Welcome to Football and Grits, the Athletics SEC podcast. I am Andy Staples, David Ubb, and not here today.

He'll be back next week. But I am honored to be joined by Aaron Suttles, our Alabama beat

writer. Aaron is currently dodging emails from Alabama fans who believe that the

athletic duck has created the downfall of Alabama's program and will keep Alabama from ever winning another national title.

So, Aaron, thoughts and prayers to you.

Yeah, I need them.

It is crazy because Alabama fans have so little to complain about that these are the types of things that they do complain about when the slightest adversity hits

because bad things don't happen to that program very often.

But it is funny to watch them get nervous.

And there are reasons to be nervous.

They're going to a game against Arkansas this week.

This is one where nobody outside the Alabama fan base probably in the Arkansas

fan base that saw the game last year is going to say, well, this is a dangerous game

for Alabama.

But anybody who watched that game is like, wait, you take away Devante Smith returning

punts.

Arkansas did better against that Alabama offense than anybody, and this is not that Alabama offense.

It's not, and they held him in check. That was his lowest production of the year, Devante Smith, against Arkansas.

They're built the right way on the lines to sort of limit Alabama. And you look at the problems Alabama has running the football.

And if they can't throw the football, then it really comes down to Bryce sort of scrambling,

which Mack didn't have last year, and that could make a difference in this year's game.

But, yeah, you know, it's funny.

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