The Hogs are alone

[hawginbigd1]

After LSU hires a new coach who will most assuredly bring some spread, tempo elements to the Tigers, and after Lane Kiffin's reinvention of Bama's offense and Jalen Hurts emergence as a dual threat, the Hogs are the only pure pro-style hard-nosed running team left in the SEC-W.  Good or bad?

Neither, it doesn't matter what anybody else is doing, it is about what you do. You do you better than they do them you win, if not you lose. However you can't have spread personnel and run pro effectively and the reverse IMO.

[5HOG5]

Re:Robb Smith acts like a lot of that can be fixed.  I sure hope so.

Suppose to have the team up and going already, do we have to wait until the end of the season to see some improvement in the OL line team to open up a hole for the backs as always? I think we would have won the game against A&M in the passing attack they couldn't stop AA or the R-Core, the OL was doing good pass blocking. Heck if that works why not switch it up? I dont care how good A&M was as a team and there 5 Star recruits they had weaknesses also. They couldnt stop Hatcher or Sprinkle and that was the key the coaching staff should have exposed and attacked instead of this running crap especially on the goaline.

[elksnort]

An offense's job is to create space and gain a one man advantage at the point of attack.  The spread is an effective means of doing that.  So was the wishbone and the veer.  So is play action.  The defense's job is to gain a one man advantage at the point of attack.  On Saturday, A&M's defense outnumbered Arkansas at the point of attack most of the game.  At times, bad defensive alignments by Arkansas gave the Aggies a multiple player advantage.  Credit A&M's game plan and recognition by the QB on key reads.  That, in addition to turnovers, is why we lost.

Seven on seven and an increasing reluctance to tackle to the ground in practice is changing the game, and probably for good.  I don't like it, but maybe it's for the best.  I still think Bielema's philosophy will work.  Being a contrarian is one way to success, not only in football, but in life.

Good Post.
Who has won a natty with the spread?

[HognitiveDissonance]

Interesting that Wally Hall wrote about Miles's inability to adapt as his downfall. Said he insisted on playing Big 10 football while coaches like Saban were going to the Spread and winning national championships.

Of course, I find Wally amusing reading, so it's funny he would say that and inadvertently be saying the same thing about Bielema. If Miles needs to go to the Spread, then Bielema needs to 'adapt' also. Also, I know Bama has run some different stuff under Kiffin, but they are still a power team for the most part, and were winning championships prior to Lane Kiffin and his offense, so as usual, Wally is offbase.

[GoHogs1091]

After LSU hires a new coach who will most assuredly bring some spread, tempo elements to the Tigers, and after Lane Kiffin's reinvention of Bama's offense and Jalen Hurts emergence as a dual threat, the Hogs are the only pure pro-style hard-nosed running team left in the SEC-W.  Good or bad?

Alabama is still for the most part a pro-style physical Offense.  Kiffin has added some things such as a jet sweep and other outside perimeter plays (like a quick flare-out pass to a WR, similar to what OU uses), but he probably did that in order to take some pressure off of their Offensive Line.  They aren't using a spread formation.

When LSU gets their new Head Coach, they will probably be utilizing a spread Offense.  It will be interesting to see whether or not it will be a physical type of a spread Offense.  There is really only 3 teams in the nation who are using a physical type of a spread Offense, those 3 being Ohio State, Clemson, and Houston.  All of the other spread Offenses are a finesse type of a spread Offense.

Ohio State, Clemson, and Houston spread you out, but they use inside run plays that are physical. 

[Cinco de Hogo]

By hiring a coach who coaches a pro style offense and likes to use big RBs?  Groundbreaking.

Ain't talking about breaking ground I'm talking about curves!!! 

[thefisher]

After LSU hires a new coach who will most assuredly bring some spread, tempo elements to the Tigers, and after Lane Kiffin's reinvention of Bama's offense and Jalen Hurts emergence as a dual threat, the Hogs are the only pure pro-style hard-nosed running team left in the SEC-W.  Good or bad?

Very good for the offense. 

However, with the bulk of our opponents playing spread I think it would be wise to be tweaking our defensive recruiting to smaller/faster backers.  If Bama and LSU do indeed go the way of the spread then they will have few defenders on their rosters with the ability to stop the Hogs style.

Zigging when others zag is a very good thing.

[LZH]

If it were my signature required on that check back a few years ago, I would have hired Gus Malzahn. Look at all the Championships he has won since then...so I was proven right!

I really can't imagine LSU going away from a pro-style offense like we run and like Alabama runs. It would really surprise me to see them go to a true spread offense.

Let me back up a second, they screwed up when they let Miles go in the first place. He is not a dumbass nor is he a bad coach. If they make the wrong call it will take them 5 years to figure this out. Hey, it happens to the best of us.

[12247]

I don't care if our offense runs 60 QB sneaks per game if we win or at the very least, lose pretty.  Losing lame is a disgrace such as how we did against A&M. 

I doubt we will ever come very close to winning the West, much less a conference championship with the scheme we have chosen to operate.  We are not recruiting at a level to excel nor do we operate a scheme that gets our few very good players in space to make their plays.  If you cannot out talent the other team, or out coach the other team, you are screwed.  Welcome to the world of 6 to 8 wins per year.  Our only hope is that most or all the elite SEC teams have bad years in the same year we have a decent team.  It is never just how good your team is, its always associated with how bad your competition is. 

[bphi11ips]

I don't care if our offense runs 60 QB sneaks per game if we win or at the very least, lose pretty.  Losing lame is a disgrace such as how we did against A&M. 

I doubt we will ever come very close to winning the West, much less a conference championship with the scheme we have chosen to operate.  We are not recruiting at a level to excel nor do we operate a scheme that gets our few very good players in space to make their plays.  If you cannot out talent the other team, or out coach the other team, you are screwed.  Welcome to the world of 6 to 8 wins per year.  Our only hope is that most or all the elite SEC teams have bad years in the same year we have a decent team.  It is never just how good your team is, its always associated with how bad your competition is. 

I disagree. 

Arkansas is positioned geographically and culturally to combine the best of both worlds.  Bielema is the first coach at Arkansas to look north with any regularity.  Texas and Arkansas can not support the program the way they once did. 

Play action creates space and always will, especially at the highest level.  See the NFL.  When he took the job at Stanford, Jim Harbaugh called Bo Schembechler and asked for advice.  Schembechler asked "Do you have a tight end and a fullback?"  Football changes, but not much.

Having said this, Bret Bielema wants to win.  He doesn't care how he wins as long as his players go to class, conduct themselves honorably, and get degrees.  Frank Broyles opened up his offense in the late 60's to keep up with the high powered offenses of the day, and the result was The Great Shootout, among others.  Bielema will do the same if he believes it gives him the best shot at winning, provided he has the athletes.

And by the way, Arkansas has won or tied for the West four times in 25 years, so to say it will never happen is overly pessimistic.  We are Arkansas, not Kentucky, or Ole Miss, for that matter.

[ricepig]

So far it hasn't worked very well (CBB is something like 21-21 here) so I wouldn't expect a huge improvement in the near future, so bad.

9 out of the last 11, sounds like an improvement to me.

[Bubba's Bruisers]

We didn't recruit the OL numbers. Guys dont pan out, gwt injured, etc, and it looks like we just banked on hitting the mark on all of them.

Yep.

[bphi11ips]

Two-deep, this may be the best group of linemen we have ever had.  But nothing substitutes for age and experience on the offensive line.  Coaching requires patience.  Fandom does not.

[EastexHawg]

He had to rebuild the offense because he was left with very little at most offensive positions following the 2012 season.  BP's philosophies such as a big back and strong 4th qtr running game should have fit in well with BB.  Where was the qb recruiting needed to run BP's offense?  Had it been done well we would have more than BA in 2013.

Huh?  Petrino left Tyler Wilson and Brandon Allen.  How many outstanding QBs do you expect a coach to leave when he goes?

Had he stayed, he most likely would have recruited and developed more QBs...a la Lamar Jackson.

[colbs]

So you were talking about Smiley's style?  If so, then yes, everyone wanted a change. 

I was saying when the coaching search was going on before BB was hired there were a lot of people that said Arkansas needed to run a different style to win here.  Not necessarily different from the current style at the time but different than other teams in the SEC. 

[colbs]

I don't care if our offense runs 60 QB sneaks per game if we win or at the very least, lose pretty.  Losing lame is a disgrace such as how we did against A&M. 

I doubt we will ever come very close to winning the West, much less a conference championship with the scheme we have chosen to operate.  We are not recruiting at a level to excel nor do we operate a scheme that gets our few very good players in space to make their plays.  If you cannot out talent the other team, or out coach the other team, you are screwed.  Welcome to the world of 6 to 8 wins per year.  Our only hope is that most or all the elite SEC teams have bad years in the same year we have a decent team.  It is never just how good your team is, its always associated with how bad your competition is. 

I guess you missed last season when Arkansas led the league in scoring and had a QB throw for almost 3500 yards.  I swear it's like some people already have their mind made up as far as the offense Arkansas currently runs.  For some reason they think it's this offense that rarly passes and runs 90% of the time.  In all reality it is a pretty balanced attack that has a pretty good passing attack.  Defense is what has held Arkansas back from being in the upper part of the league.

[Atlhogfan1]

Huh?  Petrino left Tyler Wilson and Brandon Allen.  How many outstanding QBs do you expect a coach to leave when he goes?

Had he stayed, he most likely would have recruited and developed more QBs...a la Lamar Jackson.

Huh?  TW was here for Bielema?  I expect more than one two seasons after he was fired. 

[Bacon_Bitz]

I don't care if our offense runs 60 QB sneaks per game if we win or at the very least, lose pretty.  Losing lame is a disgrace such as how we did against A&M. 

I doubt we will ever come very close to winning the West, much less a conference championship with the scheme we have chosen to operate.  We are not recruiting at a level to excel nor do we operate a scheme that gets our few very good players in space to make their plays.  If you cannot out talent the other team, or out coach the other team, you are screwed.  Welcome to the world of 6 to 8 wins per year.  Our only hope is that most or all the elite SEC teams have bad years in the same year we have a decent team.  It is never just how good your team is, its always associated with how bad your competition is.

My fantastic all-numbers Hog-bro, you are right on the money honey!!! THIS IS YEAR FOUR! No More Lame Losses! I think you will enjoy my reasoned insight:

http://www.hogville.net/yabbse/index.php?topic=618133.0

[onebadrubi]

Yes, it was indeed a big leap. CBB's offensive philosophy is almost the exact opposite of Bobby Petrino's offensive philosophy. CBB inherited a whole roster of players that were recruited to run a system totally different than his so he had to completely rebuild the offense.

You couldn't be more wrong. CBP and CBB actually want to run similar offenses. Balance attacks, need 1-2 yards get by running, put a game away in the 4th quarter by running.

[onebadrubi]

Two-deep, this may be the best group of linemen we have ever had.  But nothing substitutes for age and experience on the offensive line.  Coaching requires patience.  Fandom does not.

It is critical to haul a couple top notched guys this class. Some that are expected to fight for playing time as sophomores

[EastexHawg]

Huh?  TW was here for Bielema?  I expect more than one two seasons after he was fired. 

Would Petrino have been allowed to sign more recruiting classes had he stayed, or would he have had to make do with the players he got on or before signing day in 2012 for the rest of his career?

2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.  Four classes have been signed since Petrino's last class in 2012.  Why do you assume he wouldn't have signed and developed more QBs, maybe even better than the ones he previously had?  His current QB is the early favorite for the Heisman.

[NaturalStateReb]

After LSU hires a new coach who will most assuredly bring some spread, tempo elements to the Tigers, and after Lane Kiffin's reinvention of Bama's offense and Jalen Hurts emergence as a dual threat, the Hogs are the only pure pro-style hard-nosed running team left in the SEC-W.  Good or bad?

Any system can win if you've got the personnel.

[code red]

I'll get back to you in about 3 years with an answer.  It will either be proven to stand out and give us an advantage or it will make us seem as current as a polyester leisure suit.

Only time will tell.

3 years? 

[Razorbackers]

When we hired CBP we were ahead of the curve, now we are brhind the curve...but, if we stay the course(which is what we will do) who knew we at the next curve we may take the lead.

We never ran the spread under BP. We had two 1000 rushers while he was here.

In fact, Alabama has had a RB win the heisman under Kiffin. They run a pro style and now they're doing it with a mobile QB, something hard to find.

You people are completely bonkers after 1 loss this season. What's it going to be like here when we drop back to back games against Bama and OM? Jeez.

[MojaveJoe]

I don't hate the spread per se, but I hate the uptempo crap - trying to catch the other team unprepared every play, seems gimmicky to me. I prefer to smash it out.

Put the players you think you need on the field for the play and let it be decided that way.

To be fair it works - I just don't like it. I figure as team get better at dealing with it, the effectiveness will go down too.

oops, wrong thread. Oh well.

[Letsroll1200]

Most of the teams are running the ball out of the spread offense. The offense is just fine. This team struggles in short yardage and red zone situations.
CBB has proven that they can move the ball but most get better in the red zone!!!

[Cinco de Hogo]

We never ran the spread under BP. We had two 1000 rushers while he was here.

In fact, Alabama has had a RB win the heisman under Kiffin. They run a pro style and now they're doing it with a mobile QB, something hard to find.

You people are completely bonkers after 1 loss this season. What's it going to be like here when we drop back to back games against Bama and OM? Jeez.

What the elk are you talking about?  Who is "you people"?  There is s boatload of good conversation on this board today.  Is this what you have to contribute? 

Now, listen real close,

When we hired CBP we put ourselves ahead of the curve for what Arkansas had been doing, I didn't say it was ground breaking anywhere but Arkansas.  Look at Florida under Spurrier, and tell me how many ground breaking team there are today.   Auburn, just cause they are crazy?  More teams are utilizing power spread offenses which is what CBP called his.  There are components of both in his offense.   

Now back to the subject, we are running counter to the current trend, so my comment was that at the next curve we could be ahead meaning ALL the other teams will have to prepare for us.  Now, in the end CBB has to find the horses to run it, and he still has to find the defensive players to stop the power spreads.  That's all there is to it, nothing bonkers about anything but your comments.

[LR54]

I don't care if our offense runs 60 QB sneaks per game if we win or at the very least, lose pretty.  Losing lame is a disgrace such as how we did against A&M. 

I doubt we will ever come very close to winning the West, much less a conference championship with the scheme we have chosen to operate.  We are not recruiting at a level to excel nor do we operate a scheme that gets our few very good players in space to make their plays.  If you cannot out talent the other team, or out coach the other team, you are screwed.  Welcome to the world of 6 to 8 wins per year.  Our only hope is that most or all the elite SEC teams have bad years in the same year we have a decent team.  It is never just how good your team is, its always associated with how bad your competition is.

That would be the same "scheme" that was used last year to finish 2nd in the SEC to Ole Miss in ypg and ppg. The same scheme that was used to beat Ole Miss in a scoring shootout. The same scheme that produced more ypg and ppg than National Champion Alabama.

[Cinco de Hogo]

I don't hate the spread per se, but I hate the uptempo crap - trying to catch the other team unprepared every play, seems gimmicky to me. I prefer to smash it out.

Put the players you think you need on the field for the play and let it be decided that way.

To be fair it works - I just don't like it. I figure as team get better at dealing with it, the effectiveness will go down too.

oops, wrong thread. Oh well.

You would have preferred that Washington meet the British Army on the open field instead of dancing around avoiding a direct battle...right? 

[SooiecidetillNuttgone]

I accept I'm a dinosaur but I hate the spread.  I prefer a chess match as opposed to a track meet.

Don't know your age, but I'm no dinosaur.
I grew up on 85 Bears, early 90s Eagles, etc.

38-37 is somewhat exciting, but points come so cheap that scoring is common place.....Sorta like eating a Sirloin every single night for four months.

21-19 is a dang exciting game because points come hard.
A single touchdown could be the killer at any time.
Stakes are high.

Also, in the above, defense is fun to watch.
Nowadays, defense is just an intermission to watch the offense again.

[HogMantheIntruder]

The offense kept the ball for 40 minutes, and AA completed 67% of his passes for 372 yards. We had a few key mistakes that cost us, most of which are fixable. The offensive scheme has plenty of firepower, and it allows us to keep the opposing offense off the field. We are hampered by an OL that's still trying to figure things out, but I like our system, and I still believe we have one of the best OC's in the country.

[LZH]

I disagree. 

Arkansas is positioned geographically and culturally to combine the best of both worlds.  Bielema is the first coach at Arkansas to look north with any regularity.  Texas and Arkansas can not support the program the way they once did. 

Play action creates space and always will, especially at the highest level.  See the NFL.  When he took the job at Stanford, Jim Harbaugh called Bo Schembechler and asked for advice.  Schembechler asked "Do you have a tight end and a fullback?"  Football changes, but not much.

Having said this, Bret Bielema wants to win.  He doesn't care how he wins as long as his players go to class, conduct themselves honorably, and get degrees.  Frank Broyles opened up his offense in the late 60's to keep up with the high powered offenses of the day, and the result was The Great Shootout, among others.  Bielema will do the same if he believes it gives him the best shot at winning, provided he has the athletes.

And by the way, Arkansas has won or tied for the West four times in 25 years, so to say it will never happen is overly pessimistic.  We are Arkansas, not Kentucky, or Ole Miss, for that matter.

Good job. Wish I had thought of it.

[GuvHog]

We never ran the spread under BP. We had two 1000 rushers while he was here.

In fact, Alabama has had a RB win the heisman under Kiffin. They run a pro style and now they're doing it with a mobile QB, something hard to find.

You people are completely bonkers after 1 loss this season. What's it going to be like here when we drop back to back games against Bama and OM? Jeez.

Wrong. Under BP, the Hogs ran the "Power Spread". It wasn't the no huddle hurry up spread that many teams currently run but it was a version of the spread offense.

[Razorbackers]

What the elk are you talking about?  Who is "you people"?  There is s boatload of good conversation on this board today.  Is this what you have to contribute? 

Now, listen real close,

When we hired CBP we put ourselves ahead of the curve for what Arkansas had been doing, I didn't say it was ground breaking anywhere but Arkansas.  Look at Florida under Spurrier, and tell me how many ground breaking team there are today.   Auburn, just cause they are crazy?  More teams are utilizing power spread offenses which is what CBP called his.  There are components of both in his offense.   

Now back to the subject, we are running counter to the current trend, so my comment was that at the next curve we could be ahead meaning ALL the other teams will have to prepare for us.  Now, in the end CBB has to find the horses to run it, and he still has to find the defensive players to stop the power spreads.  That's all there is to it, nothing bonkers about anything but your comments.

You people is referring to everyone in every thread that keeps inexplicably bringing up past coaches. It's tiresome.

So bringing Petrino in put us ahead of the Arkansas curve? Now we're behind the Arkansas curve? I'm just confused by that whole second paragraph, honestly.

But yeah, you're right that CBB has to find his players. He's done, imo, a pretty good job, but there is obvious room for improvement.

[MojaveJoe]

You would have preferred that Washington meet the British Army on the open field instead of dancing around avoiding a direct battle...right? 

Not sure that's a good analogy. I think cheating in warfare can be necessary, but is never acceptable in a football game.

[Valleysports]

Perfect analogy of how Arkansas needs to play Bama and whatever other team is playing like Bama, in that year.

[Cinco de Hogo]

Not sure that's a good analogy. I think cheating in warfare can be necessary, but is never acceptable in a football game.

Why was Washington cheating, were there rule to warfare that he broke?  Anyone can do anything they want within the rules.  If your Lousiana Tech and you can win within the rules by any means that is your right.  No one else has to like it, they can change the rules next year.  Which they probably would, lol!

[Cinco de Hogo]

You people is referring to everyone in every thread that keeps inexplicably bringing up past coaches. It's tiresome.

So bringing Petrino in put us ahead of the Arkansas curve? Now we're behind the Arkansas curve? I'm just confused by that whole second paragraph, honestly.

But yeah, you're right that CBB has to find his players. He's done, imo, a pretty good job, but there is obvious room for improvement.

No I don't think CBB put us ahead of the curve just by hiring him.  Now over time it could work out that way but there are still several teams in the conference that are likely to out Arkansas Arkansas even if they add spread consonants to their arsenal.

[Sizzlean]

Good. It works for Big 10 teams. Ball control.

[EastexHawg]

Which SEC team has beaten Alabama two of the last three years...and almost beat them again this year?

What kind of offense do they run?

[Bacon_Bitz]

Which SEC team has beaten Alabama two of the last three years...and almost beat them again this year?

What kind of offense do they run?

Ain't that the team Arkansas has beat twice in a row and will beat again this year?

[southarkhog06]

Which SEC team has beaten Alabama two of the last three years...and almost beat them again this year?

What kind of offense do they run?

the cheating one?

[SamBuckhart]

Style of play (what this thread is about essentially) has been a point of contention for the Hogs since the Nutt days. I'm of the opinion if you have less talent you need a coach who is going to be more innovative and be able to work around that. My opinion is Petrino was a genius at this. Nutt was just an idiot all around and our identity sucked.

What we are trying to do now under Bielema will work if we have a NFL type O-line. To me the vision of that would be awesome if it's actually possible. The blunders in Pittmans recruiting and of course Kirkland leaving have crippled the advancement of this O-line.

They used to say Broyles ran the ball too much. I believe that there will always be an advantage to the pro style in the face of quicker pace. Bigger,meaner and more talented on both sides of the ball. We can do this.

[Valleysports]

Ain't that the team Arkansas has beat twice in a row and will beat again this year?

No

[ricepig]

No

Correct, they are minus all their 1st round picks......

[bphi11ips]

It is critical to haul a couple top notched guys this class. Some that are expected to fight for playing time as sophomores

True, but isn't that the case with every class? 

[Valleysports]

Several SEC West Teams are gonna loose some 1st rounder's after this year.

[bphi11ips]

Several SEC West Teams are gonna loose some 1st rounder's after this year.

I say turn 'em all loose.

[Valleysports]

Like both the A&M DE's.