Saturday SEC College Football – 12 Arkansas (4-1) at 7 Auburn (6-0)

A college football opener of the weekend pits the 7th-ranked Auburn Tigers against the 12th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks in an SEC matchup. Arkansas enters this game with a 4-1 record, which is the best start for the Razorbacks under head coach Bobby Petrino. Auburn enters the game with a 6-0 record and their 37-34 win over Kentucky last weekend marked the Tigers’ third 3-point victory of the season.

Auburn holds a 10-8-1 series lead over Arkansas, but the Razorbacks posted a 44-23 win in last season’s meeting. While Arkansas is scoring 30.0 points per game and putting up 462.8 total points per game, the team has been able to limit opponents to 15.0 points per game and 302.4 total points per game. Auburn’s offense is more than capable of challenging the Arkansas defense, especially with Cam Newton at quarterback. The dual threat has rushed for 672 yards and nine touchdowns while he passes for 1,138 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Opponents are scoring 21.3 points per game against Auburn, which is allowing a total of 334.8 points per game. The Tigers have been tremendous against the run, holding foes to 95.7 ypg at a rate of just 2.8 yards per carry. The pass defense has been pretty solid, and while the foes have logged a lot of passing yards, the big plays have been kept to a minimum.

Expect a close game from start to finish and give Auburn a narrow lead based solely on home field advantage. Cam Newton and Ryan Mallett will play extremely well. Look for Auburn to win but not cover the 3.5-point spread. This has the makings of a last second FG.