Paschall's Picks: Razorbacks regrouping once again

Arkansas-SEMO Live Blog

OTHER PICKSFSU 52, Wake Forest 3Clemson 30, N.C. State 21Va. Tech 23, N. Carolina 20Virginia 24, Pittsburgh 22MTSU 30, Southern Miss 19Oregon 45, Arizona 26BYU 38, Utah State 23Ohio St. 33, Maryland 28Okla. St. 42, Iowa St. 31E. Carolina 41, SMU 13Baylor 27, Texas 20Oklahoma 34, TCU 25Notre Dame 21, Stanford 20Wisconsin 24, Northwestern 19USC 35, Arizona State 28Michigan St. 26, Nebraska 23UCLA 28, Utah 21

The Arkansas Razorbacks are sitting out this week's showdowns within the Southeastern Conference, and they're doing so with mixed emotions.

Arkansas already has matched last season's win total with its 3-2 start, which has been highlighted by a 49-28 road drubbing of Texas Tech. Yet the Razorbacks have this open date to wonder a little longer about what could have been after last Saturday's 35-28 overtime loss to Texas A&M, a game they led 28-14 in the fourth quarter.

"I think the bye week comes at a good time, but that was obviously a heartbreaker," Arkansas second-year coach Bret Bielema said Wednesday on the SEC teleconference. "Our guys were hurting on Saturday night and obviously on Sunday. When we returned to practice, you could tell it meant a lot to them to come so close and not get what they wanted.

"We're getting there day-by-day and play-by-play, and hopefully the rewards are coming soon."

Arkansas has lost a program-record 14 consecutive SEC games dating back to the 2012 season. In last year's 0-8 league campaign, the Razorbacks lost their first six by double digits before dropping close calls to Mississippi State and LSU.

Had the Razorbacks held off the Aggies, they likely would have been ranked this week. The other six West Division teams are nestled among the nation's top-15, with the highest of those, No. 3 Alabama, scheduled to visit Fayetteville next Saturday.

Bielema will get his fix of the Crimson Tide this weekend, serving as a CBS studio analyst Saturday afternoon for the network's telecast of Alabama-Ole Miss in Oxford.

"I love Thursday night college football and anything I can get a chance to watch," Bielema said. "This weekend we get a chance to sit back and watch other people work, and that's not a bad feeling."

Pasquali's Pix:

Florida at Tennessee: A loss here and the Gators could quickly become the SEC's imploding Michigan. Gators 24, Volunteers 20.

Texas A&M at Mississippi State: MSU coach Dan Mullen said not to expect a "low-scoring, battle in the trenches." We're not. Aggies 37, Bulldogs 34.

Alabama at Ole Miss: There has to be some advantage for the Crimson Tide being on this stage so often. Crimson Tide 28, Rebels 17.

VMI at UTC: The Keydets have won the past two series meetings, but those were darker days in Moc Land. Mocs 45, Keydets 10.

Vanderbilt at Georgia: If your last name is Mason, you're under the microscope in this one. Bulldogs 44, Commodores 7.

LSU at Auburn: Falling two games back in this year's SEC West would not exactly be ideal for Les Miles & Co. Auburn 20, LSU 17.

South Carolina at Kentucky: The Gamecocks have won 13 of the last 14 in the series. Gamecocks 24, Wildcats 23.

Miami at Georgia Tech: Yellow Jackets coach Paul Johnson could go from the hot seat to Coastal Division favorite. Yellow Jackets 27, Hurricanes 24.

Last week:

Winners...............23

Hokes....................2

Pasquali is now 108-17 overall (86.4 percent) this season.

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.

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