re: "Arkansas can't out-Bama Bama or out-Lsu Lsu"

quote:

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But why do people think those two teams are so special just for Arkansas? No one ever asks if Ole Miss can beat Bama with their style of offense.

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Trying to beat Nick Saban at his own game with inferior players is a bad idea. Trying to beat Nick Saban with the spread, an offense he notoriously hates dealing with, is a different matter.

The reason the spread is so successful is because it evens the playing field somewhat, giving undermatched teams advantages they otherwise would lack. Alabama and LSU play the way they do because, if you have elite talent, you can just pound the other team into submission and that is made much easier when the other team is trying to do the same thing they are just with worse players.

Basically, Bielema is trying to play a given way despite not having the horses to do it. A traditional run first play-action offense will get you THROTTLED regularly in this era of college football if you dont have a high level of talent. You get down to fast paced teams, or teams that do what you do better, and you have no good way of getting back into the game. Bielema's offense requires consistently getting leads, holding them and wearing the other team out. That just isnt smart given his talent and what he's up against.

Had Arkansas been running a spread, they probably beat A&M last year.