Reality

[moto625]

Stay positive, this opens up room for CCM guys.

[AirWarren]

Amazing all the touchy responses a thread gets just from pointing out this will be a bad recruiting cycle.  Call me stupid, call me a drama queen, call me any name.  Offer any excuses or explanations you want.  Give him time.  Ok  It's going to be a tough cycle.  Not one of you actually argued with that basic fact.

That is correct. Going to be a rough cycle. We already knew this when Bielema was behind the wheel.

[Kevin]

can a new topic be start called whiners, moaners, and complainers. good grief.

do you guys not understand, he did not know any of these players before 9 days ago.

[Wooderson]

Basically in hiring Bielema, Long tried to put a square peg in a round hole.

He never should have fired Petrino.

[Bubba's Bruisers]

Stay positive, this opens up room for CCM guys.

Probably very slim pickings at this point.  This class will be poor quality and quantity.  2019 can't get here soon enough.

[hawgtime]

The good news here is, maybe he'll be a helluva lot better recruiter than Bret was in his following years after his big splash first class after taking the job, because Bret's followup classses were LOUSY.

true.  i am dissapointed in the timing of the head coaching hire, the delay in the DC and the fact that THIS year the early period doesn't help us.  I do believe we will have players that WANT to come to play this type of ball.  this years class might be a little weak.  I am still excited and want CCM to flip some great players!

[Tony Perkis]

I think he deserves about a B- so far. Not too shabby, but could be better.

[SPAL]

I truly believe some of you were potty trained at gun point.

[Razorbackers]

The good news here is, maybe he'll be a helluva lot better recruiter than Bret was in his following years after his big splash first class after taking the job, because Bret's followup classses were LOUSY.

It really is crazy how good Bret's first class turned out to be for him, and how not good the rest were. Even though they were all ranked, more or less, the same.

[Pig in the Pokey]

Recruiting is off to a terrible start under CCM. All the news is about losing commits or instate kids signing elsewhere in the early period. Besides paying for a few reaches to visit the hill on the university's dime and flipping some low three stars from SMU, there has been no good news.

I hope CCM succeeds and expect he might have a better class next year but the reality is this year's class will probably be the worst of the century.

this is the worst post ive seen in a long time

[Pig in the Pokey]

true.  i am dissapointed in the timing of the head coaching hire, the delay in the DC and the fact that THIS year the early period doesn't help us.  I do believe we will have players that WANT to come to play this type of ball.  this years class might be a little weak.  I am still excited and want CCM to flip some great players!

this years class was always going to be weak.

[Atlhogfan1]

Amazing all the touchy responses a thread gets just from pointing out this will be a bad recruiting cycle.  Call me stupid, call me a drama queen, call me any name.  Offer any excuses or explanations you want.  Give him time.  Ok  It's going to be a tough cycle.  Not one of you actually argued with that basic fact.

Your lead sentence was a bit harsh.  Lots of truth in your post but most are still in the euphoric new hire stage and clinging to optimism.  Ranking-wise, this will be our worst class probably since rankings started.  May not be even be close.  But hopefully we'll get a lot of help out of it. 

[Vantage 8 dude]

That is worthy of a firing.

So ole brilliant one do your now suggest that CCM be fired for a SCHOOL decision or would you advocate the entire Athletic Dept be canned for this??? Truly the more you open your mouth the more you really ought not to.

[Vantage 8 dude]

I didn't expect much. There's plenty of excuses. At the end of the day thought this class won't be very good. That's reality

Well as you admit you don't expect much then you really shouldn't have any issue with it should you? I mean you either have an problem or you don't. Either way you're talking out on both sides of your mouth as well as your nether region. Then again, why should that be surprising?

[Wooderson]

So ole brilliant one do your now suggest that CCM be fired for a SCHOOL decision or would you advocate the entire Athletic Dept be canned for this??? Truly the more you open your mouth the more you really ought not to.

Whoever made that decision should be. Do you think it was a good decision? 

[HawgTide]

It is not going well.  I guess he will have a little over a month to salvage it.  I do not think he will be able to do what Bret did his first recruiting class.

CBB's best class was his first. He peaked early

Look how much that helped him

[Vantage 8 dude]

He never should have fired Petrino.

Well feel free to blame CCM for that as well. Heck, while you're at it and for convenience sake let's also hang the California fires, North Korean situation, public discord, and everything else's that's wrong on him as well. Makes about as much sense.

[Wooderson]

Well feel free to blame CCM for that as well. Heck, while you're at it and for convenience sake let's also hang the California fires, North Korean situation, public discord, and everything else's that's wrong on him as well. Makes about as much sense.

That seems a little harsh...I don't know if he's been to North Korea and I know he's not going to California with his recruiting strategy.

[Vantage 8 dude]

Whoever made that decision should be. Do you think it was a good decision?

I'm not the one who made the idiotic statement. However, I suspect that even HAD Lunney been allowed to get on the road earlier it likely would NOT have mattered to any potential early signees. Then again, why don't you contact the PTB that they immediately look into the matter Oh yeah, good luck on THAT.

[Vantage 8 dude]

That seems a little harsh...I don't know if he's been to North Korea and I know he's not going to California with his recruiting strategy.

Nah, not too harsh for you. I mean look at everything else that you want to hang on him.

[redeye]

I'm not sure what those who are complaining expected?  This is what usually happens during coaching changes.  Arkansas got lucky for the last 2, because we had deep classes and Bielema was able to get Collins here.

[4me2know]

Recruiting is off to a terrible start under CCM. All the news is about losing commits or instate kids signing elsewhere in the early period. Besides paying for a few reaches to visit the hill on the university's dime and flipping some low three stars from SMU, there has been no good news.

I hope CCM succeeds and expect he might have a better class next year but the reality is this year's class will probably be the worst of the century.

[Uncle Remus]

As far as the OP saying that this is a "bad recruiting cycle" and saying this is reality...it's not over yet.  We have the early signing period that started today, but this is not all finished up until February.  We may flip someone, land an undecided shocker, or we may totally flame out...it is yet to be determined.  Did it seem flies were dropping yesterday...yes.  It's not over yet...can't say it's a bad cycle.  All I was saying is that if you are going to call this a bad "cycle", look at where the cycle began.  The new coaching staff came in at the tale end of the time before the early signing period and worked their arse off to try and land some of these guys.  Even the dad of that kid who shall remain nameless from that place in Northeast Arkansas said that CCM pushed hard for his kid and did a good job with the time given.  If this does turn out to be a bad cycle...let our new coach have a full cycle to work with before throwing shade on him for the results this year.

[Tusks]

Well it's not fun losing two former commits to Okie Lite, another former commit to Baylor and then a new decision to Baylor.  Not the best company to be in.

They've pulled one from MSU, a couple from SMU and maybe one from N.C. so all in all about a wash so far.

[hogmolar]

So let me write this out so it makes sense to me

We lost

Flanagan
RB from Texas


We gained

Bishop
Ferrell
Fulwider (From what everyone seems to be saying)
Robinson

We never had and still don't have since the previous staff left
Bohanon
Hanspard

I like to see this written out so we can actually look through it.  Feel free to add if I have missed some. 

[nwahogfan1]

Recruiting is off to a terrible start under CCM. All the news is about losing commits or instate kids signing elsewhere in the early period. Besides paying for a few reaches to visit the hill on the university's dime and flipping some low three stars from SMU, there has been no good news.

I hope CCM succeeds and expect he might have a better class next year but the reality is this year's class will probably be the worst of the century.

Bacon if you think we are going to have top 15 classes then you better find another team because its not happening here at Arkansas.  When a recruit verbals to Arkansas his rankings many times goes down where when a kid verbals to Bama his rankings goes up.  Our coaches have to find under developed players who are under the radar and who fits what they are trying to do.  So it is disappointing to not have those high ranking classes so we have to trust our coaches to finding kids who can be developed into 4\5 stars.

[Craig O Squeal]

Basically in hiring Bielema, Long tried to put a square peg in a round hole.

Nothing about Bielema, especially in the later years, suggests square. He was fully round.

[WOOPIGDOOIE]

So let me write this out so it makes sense to me

We lost

Flanagan
RB from Texas


We gained

Bishop
Ferrell
Fulwider (From what everyone seems to be saying)
Robinson


We never had and still don't have since the previous staff left
Bohanon
Hanspard

I like to see this written out so we can actually look through it.  Feel free to add if I have missed some.

We added Mike woods as well

[The Kig]

He never should have fired Petrino.

Wrong, wrong, wrong... old news regardless, but he absolutely deserved to be fired.  He was a turd... don't care that he was nailing the engaged volleyball coach.  Do care that he appropriated state funds to hire a ho and then lied to his boss thinking he was above the rules.   

[Al Boarland]

Realistically CCM was never going to come here and recruit at a high level.  What you have to worry about is that small window of time a new coach has to build recruiting momentum.  This class is what it is.  CCM will have to build momentum next season.  We will know what his tenure is going to be like after the 2018 season and 2019 recruiting cycle.  If there is no recruiting momentum next cycle results going forward with be mediocre.

[Dirty]

Nah, not too harsh for you. I mean look at everything else that you want to hang on him.

You forgot the L.A. Riots!

[redhogchilipepper]

Recruiting is off to a terrible start under CCM. All the news is about losing commits or instate kids signing elsewhere in the early period. Besides paying for a few reaches to visit the hill on the university's dime and flipping some low three stars from SMU, there has been no good news.

I hope CCM succeeds and expect he might have a better class next year but the reality is this year's class will probably be the worst of the century.

CM has had to cram a lot into small box since he was hired. Run by the dumpster fire and hit it quickly with Red Bull back wash. Next grab his and  BB's recruiting files scan for errors and hit the road. Next he plays phone tag with possible defensive coordinators and other possible staff members. Just when most of us would take a break CM has to do the press interviews we need so as to not lose our Shite not knowing what's going on. Stop after stop he's put it 16 hours or more. That leaves him with a couple of hours with his family if he's lucky. Oh then he has a team to keep an eye on as well. I'm sure I missed a whole lot of what he does daily and I'm happy with the results so far. It will get better ever day until spring arrives. Then we find out what we have.

[Vantage 8 dude]

That's up to you.  I promise it won't change a thing I say.

Very true. Stupidity rarely changes the tone or words of anyone.

[Vantage 8 dude]

Realistically CCM was never going to come here and recruit at a high level.  What you have to worry about is that small window of time a new coach has to build recruiting momentum.  This class is what it is.  CCM will have to build momentum next season.  We will know what his tenure is going to be like after the 2018 season and 2019 recruiting cycle.  If there is no recruiting momentum next cycle results going forward with be mediocre.

I'll withhold any and all recruiting judgement based on the 2019 class. A full year under CCM's belt both on the field (along with the staff of course) as well as the recruiting trail. That will be a far more fair/accurate assessment.

[Wooderson]

Very true. Stupidity rarely changes the tone or words of anyone.

That makes no sense. Are you 16?  Have I gotten you to throw or break anything yet?  If not, let me know. Bet I can make it happen.

[Hawgphat]

He never should have fired Petrino.

Highly incorrect..  Many Hogs fans do not at all agree with you; and I'm one of them.  I'm glad he's gone, and I do not want him brought back.

[jabberjawls]

can a new topic be start called whiners, moaners, and complainers. good grief.

do you guys not understand, he did not know any of these players before 9 days ago.

I love the way people keep spinning this whole mess.

[goodguytex]

Highly incorrect..  Many Hogs fans do not at all agree with you; and I'm one of them.  I'm glad he's gone, and I do not want him brought back.

Longs big mistake was in hiring a new HC with a completely different coaching philosophy from the one that had gotten the program to the next level... And we had gotten there under Petrino.

Now I don't know if a well established, successful spread coach in the philosophical mold of Petrino was available at the time. They tried to get Peterson, who was at Boise at the time. Maybe he should've tried for Gundy harder, I don't know. But bielema coming in and forcing such a massive change to try to copy Wisconsin just didn't work.

Anyway that's all water under the bridge and we need to move on forever here.

[Atlhogfan1]

Longs big mistake was in hiring a new HC with a completely different coaching philosophy from the one that had gotten the program to the next level... And we had gotten there under Petrino.

Now I don't know if a well established, successful spread coach in the philosophical mold of Petrino was available at the time. They tried to get Peterson, who was at Boise at the time. Maybe he should've tried for Gundy harder, I don't know. But bielema coming in and forcing such a massive change to try to copy Wisconsin just didn't work.

Anyway that's all water under the bridge and we need to move on forever here.

Petrino much closer to Bielema than Gundy. 

Long hired a pro style offense coach to replace a pro style offense coach who loved big RBs, had our qb under center some and used a FB and TEs. 

Now we are going away from both. 

[goodguytex]

Petrino much closer to Bielema than Gundy. 

Long hired a pro style offense coach to replace a pro style offense coach who loved big RBs, had our qb under center some and used a FB and TEs. 

Now we are going away from both.

Petrino still used the spread as an offense though.

Bielema wanted to utilize more of a clock control, run first, shove it down your throat kind of offense. Petrino loved big chunk plays real quick by strong armed QBs like Mallett, Wilson. Four receiver sets. Placed high priority on skill players in special teams. Big differences between a bielema and Petrino offense.  I don't know if going where Morris is going with our offense is going to be a good thing or not. We will see.

[Wooderson]

Petrino still used the spread as an offense though.

Bielema wanted to utilize more of a clock control, run first, shove it down your throat kind of offense. Petrino loved big chunk plays real quick by strong armed QBs like Mallett, Wilson. Four receiver sets. Placed high priority on skill players in special teams. Big differences between a bielema and Petrino offense.  I don't know if going where Morris is going with our offense is going to be a good thing or not. We will see.

Yes, Petrino referred to it as the power spread.  Differing philosophy than Bret.

[DeltaBoy]

Good Lard he been on the Job 2 weeks.