Auburn focuses on goal No. 1: SEC Title

[DKW 86 7,440]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/foot...n.ap/index.html

Auburn focuses on goal No. 1: SEC

Posted: Friday October 6, 2006 1:44PM; Updated: Friday October 6, 2006 1:44PM

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) -- No. 2 Auburn can put its grandest ambitions on hold for a day.

National title talk? That's for next week. Same goes for all that BCS buzz.

The Tigers face Arkansas on Saturday with a more immediate, modest goal: knocking aside another potential rival for the Southeastern Conference Western Division.

These are the only two West teams with unblemished league marks, leaving the winner in control.

"To me it's the biggest game of the season, right here, right now," Auburn linebacker Karibi Dede said. "As an SEC West player, your first goal is to win the West. Right now, they're right in our way of winning the West. The road to Atlanta has to go through Arkansas."

It has already gone through LSU, the only other division team without at least two losses in SEC games. A win would mean Auburn (5-0, 3-0) would have to lose at least two more games in the league to tumble from the championship game. That's far from out of the question, particularly with No. 5 Florida visiting in a week and No. 10 Georgia coming to Jordan-Hare Stadium in a month.

The Tigers are 15-point favorites over the Razorbacks (3-1, 2-0), who have already been humbled 50-14 by No. 3 Southern California. But Arkansas has started with two league wins for the first time since Houston Nutt's inaugural year in 1998.

The double-digit point spread is another sign that the Razorbacks aren't yet widely regarded as serious SEC contenders, something they'll try to change on Saturday. That overlooked status doesn't bother Arkansas linebacker Sam Olajubutu. In fact, he kind of likes it.

"LSU and Auburn are two Top 10 teams," he said. "They're going to look at them first. We kind of just like to stay under the radar and sneak up on people, so it doesn't really matter.

"Having a chance to be at the top of the SEC West, it's always a great thing."

Like Dede, he calls this "the biggest game of the year."

Hyperbole? Probably. But it might be the necessary approach with big games popping up so often, particularly for the Tigers in the top-heavy SEC.

For Auburn, it might be a chance to finally get the lopsided win over a credible opponent some skeptics have been waiting for. Nutt and the Razorbacks could garner some respect, building on a double-overtime win over Alabama two weeks ago.

"It's a statement game, who wants it more," Auburn defensive end Quentin Groves said. "They're undefeated in the SEC right now, we're undefeated in the SEC, so it's going to come down to who's the bigger man."

It could also come down to who has the better running game, with Arkansas' Darren McFadden and Auburn's Kenny Irons powering the league's top two rushing attacks.

There's no mistaking what both offenses do best: Run.

New offensive coordinator, new quarterback, same old Arkansas. That's Groves' impression, at least.

"You know what you're going to get when it comes to Arkansas. Everybody in the country knows: It's smashmouth, downhill, let's run and get it," he said. "They're going to test their manhood against our manhood, that's all it is."

Arkansas freshman quarterback Mitch Mustain also can see how far he has come after his three-interception game against Alabama. He'll be facing the nation's No. 3 scoring defense and starting for the first time in front of a huge, hostile crowd.

Mustain is hardly dreading the experience, though he knows it will be a challenge.

"It's kind of fun when you're out there and you don't have anybody cheering for you," he said. "Your back is, in a sense, against the wall.

"We've got nothing to lose in this game. They're expected to win. People are expecting us to get beat. We can just come out and have fun with it and if anything enjoy the crowd."

[kickerman97 3]

I don't think for one second the players would underestimate the importance of this game one bit. This one is definently big especially after pulled it out over UAT. I look for another SEC slugfest, but I think their QB will be overwhelmed by the atmosphere of JH.

War Eagle !

[Aufan59 80]

Too bad we don't play in the Big 12 where the conference championship is just a bonus, and not required to be considered for the MNC game.

[kickerman97 3]

Too bad we don't play in the Big 12 where the conference championship is just a bonus, and not required to be considered for the MNC game.

So true.

[AURaptor 1,126]

Amen and War Eagle!