FRISCO, Texas – Hopefully, Oklahoma and Texas followers had been watching carefully to what occurred Saturday night time because the clock struck midnight on Ohio State’s season after going through Georgia within the Faculty Soccer Playoff semifinals in Atlanta.
What performed out was a lesson they and the groups they cheer for want to grasp earlier than coming into the SEC.
The Buckeyes misplaced for a similar cause so many SEC groups, together with Arkansas, have misplaced to Georgia and Alabama through the years – it bodily hurts to play them.
Here is a pattern notice written throughout the first quarter of the sport.
The Bulldogs are having to run over guys and thru tighter home windows. It simply appears bodily more durable for Georgia to make it occur. Will that be an element late within the sport? Ohio State isn’t having to try this to attain.
In all honesty, in fact it was going to be an element. It was a dumb query, simply not in the way in which the notice implies.
After 30 years of watching SEC soccer since Arkansas joined within the early 90s, the apparent inference ought to have been how for much longer can Ohio State keep away from the punishment on offense and when will the abuse to the Buckeyes’ protection take its toll?
By video games’ finish, the sidelines had been stuffed with banged up Ohio State gamers, beginning tight finish Cade Stover was within the hospital, and star broad receiver Marvin Harrison, Jr. was lucky to flee with out life-altering accidents following the hit from Georgia defensive again Javon Bullard that instantly made him a spectator for the remainder of the night time.
If Texas would not be taught after being taught a really particular lesson by Alabama twice, then maybe the AAU designation that brings the college such status would not apply to its athletics division.
As for Oklahoma, watching Texas lose to Alabama, Arkansas and LSU throughout the common season in preparation for the Longhorns in recent times has not less than given them a visible of what awaits them.
As a protracted line of Arkansas coaches, together with all the Razorback fan base has discovered, the Alabamas and Georgias of the world do not beat you as soon as. The fallout from going to warfare with them normally results in a number of potential losses.
Competing on the high of the SEC is a warfare of attrition. Even when a group has the fitting personnel and loses nobody to harm, the bodily toll such video games take have a tendency to hold over for just a few video games via a string of bodily match-ups.
Sadly for Texas, when it has come time to play the Crimson Tide in a sport that issues, the kind of gamers wanted to carry up have not been there.
Quarterback Quinn Ewers, back-up quarterback Hudson Card, operating again Bijan Robinson and cornerback D’Shawn Jamison, all important to lastly digging Texas out of the dumpster, got here away injured of their Week 2 loss to the weakest Alabama group since Nick Saban’s first group in 2007.
Texas bounced again with a win over UTSA the next week, however misplaced its first Energy 5 sport after Alabama in Lubbock two weeks later towards Texas Tech.
Though Jeff Traylor’s Roadrunners group is a salty bunch who can make the most of so many accidents, a visit via the Roadrunners, Texas Tech, West Virginia and Oklahoma is far totally different than following up Alabama with Arkansas, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee and Oklahoma.
As for the Sooners, they have not needed to play anybody, a lot much less a string of SEC groups, following season-ending losses to SEC groups within the playoffs, in order that they haven’t any level of reference.
Accidents can heal with the present Massive 12 schedule. They only worsen or turn into structural in an SEC schedule.
That bodily grind permits an Alabama or Georgia sport to echo all through the schedule, leading to losses that may not have occurred at full power as ache and harm turns into worse.
There are two issues a group must survive a legit sport towards the elite of the SEC.
1. Distinctive offensive linemen with a imply streak and a love of brutality.
2a. Both a quarterback like Alabama’s Bryce Younger who has six eyes at the back of his head and the elusiveness of a gazelle being pursued by lions,
or,
2b. An enormous tank able to absorbing big quantities of punishment like Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson [although even he couldn’t withstand it in 2022],
or,
2c. A quarterback with a hair set off like Mississippi State’s Will Rogers who can eliminate the ball so quick there is not any time to get to him.
Texas has by no means had one in all these with Alabama on the docket in a significant sport, however might want to be taught its lesson earlier than time involves enter the SEC, or, as historical past suggests, profitable will proceed to not occur in Austin.
The Longhorns misplaced Colt McCoy within the nationwide championship sport after Marcel Darius hit him with what could be a reasonably normal SEC hit and snapped McCoy like a twig.
It was instantly over. The nice instances for Texas went down with their quarterback and the Longhorns have spent practically a decade and a half making an attempt to get well.
In opposition to Alabama early within the season, Ewers proved Texas nonetheless prepares for Massive 12 defenses although Steve Sarkisian has SEC expertise. Sark’s employees failed Ewers by not educating him to verify his toes are grounded when taking successful by an SEC stage defender.
It is reckless and may have by no means occurred, however then once more, he should not have been on the sector towards Alabama along with his ability set with out the safety of one other 8-12 kilos packed on from a stringent offseason exercise.
He is not fast like Younger and would not have the dimensions of Jefferson. His set off is pretty quick, so that provides him an honest comparability to Rogers.
Nonetheless, Rogers packs extra muscle on his physique to guard himself, will get the ball out twice as quick and had a greater line in entrance of him.
Again-up Hudson Card, who’s even smaller than Ewers, performed admirably whereas taking a pounding, particularly after the Longhorn offensive line grew to become overwhelmed all through a lot of the second half.
It is a surprise Card solely got here away with an ankle harm after taking so many onerous pictures.
Longhorn followers gave the identical excuse after that nationwide championship sport they gave earlier this season.
However what if the quarterback hadn’t gotten harm?
Or on this case, each important participant on the group exterior of receivers Xavier Worthy and Jordan Whittington.
That is simply life within the SEC. Gamers are going to get harm, particularly once they line up towards Alabama or Georgia with one thing on the road.
Simply ask Arkansas. The Hogs have outscored Texas 71-28 the previous two instances the 2 squared off.
Nonetheless, after actually making the Longhorns give up in 2021, when nationwide champion Georgia rolled onto the schedule the Bulldogs destroyed No. 8 Arkansas.
Accidents and common bodily put on and tear helped that loss spiral into three straight losses earlier than the Hogs had been capable of get well and win 5 of their final six, with their solely loss being a detailed one in Tuscaloosa.
Oklahoma has had just a few guys with fast triggers up to now and several other nice operating backs, however in 2018 towards Georgia within the Rose Bowl, beginning again Rodney Anderson went down with an harm and Baker Mayfield could not get it accomplished with out him.
Important accidents, and for the fortunate ones, struggling to stroll the following day, are par for the course within the SEC and why large high quality depth and a properly timed off-week are essential to surviving the gauntlet.
The folks of Austin and Norman could flip their nostril up on the technique of transferring a weaker non-conference opponent from early within the season to a strategically deliberate week halfway via the convention schedule, however after just a few years of battling via an SEC schedule, they are going to acknowledge its knowledge.
However then once more, studying mandatory classes hasn’t actually been a factor these days with these two with regards to enjoying SEC colleges.
HOGS FEED:
RAZORBACK FANS STUN ALLHOGS STAFF WITH MOST CLICKED STORY OF THE YEAR
IF TCU CAN MAKE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, NO REASON ARKANSAS CAN’T EITHER
SAM PITTMAN GETS HISTORIC CHANCE TO REBUILD RAZORBACKS’ PROGRAM
TWO MORE HIT THE PORTAL AS RAZORBACKS CARRY TORCH FOR SEC IN BOWL GAMES
RAZORBACK FANS WILL HAVE TO CHEER AGAINST EX-RAZORBACKS AT RELIAQUEST BOWL
OFFICIATING IN LIBERTY BOWL ALMOST COST SAM PITTMAN MUCH MORE THAN A WIN
SAM PITTMAN NEEDS TO DEVELOP KILLER INSTINCT BEFORE NEXT SEASON
WHY ARE ARKANSAS FANS COMPLAINING AFTER A BOWL WIN?
COVERING RAZORBACK FANS’ EMOTIONAL CRISIS DURING TWITTER DOWNTIME
PORTA POTTIES INCONVENIENT, BUT NOT CHILD TRAUMATIZING LIKE WAR MEMORIAL USED TO BE
JUSTICE HILL WAS ALWAYS DESTINED TO BE ON COURT WITH MUSSELMAN, RAZORBACKS CHASING SEC TITLE
PEOPLE SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME TALKING ABOUT WHO ISN’T PLAYING IN EITHER ARKANSAS SPORT
STATEMENT BY LIBERTY BOWL LEFT LEGAL WIGGLE ROOM IN REGARD TO FANS
WHAT’S REALLY AT STAKE IN WEDNESDAY’S LIBERTY BOWL GAME AGAINST KANSAS?
DO RAZORBACK FANS REALLY CARE ABOUT HOW LIBERTY BOWL TURNS OUT?
WITH WILL WADE’S RIC FLAIR STYLE PERSONA GONE, PLAYING LSU BASKETBALL JUST NOT AS FUN
RAZORBACKS’ NUMBERS BETTER WHEN QUARTERBACK KJ JEFFERSON DOESN’T RUN AS MUCH
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