Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Arkansas might be in the toughest division in college football, but winning the SEC West, SEC and national title is pretty simple, really.

Stop the run.

Keeping teams from rushing the football effectively has been a common factor in the SEC’s dominance in college football. Of the last six national champs, five have ranked No. 1 or 2 nationally in run defense and all ranked among the Top 5 in that category.

Here’s more from Jim Harris in the 2012 ArkansasSports360.com Football Preview (story includes video with key players):

Florida’s 2008 national championship team, is the exception and might give the Razorbacks some hope that they don’t have to suddenly become Alabama on defense overnight. That Gators, loaded with speed and talent on both sides of the ball, were fifth in the SEC in rushing yards allowed and eighth in passing yards surrendered.

SEC champions can even be woeful against the pass — Auburn ranked 11th out of 12 teams in 2010 — as long as they stop the run (Auburn was No. 2 in rush defense).

The problem for Arkansas is that in Petrino’s four years, his Hogs were never better than ninth against the run or in total defense. Even before Petrino’s arrival, Houston Nutt’s teams weren’t stifling either — the 2006 West division winner ranked seventh in the SEC in defense.

Last season’s promise of the best defense in years ranked No. 9 among 12 teams in stopping the run. It wasn’t what anyone expected with so much experience throughout the lineup.

In the two games the Hogs lost last year, to national champion Alabama and runner-up LSU, the Razorbacks had to commit too many players to those teams’ power running games and gave up key pass completions, or eventually gave way to the run entirely, and both LSU and Alabama won by 24 points.

Hints were there in the 29-16 Cotton Bowl victory over Kansas State that things might change. Arkansas held the Wildcats to 87 rushing yards and 260 yards of total offense.

New defensive coordinator Paul Haynes says the Razorbacks will be known for more than offense under his direction. Haynes knows that starts with stopping the run.

• Who are the major players on this year's defense? Coordinator Paul Haynes runs through his line-up in the digital edtion of ArkansasSports360.com's 2012 Football Preview.