Las Vegas has the Hogs as a 7-point underdog, though, they’re not always right.
The battle for the Golden Boot is one of the most underrated rivalries in all of college football, but it’s always significant for Arkansas and LSU, even though the Tigers don’t want to fully admit it at times.
Here are five reasons why Arkansas will beat its SEC West rival on Saturday:
HISTORY IS ON THE RAZORBACKS’ SIDE
Sure, LSU may hold a 37-22-2 advantage in the all-time series, but this rivalry has belonged to the Razorbacks in recent years.
After three straight years of losing to the Tigers from 2011-2013, Arkansas has taken hold of this matchup the past two seasons. The last time these rivals met in Fayetteville, the Razorbacks pulled out a 17-0 shutout for head coach Bret Bielema’s first SEC win. Then last year, Arkansas followed that victory up with a 31-14 win in Baton Rouge.
Considering the winning streak started after a three-game losing skid, it’s only fitting the Razorbacks win their third in a row.
ARKANSAS OWNS NOVEMBER
A year ago, the Hogs caught fire and went 3-1 in November. The Tigers, meanwhile, went 1-3 during the final month of the regular season. Arkansas finished 2-2 during its November slate in 2014, and LSU went 1-2 during that same stretch.
If last Saturday’s victory was any indication, it seems like the Razorbacks are once again finding their footing at the end of the season. And seeing how the Tigers lost their first game of November against Alabama last week, it seems like they’re holding up their end of the bargain.
FAYETTEVILLE WILL BE ROCKIN’
Anytime the conversation of which team has the best homefield advantage comes up, LSU always comes to mind.
Not so fast, my friends.
Razorback Stadium has come alive during each of the Razorbacks’ primetime matchups, and Saturday night will be no different. The Fayetteville faithful understand what’s at stake, and they know a primetime slot on ESPN means everybody in the nation will be watching.
They’ll show up early and scream like hell, just like they did when they willed the Hogs to a victory over the Gators last weekend.
UNCERTAINTY SURROUNDS THE TIGERS
Will Ed Orgeron be back? If not, who will lead the ship? How long would a coaching search take? If so, how long should his contract be?
See what I mean?
There are just too many big question marks surrounding the future of LSU’s program. While the Tigers have undoubtedly played for Coach O since he took over as interim head coach, this is the part of the season where question marks can become major distractions.
On the flip side, Arkansas has a stable foundation. Bielema got his team’s running game rolling last week, and his defense proved it can bounce back after being embarrassed at Auburn.
With all the questions surrounding LSU, who would be surprised if the players’ heads were elsewhere down the final stretch of the season?
THE HOGS WILL STOP THE RUN
12 yards. That is how many rushing yards Arkansas allowed against Florida last week.
Obviously, the Gators don’t have Leonard Fournette in their backfield, but even No. 7 won’t run over the Hogs this weekend.
A year ago, the Razorbacks allowed Fournette to gain 91 yards on 19 carries. Overall, he was much more impactful last season than he has been this year.
After shutting down Florida last week, Arkansas will step up again and stop the run on the way to its third consecutive victory over LSU.
