Ken Rogers
09/19 at 11:39 PM

TUSCALOOSA — Antoine Caldwell was in the middle of the Alabama Crimson Tide before Monday’s practice and delivered his message.

“Preseason is over!” the senior center screamed on the practice field earlier this week. “This is the SEC, baby!”

Alabama’s Southeastern Conference opener comes today against Arkansas in Fayetteville (11:30 a.m., Raycom Sports, channels 3 and 12 in Lee County).

Crimson Tide veterans say it truly is a different atmosphere when league play begins.

“Your mindset’s also got to be different,” offensive lineman Mike Johnson said. “We want to win a conference championship. All those
other games have been great up to this point, but none of them matter now. It’s a new season, and we’ve got to be ready to go.”

Playing Arkansas in the opener — particularly on the road — presents several challenges. Three of the past five meetings have been decided by a field goal or less, including Arkansas’ 24-23 overtime victory in 2006 and Alabama’s thrilling, 41-38 win last year.

The home team has won the last four games. According to Tide players, Razorback Stadium is one of the noisiest in the SEC.

“The crowd is really into it,” Caldwell said. “I try to let the guys know, especially the young guys, just how hostile it’s going to be trying to play there. It’s going to be a lot different than the Clemson game, and everybody’s got to be prepared.”

Javier Arenas remembers going to Fayetteville two years ago.

“I liked the setting of the stadium and stuff like that,” Arenas said. “That was my first time traveling. I liked the atmosphere up there. I liked everything about it except, obviously, the outcome of the game.”

Receiver Mike McCoy was animated while describing his memory of the atmosphere.

“That stadium is amazing. Their fans sit right behind you,” McCoy said. “That’s something I wasn’t used to. It’s like you’re playing against the crowd as well. It’s fun when you win. It’s going to be a sight Saturday.”

More telling for the players is the intensity of the series.

“It normally takes more than a day or two to recover from them,” Caldwell said, referring to the Razorbacks. “It’s going to be another physical game like it always is. Normally, whoever wins this game goes on to have a pretty good year. It’s been one of those swing games that we’ve had.”

Alabama and Arkansas both have played 15 true freshmen this season. McCoy said he’s talked with some of the young receivers and remembers that veterans did the same for him two years ago.

“We’ve all talked about it. They’re aware of it,” McCoy said. “When I came in my freshman year, DJ (Hall) was like, ‘This is going to be something serious, just keep your composure.’ But it’s going to be a dogfight. It’s going to be an exciting game. A lot of young guys are going to make a lot of plays. I think we’ll show up on Saturday.”

Caldwell, a team captain last season and one of the team’s vocal leaders, said he’s trying to let the freshmen know what’s coming.

“I talk to them a little bit about it, but more because it’s their first big conference game,” Caldwell said. “This is the
real deal.”

Arenas said he didn’t think telling young players about the game would do much good. It’s something they have to experience.

“You can’t, ‘cause it’ll stress them out and they’ll be like, ‘Uh-oh,’” Arenas said. “They’ll be all tense and things like that. Play it like every other week and play it to the best of your ability. You can’t put too much pressure on them, they’ll have anxiety levels up to their heads.”

Arenas said he had to experience for himself how different conference games can be.

“This is my third year and it took me awhile to realize how important playing in the SEC was,” he said.

“I was just scared. I was a freshman. I was still focusing on my job. I was in survival mode. We go out there in practice sometimes and we’re just trying to make it through the day, trying to get better.

“As you mature, you’re going to realize, ‘All right, let’s go out here and get better.’ When we’re playing a game, we can excel, we can do good.

“That’s kind of how the SEC is. At first, I was just trying to survive out there. Now, I’m kind of comfortable. Now, I’m about to do my job. Now, I’m about to go out here and win.”

McCoy said every player came to the school to play in games like this one.

“It’s an SEC game. It’s zero-zero. This is conference play now,” the receiver said. “It’s like I was telling the younger guys, this isn’t Tulane, this isn’t Western Kentucky, this isn’t Clemson, either. This is SEC ball. Defense. This is why it’s the best conference. It’s going to be hard-nosed ball. Anybody can win on any given day.”