Name some years the Hogs should/would have won a national title

[Ben]

what are some years that stick out to you that arkansas possibly could have won if something was done differently.

[Inhogswetrust]

 Since you said something done differently I'll say any of them.

[Ben]

Since you said something done differently I'll say any of them.

none in particular like 78, the hatfield years, or petrino years?

[Inhogswetrust]

none in particular like 78, the hatfield years, or petrino years?

WAY to many variables for us AND all the other schools fielding teams to make that much of any specific years conversation valid.

[rlreev01]

1965 should have taken LSU more seriously, 1978 if we would have beaten Texas at home, 1982 if the refs had not screwed us against SMU.

[lahawg1]

2006 Reggie Fish

[Vantage 8 dude]

How about yet another NC in basketball in 1995? Should have closed the deal and made it "back-to-back" when we played UCLA that year.

[Pigasaurus]

2006 Reggie Fish

Could be the only 4 loss team that was 1 play away from Natl Championship. Don't think we were but felt like it at the time.  I think 2011 when our only loss was Bama and we were up on LSU early had that feel to it.  Until LSU kicked it into gear.

[hoggusamoungus]

what are some years that stick out to you that arkansas possibly could have won if something was done differently.

1977 missed face mask call against Texas.  ND kicked the crap out of Texas in the Cotton Bowl to win the NC and might have done the same to us but the way we beat OU says probably not.

[Ray Piggers]

How about yet another NC in basketball in 1995? Should have closed the deal and made it "back-to-back" when we played UCLA that year.

Could say 2012 in baseball. Hogs have to win only once to get into the natl. championship series and lose to USCe twice in a row. I don't think I need to remind anyone who was behind the plate for one of those losses. Finished with a final season ranking of #3

[choppedporkextrasauce]

1965 should have taken LSU more seriously, 1978 if we would have beaten Texas at home, 1982 if the refs had not screwed us against SMU.

we played Texas in Austin in 1978.

[Lake City Hog]

65, 69 and 77 for sure.

[trphog]

'98 - the Stoernover cost us the N.C. in my humble opinion.

[welchog]

Didn't our QB go down early in the 66 CB against LSU?

[Steef]

1977 missed face mask call against Texas.  ND kicked the crap out of Texas in the Cotton Bowl to win the NC and might have done the same to us but the way we beat OU says probably not.

This.

[LZH]

We probably had the talent in 2003, but unfortunately we had the wrong coach.

[Ray Piggers]

I can't believe no one has mentioned 2010. Our best Petrino team by far. Lost with our backup at Auburn (who got some questionable calls) (National Champs) Had Alabama on the ropes and let them off the hook (ranked #1 at one point that season) and had we "scooped and scored" on the blocked punt we would have beaten Ohio State in the sugar bowl (also ranked #1 at one point that year)

[Cure]

2010 without question, maybe a few more carries for Davis earlier in the season and they might have been playing for the title.

[whosiskid]

1975. Ick Forte and Jerry Eckwood and the best offensive line in Arkansas history. All five offensive linemen went on to play in the NFL, a couple making the pro bowl several times. They routinely would get 4 or 5 yard surges against opposing defenses. I honestly believe that we had the best team in the US. We simply dominated the line of scrimmage. But we also fumbled a lot. In the 1975 game against Texas I think we had something like 8 fumbles. On every possession we either scored or fumbled. Just a little more control of the football we would have had only one loss going into the Bowl games.

It is sort of like the 1985 Bears team. They had won the Super Bowl the previous year, and were hand's down the most dominating team in the 1985 season until a string of late season injuries. No injuries and they would have been the favorites to win the Super Bowl a second straight time. Point is, the best team doesn't always win, and in 1975 the Hogs had the best team in the nation. Was that Broyles last great team? The next year was Johnny Major's great Pittsburgh team and that was, I think, Frank's last season. Tony Dorsett for Pittsburgh. Man, that program was a flash in the pan.

[Inhogswetrust]

Could say 2012 in baseball. Hogs have to win only once to get into the natl. championship series and lose to USCe twice in a row. I don't think I need to remind anyone who was behind the plate for one of those losses. Finished with a final season ranking of #3

We did play in the championship series years ago against Cal State Fullerton when Norm was still coaching.

1979 College World Series
DeBriyn's 10th team put the Razorbacks on the national map. The Razorbacks won 49 games, lost 15, and finished second in the Southwest Conference (SWC). The Hogs defeated George Washington, Florida, and Delaware twice to move out of the East Regional (played at Seminole Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida). The Razorbacks then went to Omaha and defeated Pepperdine, 5-4 and an Arizona Wildcats club, with a young Terry Francona, 10-3. A match-up with SWC champion Texas loomed next for the Razorbacks. The Hogs had gone 1-4 against the Longhorns up to this point in the season. The Razorbacks prevailed, 9-4, and earned a contest with Cal State Fullerton for a championship. Texas was eliminated. Arkansas lost twice to the Titans, 13-10, and 2-1, to give the trophy to Cal State Fullerton. Freshman Kevin McReynolds was named to the all-tournament team as an outfielder, along with Steve Krueger at pitcher, Larry Wallace at shortstop, and Marc Brumble as an outfielder.

[Bubba's Bruisers]

2006 Reggie Fish

We were raped by USC at home.  Lost to LSU.  and even Wisky.  We weren't close in 2006.  Nice season, though.

[ADavisTheGOAT]

Could be the only 4 loss team that was 1 play away from Natl Championship. Don't think we were but felt like it at the time.  I think 2011 when our only loss was Bama and we were up on LSU early had that feel to it.  Until LSU kicked it into gear.

The moment Tyrann Mathieu returned that punt, I knew the game was over.

[hogcard1964]

77 is the only year I can think of. 

[TebowHater]

Must be 2010. We were up like 10 or 14 in the fourth quarter and had no run game...little did we know what KD would end up being...as someone said above if we knew that then we beat Bama and probably win the NC

[Bacons Rebellion]

1962 - If Danny Brabham doesn't fumble at the Texas goal line (or is ruled to have scored before the fumble), 9-1 and the Sugar Bowl becomes 10-0 in the Cotton Bowl against LSU.

1965 - Brittenum doesn't separate his shoulder in the Cotton Bowl.

1969 -- We kick the field goal or we cover Peschel.

1977 -- The Texas refs call the face mask or we tackle Campbell on the screen pass.

1978 -- If we had someone taller than 5' 8" assigned to cover Lawrence Sampleton.

1989 -- Atwater hangs onto the ball and all 8 teams in front of lose.

1998 -- Stoerner misses the foot.

2006 -- We stop the fake punt deep in Florida territory and turn it into a TD.

2010 -- Mallet doesn't throw the interception against Alabama.

[Buff]

We were raped by USC at home.  Lost to LSU.  and even Wisky.  We weren't close in 2006.  Nice season, though.

A better head coach, even a decent head coach, could have made a title run with that team.  That year may have been Gus's best performance as an offensive coach.

2010 is the year that could have been.  Petrino's playcalling came up short in the Bama game, as did Mallett's attempt to throw the ball out of bounds.    Auburn was taken from us......seriously let's don't get started on that one again, lest I hate-murder a small helpless animal.  If Joe Adams can catch a cold while he's wide open, we may have had the Sugar Bowl.  Still though, 2009-2011 were great years as a fan.

[Steef]

A better head coach, even a decent head coach, could have made a title run with that team.  That year may have been Gus's best performance as an offensive coach.

2010 is the year that could have been.  Petrino's playcalling came up short in the Bama game, as did Mallett's attempt to throw the ball out of bounds.    Auburn was taken from us......seriously let's don't get started on that one again, lest I hate-murder a small helpless animal.  If Joe Adams can catch a cold while he's wide open, we may have had the Sugar Bowl.  Still though, 2009-2011 were great years as a fan.

We had a true freshman quarterback for most of that season.

[Buff]

We had a true freshman quarterback for most of that season.

Until our genius head coach FUBAR'ed it all

[arkmark]

2006.

Going into the LSU game Hogs are ranked #5 against #9 LSU.  Last quarter Russell throws a TD.  Arkansas scores on their first play after the kickoff on an 80 yard run by McFadden.  Holiday runs the ensuing kickoff back for a TD for LSU.  With 5:43 left in the game Felix scores and LSU holds on for the win.  Arkansas drops to #8 in the rankings on a 5 point loss.

We meet Florida in the SEC CG and lose it in a game that includes the infamous Reggie fumble on a punt he never should have tried to handle.  That's it and we're done.

With the team we fielded in 2006, even with the USC start, to have not even sniffed the NC game the way the rest of the year went until LSU was a damn shame.

[HogFoo]

1962 - If Danny Brabham doesn't fumble at the Texas goal line (or is ruled to have scored before the fumble), 9-1 and the Sugar Bowl becomes 10-0 in the Cotton Bowl against LSU.

1965 - Brittenum doesn't separate his shoulder in the Cotton Bowl.

1969 -- We kick the field goal or we cover Peschel.

1977 -- The Texas refs call the face mask or we tackle Campbell on the screen pass.

1978 -- If we had someone taller than 5' 8" assigned to cover Lawrence Sampleton.

1989 -- Atwater hangs onto the ball and all 8 teams in front of lose.

1998 -- Stoerner misses the foot.

2006 -- We stop the fake punt deep in Florida territory and turn it into a TD.

2010 -- Mallet doesn't throw the interception against Alabama.

this covers most of them. 
I think we had the talent to win again in 99 if we wouldve won in 98

2003 we had the talent.   No coach.
I believe we should have wont in 2006 and if Nuttsack had left Gus alone we'd probably won back to back again in
2007

2011 our losses were to #1 lsu and #2 bama.  We had lsu on the ropes. A couple of bad calls allowed
Lsu to get some momentum and then they ran away with it.  I still think that may have been petrinos best team.

When we go back and look at how many times we've had teams good enough to win a NC.  And just had a bit of bad luck.  It's amazing.

The one that sticks out the most to me though.  Has to be 2006 tho.  That team had offense and defense!  But, nuttsack cost us that year when his ego kept getting bigger with every win.  He was on the hotseat.  He had to hire Gus reluctantly to get the springdale kids.  We went on a run, and even with a limited playcall list that Nuttsack had to OK, Gus was able to make things happen.  But, there is 2 things that bappened that year that killed us.  People always only remember the reggie fish punt against UF in the championship game.  But that is not what cost us.  What cost us, happened way back in the south Carolina game.  Nutt didnt have a punt returner.  So, he just wanted someone who could catch.  This, ultimately was one of 2 plays that cost us dearly the chance to play for a title.   We put Hillis out to catch punts.  Hillis didnt like wearing thigh pads and takes a helmet right on the thighbone, develops a calcium deposit and is out the rest of the year.  Hence the reason why reggie fish has the drop in the UF game.  Play #2. In the same S.carolina game.  At halftime , Spurrier made a QB change and went to a freshman qb that passed all over us.  We made a play at the end of the game. A deflection by our safety.  Cant think of the kids name.  But, he also was a track guy on john McDonnells
4x100 relay team.  Very fast kid.  Well this kid deflects the ball in the endzone to preserve our victory over S.carolina,  but in the process he tears his ACL in the endzone when he lands on the ground.    That play bites us later in the following weeks game against LSU.    We replaced Mustain with Dick.  We lose Hillis , and we lose our world class sprinter safety.    If everyone remembers correctly,  we couldn't pass for dick  in that game. Haha. DMAC runs one back 80. We have the momentum, then we kick to trindon holiday, who is a world class sprinter.  On our kick coverage, the safety we had , with worle class speed is replaced by a slow azz freshman LB.  I still remember the play, he had an angle on holiday, but holiday  just burned right by him.  Had our safety not got hurt, he would have had the speed to catch holiday with the angle.   Of course then Dick was QB , we couldnt pass by the time we got to the lsu game. We lose.  We face UF.  We had them on the ropes.  Since we lost Hillis as punt returner, we put Fish in and the infamous bad luck streak continued.    But , losing hillis, and the safety, cost us the NC, and probably again in 2007.  Had Nutt just left everyone alone to do their job.  Mustain would have stayed.  Damian Williams would have stayed.  We had all our RBs , most of our Offense, and defense.  We probably repeat.  And of course the recruiting that would have came with all that would have probably made us a perennial power. But, nuttsack happened.  And bad luck.  And here we are today.

Oh well, maybe we can have something erotic happen again in the next year or two. Haha

[ZERO]

We were raped by USC at home.  Lost to LSU.  and even Wisky.  We weren't close in 2006.  Nice season, though.

This. We could have beaten LSU and Florida, but I think Ohio State would have beaten us in the NC. We just weren't going to get it done with Nutt.

[Peter Porker]

Until our genius head coach FUBAR'ed it all

Yep. Every bad play called on offense Nutt called and every successful play was Malzahn.... Malzahn used quite a bit of QB under-the-center offensive plays in 2006. A clear indication it was his offense that we were running....

The games we won were clearly Malzahn called games ... when we lost Nutt took over... every play, every game.

[tampahog]

1962 - If Danny Brabham doesn't fumble at the Texas goal line (or is ruled to have scored before the fumble), 9-1 and the Sugar Bowl becomes 10-0 in the Cotton Bowl against LSU.

1965 - Brittenum doesn't separate his shoulder in the Cotton Bowl.

1969 -- We kick the field goal or we cover Peschel.

1977 -- The Texas refs call the face mask or we tackle Campbell on the screen pass.

1978 -- If we had someone taller than 5' 8" assigned to cover Lawrence Sampleton.

1989 -- Atwater hangs onto the ball and all 8 teams in front of lose.

1998 -- Stoerner misses the foot.

2006 -- We stop the fake punt deep in Florida territory and turn it into a TD.

2010 -- Mallet doesn't throw the interception against Alabama.

2010 is the year that was setup well for us.  Everyone remembers the home loss to Bama where we were up 20-7 early in the fourth but that doesn't matter.  Auburn was the team that went undefeated that year and we were also leading that game early in the fourth until our defense wore down and Tyler threw a couple of costly picks.  Had we held on to win that game, we would have played USCe in the SEC title game (a team we had already crushed earlier in the year at their place) and we would have played a very beatable Oregon team in the title game.  In other words, we were one quarter away from a very legitimate shot at the title.  Even though Tyler was dynamite for 2 quarters during that game, I still wonder what would have happened had Mallet not went down. 

[Dr. Starcs]

Or if the ncaa would have had the balls to put scam newtons butt on the bench that season.

[lahawg1]

A better head coach, even a decent head coach, could have made a title run with that team.  That year may have been Gus's best performance as an offensive coach.

2010 is the year that could have been.  Petrino's playcalling came up short in the Bama game, as did Mallett's attempt to throw the ball out of bounds.    Auburn was taken from us......seriously let's don't get started on that one again, lest I hate-murder a small helpless animal. If Joe Adams can catch a cold while he's wide open, we may have had the Sugar Bowl.  Still though, 2009-2011 were great years as a fan.

Yeah that first play from scrimmage sorta set the tone for the first half. Bequette had his man beat almost every play except for the raping he took, numerous times he was hooked around the neck and nothing was ever called. I was there and had a very good view.

[bphi11ips]

1962 - If Danny Brabham doesn't fumble at the Texas goal line (or is ruled to have scored before the fumble), 9-1 and the Sugar Bowl becomes 10-0 in the Cotton Bowl against LSU.

1965 - Brittenum doesn't separate his shoulder in the Cotton Bowl.

1969 -- We kick the field goal or we cover Peschel.

1977 -- The Texas refs call the face mask or we tackle Campbell on the screen pass.

1978 -- If we had someone taller than 5' 8" assigned to cover Lawrence Sampleton.

1989 -- Atwater hangs onto the ball and all 8 teams in front of lose.

1998 -- Stoerner misses the foot.

2006 -- We stop the fake punt deep in Florida territory and turn it into a TD.

2010 -- Mallet doesn't throw the interception against Alabama.

Man knows his Hogs.

[hogcard1964]

Good Lord, we had McFadden, Jones and Hillis on the same team and we couldn't win 9 games.  There zero reason that team was not playing for the NC.

[hogsanity]

2006 Reggie Fish

Already had 2 losses, they were not going to NC game even if they beat FLa.

[hogsanity]

Good Lord, we had McFadden, Jones and Hillis on the same team and we couldn't win 9 games.  There zero reason that team was not playing for the NC.

well, except the defense gave up a ton of points to USC, LSu and FLA.

[arkmark]

Good Lord, we had McFadden, Jones and Hillis on the same team and we couldn't win 9 games.  There zero reason that team was not playing for the NC.

This and throw in in 2006 Monk having his best year with 50 balls caught for 962 and a school record 11 passes for TDs.   

What a waste of talent.

[hogsanity]

None since maybe 78 because they have not had a championship calibre defense.

[26.2Hog]

1962 - If Danny Brabham doesn't fumble at the Texas goal line (or is ruled to have scored before the fumble), 9-1 and the Sugar Bowl becomes 10-0 in the Cotton Bowl against LSU.

1965 - Brittenum doesn't separate his shoulder in the Cotton Bowl.

1969 -- We kick the field goal or we cover Peschel.

1977 -- The Texas refs call the face mask or we tackle Campbell on the screen pass.

1978 -- If we had someone taller than 5' 8" assigned to cover Lawrence Sampleton.

1989 -- Atwater hangs onto the ball and all 8 teams in front of lose.

1998 -- Stoerner misses the foot.

2006 -- We stop the fake punt deep in Florida territory and turn it into a TD.

2010 -- Mallet doesn't throw the interception against Alabama.

Comprehensive, direct, on the money.

Re 1969, I might add that no flag was thrown when Boshetti was blatantly clipped on Street's run for TD.

[choppedporkextrasauce]

Good Lord, we had McFadden, Jones and Hillis on the same team and we couldn't win 9 games.  There zero reason that team was not playing for the NC.

they won 10 games.

[Hardcore Hoggy]

May not have cost us a spot in the title game, but the punt off Fish's head was the most agonizing "we were this close" I've ever felt as a Hog fan.

I was so mad at the time, I was rooting for him to be kicked off the team and told to find his own way home.

[choppedporkextrasauce]

This and throw in in 2006 Monk traitor having his best year with 50 balls caught for 962 and a school record 11 passes for TDs.   

What a waste of talent.

Fixed it for you.

[DeltaBoy]

Comprehensive, direct, on the money.

Re 1969, I might add that no flag was thrown when Boshetti was blatantly clipped on Street's run for TD.

There were so many no calls against Texas in 1969 that it was criminal.

[hogsanity]

they won 10 games.

Dont let facts get in the way of a good " it's dead around here lets drag up HDn again " thread.

[atekido]

We were raped by USC at home.  Lost to LSU.  and even Wisky.  We weren't close in 2006.  Nice season, though.

Everyone knows what did happen...  Fact is that Arkansas team that played USC was not the same team after that point and yes Arkansas was poised to make it back into the big game if it had kept the momentum going.  Arkansas should have beat LSU and should have Beat Florida.  If that had happened Arkansas would have been in the title game which is the point to this thread.  We barely lost to LSU and Florida. The USC loss was irrelevant at that point which is why its best to lose early in a season vs late.

[woodhog14]

1962 - If Danny Brabham doesn't fumble at the Texas goal line (or is ruled to have scored before the fumble), 9-1 and the Sugar Bowl becomes 10-0 in the Cotton Bowl against LSU.

1965 - Brittenum doesn't separate his shoulder in the Cotton Bowl.

1969 -- We kick the field goal or we cover Peschel.

1977 -- The Texas refs call the face mask or we tackle Campbell on the screen pass.

1978 -- If we had someone taller than 5' 8" assigned to cover Lawrence Sampleton.

1989 -- Atwater hangs onto the ball and all 8 teams in front of lose.

1998 -- Stoerner misses the foot.

2006 -- We stop the fake punt deep in Florida territory and turn it into a TD.

2010 -- Mallet doesn't throw the interception against Alabama.

2006 Reggie Fish

No, no, no, no...in 2006, we should not have won the National Championship. Even if we would have beaten Florida, the Sugar Bowl was where we would have gone as the SEC Champion. We were not and would not have been ranked high enough in the BCS poll to finish in the top 2 to play for the National Championship.

[woodhog14]

A better head coach, even a decent head coach, could have made a title run with that team.  That year may have been Gus's best performance as an offensive coach.

2010 is the year that could have been.  Petrino's playcalling came up short in the Bama game, as did Mallett's attempt to throw the ball out of bounds.    Auburn was taken from us......seriously let's don't get started on that one again, lest I hate-murder a small helpless animal.  If Joe Adams can catch a cold while he's wide open, we may have had the Sugar Bowl.  Still though, 2009-2011 were great years as a fan.

No kidding!! I don't think Mallett could have walked the 40 yards and handed the ball to Joe on that opening play better than he threw it. That was an absolute perfectly thrown football in stride.