USA today says Hogs should be better this FALL!

[DeltaBoy]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/sec/2015/04/24/west-arkansas-razorbacks-bret-bielema-brandon-allen-alex-collins/26272747/

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It has become a popular way to measure the strength and depth of the SEC West: The margin of separation last season between Alabama, which won the division and reached the College Football Playoff, and Arkansas, which finished last, was one point.

[Bacon_Bitz]

But then at the bottom of the page, we get no love in the predictions for the preseason Coaches Poll!  Auburn and Stanford both in the Top 5 though.  Yeah right.

[hogcard1964]

But then at the bottom of the page, we get no love in the predictions for the preseason Coaches Poll!  Auburn and Stanford both in the Top 5 though.  Yeah right.

I noticed that also.  That makes zero sense.

[Hog N Bama]

Nice find Delta Boy. Go HOGS! :razorback: :razorback: :razorback:

[Hog N Bama]

But then at the bottom of the page, we get no love in the predictions for the preseason Coaches Poll!  Auburn and Stanford both in the Top 5 though.  Yeah right.

Gosh I hope we destroy Auburn in Fayetteville this year!! Tired of the Auburn love. Geez :razorback: :razorback: :razorback:

[flagstaffhog]

We, as Hog fans already know all that was written in this article.  But it is still nice to read it again.

Go HOGS Go!

[smb]

This is the kind of stuff Robert should write?

[CabotHog87]

This is the kind of stuff Robert should write?

Who?

[Dark Helmet Hog]

Nice read. Thanks.

[GuvHog]

I noticed that also.  That makes zero sense.

The Hogs will have to earn a ranking. What happened at the end of last season (2 SEC shutouts and a Lopsided Bowl win) was a great start but there is still a lot of work for them to do.

[Bacon_Bitz]

The Hogs will have to earn a ranking. What happened at the end of last season (2 SEC shutouts and a Lopsided Bowl win) was a great start but there is still a lot of work for them to do.

Oh, I agree.  I just think 8-5 Auburn and 8-5 Stanford should have to earn a ranking, too, or at least earn the top 5 rankings they got in this prediction.

[GuvHog]

Oh, I agree.  I just think 8-5 Auburn and 8-5 Stanford should have to earn a ranking, too, or at least earn the top 5 rankings they got in this prediction.

What I find odd is that the Hogs shut out both Ole Miss and LSU last season, yet they are both ranked while the Hogs aren't.

[Paul]

preseason rankings are based on the rep of the program.  We're gonna get there. 

[Pigsknuckles]

"Our goal," Tretola says, "is to physically dominate you to the point where you don't want to play the game anymore."

I can live with that.

[DeltaBoy]

"Our goal," Tretola says, "is to physically dominate you to the point where you don't want to play the game anymore."

I can live with that.

That is the best quote in the article .

[Hog_Swanson]

That article has me pumped to the max.  Woo Pig!

[robs4516]

I suspect AU being picked #2 in that poll is based on two words: Will Muschamp. They probably think he's going to work miracles, and aubbie will have an unstoppable offense and an immovable defense. We'll see. 

[TheRazorback500]

"Beat 'em like yard dogs, shut 'em out". I like that one.

:razorback:

[gawntrail]

New offensive coordinator Dan Enos, who left behind his position as Central Michigan's head coach, has been instrumental, Bielema says, in developing the Razorbacks' quarterbacks. Enos has also simplified the Razorbacks' offensive terminology while adding a significant amount of pre-snap motions designed to disguise the Razorbacks' intent.

A little tweak here and a little tweak there.....next thing you know we score 2-3 more times per game because we do what we do, but, different enough to MAKE THE DEFENSE play us straight up.  Hopefully its enough too, so that BA can be all he can be and uncork the playaction for some big time gashing and opportunistic shots.   

Can't wait for Fall.

Woo Pig!!

[Tsarcasm]

Good find, and good read.

[Vantage 8 dude]

Well I really spoke to a big time Tenny "homer" who practically thinks everything the Vols do is divine driven. The interesting thing, and I honestly don't think he's just being nice, is that he claims a lot of their fans are starting to sweat our October game with them. The attitude that Tratola expressed is exactly the main reason he's very leery of our team. He watched us pound and pound the opposition during most of the season last year and it definitely made an impression on him. I told him that CBB and staff have made it clear that we want to "out Alabama even Alabama" when it comes to wearing you out physically and mentally. You'll want nothing more than for the game to end and the Hogs to get on the plane back to Fayetteville. I do think our game up there will be very intriguing.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

What I find odd is that the Hogs shut out both Ole Miss and LSU last season, yet they are both ranked while the Hogs aren't.

Eh, it's understandable. Yeah we beat their butts last year and kicked Texas in the teeth in the bowl game, but for the purposes of writers and pre-season polls, Ole Miss finished 9-4 and LSU 8-5, the same with Auburn and each one has had recruiting rankings that came in well above ours the last 3-4 years.

Writers look at that kind of thing and the fact that we have only won 2 SEC games in 2 years and despite what was a pretty strong finish to last season, they still aren't ready to commit to the Hogs being a potential top 25 to start the season. "Earning it", has far more to do with us than those other teams in their eyes because we haven't done it, yet.

I can understand their perspective and their reluctance. It doesn't worry me or offend me one bit. If we are as good as we believe we are and as good as Bielema believes we will be, we will take care of our business on the field and find ourselves in the rankings soon enough.

[bphi11ips]

If we are as good as we believe we are and as good as Bielema believes we will be, we will take care of our business on the field and find ourselves in the rankings soon enough.

Spoken like a football player.

That's how an objective article is written.

Respect is earned, and this team is beginning to understand how to demand it.

Football is a process.  Winning football is a culture.  Eventually that culture becomes tradition.  Tradition doesn't happen overnight, but the process is now in place.

I got tired of telling you knuckleheads while Petrino was winning why his process wasn't sustainable in the SEC.  Then I got tired of telling you in 2013 why Bielema's process will take the program back 50 years.  But that is happening, and even USA Today journalists now get it.  Hide and watch while the Razorbacks once again stand toe to toe with the best.

[jkstock04]

Given the quotes, sounds like the coaches have really instilled a high level of confidence in our players...close to the point of having the big head. Confidence is great, I do think you gotta have it...but from the sounds of it our mind set is flirting with over confident/invincible type stuff. I believe in the whole talk the talk walk the walk type deal.

Be interesting to see if that tactic works.

[gmarv]

thanks delta boy.i,m ready for some hog football. I can,t wait till the fall.

[pigbacon]

Given the quotes, sounds like the coaches have really instilled a high level of confidence in our players...close to the point of having the big head. Confidence is great, I do think you gotta have it...but from the sounds of it our mind set is flirting with over confident/invincible type stuff. I believe in the whole talk the talk walk the walk type deal.

Be interesting to see if that tactic works.

I didn't read it that way. It sounds like the players and coaches have raised the bar on their expectations based on the end of the season last year where they showed what they were capable of. Nothing wrong with that at all- we played a brutal schedule and gave Bama and others all they could handle.

[DeltaBoy]

I believe after the Spring game they are correct.  :razorback: :razorback: :razorback: :razorback: :razorback:

[KlubhouseKonnected]

I noticed that also.  That makes zero sense.

I don't know, unfortunately we could be much improved and still not see a huge jump in our win/loss numbers. Our schedule is brutal so the margin of error for this team could very will be ultra thin. We will need to be good AND lucky to finish at the top of our division.

[KlubhouseKonnected]

I suspect AU being picked #2 in that poll is based on two words: Will Muschamp. They probably think he's going to work miracles, and aubbie will have an unstoppable offense and an immovable defense. We'll see. 

I guess we are going to find out the truth behind the whole "Gus handicaps the defense with his offensive style of play" trope this year huh?

[DeltaBoy]

I guess we are going to find out the truth behind the whole "Gus handicaps the defense with his offensive style of play" trope this year huh?

Yep it should be real street fight.