Alabama @ Arkansas preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 26, 2009 ) Arkansas 7, Alabama 35

Top-ranked Alabama passed the first big test in its national title defense with flying colors. No. 11 Arkansas hopes to make the Crimson Tide's second one a bit more trying.

The defending national champs will put their 27-game regular-season winning streak on the line when they open Southeastern Conference play Saturday in Fayetteville, Ark.

Alabama (3-0) has picked up where it left off during last year's undefeated campaign, pounding San Jose State, Penn State and Duke by a combined score of 134-19. The 24-3 victory against the 20th-ranked Nittany Lions was especially impressive, and now the Crimson Tide gets a shot at its second ranked opponent.

The Razorbacks (3-0 overall, 1-0 SEC) remained undefeated with a 31-24 win at Georgia, as Ryan Mallett and Greg Childs connected on a 40-yard touchdown pass with 15 seconds left.

Arkansas has scored 30 or more points in each of its first three games, lopsided wins over Tennessee Tech and Louisiana-Monroe and last week's shootout with the Bulldogs. The Razorbacks probably will have to put up big offensive numbers to keep pace this week, as well.

Alabama ranks fourth in the nation in total offense (542 yards per game) and ninth in scoring offense (44.7 points per game). That prolific offense was on full display in last week's 62-13 win at Duke, in which the Crimson Tide racked up 626 yards of total offense. The 62 points were the most the Crimson Tide has scored since a 62-0 win over Tulane in 1991.

The offense got a boost from the return of reigning Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, who rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries in his first game back after missing the first two games of the season while recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery.

Ingram's return gives Alabama a potent backfield duo, as sophomore Trent Richardson has rushed for a team-high 271 yards, averaging 6.9 yards per carry and scoring four touchdowns. He also had a 91-yard kickoff return touchdown against the Blue Devils.

Both Ingram and Richardson hit career milestones last week, as Ingram moved past 2,500 rushing yards in his career, and Richardson hit the 1,000-yard mark.

The passing game is clicking along, too, with senior quarterback Greg McElroy boasting the nation's best passing efficiency rating at 200.03. McElroy has completed 71.7 percent of his passes for 705 yards and six touchdowns with one interception. Junior Julio Jones has been McElroy's favorite target with 15 catches for 248 yards and two touchdowns.

Alabama's defense has been equally impressive, holding its first three opponents to 6.33 points per game, the second-lowest total in the nation. The Crimson Tide has allowed only one touchdown.

That defense will face its stiffest test to date against the Razorbacks, who rank fifth in the nation in scoring offense (35.3 points per game) and third in passing (367.7 yards per game).

Mallett leads that prolific unit. The junior has completed 70 percent of his passes for 1,081 yards and nine touchdowns with two interceptions. His 360.3 passing yards per game is tops in the nation.

Mallett has thrown touchdown passes to five different receivers, but his favorite targets have been Childs (19 catches, 254 yards, 3 TDs), Joe Adams (15 catches, 344 yards, 2 TDs) and tight end D.J. Williams (14 catches, 173 yards).

Alabama leads the series 10-8 and has won three straight and four of the last five against the Razorbacks, including a 35-7 win last year in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide won the last meeting in Fayetteville 49-14 in 2008.

Arkansas is 4-11 all-time against top-ranked teams. The Razorbacks have played the defending national champions in nine of the past 14 seasons, including each of the past three years.