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Tyler Wilson didn't know the outcome of the LSU-Alabama game when he spoke following Arkansas' 44-28 win over South Carolina.
The Razorbacks quarterback hadn't sounded or acted as though he cared all week about who won the much-ballyhooed No. 1 vs. No. 2 clash in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
That was no different Saturday night, when Wilson threw for 299 yards and No. 8 Arkansas (8-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) overcame a slew of offensive mistakes to pull away from the No. 15 Gamecocks (7-2, 5-2) in the fourth quarter.
The win was the Razorbacks' fifth straight, keeping their hopes of a return trip to a BCS bowl game alive. Of course, there's still much left to be played out in the regular season before that picture clears up.
What is clear is that Arkansas' postseason fate still lies in the hands of its SEC West counterparts, the Tigers and Crimson Tide.
Wilson and the Razorbacks aren't thinking that far ahead, not quite yet. On Saturday, they were more focused on a convincing win over South Carolina, a win in which they scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to pull away.
''I think it shows you what the ceiling of this team is,'' Wilson said. ''It's unbelievable. We got so many opportunities. I think it could have been a greater score differential tonight than it was, and I think the sky is the limit.
''We obviously have some big games ahead, and we can prove that.''
The biggest of those ''big games,'' of course, is a Nov. 25 matchup with No. 1 LSU in Baton Rouge, La. Before that, however, Arkansas faces home games against Tennessee and Mississippi State.
Even if the Razorbacks are able to win those games - and by some chance pull off an upset of the Tigers - there's still a chance they could be left out of the BCS mix behind LSU and Alabama - powerhouses with one loss each.
The entire discussion is hypothetical at the moment, but there's no guessing needed about South Carolina's future.
After the Gamecocks' loss to Arkansas, they are a half game behind Georgia in the SEC East. South Carolina closes out its conference schedule this week against Florida, while the Bulldogs still have league games with Auburn and Kentucky remaining in the battle for a berth in the SEC championship game.
The Gamecocks hold the head-to-head advantage with Georgia should the two teams end up in a tie.
''We know where we are,'' South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said. ''We've got to hope Auburn beats Georgia and we beat Florida, simple as that. We can win the division next week. Auburn's a pretty good team. They'll be ready for Georgia. We'll be ready for Florida.
''It'll be decided next week, one way or the other.''
The Gamecocks begin their preparations for the Gators with another batch of uncertainty at quarterback after sophomore Connor Shaw suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter against Arkansas. Shaw was making his third start following the dismissal of former quarterback Stephen Garcia, struggling through a 16-of-25 passing performance for 128 yards.
Spurrier said he talked with Shaw following the game and was hopeful the injury wasn't too serious.
Arkansas, on the other hand, has no such concerns at quarterback with Wilson - who was 20 of 37 with a pair of touchdowns against South Carolina. The junior has continued to impress in his first season as a starter, though nothing has come easy for the Razorbacks during the win streak.
They have trailed in each of the five games, including by 18 at halftime against Texas A&M and 17 in the first half to Mississippi.
Against the Gamecocks, the Razorbacks were their own worst enemy at times. Wilson's streak of 184 passes without an interception ended in the second quarter when he inexplicably tried to throw a pass while being sacked - with the result being Devin Taylor's 48-yard return for a touchdown.
Also, kicker Zach Hocker missed two first-half field goals in the swirling winds of Razorback Stadium. And normally sure-handed Cobi Hamilton dropped a perfectly thrown and wide-open pass in the end zone late in the half that would have put Arkansas up 31-14.
Still, somehow, someway, Arkansas found a way to win - much like it has the last five games.
Whether that is enough to keep winning, or reach a second straight BCS bowl game, has yet to play out. What is certain is that Razorbacks coach Bobby Petrino likes what he's seeing in the comeback wins.
''It shows that we're coming closer together as a family because we really stick together,'' Petrino said. ''When things don't go well, one thing we don't do is point fingers. We stick together and keep competing. You can't say enough about having competitive spirit and finding ways to win games.''
