Alabama @ Arkansas preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 19, 2013 ) Arkansas 0, Alabama 52

The road to the inaugural College Football Playoff is now a bumpy one for No. 7 Alabama as it attempts to bounce back from a loss when it visits Arkansas on Saturday in SEC play. The Crimson Tide lost to Mississippi and can’t afford any further stumbles as the SEC West is loaded with five teams (including Alabama) ranked among the Top 15 nationally. The Razorbacks average 44.6 points per game but have lost 14 consecutive conference contests.

Tailback Kenyan Drake is likely done for the season after suffering a broken left leg and former Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron criticized the team’s lack of leadership. “I don’t know that that’s all leadership,” Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said. “I’m sort of responsible for all that, as we all as coaches and players, to make sure that we’re ready to play our best against good teams in tough environments on the road.” Arkansas lost to Texas A&M in overtime last week to end a three-game winning streak.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Alabama -10.5.

ABOUT ALABAMA (4-1, 1-1 SEC): The Crimson Tide are averaging 37 points per game with quarterback Blake Sims completing 70.3 percent of his passes for 1,319 yards and eight touchdowns against three interceptions. Backs T.J. Yeldon (407 yards) and Derrick Henry (357) are playing well while receiver Amari Cooper has been outstanding with 52 catches for 746 yards and five touchdowns. Defensively, Alabama allows 15.8 points with the standouts including strong safety Landon Collins (team-best 38 tackles), weak-side linebacker Reggie Ragland (28 stops) and linebacker Xzavier Dickson (team-leading four sacks).

ABOUT ARKANSAS (3-2, 0-2): Second-year coach Bret Bielema would like to see the SEC losing streak conclude – a skid that began in 2012 when he was still the coach at Wisconsin. “To make that turnaround takes a lot of hard work and a lot of effort,” Bielema said on a conference call. “It takes something to finally tip you over that edge, to finally get you past the point to know that this is obviously going to happen not only this time but many times in the future.” Quarterback Brandon Allen has thrown nine touchdowns against one interception while the running-back duo of Alex Collins (621 yards, six TDs) and Jonathan Williams (486 yards, eight touchdowns) has been exceptional.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Alabama has won the last seven meetings – each of the past two by a 52-0 score.

2. Arkansas OLB Martrell Spaight leads his team with 43 tackles while DT Taiwan Johnson has a club-best 3.5 sacks.

3. Crimson Tide LB Denzel Devall was injured against Mississippi will miss at least three weeks.

PREDICTION: Alabama 30, Arkansas 24