule on punts. That one was so bad that it was abolished following the 2002 season.
Here's to hoping targeting will meet the same fate, although that isn't likely.
Most everyone likes the spirit of the targeting rule. Defenders who lead with their helmet and target defenseless players should be kicked out of a game. There's no place for dirty play.
The problem is the rule unfairly punishes players too many times. And it's enforcement is inconsistent.
From my seat, one of the more egregious interpretations of the rule came when Arkansas safety De'Andre Coley was kicked out of Saturday's game in the third quarter. It appeared Coley made a clean block on an interception return. The hit was high on receiver Van Jefferson, but Coley turned his head and avoided hitting Jefferson with the crown of his helmet.
It should be noted that hitting with the crown of the helmet is not the only way to be flagged for targeting. Leading with a shoulder can also lead to a penalty and that is likely the reason Coley was flagged against the Rebels. Essentially, it comes down to an official determining what was the intent of a player.
Forty-one percent of targeting calls had been overturned by SEC officials prior to the one on Coley. Chances are one or more were similar.
Referee Marc Curles said the play stood after review, meaning replay officials saw no substantive angle to confirm or overrule the call. Yet because the original call stood, Coley was ejected from the game, and because the penalty happened after halftime, he'll have to miss the first half at Auburn next week.
It's the second time this season that Coley has been ejected for targeting. He was also thrown out of the Texas A&M game three weeks ago. That ejection came in the first half and he did not have to miss the next game.
A play equally dangerous to targeting came moments after the review upheld the call on Coley. Arkansas quarterback Austin Allen was pulled down by his facemask by Ole Miss defensive lineman Breeland Speaks, which caused Allen's neck to jerk sideways - the kind of play that could have easily caused a serious injury.
Yet Speaks was only flagged for roughing the passer and was allowed to continue playing.
A suggestion for improving the targeting rule: Don't eject a player during the game.
College football conferences could follow the NFL's lead on dirty hits. With the exception of blatant fouls, NFL players are not ejected during a game. Instead, the NFL reviews questionable hits and administers fines and suspensions.
College conference offices review penalties, too, and could hand out similar punishment to players after the fact. Decisions about an ejection, especially one that affects playing eligibility for the next game, should be made after much discussion and reflection, not during a few minutes of replay in the heat of the moment.
Homefield advantage taking hold
During Ole Miss' final drive Saturday, I received a text message from my wife, who was sitting in the upper level.
"Loudest 4th quarter ever," she wrote.
It was certainly up there in terms of noise level. Prior to and following the Rebels' final offensive play, the press box was shaking because of the noise level being made above and below.
ESPN announcer Joe Tessitore even made reference to it on the TV broadcast.
"You can actually feel Razorback Stadium shaking under our feet right now," Tessitore said.
The noise registered at 117 decibels on the field. That's louder than a police siren or a jackhammer.
Imagine how loud the stadium can be after north end zone expansion in a couple of seasons. Not only will the expansion add more seats, but a mostly bowled stadium will better hold the noise.
Arkansas' gameday production has been criticized by many in the past with good reason. Too many in-game commercials and recognitions can be a downer.
But the Razorbacks have made some noticeable changes the past couple of years to cut down on that, and changed up the way they sell tickets to get more people in the gates. Six of the past 10 games have been sellouts and the November game against LSU is already sold-out.
Arkansas is averaging 72,623 fans per on-campus game this season. The announced attendance Saturday was 73,786.
Anyone who has attended a game this season can tell a difference. There is no production script that can substitute for a raucous group of fans, which the Razorbacks had - particularly late - against Ole Miss.
Arkansas has now won nine of its past 12 games played in Fayetteville, including three of its last four against ranked teams.