Minutes after the 2021 Southeastern Conference championship game matchup between No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Alabama became official, Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman was handed the role of initial analyst.
Pittman’s Razorbacks had just come up short against the Crimson Tide 42-35 early Saturday evening inside Bryant-Denny Stadium, and he was asked to compare the SEC East and SEC West winners. The Hogs traveled to Athens in early October and were promptly slaughtered 37-0.
“I think it’s a really good question,” Pittman said. “I just don’t want to answer it.”
The comparative scores against Arkansas certainly favor the Bulldogs inside Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and the same can be said about their matchups with Florida. While Alabama survived the Gators 31-29 in late September, the Bulldogs thumped them 34-7 late last month.
Tennessee is the only shared opponent with similar outcomes – the Volunteers having lost 52-24 to Alabama and 41-17 to Georgia in a three-week span – but even those results could be seen in Georgia’s favor. After all, the Bulldogs led the Vols 41-10 midway through the fourth quarter, while Alabama led them just 31-24 early in the fourth.