Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Well, we fibbed a little back in late November: We weren't done with the Pressbox Roundtable for the football season. Here we offer up our AT&T Cotton Bowl edition, as Bruce James and the media gang all look at pertinent topics for the game, as well as Jan. 9's national title matchup between No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama. Have your say in the comments section at the end.

Jim Harris, AS360.com columnist and moderator: What is the biggest concern with Kansas State for Arkansas to overcome to win Friday?

Bruce James, former Razorback All-America defensive end: To stop their running game, not allowing them to manage the clock and just basically stopping the run. That’s the biggest concern.

Harris: It tells me everything about K-State that the quarterback is the Wildcats’ leading rusher. South Carolina had to rely on that with Connor Shaw, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen a quarterback so statistically dominant for an offense, with the exception of Auburn’s Cam Newton last year. Not saying Collin Klein is Cam Newton or has that kind of speed, but he’s a bull and has similar stats and means so much to his team’s success.

Bruce: Yeah, Newton comes to mind. That’s the last time we played a quarterback that ran the ball that successfully. I don’t think Kansas State’s offense line is as good as the one Newton had though. Arkansas has to top the run and make Kansas State pass the ball.

Chris Bahn, AS360.com editor: Stopping quarterback Collin Klein has to top the list. He has 26 rushing touchdowns this year, which is one off the record set by Texas’ Rickey Williams. Impressive stuff. Arkansas’ struggles with stopping the run — particularly running quarterbacks — are well documented. Also keep an eye on freshman kick return man Tyler Lockett, who averages 35.2 yards per return. That’s not a misprint, by the way.

Justin Acri, program director of KABZ-FM 103.7 The Buzz: I would think considering stopping running QB has been quite a major issue for Arkansas.

TJ Carpenter, Fayetteville sports radio talk-show host: Long drives are a concern. Kansas State's ability to run on first and second down and keep Arkansas' defense on the field will be its biggest weapon. Collin Klein is not going to beat Arkansas with big-play ability. He is going to wear down the defensive line until there is never any hope in their minds he will pass again, and then he'll hit it with a big pass play that turns third into first and moves the ball from the 40 to the 15. Arkansas' defense must be the sharpest it has been all season.

Brent Birch, CEO of Flex360 and former Razorback baseball player: Power running game. Big physical backs have been tough on the Hogs, and now throw a quarterback into the mix and that spells trouble. The gambling KSU secondary could also be a concern. One would think if Wilson has time and is patient, he can shred that Wildcat secondary. If he is sloppy with technique as he can be sometimes, the KSU defensive backs’ ability to create turnovers comes into play.

Mark Carter, AS360.com predictions guru: Starting fast. Containing Klein. Starting fast.

Jim Harris: Do you see this as a must-win for Bobby Petrino's advancement of the Hog program?