In Razorback history, the football program has typically disappointed when expectations were high and only occasionally delighted when expectations were low.
Many fans I’ve talked to recently know this. They aren’t certain whether they should embrace or even have high expectations for the upcoming season.
As my father told me the other day, “After all, this is Arkansas we are talking about.” His view, formed over 60 years of watching Arkansas football, is pretty simple: “Just when it looks like they are really going to accomplish something…they’ll let you down.”
But Coach Petrino is encouraging and even embracing high expectations this preseason. I like that. In my 40+ year memory of Arkansas football, I can’t recall a coach and team so publicly embracing high expectations. Usually all we’ve heard is worry and a lot of poor-mouthing.
I think I know what this team is capable of accomplishing. What I wonder is what they will actually do. So…I thought back to last year. What were the really “big deal” things that stood out about that team (at least in my view) that could make or break this year’s team. I decided to frame these in the positive since, after all, we’re embracing expectations.
Don’t get ahead of yourself. Not only can you not take nine women and have a baby in one month, you can’t win every game at once. While the sayings are trite, they are true. “Stay in the present.” “One play at a time.” My view of last season is that the offensive success the Hogs had in the first game stunted the development of the offense for weeks afterwards. The big plays came too easy, leading us to look for big plays all the time. We forgot to remember to…
Move the chains on a consistent basis. We had a lot of issues last year in this area. Some memorable examples: Overlooking wide open receivers on short routes for easy first downs while throwing incomplete down the field; the quarterback sliding on third down in the red zone just 2 yards short of a first down, leading to a missed field goal; and still getting stuffed at times on short yardage.
The mentality this year has to be first downs or die trying. And speaking of dying, the defense must take the approach of…
Bend, but don’t break. A team is not apt to win the game on any particular defensive play. Unfortunately, we proved last year that we could certainly lose the game on a particular defensive play.
I won a bet last year by taking the over when the over/under on long plays given up was 80 yards. Scheme, players…I don’t care who was responsible. If it’s not fixed this year, we’ll all be sad. Speaking of sad, all of this will be for naught unless the Hogs…
Win the battle of special teams. Two extra made field goals last year would have been worth two wins. Our punting margin was terrible. If there is not significant improvement in this area, it won’t really matter how good the offense and defense play. Special teams can change the result of the season by three or four games easily.
Unfortunately, even while attempting to stay positive, I still find myself worried about all four of these. What do you think?
Boy could this game week get here any quicker, please? Bobby shuts down practices to the media and the news-flow completely dries up! I need some info! Ready for Saturday!
This team could win 10 or 7 and I would not be completely surprised. I'm taking it one game at a time.
Good assessment. It sucks to open with Tenn. Tech because what does that really tell us but I think there are three things that matter, some of which you just mentioned.
1. Can we run the ball? Even against the lesser teams last year, we couldn't run the ball consistently. I think its time to give the ball to Dennis Johnson. When given a chance, all the guy has done is deliver. He is a gamer and he runs hard. Make Wingo prove he is the man and take the spot if he wants it.
2. Can we stop the run? Again, even against the lesser teams we couldn't stop the run. I know we focus on the big plays, but I think a lot of times those happened because we were getting softened up by the run.
3. Special Teams-see the post above.
Go Hogs!
I am a dreamer. I am the guy that always picks the Hogs to win it all in the March Madness office bracket pool (when we are in the dance) – because if they win it all, I want to enjoy it that much more..
I hear and read most people saying 9 wins would be great this year…. I think people are scared of setting high expectations and then being disappointed – but look…
I am saying it – This year is The Year! Look, we are STACKED. We have a stable of running backs. We have a gaggle of high quality receivers. We have a Heisman Trophy candidate at Quarterback. Our O-Line is older and dependable. Our defense is ready to prove everybody wrong. Motivation is a great teammate in college football and our defense is MOTIVATED. Our special teams really could be a make or break – but I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt and say they will step up this year.
I say we will win them all! What will we lose? Georgia? No – luckily for us, it is early in the year – our Defense will be excited to play against an SEC team to really prove its worth. It's an away game, so they will be even more excited – pile on the adversity! We win that game big. Gives us plenty of confidence to be waiting on Bama at home. HUGE game. This will be our coming out party. BIG numbers for Mallett here. I say we beat Bama by 17. Then who is going to stop us? People are scared of South Carolina? They are nothing – we BETTER be able to go to South Carolina and beat them – Especially when we are this loaded. Auburn? Come on guys – we have a great set of coaches. Gus Malazahn is a couple of years removed from Springdale High. Are you kidding me? Petrino vs. Malazahn – and we are worried? I can't wait to put it to HDN this year – and it's going to happen this year. The LSU game would normally make me nervous – late in the season – but it's in Little Rock this year – we will be undefeated and War Memorial will be ROCKING LOUDER THAN EVER BEFORE. Bama will be the coming out party, and LSU will be our stake in the ground – making our claim game. Mallett will secure the Heisman.
If we can't expect to win it all this year – with this team – then when can we really expect to win it all? I know the defense is an unknown, and the special teams are shady, but success breeds success. Everybody will rise up this year.
It's going to be a great year. It's hard to be humble….
HungryHog I must admit the optimism is a joy to read and you're probably a lot of fun to watch the Hogs with on Saturdays but we have to be realistic. When you say "If we can’t expect to win it all this year – with this team – then when can we really expect to win it all?" We can EXPECT to win it all when we have a top 10 probably more like top 5 defense in the nation. Don't get me wrong I think we have a shot at EVERY game this year, which is different from last year because we didn't have even a chance against Bama last year.
Offense brings fans, gets you tv appearances, and is exciting to watch, but it doesn't win you a National Championship and most certainly doesn't get you an undefeated 14-0 season. We can't EXPECT Ryan to have a great game against Bama or LSU. It'd be nice, but these are both top Ds in the nation. What we should be able to expect is our defense keep us in it not our offense keep us in it bc we are in another 2009 Georgia shoot out.
I feel realistically we can have a 10 win regular season plus a bowl win makes us 11-2 and I think that is a very good year. 10-3 with a bowl win would also be a really good year. I think it comes down to that Georgia game early. We beat GA then we have Bama, Auburn, Ole Miss, SC, & LSU to beat and I think 3 out of those 5 is worth being optimistic about. That puts us at 10-2 and BCS talk. However, we drop GA and we have to win 4 out of 5, which is possible, but tough.
I agree it's going to be a great year, but we have to stay humble…UNTIL our defense starts knocking people's heads off and THEN we can get a little cocky =)
HungryHog you made me a beleiver. My only concern is not with the defense it is with Mallet because he was the choke artist last year. People talk a lot about the defense I can remember Mallet putting the defense in a lot of bad situations last year going 3 and out over and over putting the defense on the field over and over. Every big game he would choke when the lights came on. Hopefully he has gotten this behind him and is ready to compete with the best in the SEC. I think we can have an undefeated year as well. If we are able to stay grounded after big wins against Bama and Georgia. I think we get them at the right time and we beat them. The thing that worries me is this team has been in that situation before and how they will act once they get there.
You're right about Mallett being the choke artist last year. Perhaps because of the weak running game he thought he had to play longball all the time, often overlooking the tight ends and backs. Or maybe he is just a showboat who likes to show of his arm for the cheerleaders. Regardless, it's poor strategy to gamble unless you must.
That was then. Now the Hogs should be able to run a control offense, methodically racking up first downs, marching downfield instead of flying. The defense needs that kind of game plan to catch their breath and rest their legs.
While the players must take it one play at a time, as the cliche goes, the coaches must be thinking first downs: three, two, one.
I predict we will lose a game we should have won and will win a game we should have lost. I think Green will become the dominant running back.
(Dieinghog: I hope you're not really going to die on us this season. If you're on the way out, I offer my sympathies to you for the suffering you must have to endure. It seems to me it's not being on the other side that is so bad–we all gotta go sometime–but the transition that may be difficult.)
LOL Roadhog I'm sorry that was a name I adopted during HDN last couple of years. I guess I should call myself Bornagainhog now. LOL I am really excited about what this year can bring and what Coach P is doing on the hill. I think a change is taking place and even if he is what ESPN trys to make him out to be he has earned his check here. However I can't say the same about the other Coach P with basketball.
That's good news, Dieing (I would have spelt it "Dying"). It's pretty easy to change your handle around here. Now that the program has been resuscitated and HDN is about to get his butt kicked (maybe we could get D. Breeding to do the kicking) you might want to choose a livelier nom de blog.
Excellent opinions. What I'm hearing is worry about our first three games. Some have wondered how Petrino will handle Tennessee Tech. Winning is not the question, but will the first stringers play more than they should to inflate the stats but risk injury? If the reserves play too much will it take away sharpness from the first stringers? Is there a danger that LA-Monroe will be overlooked. Those disrepected Sun Belters can be pesky and even dangerous if you don't take them seriously (Just ask Iowa where the refs had to steal the game from ASU). The whole reason for the first two games is to get ready for Georgia, a game that looks like a break or make season for the Hogs. I trust Petrino will do what is necessary, but I do worry about LA-Monroe as a trap game. Coach has said that his main worry is about giving up the big play(s). As Hogblogger says special teams must improve. If they don't then the defense needs to step up so as to not lose a game where they greatly outstat their opponent. Anonymous may not have liked what Dieinghog said but the biggest improvement on offense has to come with the short, possesion passing game. Hogs, as first responder has said, must take it one game at a time, no matter who the opponent is. I am optimistic, can't wait for the first game, but a note of caution, Ole Miss was in the same position last year as Arkansas is this year, as a potential spoiler. They disappointed but even so, had a good year (for Ole Miss). Hopefully, that Hog high octane offense will do even better than what the Rebs accomplished.
It's interesting that the pundits seemed to have lowered their expectations for Auburn. Perhaps the reality of a freshman QB has set in. Still Auburn is Auburn and the SEC West is, without arguement, the toughest conference in the country. Win the SEC and you're in the championship game.
The Hogs, Ohio State, and Texas go undefeated.. Who plays in the National Championship game?
Probably would be the Hogs left out in that scenario, b/c the other two are ranked higher in the preseason poll — it makes no sense I know, but it just seems to be how the current system works. Let's not get ahead of ourselves, though, guys. This team will NOT go undefeated (of course I would be the first to step in line to eat my share of crow should it actually happen, and love every second of it). Do they have the talent to beat every team on the schedule? I feel comfortable saying "yes" to that — probably more so this year than any other year since we moved to the SEC back in the early 90's. Geez, that statement in itself has me giddy with excitement about this season! Still, that doesn't mean it's going to happen — the SEC is just too tough. Let's face it, this team is capable of losing to about 8 different teams on the schedule, also, though that's not going to happen either. Do I think they will be better than last year? Well let's see… more experienced, mega-talented team with a top-notch NFL prospect at QB that drops Fla from the schedule while picking up Vandy… yeah, I'd have to guess that we'll be better than last year, and I personally would be disappointed with less than 9 wins. As we all know, though, being better doesn't always translate into more wins and fewer losses.
If the Hogs run the table I can already hear how weak the SEC is this year to keep everyone from factoring in TX's powder puff schedule! I'm giddy with excitement though. I have a gut feeling we are going to actually exceed expections. I really think we'll be in every game with at least a chance to win them.
1) I think the Hogs are better (in every category)
2) I think the schedule is more reasonable
3) I don't "think" Bama is quite as good
4) We're more mature and confident…so the tight games will be wins instead of losses. It wouldn't have taken much to have had 3 more Ws last year.
So last year's really good season + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = This year's fabulous season. Or else I'm going to be a big baby around the house
The Hogs go undefeated they beat GA, Bama, LSU, and probably Florida or a top 10 GA. twice or SCAR, etc. The computers will send them to the NC despite what the voters will try to do.
A one or maybe even 2 loss SEC champion automatically goes to the BCS title game until the SEC loses the National Championship stranglehold. Given the Big Ten and Big 12's performance against the SEC in the title games past, they are still viewed as beneath the SEC by the experts and voters. The Big 12 may be down this year compared to a few years ago, and the Big Ten drops off quickly once you get past Ohio State and Wisconsin.
When you have a conference that includes Bama, LSU, Florida, Georgia, and even Auburn that's a very tough road to go.
You can tell it's finally here. Everyone seems a bit on edge. I worried about all the things that you noted but have been pretty satisfied with preseason coverage of the team answering those issues to a greater or lesser degree.
The defense WILL be better. I don't think there is any doubt there.
Mallett knows he has to be a complete QB and not go deep all the time.
They are working the kicking game as hard as they know how.
Chemistry is very good.
Depth is improved.
I thought we may have been a little too high for Georgia last year. It will be interesting to see how they navigate these waters. This is a more mature team who knows how long and tough this task will be.
I am very optimistic for this Arkansas team. I have only seen them in the spring when at least they "looked like" SEC talent. There are qualifiers. If the coach believes in them, if they have a mature QB, if they have gotten their grove back in running the ball after a long drouth, if their ATTITUDE is as great as has been printed, and if the Defense has improved, as it should have, then this team could please the fans, and go to the the SEC and yes even the NC game. Remember: they were one fumble away from the NC game in Atlanta in let's see was that 2007(?).
The coach knows his talent. I do not believe he is optomistic based on nothing. I love what I read about their ATTITUDE. The QB surely has learned by now how to quit knocking receivers down on short passes. I give him credit for having enough talent and smarts to do that.
Yes, D… wins championships but we all know that a solid, error-free offense is vital to any defense. That generally makes the defense look better. A run offense often makes the difference when the game is on the line. Passing teams can score quickly, although the RBs with McFadden/Jones scored very, very quickly. That is a plus. However, we have to be able to line up and go down the field with these running backs, interspersed with key passes. If Arkansas cannot do that this year, one might say that we can kiss signing any more top RB talent unless they run across a talented RB who did not do his homework or he does not have to be recruited to be a Razorback. I am willing to believe, without any proof, that Hogs will surely be able to run the ball this year. Got to with our stable of RBs and what should be a mature QB under center. You have got to have maturity at QB to have a championship team. Hogs have that…I think. A nice schedule also helps us. Go Hogs!!!
I hope we have finally reached a point where the first string doesn't play a down in the second half and we run for 300 yards in this gimme. Don't show em anything till you have to. Work on timing routes with first team receivers.
It's great to be a Hog fan! Can't wait for Saturday!
The biggest indicator to me is Petrino's demeanor, as Defense called out. Petrino tells it like it is; the fact that he has been positive in most post practice interviews tells a lot of the story.
Another indicator is the depth chart. Look at the big bodies we have and the quickness and speed in the skill positions. Most of our players have 2-3 years of SEC game experience and have been in the trenches of Alabama, Florida, and LSU – some of the toughest environments in football. They will not rattle easily – which is a huge tangible when comparing teams. I don't care what the pundits say that are trying to drum up college football excitement – a bunch of green beans in the Alabama secondary have never played against a Ryan Mallet with big, fast receivers in a hostile environment….Saban cannot prepare them for that experience. Georgia has a new QB, a new defensive scheme they didn't recruit for, and a potential Ealey suspension. Besides Florida, they are the most overrated and unproven team to garner such high expectations.
I still think our biggest risk is Auburn. They should have a decent defense and despite a green QB I don't think we can underestimate Gus. In my opinion, the Auburn game may be our toughest.
Many seem to be overlooking aTm in their assessments. No, a loss to them won't really affect our SEC aspirations but it probably will screw up a BCS bowl for us.
This is part of what the QB we ended up terrorizing in last year's game turned in for the season:
'Johnson threw for 3,579 yards and 30 TDs last season — and ran for another 506 yards and eight scores — but because the Aggies finished 6-7, he was overshadowed nationally. He has thrown for 6,014 yards in the past two seasons and should put up another 3,500-yard season this fall.'
The only thing missing are his INTs but when you account for 38 TDs its gonna take a bunch of interceptions to offset that production. We overlook these guys and they'll embarrass us.
Other than that, I'm on board with most of the comments herein. I'm even optimistic enough to suggest a theme song for the season: Turn It On Again-Genesis. ;^)
It's a lot more fun to expect great things. If you don't expect to win, why bother to compete?
In all the years Lou Holtz coached to Hogs I don't remember him ever saying his team was any good. He always talked about the team's shortcomings, so as a fan you never expected much. Perhaps that was his way of lowering the expectations of fans to lessen the agony of defeat, when it came.
But for players, expectations are a different matter. A player, regardless of sport or performing art, must have confidence to win or succeed. And to generate confidence you must know that you have the ability to compete on a level field with your opponent. If your opponent appears a little stronger, then you assume the underdog role, try a little harder and hope to get good rolls. It's a lot more fun to play the top-dog role and expect to blow your opponent away.
The Razorbacks have a strong offense and they should expect and intend to go out there and dominate defenses and outscore their opponent in every game this year.
Get ready! GO HOGS!
HogBlogger,
Good post. If there's one thing that I may slightly disagree with you on though, it would be your last statement on the FG kicking. (potential wins)
Tejada's numbers last season were actually pretty good. What a lot of fans focused on though were those pressure kicks against Florida and LSU. Both of those games would have been huge wins for us, but sucsessful kicks through the uprights by Tejada wouldn't have translated into automatic wins in those two ballgames, only the continuation of them, with a better chance of pulling out a win.
My hope for Alex Tejada this season is to excell to another level under pressure. The competition from Eddie Camara has been intense throughout the summer. There's a very good chance the constant pressure this kid keeps on Alex to retain his starting position throughout the season practices, will keep him sharp. The same thing goes for bringing in Zack Hocker to compete on the kickoffs punting, pushing both Tejada and Dylan Breeding.
Bringing in Camara and Hocker may turn out to be two of the best moves Petrino has made so far in recruiting.
Many fans thought both of these kids had a very good shot of taking over on kickoffs, punting (Hocker) and as place kicker. (Camara)
As it turns out, Petrino may have known all along his starters just needed to be pushed. Any thoughts?
Caution!
Stand back folks, grab your popcorn and hangon
Time to lite this rocket
And watch them hawgs FLY!
Sorry AZ.If Arkansas, Texas, and Ohio State go undefeated, it will be the Hogs and OSU in the championship game. For Arkansas to go unbeaten Mallett must have an outstanding season. The same for OSU and Terrel Pryor. If that comes about then the Championship game, again, would have two Heisman candidates. I don't see any Texas player of that caliber, at this point, getting the ink. Add to this that the SEC is the reigning champion for the last four years and to not give the SEC an opportunity to defend, then that would finally be a worthwhile investigation for the DOJ (for a change). One or two losses for the SEC champ and my bets are off. Then it will depend on how the SEC does in nonconference games. Alabama and PSU, LSU and NC are BIG.