Greg McElroy just picked Arkansas to

[theFlyingHog]

McElroy love his some Hogs because he would have gone to Arkansas had he not gone to Bama.  He has publicly said that...

I really don't remember so don't flame me if I'm wrong, but wasn't McElroy considered a game manager as a QB?

[Hawgzinbowlz]

We won't lose to TCU short of a complete break down of our run game. And we won't lose to A&M if we can block their front four in both passing and rushing.

" GO HOGS "

[Michael_E_Davis]

A recipe for Alabama based on stout defense and balanced offense works for most of the real powers in the SEC. It is *much* easier to beat a spread team with a stout defense and powerful running game that it is to consistently beat a power football team with finesse.

Finesse/spread teams are high-risk/high-reward. Look at A&M's best season with JFF: beat Bama, but lost *at home* to Florida and LSU. Took a Heisman winning QB to the Cotton Bowl. (great year, but Heisman winners are supposed to win conferences at least). Look at Ole Miss the last two years, they beat Alabama but lost to Florida, LSU, Auburn and got curbstomped by us and TCU.

The real fact of the matter is we need to build a team that can beat Alabama, LSU, Georgia, Florida. That means we must be able to run the ball in a balanced offense and we must be able to stop the run.

With CBB we may win or we may lose, but we will rarely be beaten so badly we are not in the game in the 4th quarter. And as we continue to build 5 years of rolling depth through development and retention we will become consistent and able to let our stars go be stars.

There is a reason that Petrino put so much emphasis on running the ball even though he liked to throw to open up the run. He knew that he needed a running game to hold a lead in the SEC.

This is big boy football. You can build a spread team and hope you line up the right QB, the right schedule and the right lucky breaks to run the table or you can build a power team and consistently improve your competitiveness year over year and move up out of the middle-of-the-pack permanently.

I like the steady approach, personally.

I agree with you. The SEC offers a pretty broad range of football styles that you have to prepare for.  You have the spread offenses and the power teams.  The dangerous ones do both really well,  and that is the offensive attack Dan Enos has developed. I also agree that just because you beat 'Bama does not mean you are going to run the table - as  'Ole Miss demonstrated.   But, I suppose, now that I think about it,  focusing on a kind of team that can beat 'Bama isn't a terrible idea. If you have that kind of team - chances are you will win most of your games

I truely think the difference in Bielema a Saban are skill players.  The recruits that Alabama get are ridiculous.  I've never seen anything like their ability to recruit.  They literally have future NFL first round draft picks, sitting on the bench as second and third stringers. That is hard to compete with.

[Swine-as-wine]

..........But you have to beat Bama to play for the championship if you are in the West.

so thought 'Ol Piss

[lutherheggs]

They just predicted that we will go 9-3 losing to LSU, A&M, and TCU in the SEC Network preview.

That makes no sense. IF Hogs are good enough to go 6-2 in SEC, they are not going to lose to TCU. And not going to lose to A&M if they can beat Alabama, Fla and Ole Miss.

[HogBreath]

https://twitter.com/SECNetwork/status/767900347713089536

Clint & Greg's co host seems nice.

[PorkSoda]

That makes no sense. IF Hogs are good enough to go 6-2 in SEC, they are not going to lose to TCU. And not going to lose to A&M if they can beat Alabama, Fla and Ole Miss.

true, but reality doesn't always make sense.  OM beat bama and lost of a team that lost to toledo.

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

I rarely agree with gohogs but he is right that while we upset both LSU and OM we definitely gave away 3/4 of those games to lesser Tamu/MSU teams.  '14 MSU was better than us even though we had our shot.  Last season though we were far better and gave it to them.  Whether there is agenda from him behind all that is beyond me, but it is no doubt fact.  The moment we achieve consistency, will be the moment we arrive.  CBB is getting closer.  WPS!

If folks can't see the team is being built stronger year by year then I hold very little hope for turkey sandwishes. We get their when we git thear and I hope it doesnt rain on my daisy's flowers.