The Losses This Season Are Not Why We are Upset

[davglo35]

Program was a dumpster fire when BB arrived. First year 3-9 0-8 SEC.

2nd season was a big improvement. Won some SEC games and Won the Texas Bowl against our most hated rival. 7-6 2-6 SEC

3rd Season was an Improvement but hould have been better. This was one of the two season where the hogs should have really had a good eecord but losses to TOLEDO and TEXAS TECH early in the season were inexcusable.  Yea I know Toledo was good but we are Arkansas. Not some also ran program. 8-5 overall. 10 wins should have happened. 6-2 SEC

4th Season was another year of good players and 9 or 10 wins were very doable. Almost lose to Louisiana Tech and then late in the year we lose to lowly Missouri in a fashion that is embarrassing. Had the game won and choked. Then we head to the  Belk bowl against a mediocre Virginia Tech team and repeat the same thing as against Missouri. 9 wins were 2 choke jobs away.

If Arkansas had won 10 in 2015 and 9 in 2016 all this talk about firing BB and JL wouldn't be happening. This would be considered a rebuilding year.

We lost all our WRs except Cornelius. Lost all our running backs except Whaley. Lost most of the OL except Ragnow.

We are in a rebuild and nobody is talking about it because of the losses to Toledo, TT and the meltdowns against MO and VT.

[code red]

Program was a dumpster fire when BB arrived. First year 3-9 0-8 SEC.

2nd season was a big improvement. Won some SEC games and Won the Texas Bowl against our most hated rival. 7-6 2-6 SEC

3rd Season was an Improvement but hould have been better. This was one of the two season where the hogs should have really had a good eecord but losses to TOLEDO and TEXAS TECH early in the season were inexcusable.  Yea I know Toledo was good but we are Arkansas. Not some also ran program. 8-5 overall. 10 wins should have happened. 6-2 SEC

4th Season was another year of good players and 9 or 10 wins were very doable. Almost lose to Louisiana Tech and then late in the year we lose to lowly Missouri in a fashion that is embarrassing. Had the game won and choked. Then we head to the  Belk bowl against a mediocre Virginia Tech team and repeat the same thing as against Missouri. 9 wins were 2 choke jobs away.

If Arkansas had won 10 in 2015 and 9 in 2016 all this talk about firing BB and JL wouldn't be happening. This would be considered a rebuilding year.

We lost all our WRs except Cornelius. Lost all our running backs except Whaley. Lost most of the OL except Ragnow.

We are in a rebuild and nobody is talking about it because of the losses to Toledo, TT and the meltdowns against MO and VT.

we are in a rebuild because there is too many misses in recruiting right now. Go back and look at the stats. Bret Bielema as best year recruiting was his first year. After that it's falling off significantly.

[davglo35]

we are in a rebuild because there is too many misses in recruiting right now. Go back and look at the stats. Bret Bielema as best year recruiting was his first year. After that it's falling off significantly.

You are right...but if BB had won the games he lost to overmatched teams all this talk wouldn't be happening. He would get a pass from 90% of the fan base. 9 and 10 wins in the present SEC  would be considered a success and we would be striving for more and behind BB 100%.

[davglo35]

You do not lose to Toledo, and TT and have meltdowns with the caliber of players we had on tbise 2 teams.
My son is a big Hog fan and he was excited about this season but I told him this was a rebuilding year and 6 - 6 would be about right.

[lahawg1]

I am more concerned with the games like Auburn last year. When you are an embarrassment to your school it's time to go.

[Bacons Rebellion]

Yes, if won a bunch of games that we lost, we wouldn't be complaining as much. You are right.

But the problem is we did lose to Toledo and Texas Tech and Rutgers and Texas A&M, and Texas A&M, and Texas A&M, and to LSU on a desperation 99 yard drive with a freshman qb. Different coordinators, different position coaches, same result, good first half, collapse in the second half.

For a brief moment, I thought we had overcome it with OT wins against Auburn and Ole Miss, but that was short lived. We lost some seniors that had taught themselves how to overcome Bielemaitis and the disease returned.

In five years we have never had a come from behind victory. Bielema's teams play like girls in the 4th quarter. It's a disease he carries.

[lasthog]

Program was a dumpster fire when BB arrived. First year 3-9 0-8 SEC.

2nd season was a big improvement. Won some SEC games and Won the Texas Bowl against our most hated rival. 7-6 2-6 SEC

3rd Season was an Improvement but hould have been better. This was one of the two season where the hogs should have really had a good eecord but losses to TOLEDO and TEXAS TECH early in the season were inexcusable.  Yea I know Toledo was good but we are Arkansas. Not some also ran program. 8-5 overall. 10 wins should have happened. 6-2 SEC

4th Season was another year of good players and 9 or 10 wins were very doable. Almost lose to Louisiana Tech and then late in the year we lose to lowly Missouri in a fashion that is embarrassing. Had the game won and choked. Then we head to the  Belk bowl against a mediocre Virginia Tech team and repeat the same thing as against Missouri. 9 wins were 2 choke jobs away.

If Arkansas had won 10 in 2015 and 9 in 2016 all this talk about firing BB and JL wouldn't be happening. This would be considered a rebuilding year.

We lost all our WRs except Cornelius. Lost all our running backs except Whaley. Lost most of the OL except Ragnow.

We are in a rebuild and nobody is talking about it because of the losses to Toledo, TT and the meltdowns against MO and VT.

Just curious, has UA ever gone winless in the SEC in other seasons? Sincere question.

[DeltaBoy]

He failed in 5 years to build depth and a solid Oline!  Heck this bunch we be HARD PRESSED to beat Memphis aka Tiger High this year!

[HiggiePiggy]

Just curious, has UA ever gone winless in the SEC in other seasons? Sincere question.

No it has not. 

[12247]

I usually don't pay attention to these things but has Hogville noticed how well the Georgia OC is conducting himself.  Many of these assistants were decent before getting to Arkansas and then do well after leaving but cannot do much for Arkansas and BB.

[Letsroll1200]

It does not take 5 years to build a quality offensive line and special teams. If special teams and the offensive line play was average than you win that game.

[HiggiePiggy]

I usually don't pay attention to these things but has Hogville noticed how well the Georgia OC is conducting himself.  Many of these assistants were decent before getting to Arkansas and then do well after leaving but cannot do much for Arkansas and BB.

Where was Cheney good at before Georgia? 

[Bubba's Bruisers]

Program was a dumpster fire when BB arrived. First year 3-9 0-8 SEC.

2nd season was a big improvement. Won some SEC games and Won the Texas Bowl against our most hated rival. 7-6 2-6 SEC

3rd Season was an Improvement but hould have been better. This was one of the two season where the hogs should have really had a good eecord but losses to TOLEDO and TEXAS TECH early in the season were inexcusable.  Yea I know Toledo was good but we are Arkansas. Not some also ran program. 8-5 overall. 10 wins should have happened. 6-2 SEC

4th Season was another year of good players and 9 or 10 wins were very doable. Almost lose to Louisiana Tech and then late in the year we lose to lowly Missouri in a fashion that is embarrassing. Had the game won and choked. Then we head to the  Belk bowl against a mediocre Virginia Tech team and repeat the same thing as against Missouri. 9 wins were 2 choke jobs away.

If Arkansas had won 10 in 2015 and 9 in 2016 all this talk about firing BB and JL wouldn't be happening. This would be considered a rebuilding year.

We lost all our WRs except Cornelius. Lost all our running backs except Whaley. Lost most of the OL except Ragnow.

We are in a rebuild and nobody is talking about it because of the losses to Toledo, TT and the meltdowns against MO and VT.

Um, average teams choke, because they're average.  BB has not put a team on the field capable of 10 wins. 

In 2015, I'll give you Toledo, but TT just straight up whipped us.  Nothing fluky about it.  And we shouldn't have beaten OM that year either, but it took one heck of a fluke miracle for it to happen.  It goes both ways.  We were 8-4 at best in 2015.

In 2016, the only game that was an anomaly was Mizzou.  The rest of the games resulted as expected...we pretty much beat the teams we should or could have, but lost to the teams that were better...including VT.  We were again 8-4 at best in 2016.

[Bacons Rebellion]

I usually don't pay attention to these things but has Hogville noticed how well the Georgia OC is conducting himself.  Many of these assistants were decent before getting to Arkansas and then do well after leaving but cannot do much for Arkansas and BB.

I'm not sure Alvarez's checkbook was the reason Bielema los so many assistants at Wisconsin.

[go hogues]

I usually don't pay attention to these things but has Hogville noticed how well the Georgia OC is conducting himself.  Many of these assistants were decent before getting to Arkansas and then do well after leaving but cannot do much for Arkansas and BB.

Chaney had better talent at Tenn and GA.
I know everyone gets a hard on for our "5 star heart" haul each year but it's pretty obvious we can't compete against teams with actual 5 star talent.

[lasthog]

I usually don't pay attention to these things but has Hogville noticed how well the Georgia OC is conducting himself.  Many of these assistants were decent before getting to Arkansas and then do well after leaving but cannot do much for Arkansas and BB.

I watched some of the game and got the same feeling.

But except for Mizu, every SEC team I watched today had players all over the field that appeared to have great size and speed. The musculature of many was far more developed than what we see in many of our guys.

I don't know how much of that is attributable more to the recruitment of superior athletes or more to the S & C programs.

I didn't watch Vandy, though.

[Bubba's Bruisers]

I'm not sure Alvarez's checkbook was the reason Bielema los so many assistants at Wisconsin.

BB was wearing out his welcome with the fans in Madison his last couple years...as I recall.  And I'm sure Alvarez was heavily involved in the program.   I still think we were an escape for him.

[davglo35]

As the OP all Im trying to say is that BB peaked in his 3rd and 4th season. We lost games we shouldnt have and his tenure here should end. I never criticized him or praised him either but now we see what we have in him as a coach. It's time to move on.

[The Great Hambino]

I'm pretty upset by CBB's decision to not change from his pajamas to attire fitting of a head coach. I get it, you are a fat slob, but at least dress like a fat slob of a coach.

[Bacons Rebellion]

As the OP all Im trying to say is that BB peaked in his 3rd and 4th season. We lost games we shouldnt have and his tenure here should end. I never criticized him or praised him either but now we see what we have in him as a coach. It's time to move on.

I agree. CBB peaked in 2015.  It is time to move on. It's just a matter of how and when it is financed.

[BigBrandonAllenFan]

You are right...but if

If a frog had wings he wouldn't bump his butt when he jumped.

[Razor1997]

I agree. CBB peaked in 2015.  It is time to move on. It's just a matter of how and when it is financed.

Well, none of us can afford his buyout, and the big money has better things to do with its money, so let's just enjoy being losers until the end of 2019.

[Großer Kriegschwein]

.

[Jek Tono Porkins]

Agreed. I can take a team with underwhelming talent as long as they play to their potential. But a problem in the Bielema era is that the team lost games they really should have won, and they all had a common problem. Let's take a look at each one of those games individually.

As bad as that 2013 team was, they should have beaten Rutgers, Mississippi State, and LSU. All of those games had one thing in common: a scoreless 4th quarter.

2014, they should have beaten A&M and Mizzou. Again, scoreless 4th quarters. They could have beaten Bama and Mississippi State but with the talent level they shouldn't have even been in those games so you can't complain about that. But again, scoreless 4th quarters.

2015, definitely should have beaten Toledo. Just inexcusable. Scored a field goal in the 4th quarter so I guess that's progress of a kind but couldn't punch it in the deep red zone to lose the game. Should have beaten Texas Tech and once again, scoreless 4th quarter in that game. Should have beaten Mississippi State as well, and we did score in the 4th quarter, but we lost that game due to another chronic issue with the Bielema era: the inability to make field goals.

Now we come to 2016. Started off with a lackluster win over LA Tech, then we come to TCU. Eeked that one out, but I was at that game and I thought for sure we were going to have a standard 4th quarter meltdown. Thank goodness for all 6' 11" of Dan Skipper. Should definitely have beaten Mizzou and V-Tech. Wanna take a gander at the problems with those games? If you guessed scoreless 4th quarter, you win half a cookie. Both of those game had scoreless SECOND HALVES.

Here we are in this season. Lost to TCU. Again, scoreless second half complete with TWO PAT-difficulty missed field goals. Lost to A&M today. Actually scored 18 points in the 4th quarter but when you give up 19 in the 4th quarter that doesn't mean much.

Here's the deal; I can deal with 4th quarter meltdowns because all teams have them (except when they play us), it's just that you expect to win a couple of those. I excused them in the early couple of years because you expect that problem (along with the field goal woes) to eventually be fixed. I mean hell Petrino had field goal issues with Tejada but they were made up for and then some with Hocker.

However, unbelievably abysmal 4th quarter meltdowns have been a staple of these Bielema-coached teams for going on 5 years now. If he hasn't fixed that problem in almost 4 and a half years I don't expect they will ever be fixed. You just can't win very many games if you don't score in the 4th quarter and at the same time give up 14 points or more in the 4th quarter like these Bielema-coached teams have habitually done. My confidence in Bielema is irrevocably destroyed and I used to be one of his most strident supporters. It's time for a change.

[JaketheSnake]

I'm pretty upset by CBB's decision to not change from his pajamas to attire fitting of a head coach. I get it, you are a fat slob, but at least dress like a fat slob of a coach.

Plenty of things to be frustrated with besides CBB's shirt. 

[jm]

I don't care if we win a game all year if they can just do something about the lack of defense

[The Great Hambino]

Plenty of things to be frustrated with besides CBB's shirt. 

But we aren't allowed to criticize anyone but the coach here...

[code red]

Program was a dumpster fire when BB arrived. First year 3-9 0-8 SEC.

2nd season was a big improvement. Won some SEC games and Won the Texas Bowl against our most hated rival. 7-6 2-6 SEC

3rd Season was an Improvement but hould have been better. This was one of the two season where the hogs should have really had a good eecord but losses to TOLEDO and TEXAS TECH early in the season were inexcusable.  Yea I know Toledo was good but we are Arkansas. Not some also ran program. 8-5 overall. 10 wins should have happened. 6-2 SEC

4th Season was another year of good players and 9 or 10 wins were very doable. Almost lose to Louisiana Tech and then late in the year we lose to lowly Missouri in a fashion that is embarrassing. Had the game won and choked. Then we head to the  Belk bowl against a mediocre Virginia Tech team and repeat the same thing as against Missouri. 9 wins were 2 choke jobs away.

If Arkansas had won 10 in 2015 and 9 in 2016 all this talk about firing BB and JL wouldn't be happening. This would be considered a rebuilding year.

We lost all our WRs except Cornelius. Lost all our running backs except Whaley. Lost most of the OL except Ragnow.

We are in a rebuild and nobody is talking about it because of the losses to Toledo, TT and the meltdowns against MO and VT.

Square peg in a round hole.

[jimmur74]

If if if if if

Program was a dumpster fire when BB arrived. First year 3-9 0-8 SEC.

2nd season was a big improvement. Won some SEC games and Won the Texas Bowl against our most hated rival. 7-6 2-6 SEC

3rd Season was an Improvement but hould have been better. This was one of the two season where the hogs should have really had a good eecord but losses to TOLEDO and TEXAS TECH early in the season were inexcusable.  Yea I know Toledo was good but we are Arkansas. Not some also ran program. 8-5 overall. 10 wins should have happened. 6-2 SEC

4th Season was another year of good players and 9 or 10 wins were very doable. Almost lose to Louisiana Tech and then late in the year we lose to lowly Missouri in a fashion that is embarrassing. Had the game won and choked. Then we head to the  Belk bowl against a mediocre Virginia Tech team and repeat the same thing as against Missouri. 9 wins were 2 choke jobs away.

If Arkansas had won 10 in 2015 and 9 in 2016 all this talk about firing BB and JL wouldn't be happening. This would be considered a rebuilding year.

We lost all our WRs except Cornelius. Lost all our running backs except Whaley. Lost most of the OL except Ragnow.

We are in a rebuild and nobody is talking about it because of the losses to Toledo, TT and the meltdowns against MO and VT.

[jst01]

Jek Tono, great post. Sums it up nicely

[Inhogswetrust]

Program was a dumpster fire when BB arrived. First year 3-9 0-8 SEC.

2nd season was a big improvement. Won some SEC games and Won the Texas Bowl against our most hated rival. 7-6 2-6 SEC

3rd Season was an Improvement but hould have been better. This was one of the two season where the hogs should have really had a good eecord but losses to TOLEDO and TEXAS TECH early in the season were inexcusable.  Yea I know Toledo was good but we are Arkansas. Not some also ran program. 8-5 overall. 10 wins should have happened. 6-2 SEC

4th Season was another year of good players and 9 or 10 wins were very doable. Almost lose to Louisiana Tech and then late in the year we lose to lowly Missouri in a fashion that is embarrassing. Had the game won and choked. Then we head to the  Belk bowl against a mediocre Virginia Tech team and repeat the same thing as against Missouri. 9 wins were 2 choke jobs away.

If Arkansas had won 10 in 2015 and 9 in 2016 all this talk about firing BB and JL wouldn't be happening. This would be considered a rebuilding year.

We lost all our WRs except Cornelius. Lost all our running backs except Whaley. Lost most of the OL except Ragnow.

We are in a rebuild and nobody is talking about it because of the losses to Toledo, TT and the meltdowns against MO and VT.

The question thus becomes is "WHY are we rebuilding in year 5 if we had those kinds of records in 15 and 16".