Commentary

This Southwest Classic important for futures of Sumlin, Bielema

Arkansas coach Brett Bielema talks with Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin before the start of the teams' 2013 matchup at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

Kevin Sumlin’s path to the outhouse or the penthouse starts in Arlington, Texas, Saturday morning when Texas A&M plays Arkansas.

The SEC opener for both teams is dubbed the Southwest Classic but could be called the Hot Seat Classic. A win against the Hogs may start a streak that could save his job.

Both Sumlin and Arkansas coach Bret Bielema are facing criticism for auspicious starts. The Aggies blew a 34-point lead at UCLA which made a pivotal year even more so. It’s surprising Sumlin wasn’t greeted at the airport with a pink slip. That’s how it is sometimes done in Texas and SEC country.

Alas, Sumlin kept his job and hung on to beat Football Championship Subdivision Nicholls State 24-14 and led A&M to a blowout of Louisiana-Lafayette last week after trailing at halftime. Neither win calmed the concerned, but a victory keeps Sumlin fighting for another day.

Arkansas fans are questioning Bielema’s future after a 28-7 home loss to TCU which was punctuated with anemic offensive line play and an atrocious kicking game.

So, that sets the stage for an interesting opener. One coach will leave the field breathing a sigh of relief and the other will be facing more job security questions.

Both schools’ fan bases are wondering if their respective program can rebound from the early season tumult. The Aggies, a slim favorite to beat the Hogs and who own a five-game win streak in the series, could be set for a run if they can win Saturday.

Their next game is a home tilt against South Carolina followed by another home game with No. 1 Alabama. Now, no one is going to pick A&M to beat the Crimson Tide, but if they are riding a four-game winning streak, the matchup would command national attention and wind up in a marquee TV time slot.

A&M is already favored against Arkansas and will be against the Gamecocks, who have been unimpressive in a narrow win against North Carolina State and a win against bottom-feeder Missouri and a loss to Kentucky. The Arkansas game stands to be the tougher of the two just because it is at a neutral site. Playing at Kyle Field is a huge advantage and which is why they may have a fighting chance against Alabama if things go their way the next few weeks.

If Arkansas is going to snap out of its doldrums it must play better on the offensive line. Texas A&M whipped the Hogs up-front last year. More effective blocking could pave the way for a breakout performance from senior quarterback Austin Allen, who connected with receivers only four times in the TCU loss. If the game comes down to quarterback play, Allen would seem to have the distinct advantage over true freshman Kellen Mond.

Mond has been pressed into action after Jake Hubenak was injured in the loss t UCLA. Mond responded in his first career start last week against Lafayette becoming the first Aggie true freshman to pass for more than 300 yards.

Mond established himself as one of the top dual-threat quarterback recruits in the nation last year at IMG Academy. While he is inexperienced, Arkansas hasn’t defended dual-threat quarterbacks well in the past. A&M hasn’t had problems putting up points on the board, and against an average Arkansas defense will be able to again. Arkansas will play better against the Aggies, but it won’t be enough.

The Hogs will regroup next week against cream puff New Mexico State and then has to play at Alabama and host Auburn in back-to-back weeks. If the Hogs don’t beat A&M, they could be looking at a 1-3 SEC start at best and maybe 0-4. A&M’s schedule doesn’t get easier after Alabama as they play at Florida and then host Mississippi State and Auburn back-to-back.

You could make the argument now that the Mississippi State game may be the toughest of the three. The SEC is in a down year, and the No. 2 spot in the SEC West is completely up for grabs and A&M could be in that mix.

The loss to UCLA hurt Sumlin, but the talent he has is more suited to navigate the SEC than Arkansas. If Sumlin keeps his job, an SEC-opening win against the Hogs will be one of the reasons why.