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

[SemperHawg]

Even though there was no defining moment of cost, the 2003 felt like one of the biggest talent wastes of Nutt's tenure.  That team had stud playmakers all over the field on both sides of the ball.

Just a few of the names on that squad... Batman Carrol, Cedric Cobbs, Decori Birmingham, George Wilson, Jason Peters, Shawn Andrews, Lawrence Richardson, Mark Pierce, Matt Jones, Sam Olajabutu, Tony Ugoh, Tony Bua, Caleb Miller.

[Hardcore Hoggy]

Even though there was no defining moment of cost, the 2003 felt like one of the biggest talent wastes of Nutt's tenure.  That team had stud playmakers all over the field on both sides of the ball.

Just a few of the names on that squad... Batman Carrol, Cedric Cobbs, Decori Birmingham, George Wilson, Jason Peters, Shawn Andrews, Lawrence Richardson, Mark Pierce, Matt Jones, Sam Olajabutu,Tony Ugoh, Tony Bua, Caleb Miller.

Biggest implosion of Nutt's tenure IMO was the 3 game losing streak in 2003.

[DeltaBoy]

77 and 2006.

[Buff]

I forgot about how stacked we were in 2003.  Knew several people that permanently gave up on Nutt because of that season. 

[Biggus Piggus]

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

1977. For certain.

1965. For certain.

1969. For certain.

1975. No doubt.

[LZH]

Biggest implosion of Nutt's tenure IMO was the 3 game losing streak in 2003.

Mr. 0-for-October.....

[RazorBassin]

Going with 1998 and 2006, shoulda...coulda...didn't

[Biggus Piggus]

Ken Hatfield was not far from back-to-back 11-0 regular seasons in 1988-89. The '88 team lost at Miami by 2 points. The '89 team had one of Hatfield's dunderhead playcalling games at Fayetteville (he often choked up at home for some reason) against a bad Texas team - that one really should have been 11-0.

Neither had a prayer of winning a national title, though. They weren't good enough to beat a strong opponent in a bowl game. The SWC was weeeeak by then.

Hatfield's team that might have had a chance was the 1985 group. That was Hatfield's best defense -- gave up 146 points in 12 games. Lost two games -- 15-13 to Texas at Fayetteville (the beginning of his problems with over-conservatism at home), 10-6 at Texas A&M (offense couldn't do jack). Two very close defeats. A little more diversification on offense would have made the '85 Razorbacks an undefeated SWC champion. And they had the defense to slow down anybody.

[alohawg]

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

[greghog]

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

Haven't read the thread, but I doubt I am adding anything:

1965
1969
1977 (facemask call away!)
1978 (team under performed, probably was the best team that year)
1979 Very good team, would have taken several things being different, but it was possible
1982 (probably wishful thinking, would have taken a lot of things being different, not just the SMU call)
1989 (but not sure we get there even if we go undefeated)
1998 will be listed by many, but even if we beat UT, not sure we win the NC game, but I think we play in it!
2007 Record doesn't look like we should have been in it, but 3 NFL running backs?  Really?
2011 LSU game was a "semifinal" beat them, get a shot at Bama for the title.  Don't really think we beat Bama, but man, wish we had gotten the chance to try!

[hogcard1964]

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

Adams later dropped a ball near the back of the end zone.  He cost us that game.

[Bacons Rebellion]

Add 1966.

We don't snap the ball over our pooch kicker's head, Martine Bercher kicks it out of bounds inside the Baylor 10, they punt it back and we score and win 7-0. Notre Dame and Michigan play to a 10-10 tie. There's no car accident on the way to Lubbock, so we beat Texas Tech and go the the Cotton Bowl against Georgia and end undefeated and, er, lose on votes to Alabama. Wait, Alabama missed their field goal and lost to Tennessee 10-8 instead of winning 11-10. Dang, that means Alabama would have gone to the Cotton Bowl. Ken Stabler would have beaten us, I do believe, so Ole Miss has to score a late TD and beat Georgia 10-9 instead of losing 9-3. This alternate history stuff gets complicated.

[Hogarusa]

None in my lifetime, unless you count getting demolished by LSU as a top 5 team in the season finale a could have.  I wouldnt

[Ray Piggers]

None in my lifetime, unless you count getting demolished by LSU as a top 5 team in the season finale a could have.  I wouldnt

So, you're... 3 years old?

[urkillnmesmalls]

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.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one who remembers distinctly hearing Petrino in one of the pre-game talks, making it a point to say that the plan was to get to Pryor early and rattle him.  We went gangbusters trying to do that, and it failed MISERABLY, because there was no contain.  We spotted them 21 points in the first half.  Even with that, late in the game they absolutely COULD NOT stop our running game, but for whatever reason Petrino decided to pass. 

If we start that game playing defense like we played in the second half, containing Pryor and limiting the big plays, we would have won that game.  I'm convinced of it...no scoop and score needed. 

[rzrbackramsfan]

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

Yea also if Dennis Johnson wouldn't have been injured that year!

[Tejano Jawg]

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.

Good list. A few things to think about on the Miami game. One, that was the last regular season game, unlike Stoerner/Tennessee, all the Texas games, etc. We had no more chances to lose, until the bowls.

We would have just beaten the No. 3 team, moving us up 2 or 3 spots in the polls. The question would be who's our new opponent in the Cotton Bowl? It wouldn't have been UCLA. Would undefeated Notre Dame have chosen to play undefeated Arkansas over undefeated West Virginia? If so, would we have matched up better? (Because the UCLA matchup was awful.)

Or, would Florida State have come to the Cotton Bowl? (They were ranked in the top 4, and back then were independent.) But really, the hypothetical would have to see us play the Irish for a chance at the prize.

[PonderinHog]

Maybe we are relevant after all.  Just damn unlucky.  Someday the stars will align again, Hog fans.  :razorback:

[choppedporkextrasauce]

Ken Hatfield was not far from back-to-back 11-0 regular seasons in 1988-89. The '88 team lost at Miami by 2 points. The '89 team had one of Hatfield's dunderhead playcalling games at Fayetteville (he often choked up at home for some reason) against a bad Texas team - that one really should have been 11-0.

Neither had a prayer of winning a national title, though. They weren't good enough to beat a strong opponent in a bowl game. The SWC was weeeeak by then.

Hatfield's team that might have had a chance was the 1985 group. That was Hatfield's best defense -- gave up 146 points in 12 games. Lost two games -- 15-13 to Texas at Fayetteville (the beginning of his problems with over-conservatism at home), 10-6 at Texas A&M (offense couldn't do jack). Two very close defeats. A little more diversification on offense would have made the '85 Razorbacks an undefeated SWC champion. And they had the defense to slow down anybody.

The Hogs were good enough in '89. They uncharacteristically turned the ball over against Tennessee something they did very infrequently during the regular season. Even then they left it all on the field. Of course to many here not winning the National title makes our seasons success irrelevant.

[Hogarusa]

So, you're... 3 years old?

Pretty confident the Hogs shouldnt have won a title under the reigns of John L Smith.  I'm 4

[hoghevn]

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.

These and two years Nutt had enough talent, but obviously the coaching wasn't there.

[Hardcore Hoggy]

These and two years Nutt had enough talent, but obviously the coaching wasn't there.

Nutt never had enough talent to win a national title at Arkansas. Mostly due to his repeated bungling of the QB position.

[Tejano Jawg]

Nutt never had enough talent to win a national title at Arkansas. Mostly due to his repeated bungling of the QB position.

I really hate to agree with this, but I agree with this. Mostly. In Nutt's time, we DID have phenomenal talent all over the field (including on D). And on O, a couple of the best players in recent history. But yes, he just couldn't develop a quarterback and make that position an asset. No disrespect to Robert Johnson, Mitch Mustain and Casey Dick. Nutt didn't know how to keep a weakness from being exposed.

[Hardcore Hoggy]

I really hate to agree with this, but I agree with this. Mostly. In Nutt's time, we DID have phenomenal talent all over the field (including on D). And on O, a couple of the best players in recent history. But yes, he just couldn't develop a quarterback and make that position an asset. No disrespect to Robert Johnson, Mitch Mustain and Casey Dick. Nutt didn't know how to keep a weakness from being exposed.

No he didn't. Even when he had a guy with phenomenal talent at the position, everyone in the stadi knew that MJ wasn't a true threat with his arm.

[WizardofhOgZ]

1977. For certain.

1965. For certain.

1969. For certain.

1975. No doubt.

I agree with the first 3.  In 1975, however, in addition to the game we fumbled away against Texas, everyone seems to forget that we also lost to a 7-4 Oklahoma State team.  That was a team that had the ability to win a Championship if everything had bounced just right.  But they were not a team you can say SHOULD have won.  The 1965, 77 and 69 teams were all a bad call/unfortunate injury away from being consensus Champions.  For sure.

As mentioned by someone else previously, the 1962 team was much like the 1969 team in that they lost a hard luck game to Texas that - had they won - they would have hosted someone int he Cotton Bowl and had a chance.  However, USC finished 11-0 and was locked into the Rose Bowl, so likely would have been voted ahead of Arkansas even if we finished undefeated, unlike the seasons above (the way they played out).

[oldbooniehog]

1969. Cover on 4th down and Hogs win the title.

Since then, the correct answer is no Hog teams should have won it all.

None. Not one time.

The fact that this thread actually exists proves that not one single team since 1969 "should" have won it all.

That loss at home in 1969 marked Hog football forever

Since that failed stop vs Texas on 4th down, all Hog fans have always waited for the proverbial wheels to fall off. And they always do. Every single time.

We will continue to "wait until next year" and talk about would have, could have, should have, possibly forever. Until maybe one time that "next year" actually arrives.

I don't hold out much hope of seeing it, however.

[Ray Piggers]

Pretty confident the Hogs shouldnt have won a title under the reigns of John L Smith.  I'm 4

Ha! You just missed a few pretty good years!

[redleg]

Football -
1909, 1965 (should not have lost to LSU), 1969, 1977, 1979 (should have beaten Houston, would have beaten Notre Dame in Cotton Bowl), 1985 (lost to Texas and Texas A&M by a combined 6 points), and 1989 (should not have lost to Texas or Tennessee).

Basketball -
1978, 1979 (got ripped off vs Indy St and Larry Bird), 1991 (should have beaten Kansas, probably would have beaten Duke), 1995 (got ripped off vs UCLA).

Baseball -
1979, 1985, 2012.
:razorback:

[Snizzzo]

I'm seeing 2010, but 2011 has only been mentioned a couple of times.  We were #3 in the country going into the last game of the season(against 2), and were playing good ball.  There was a tragedy that week, and the team that showed up in Baton Rouge was not the same team leading up to that game.  That team had 18 players on the 2deep MAKE an active NFL roster.  Most of those 18 started or played significant roles.