Does Arkansas have a legitimate chance to upset Alabama in Week 5?

The Arkansas Razorbacks are looking for their first win on the gridiron over the Alabama Crimson Tide since Nick Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa.

With this being a must-win game for Sam Pittman’s Arkansas Razorbacks, Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide better be ready for anything in this potential upset bid from the Hogs.

No. 20 Arkansas lost narrowly last week to rival Texas A&M at Jerryworld. That was a must-win game for the Aggies, who already suffered a loss to Appalachian State back in Week 2. While all of their hopes and dreams are still alive, many will come to an end on Saturday evening if Arkansas drops its 15th game in a row to the Crimson Tide. Is there any hope the Hogs can flip the script?

Here is why it would be foolish to count out the Razorbacks on Saturday at home vs. Alabama.

Why Arkansas Razorbacks have Alabama Crimson Tide on upset alert in Week 5

Although we have not seen the Razorbacks beat the Crimson Tide since Houston Nutt was running train in Fayetteville, and Mike Shula was doing whatever he did in Tuscaloosa, there are a few factors heading into this game that could tip it in Arkansas’ favor. Those are Alabama looking ahead to Texas A&M, it being a home game for Arkansas and KJ Jefferson with nothing left to lose.

Emotions will be high for the Texas A&M game for sure, assuming we don’t get the quintessential Mike Leach Air Raid Mississippi State game to play ultimate spoiler here. Alabama is not stupid and knows that Arkansas is a worthy adversary under Pittman’s guidance, but Texas A&M did beat the Crimson Tide a year ago in College Station. Plus, Jimbo Fisher and Saban have a history, alright.

If this game were in Tuscaloosa, the upset bid would be highly unlikely. Then again, the Hogs were within one score of beating the Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny last season. Now that Arkansas is a program worth a damn under Pittman, Razorback Stadium looks like it is going to be a tough place to play for the foreseeable future. It will be a red out in Fayetteville, so the intensity will be high.

As far as Jefferson and the rest of his teammates are concerned, this is their big opportunity. They may have squandered one in the metroplex last week, but all the college football world will be talking if the Razorbacks sink the Crimson Tide. Texas almost did it in Austin in Week 2, and the Longhorns are not as far along in their rebuild under Steve Sarkisian as Arkansas is under Pittman.

Ultimately, Saban’s Alabama teams have struggled historically with a mobile, dual-threat quarterback. Zach Calzada might be an outlier, but Jefferson fits the bill of Stetson Bennett IV, Trevor Lawrence, Deshaun Watson and Nick Marshall among others: Mobile quarterbacks who can extend plays with their legs to allow things to open up in the passing game downfield for big gains.

Although Alabama will probably get No. 15 in a row over Arkansas, don’t count out the Hogs, bruh.

For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.