WinChill Factor: Birth of a Rivalry Arkansas and Missouri

The matchmakers of the SEC clearly want Arkansas and Missouri to become a rivalry.  Geographically speaking, I suppose that makes sense.  I’ve long been a fan of the Arkansas / LSU game being last on the schedule but, given that we’re now well over a decade into the Battle for the Boot, that match-up seems to be sufficiently established as a rivalry game of sorts.  After all, it ain’t really a rivalry until both teams are winning in the series and the Hogs and Tigers have each done enough to make that a marquee game each year.

Besides, we still get to finish the regular season against the Tigers.  The Missouri Tigers.  Not to be confused with the Auburn Tigers (or War Eagles or whatever suits their fancy that day) or the LSU Tigers.  So, in order to keep all these cats straight, we’ll just designate the Missourians as Tigers³.

In any event, if it’s a rivalry the SEC wants, I’m happy to start:

Q:  Why is Missouri called the Show Me State?

A:  Because they can’t read.

(Drops mike…BOOM!)

There…now we’re off and running.

And running with momentum.  Even the continuous rain couldn’t damper the Razorback Spirit on Senior Day.  Emotions were riding high on the Arkansas side and the defense came up big time after time.  My new definition of fun?  Watching a 100 yard interception return by the entire Hog defense in Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.  Actually, it’s watching the Razorbacks pitch a shut-out and, more particularly, tossing two in a row and, even more particularly, shutting out SEC teams and…even more specifically particularly, ranked SEC teams.

As the saying goes, “Defense wins Championships.”  And while it was sorta fun watching the Hogs pile up the points in the pass happy days of Motorcycle Boy, it was evident that the theory then was that it was fine if the other side scored 50…just so long as we scored 51.

Wrong.  I am far more satisfied totally dominating and breaking the spirit of the opponent by not letting them score a single point.  After all, didn’t we learn ANYTHING from “Remember the Titans” (other than the fact that Ryan Gosling was a lousy cornerback and had an inexplicable affection for the music of Buck Owens)?

So, as happy as we should be with our Razorback D, it’s worth pointing out that Tigers³ fans should be just as happy with theirs.  Let’s look at the tale of the tape:

WinChillers, we are in for a treat on Friday.  Two stout, statistically identical defenses going mano a mano with an East Division outright championship on the line for the Tigers³ and a better bowl position (and some well earned respect and a national ranking) on the line for our Hawgs.

So, maybe it’s okay that Missourians can’t read (especially the brilliant statistical analysis laid out above).  We’re fine with just lining up and showing them how rivalries are born on an opponent’s home turf.

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This week’s WinChill Factor is the Razorback O-line.  If Brandon Allen isn’t ready to go on Friday, we’ll need a solid performance from the Legion of Large to protect young Austin Allen on every offensive snap.  After all, if he goes down, we’ll have to take the redshirt off of Rafe Peavey in the last game of the season.  Then again…I wonder if Sam Irwin-Hill can read a blitz?

Until next time:  Fear the Sleeves. 

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Coach Bielema’s Windbreaker made its physical presence known on August 31, 2013.  It is chock full of Razorback spirit, has an unhealthy hatred of sweater vests and fears nothing (other than a hot iron on the “Cotton/Linen” setting).  As game days approach, the Windbreaker can be found interacting with the Razorback faithful on Twitter (@BielWindbreaker).