Ole Miss Simply Had Talent to React to Razorbacks' Defense

Pittman wants defense to not tip off what they're doing which is easier said than done with players Hogs have

Arkansas Razorbacks defensive back Jaheim Singletary having to rush up as Ole Miss wide receiver Antwane "Juice" Wells catches a pass from Jaxson Dart at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. / Ted McClenning-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It really wasn't going to matter if Arkansas' defense tipped their hand against Ole Miss on Saturday. Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman was probably just stating the obvious in a coach-speak manner.

There wasn't any special secret sauce Rebels coach Lane Kiffin found or any particular tip-off. He had better players and didn't really need any of that. Ole Miss simply played focused without making the kinds of mental mistakes they had suffered in a couple of games and did about one could expect in that situation.

Some Razorback fans are pointing to the 31 points as a positive. That's hunting a diamond in a barnyard stall. The overall majority of that came against Ole Miss backups that were pouring into the game early in the second half.

A lot of Arkansas fans also didn't want to admit the Rebels lost two games on two plays. That's how fine of a line things are in the SEC these days. Nine of the 16 teams have no more than two losses and everybody has at least one.

With only three games left in the regular season, there are now nine teams that have a shot at being in Atlanta for the SEC Championship game without having to buy a ticket. While it's exactly what the league office wanted to have, it has destroyed the old methods of handicapping college football where.

Arkansas Razorbacks defensive lineman Landon Jackson trying to get position before snap against the Ole Miss Rebels at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. / Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

On any given Saturday, truly any team can beat any other team. Shoot, Florida took Georgia tied midway into the fourth quarter until things fell apart for the Gators. Nobody was predicting Ole Miss to throtttle the Hogs by 32 points in Fayetteville.

As we head into the final month of the season, though, we're going to see talent come to the front of the line more and more. The Rebels simply have more of that than the Razorbacks.

Another thing overlooked in that whopping win is they didn't have maybe the best receiver in college football with Tre Harris and one of their top defensive players with a colorful name, Princely Umanmielen, went out early with an injury.

The Razorbacks will spend a bye week before Texas trying to figure out ways to disguise what they are going to do defensively. The problem is, like Ole Miss the Longhorns have the quarterback and receivers that can simply react to what happens after the ball is snapped. That's exactly what Dart was doing.

Oklahoma Sooners running back Billy Sims (20) runs the ball against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium during the 1978 season. / Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

When the quarterback and receiver make the same immediate post-snap read, it looks like a well-oiled machine and it really doesn't matter what the defense does.

Barry Switzer used to do the same thing with Oklahoma's offense in the mid-1970's. He didn't even bother looking at the defensive game film. He was running that triple option with all that great talent and whatever the defense did was going to look wrong.

If the quarterback and receiver aren't reading the same things everybody looks like a complete idiot. Passing games these days are nothing but the old Sooners wishbone throwing the ball forward instead of pitching it backwards to a running back.

Pittman's head is usually swirling like crazy when he come into the postgame press conferences. That happens because most of the time he can't see things like he will watching the game films. Understandably, it's why coaches are sometime vague in what they say.

They simply don't know because they are dealing with a lot of stuff. It's probably why his initial reaction was the Razorbacks' defense was "tipping our hand" on defense. Not really, Sam.

Ole Miss just had the players to react faster to whatever you wanted to do, then make a play. Sometimes it just happens. When your only hope is better players don't play up to their talent level, you have a chance but that's not a great plan.

But it really was the only plan the Hogs had coming into Saturday's game.

HOGS FEED:

• Hogs stuck in mediocrity with momentum neutralized

• Yurachek's comments about Ole Miss come to fruition about Hogs

• Just a Whippin': Razorbacks Had Plan Until Hit in Mouth

• Arkansas' last line of defense had its most difficult day

• Razorbacks Help Unknown Ole Miss Receiver Equal SEC Record

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