When it comes to holidays and bowl games, few mean as much to Hog fans as a trip to Dallas and the Cotton Bowl. After all, the January 1 bowl used to be the pinnacle — a reward for winning a conference championship. These days, it’s a nice consolation prize that will soon be even better when Jerry Jones’ palace opens in 2009.
But if anyone tells you they know how this 2008 Cotton Bowl is going to turn out, they are flat-out crazy…or sipping too much eggnog. At least on the surface, both teams seem to have little incentive to win.
On one hand, the Missouri Tigers go from being ranked #1 nationally and needing only one win to get to the BCS title game, only to lose and fall all the way to Dallas. You have to believe that the hangover still lingers of picking Kansas (#8 BCS ranking) over the Tigers (#6 BCS ranking) for the Orange Bowl.
On the other hand, the Hogs are playing out the string with a lame duck coaching staff led by Reggie Herring. With several of the skill players likely protecting their NFL futures, will they really push the envelope or just pack it in? After all, one knee injury could literally cost millions in future earnings. (Just ask Willis McGahee.)
Several analysts, however, have said they believe the Arkansas-Missouri match-up will be one of the more interesting of the bowl season. Missouri employs the no-huddle spread offense and the numbers for Chase Daniel are obscene — 327 for 534, 4,170 yards, and 33 TDs versus only 10 interceptions. That’s a 70 percent completion rate, in case you are doing the math.
One of the things that might actually help the Razorbacks is that new coach Bobby Petrino and his offensive coordinator/brother Paul will be in attendance. And there’s no doubt they will be scouting the returning players for next season. That ‘eye in the sky’ might be in the back of some players’ minds, as everyone will want to make a good first impression.
If the Hogs are to have a shot, it will take a lot of points and a brilliant game plan from interim defensive coordinator Louis Campbell. And let’s hope it turns out as well as the last time Campbell coached in Dallas, helping the Hogs to a 27-6 thrashing of Texas in the 2000 Cotton Bowl.
So sit back and get the hog jowl, black-eyed peas, and cornbread ready. This game should be an entertaining clash to ring in what promises to be a fun and interesting 2008.
I just heard that Petrino has hired the defensive coach from Miss.State. Herring must be looking at other options now. Hope that this inspires him to do his best. I just read a book about Pearl Harbor and the Admiral in charge, Kimmel, not only had has warships lined up nice and neat for the Japanese, but also had his ships going in and out of the harbor at precisely predictable times. In the military it is a no-no to maintain tendencies that your opponents can exploit. Somehow it reminded me of a former Arkansas coach. Hopefully those tendencies will have disappeared and Herring and Co. will have a few surprises and new wrinkles for the Mules.
A little out of line here but I read in the Demo-Zette a column by a Fort Worth sports writer warning against selecting a runniing back in the first round. He was referring in great part to McFadden. He based his opinion on several factors all of which proved why sports writers do what they do instead of coach or be general managers.. He said that Darren's lower body was not NFL-bulky enough, using Adrian Peterson as a comparative example. Most amusing was his comment (duh) that the NFL is a QBs game, implying that a running game is only so much window dressing. What this doofus was missing with DMac was that he is not only an RB but can be a receiver, kick returner, punt returner and even throw the ball when needed. DMac., unknown apparently to Ft Worthless, is one of htose players that you want to get into "space" and make plays. I don't see DMac running exclusively between the tackles but fitting into the spread and multiple offenses now in vogue. Direct snaps to a running back are no longer trick plays. Nor are swing passes to a RB or even the well known screen pass. The writer was guiltyy of picking a thesis and using only the facts that suited his arguement. His comments about RBs not being successful right away ignores that new QBs in the NFL generally ride the pine a long time until they mature. Those that start are playing for teams that are usually at the bottom of the barrel and are starting from scratch anyway and don't expect much for a few years (eg. Houston Texans). Vince Young is something of an exception, but like DMaC, Young is one of the best athletes I ever saw on a college football field. Running backs drafted in the first round are usually moved into a rotation rather quickly, if not starting. I suspect the DMac will get to play a lot when drafted. As I said he's a "space" man and the kind of player that makes things happen. Who knows what prompted Ft Worthless to write such a poorly analytical piece? But if I lived in that area I would be willing to put good money on the line that DMac will do well, barring injury. Actually, giving him a plate of fried crow would more to my liking.
Well said Jim. Maybe if D-Mac somehow wind's up going to the Patriots, as some have said could be a possibility, they might meet the Cowboys next season in Foxboro, and/or possibly in the Superbowl. Surely this would give a FT. Worth based sports writer something to write about. Could you even possibly emagine such a versitile RB like D-Mac in that type of wide open offense? Can you say dynasty?
That "doofus" was actually a Dallas based writer of the Dallas Morning News. It might be hard to believe, but it is a long 30 miles between Fort Worth and Dallas. The two cities are just not the same. We in Fort Worth are just not as sophisticated as those in Dallas. But, our sports writers are better than theirs. Here is the link: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/f….
Dallas Schmaluss. I read the article a couple of days ago and forgot the exact paper. So it was a Dallas Doofus. I go to Dallas often since my son lives in Allen. In fact I'll be there this weekend for a grandson's baskerball game and also for the Arkansas-Baylor basketball game. I am quite familiar with the Dallas Morning News, thank you, and I agree that it does have good and very extensive sports coverage, I especially like the fact that the Morning News reports on late games, something many other daily newspapers do not. Its Sunday paper is quite impressive since it takes a wheel barrow to get the monster from the driveway to the house without damaging one's back. All those advertisements! but really, 30 miles of geography aside, do you, Mr. Jones, agree or disagree with that reporter's assessment of McFadden as a pro prospect? .
No. I think D-Mac will do fine. He is right to say that the NFL has become a passing style of football, but most people I hear say that Adrian Peterson set a precedent with his first year performance this year in Minnesota. Darren will have some adjustments to make. He may not be Superman the first year. He probably needs to put on about 10 pounds of muscle to endure a 16 game season rather than a 12 o13 game season. A lot of people down here are happy with Marion Barber. As I watched the Cotton Bowl the other day, I thought that Felix Jones would be a nice complement to Barber assuming the Cowboys let J. Jones go. I had hoped that McFadden would be a Cowboy, but they would have to do some work on draft day to get him. I suspect other teams will want him too. D-Mac is a sure draft for a running starved team.