TUSCALOOSA Ala. — By halftime, Alabama had obliterated the betting line of 31 points.
It was 41-0, and all those people who thought the weather would level the playing field had to face the fact that it didn’t rain.
For those who thought Bama’s starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa being out would help the University of Arkansas, it didn’t.
In his first career start, redshirt sophomore Mac Jones hit 16 of 20 passes for 186 yards and 2 touchdowns in the first half. He retired for the evening after one third-quarter possession, which resulted in another touchdown.
No one in their right mind expected Arkansas to beat the No. 1 Crimson Tide, and Coach Nick Saban called the dogs off in the second half of a 48-7 defeat.
Some actually thought the Razorbacks could stay within 31 points of the Tide because of the aforementioned reasons.
Nope, and this falls on Coach Chad Morris and every assistant.
There was no excuse to pull John Stephen Jones after he came off the bench late in the first half to lead the Hogs on their best drive of the game to that point.
Reading the Bama defense perfectly and not making a move until every defender was committed, Jones moved the Hogs from their own 25 to the Bama 46, all on the ground.
The Tide seemed bewildered, and they were probably shocked when Jones was yanked out and Nick Starkel trotted back on the field.
Who doesn’t let the hot hand finish the half?
At that point, Starkel was 5-of-17 passing for 58 yards with 2 interceptions and 1 fumble. When the half ended, he was 5-of-19 passing and had thrown his third pick, which was returned 84 yards for a touchdown.
No wonder there’s so much talk about Morris’ job security. Of course, there is the matter of the $10 million buyout that Chancellor Joe Steinmetz and UA President Donald Bobbitt approved.
Anyway, Alabama opened the second half with a 40-yard connection from Mac Jones to Jerry Jeudy to complete a 64-yard drive and take a 48-0 lead.
Morris did start Jones in the second half, but Joe Namath — who attended homecoming festivities — couldn’t have helped the Hogs in his prime.
But Jones proved to be hickory-nut tough.
On his third full possession, he drove the Razorbacks 85 yards on 13 plays using his arm and legs. He hit Cheyenne O’Grady for 8 yards and the Hogs’ only touchdown.
Again, no one expected the Razorbacks to get their first conference win in almost two years against the mighty Tide. Starting Jones might have made it closer, but the Hogs weren’t going to win.
Saban has made Alabama the most powerful football factory in America. He’s undefeated as the Tide’s coach vs. Arkansas. The better he gets, the worse the Razorbacks seem to become.
In the past eight seasons, the Crimson Tide have outscored the Hogs 348-104.
In my 40 years, this is a slump like none other.
It probably started with John L. Smith and got worse when Sam Pittman — a great offensive line coach and even greater recruiter — left for Georgia.
The fallout between Pittman and Bret Bielema was not subtle or quiet. As a matter of fact, Bielema started here with a great staff, but it didn’t end that way.
After Arkansas scored, Bama’s third-team offense came on the field and used more than nine minutes of the final quarter to drive to the Razorbacks’ 5, where they turned the ball over on downs.
All that was left was the final buzzer for a game that was over early in the first half.