by Ronald Sitton

NORTH LITTLE ROCK (Nov. 27) - Well, it was bound to happen. A 6-6 mark won't win you any friends in the "what have you done for me lately" wacky world of college football.

First Larry Coker at Miami, then Mike Shula at Alabama. I guess their athletic directors, alumni and boards of trustees didn't take a look at Arkansas, the red-headed step-child of the Southeastern Conference.

Houston Nutt wallowed through 5-6 and 4-7 campaigns before returning the Razorbacks to the Top 10 of college football. Even with the upsetting loss to LSU last Friday, Nutt looks much better than the last two years and is even being mentioned for the Miami position. I imagine Alabama will probably take a look at Nutt, too.

While Miami coaches usually leave after six years, Coker's firing represents a new chapter, i.e. "if you won't leave, we'll dump ya!" Alabama's case at first seems harder to explain, until you look at Tommy Tuberville's "one for the thumb." If Shula had beat Auburn once ...

I'm starting to wonder who'd want to coach Alabama considering that school fired two alumni (Mike Dubose and Shula) and a coach allegedly at a strip club (Mike Price), and watched Dennis Franchione jump ship to Texas A&M despite a winning record with the Crimson Tide. Note of interest: Don't apply to 'Bama if your name is Mike.

After having an ultra-sound on my abdomen this morning, I think I can talk about the gut-wrenching performance I saw Friday when LSU stuck The Boot square in Arkansas' backside in an otherwise record-breaking performance:

• LSU had not allowed a hundred-yard rusher in 2006 until both Darren McFadden (182 yards) and Felix Jones (137 yards) broke the century mark in the same game.

• McFadden broke Madre Hill's school season rushing record (1,387 yards in 12 games) with 1,485 yards rushing (in 11 games) 14 touchdowns. He also completed two of three passes for 33 yards. No, he won't win the Heisman this year, but the campaign has already started for 2007.

• Jones neared the 1,000-yard mark - 961 yards on 127 carries. He'd start on most teams in the United States.

• Marcus Monk's one reception tied him Anthony Lucas for the all-time touchdown reception mark (23) and the single-season touchdown reception mark (10).

Yet Monk's one reception also marked the longest reception, 21 yards, completed by Casey Dick on Friday. His three-completion performance gave the Nutt-haters ammunition once again, and with good cause: Dick completed nary a pass in the second half. Dick's completions consistently arrived behind the receiver, allowing one interception that set up a Tiger touchdown. Granted, an LSU cornerback knocked the snot out of Dick after the quarterback caught a throw-back pass, but that was late in the game. And still Nutt allowed freshman Mitch Mustain to sit the bench.

When pulling the undefeated Mustain following an interception against South Carolina, Nutt spoke of a quick trigger to keep the Razorbacks winning. Where might that trigger have gone? Apparently Mustain will get 40 percent of the snaps leading up to the Razorbacks clash with Florida in the SEC title game in Atlanta this weekend, and the trigger will be a lil' quicker if Dick can't get it going.

For all of the focus on the Hogs offense, the Arkansas defense brought this team to the brink of its first overall championship. In the LSU game, Arkansas' defense played well, including stopping two drives with fumble recoveries. Yet neither turnover led to an Arkansas score. Ranked 34th overall in 2005, the defense seems to have improved as evidenced by its national ranking of 29th overall at this point of the season. Granted five spots isn't a huge jump, but this defense plays with heart and not a lot of superstars. It may not have the ranking of an LSU (second) or Florida (10th), but it doesn't back down from anyone.

As everyone knows, defense wins championships. Yet LSU's defense couldn't stop everyone. Miami (fifth) and Alabama (18th) boasted good defenses, but did not have the offensive production to capitalize this year. That being said, I think Alabama should look in-house at its defensive coordinator and interim head coach, Joe Kines, who also held the interim title before Frank Broyles gave the job to Kines' friend, Danny Ford.

Not only would Kines keep 'Bama's defense among the best in the nation, he would want the job at Alabama and the players already respect him.

If nothing else, his name is Joe, not Mike.