Oddsmakers have made seventh-ranked Alabama a 9 1/2-point-favorite over an Arkansas team the Crimson Tide have outscored by combined 142-14 over the past three seasons.
But Lee Roy Jordan, Monday's speaker at the Little Rock Touchdown Club, disputed the notion that Alabama rated as a big favorite when it meets Arkansas at 5 p.m. Saturday at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.
"I think this game is going to be a tossup," said Jordan, an All-American linebacker in 1963 at Alabama who played 14 seasons for the Dallas Cowboys. "Alabama has to rebound and everything has to be right for them."
Jordan, 73, told the audience at Embassy Suites in Little Rock he believes Alabama, which is coming off a 23-17 loss at Ole Miss on Saturday, will be in for a battle against an improved Arkansas team.
Jordan said he doesn't think this version of the Crimson Tide, who came into the Mississippi game ranked No. 3, measure up to the Alabama teams that won won three of the past five BCS championships.
"I'm sad to say, but I don't think we're the same team as we've been recently," said Jordan, who played at Alabama in 1961-1963 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983. "I don't think we have the same type of quarterback as we've had recently and that's something we need to address."
After last season, Alabama lost a three-year starter at quarterback, AJ McCarron, who led the Crimson Tide to national championships after the 2011 and 2012 seasons, and was a fifth-round draft pick of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Blake Sims is McCarron's successor, beating out Florida State transfer Jake Coker, and has completed 90 of 128 passes for 1,319 yards with 8 touchdowns and 3 interceptions this season.
Alabama has won the past seven meetings against Arkansas, but Jordan said he thinks the 3-2 Razorbacks are improved despite their SEC losses to Auburn (45-21 in the season opener after being tied 21-21 at halftime) and Texas A&M (35-28 in overtime, after leading 28-14 in the fourth quarter).
Jordan said he is eager to see how things turn out over the long haul, especially with four SEC West teams ranked in the top seven by The Associated Press.
"That was a tough loss Saturday and it was a tough-fought game, but I expect to see the very best from Arkansas," Jordan said. "I know we have Mississippi State, Auburn and there are going to be some bruises as the season goes along. It's going to be an interesting five, six weeks."
Jordan also addressed another team he is closely tied to, the Dallas Cowboys, who are 4-1 after beating the Houston Texans 20-17 in overtime Sunday.
"I'm surprised they've been doing as well as they've done this year," Jordan said. "When the season started, I thought we would be mediocre like the past 17-18 years."
Jordan praised the way first-year defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli has his team hustling and creating turnovers. He also likes the way the Cowboys are operating on offense.
"I think the big thing is they finally realize you need an offensive line in order to win and you need that in order to run the football," Jordan said.
Running back DeMarco Murray leads the NFL with 670 rushing yards and five touchdowns behind Dallas' big, young and talented line.
Jordan's praise of the Cowboys ended when the subject turned to Jerry Jones, who is the owner and general manager of a franchise that has posted one playoff victory in the previous 17 seasons and has missed the playoffs the past four years after winning Super Bowls after the 1992, 1993 and 1995 seasons.
"Sometimes, I think Jerry thinks 8-8 is OK," Jordan said. "If you're making $5 million a year, I guess that's not bad. His record is what it is. He's picked a lot of players who've not panned out, but it looks like he's got things going. I hope he can get them back to the playoffs."
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Sports on 10/07/2014