Is it time to seize the opportunity?

[ricepig]

I would love to go to a home and home schedule with A&M and have a Ark vs. Tex game at Jerry world every year....

That would work.

[HoGFromTheStart]

Okay.. so this is coming from a hog fan in Fort Smith. I don't know about you guys in other parts of Arkansas but myself and many others around the river valley would love to get some redemption at the sooners. That would be a great game to see other than just every 15 years we happen to meet in a bowl game. I mean we do have to border this armpit state...

[hogsanity]

Lets see we already play A&m every year, we play TT, have TCu coming up. Thought I saw Texas St on the schedule somewhere. I know, lets just see if we can somehow put the old swc back together, or even better move the university to Texas.

The fixation with texas is sad.  Yes, drilling them in the bowl was great. Playing a home and home once a decade would be fine. However, the college football world does extend much farther. I love the home & home we have coming up with Mich. Would like to see one with a California school, Stanford/UCLA or an AZ school. Maybe a series with Pitt or Pn St ( still good football players coming out of PA ). 

[Boarmonger]

I would love to go to a home and home schedule with A&M and have a Ark vs. Tex game at Jerry world every year....

This is my thought as well but I like the idea of rotating teams from Texas.  If we rotate we could play them in Jerry World and play the others as a home and home.  That side of the discussion has a valid point about needed home games.

[The NewEra]

Lets see we already play A&m every year, we play TT, have TCu coming up. Thought I saw Texas St on the schedule somewhere. I know, lets just see if we can somehow put the old swc back together, or even better move the university to Texas.

The fixation with texas is sad.  Yes, drilling them in the bowl was great. Playing a home and home once a decade would be fine. However, the college football world does extend much farther. I love the home & home we have coming up with Mich. Would like to see one with a California school, Stanford/UCLA or an AZ school. Maybe a series with Pitt or Pn St ( still good football players coming out of PA ).

I understand your points and they are good ones, but have you ever known the Razorback Fan Base to have more interest in and hatred for any team than they do when we play Texas?  That to me is the driving force behind this post.  Again, you make good points, and this won't happen anyway, but it is great for the imagination for those of us who love beating Tejas. 

[bphi11ips]

There are only a few annual, traditional OOC rivalries the likes of Texas-Arkansas.  Notre Dame v. USC.  Florida v. Florida State.  Georgia v. Georgia Tech.  Clemson v. South Carolina.  And three of those are intrastate rivalries.

I love the idea of replacing A&M with Texas in Dallas.  One problem for Texas is that it already has OU in Dallas every year. 

We already have the toughest schedule in the country year-in-and-year-out, and I'm not sure that is going to change.  What's one more tough out?   

[hogsanity]

That would work.

Why do our fans want to give away a home game every other year?

[DeltaBoy]

I would love to see it but I believe the State Legislature in TX is going to force UT to play TAMU first.

[hoghiker]

I'm a lifetime fan. An 82 grad and about as Hog happy as people get but I'm not that pumped about playing Texas every year. We've got nothing to prove with Texas. I love beating the Whorns but our schedule is good enough without adding Texas.

[Inhogswetrust]

There are only a few annual, traditional OOC rivalries the likes of Texas-Arkansas.  Notre Dame v. USC.  Florida v. Florida State.  Georgia v. Georgia Tech.  Clemson v. South Carolina.  And three of those are intrastate rivalries.

I love the idea of replacing A&M with Texas in Dallas.  One problem for Texas is that it already has OU in Dallas every year. 

We already have the toughest schedule in the country year-in-and-year-out, and I'm not sure that is going to change.  What's one more tough out?   

I know they are both the same type of schools but I think the biggest OOC rivalry in college is Army vs. Navy. IF tejas was smart they would swallow their arrogance and agree to play Tamu again and it could be up there with those you mentioned. I find it interesting that you mentioned Tejas-Arkansas and I mentioned tejas-Tamu as OOC and they at one time were all in the same conference!

[Keyser Sooieze]

Ever since losing LSU as our year end "rivalry game," I've thought adding Texas in that vein would be a good idea--but as for a neutral site in Dallas--we already have TAMU there for another 10 or so years, right?  And, speaking of things delayed, we have the other half of a home and home with Texas to make up in Fayetteville that keeps getting pushed back. 
Once TAMU contract runs out, I'd be in favor of adding a yearly Texas matchup at Jerryworld instead of TAMU, but I don't mind having the Aggies there either for a conference game. 
If we were looking to rotate Texas schools to a mix of OOC, I'd say Baylor has made it into the top shelf of Big XII Texas competition and should be considered too.  I'd

[Atlhogfan1]

Our schedules are brutal enough.

I would be for playing Texas home and home once a decade or so.  But it is good to rotate ooc opponents.

NO to playing them in Dallas.  Stop giving up home games and making our players travel considering how physical our SEC schedule is. 

[Locutus_of_Boar]

The only Time Texas does anything there must be a benefit to Texas.  I don't see anything they would have to gain from it. 

So long and short it's never gonna happen.

The only way Arkansas and Texas scheduled annual games would be as a precursor to a Texas move to the SEC.

Far, far more likely is that ESPN decides the LHN is a failure without Texas entering into scheduling agreements with either the SEC Network or the PAC Network or the B1G Network.  ESPN benefits most if the deal is with the SEC.  Texas will end up with 2 or 3 SEC games per year with an annual match with A&M and every few years Arkansas will be on the schedule.  If OU jumps to the PAC or SEC and wrecks the B12 then Texas will go full indy with scheduling agreements involving more games with the SEC and the PAC.

[Torqued pork]

I hate Bama, LSU and Auburn enough to get me through a season.

[HawgTide]

No thanks.  Our (and just about every other SEC school) schedule is tough enough as it is.  The shorthorns are down right now, but they will be back.

Nailed it.

Our SEC schedule is tough enough now with 8 games let alone when we go to 9 in a couple of years because ESPN demands it. I love cupcakes. Why would we want to add Texas too when in a normal decade we would be lucky to split the games?

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Our schedules are brutal enough.

I would be for playing Texas home and home once a decade or so.  But it is good to rotate ooc opponents.

NO to playing them in Dallas.  Stop giving up home games and making our players travel considering how physical our SEC schedule is. 

I think, as was mentioned previously, that you move the A&M game to a "home and home" and play an annual game in Jerry's place with Texas. Granted that they already have that with Oklahoma every year as a conference game, but playing them in Dallas every year would be a marquee game for television on a national basis (most years) and couldn't hurt us from a recruiting standpoint in Texas and nationally, in any way. JMO

[Pigsknuckles]

Carpe Bevo?

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Carpe Bevo?

Well yeah, but they would probably never agree to it. Like some of the folks on here they would probably prefer to rotate OOC opponents as opposed to being locked in to the same one every year, especially if they stood a chance of getting their horns stuck where the sun doesn't shine.

Some of their older fans who remember the old SW Conference Days would love it, just as they loved the build up to the bowl game, and the networks would love it as well. Not so sure about the shorthorns though.

[redeye]

I like it and have always wanted to resume our series with Texas.  You could certainly argue that our schedule is too tough to play Texas every year, but I think such games can build invaluable experience and confidence.  It would also be huge for recruiting, not just in Texas, but nation-wide.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Lets see we already play A&m every year, we play TT, have TCu coming up. Thought I saw Texas St on the schedule somewhere. I know, lets just see if we can somehow put the old swc back together, or even better move the university to Texas.

The fixation with texas is sad.  Yes, drilling them in the bowl was great. Playing a home and home once a decade would be fine. However, the college football world does extend much farther. I love the home & home we have coming up with Mich. Would like to see one with a California school, Stanford/UCLA or an AZ school. Maybe a series with Pitt or Pn St ( still good football players coming out of PA ). 

Maybe a bit of an overreaction, amigo. I don't think that anyone is "fixated" on Texas. It was just a great series. When I was a kid and it was on t.v., it was a game you never wanted to miss because of the emotion and build-up that surrounded playing Texas, and it wasn't one sided. But that was when we were in the same conference.

Today it isn't mandatory that we play them for recruiting purposes in Texas due to some of the other teams from that state that we have scheduled, but beating Texas is never a bad thing for Arkansas on a regional or national basis whether their program is down or on the rise. If I had to pick a permanent OOC opponent for us, I'd pick Texas every time.

[The real Hogules]

Sure, with Texas, let's also schedule Florida State, USC, and Ohio State.  Need a strong schedule to make up for the weak SEC West schedule. Plus those are great spots for recruiting. 

I prefer 4 directional schools and the likes of Duke, Kansas, Colorado, and Maryland from P5 schools.  Amazing those 4 schools actually represent the 4 other P5 conferences

Spoken like someone who's not a season ticket buying fan.
I'd prefer to go and watch us play a somebody, rather than a bunch of nobodies.
It's a risk Vs. reward type of thing also. If you beat the Sisters of the Poor football team everyone says big deal, you should have beaten them,. But, beat a team considered a quality program and people across the country takes notice.

[urkillnmesmalls]

Spoken like someone who's not a season ticket buying fan.
I'd prefer to go and watch us play a somebody, rather than a bunch of nobodies.
It's a risk Vs. reward type of thing also. If you beat the Sisters of the Poor football team everyone says big deal, you should have beaten them,. But, beat a team considered a quality program and people across the country takes notice.

Case in point is the brief series with LSU and Oregon.  Oregon would walk through the PAC 12 with USC on some sort of probation, and we'd hear about how great they were.  Then the next year LSU would beat them to start the season prior to conference games, and the SEC was IMMEDIATELY seen by the nation as a superior conference, regardless of any standout team in the PAC 12 did in conference. 

It can't do anything but help us and the SEC for us to whip up on Texas and show that the SEC is bigger than the Little 12 all day and twice on Sunday.  Whipping up on Texas Tech....not so much.  BUT...it's a much better game than Chatanooga or some other tiny school.  I think CBB will start to take that more into consideration moving forward.     

[Jeff "hogfanintx" Anderson]

Maybe a bit of an overreaction, amigo. I don't think that anyone is "fixated" on Texas. It was just a great series. When I was a kid and it was on t.v., it was a game you never wanted to miss because of the emotion and build-up that surrounded playing Texas, and it wasn't one sided. But that was when we were in the same conference.

Today it isn't mandatory that we play them for recruiting purposes in Texas due to some of the other teams from that state that we have scheduled, but beating Texas is never a bad thing for Arkansas on a regional or national basis whether their program is down or on the rise. If I had to pick a permanent OOC opponent for us, I'd pick Texas every time.

Wasn't one sided?   56-22 is fairly one sided.  It was such a rivalry to Arkansas fans because the short horns won most of the time.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Wasn't one sided?   56-22 is fairly one sided.  It was such a rivalry to Arkansas fans because the short horns won most of the time.

I was speaking to the enjoyment of both fan bases of the game and the anticipation that led up to the game. Not the W-L differential.

[Jeff "hogfanintx" Anderson]

I was speaking to the enjoyment of both fan bases of the game and the anticipation that led up to the game. Not the W-L differential.

Gotcha

[Hogtimes]

Some of the old fans the OP talked to  my like it but, the University of Texas would never agree to playing Arkansas every year.    It would be great for us especially recruiting wise, but there is just not much reason for them to agree to it.   

[nchogg]

I say flat "NO". The SWC was all Texas teams. Now we get to play A&M each year. We should rotate with the other Texas teams like Baylor, Texas, Houston, Rice, TCU and TTech. I just want to see us kick more Texas butt. Go Hogs kick Texas where the sun don't shine!

[Pigsknuckles]

Well yeah, but they would probably never agree to it. Like some of the folks on here they would probably prefer to rotate OOC opponents as opposed to being locked in to the same one every year, especially if they stood a chance of getting their horns stuck where the sun doesn't shine.

Some of their older fans who remember the old SW Conference Days would love it, just as they loved the build up to the bowl game, and the networks would love it as well. Not so sure about the shorthorns though.

I'm am one of the older fans who remember the SWC days. Still on the fence on this one though. I can see the TV exposure, and recruiting possibilities, but maybe I have just gotten used to us playing better teams than Texas most every week. I would never "carpe" about Texas being a permanent OOC opponent, but I tend to gravitate more towards a rotation of OOC opponents that includes the state of Texas, but reaches out to quality teams in other regions. Though we got skunked, I thought the Rutgers home and home was a good series, and example of this idea.

[The_Hog_Father]

Okay.. so this is coming from a hog fan in Fort Smith. I don't know about you guys in other parts of Arkansas but myself and many others around the river valley would love to get some redemption at the sooners. That would be a great game to see other than just every 15 years we happen to meet in a bowl game. I mean we do have to border this armpit state...

I like this... Would love to see it happen! +1

Wooo Pig!! :razorback:

I would love to go to a home and home schedule with A&M and have a Ark vs. Tex OU game at Jerry world every year....

And this would be a GREAT Game at Jerry World AND We get another fantastic home/away series.

[Inhogswetrust]

I was speaking to the enjoyment of both fan bases of the game and the anticipation that led up to the game. Not the W-L differential.

Understand and agree.

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

I'm crying at the thought, BUT that's mainly because my anti depressant refill is up and I missed a couple of days...

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

I would love to see it but I believe the State Legislature in TX is going to force UT to play TAMU first.

They've done it before and it only makes sense for BOTH programs. Hell! Their fight-songs name each other...

[SooiecidetillNuttgone]

Wasn't one sided?   56-22 is fairly one sided.  It was such a rivalry to Arkansas fans because the short horns won most of the time.

When you pull out the early years in which the money, knowledge, and importance weren't placed on football so much, the competitiveness tightens a lot:
 
1950 to present: 24-13.  65% win percentage for Texass.

However, if we look at the modern timeframe of:
1980 - present:  10-7.    58% win for Texass.

That's a far cry from your 56-22 record.......A whopping 72%.

While I understand that some will want to count the entire record all the way back to 1894......To include a losing streak of our first 14 games, I don't feel that truly paints an accurate picture.

Point being, we're a different team, having joined the SEC.   And football has changed since 1950.   I don't see us losing 65% of the games give or take.

I think it will be more in line with 1980 to present.   Probably more like losing 53-55% of the time.  And that will make for a GREAT rivalry when coupled with our past with one another.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

I'm am one of the older fans who remember the SWC days. Still on the fence on this one though. I can see the TV exposure, and recruiting possibilities, but maybe I have just gotten used to us playing better teams than Texas most every week. I would never "carpe" about Texas being a permanent OOC opponent, but I tend to gravitate more towards a rotation of OOC opponents that includes the state of Texas, but reaches out to quality teams in other regions. Though we got skunked, I thought the Rutgers home and home was a good series, and example of this idea.

Well that rotation is what Bielema wants and probably what Bielema will get. You know we used to play Oklahoma State every year (like nearly 40 years or so I think) and except for very few times in the series that game was played in Little Rock. But I couldn't get behind a renewal of that series.

[hoghiker]

Well that rotation is what Bielema wants and probably what Bielema will get. You know we used to play Oklahoma State every year (like nearly 40 years or so I think) and except for very few times in the series that game was played in Little Rock. But I couldn't get behind a renewal of that series.

I don't   really see an Okie Lite series being of much benefit to the Hogs.  Someone can enlighten me if there is.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

I don't   really see an Okie Lite series being of much benefit to the Hogs.  Someone can enlighten me if there is.

None whatsoever. Unless they wind up in our conference one day, which would be an easy-travel turnpike series. But that probably isn't happening anytime soon, if ever.

All I was saying was that we had them as a permanent OOC opponent at one time and as I said, I couldn't get behind that series renewal for the very reason you mentioned.

[LZH]

Make that the one game at WMS every year and charge $100 per ticket.  That way there would be no loss of revenue (you know damn well it would sell out - what would that be, $5 million?).  Swap venues each year.....Austin/LR.  In the long run, that might (well, I know it really wouldn't...just sayin') get the goobers in LR to enlarge WMS or even raise money for a new stadium so LR can keep a game or two down the road.  That could actually turn into what Arkansas/LSU was 6, 8, 10 years ago.

[Pigsknuckles]

Well that rotation is what Bielema wants and probably what Bielema will get. You know we used to play Oklahoma State every year (like nearly 40 years or so I think) and except for very few times in the series that game was played in Little Rock. But I couldn't get behind a renewal of that series.

Strictly as a Tulsan I would enjoy reprising the Oklahoma State series with a home and home. On the practical side, they don't offer us much in the way of additional exposure, or recruiting possibilities. Apart from a T-Boones stadium, and Eskimo Joe's, Stillwater doesn't offer traveling fans much in the way amenities. One would almost be better off staying in Tulsa, and driving the hour fifteen to the game the next day.

[Jeff "hogfanintx" Anderson]

When you pull out the early years in which the money, knowledge, and importance weren't placed on football so much, the competitiveness tightens a lot:




1950 to present: 24-13.  65% win percentage for Texass.

However, if we look at the modern timeframe of:
1980 - present:  10-7.    58% win for Texass.

That's a far cry from your 56-22 record.......A whopping 72%.

While I understand that some will want to count the entire record all the way back to 1894......To include a losing streak of our first 14 games, I don't feel that truly paints an accurate picture.

Point being, we're a different team, having joined the SEC.   And football has changed since 1950.   I don't see us losing 65% of the games give or take.

I think it will be more in line with 1980 to present.   Probably more like losing 53-55% of the time.  And that will make for a GREAT rivalry when coupled with our past with one another.

Very true the recent numbers are much closer.  That said Texas had nothing to gain playing the Hogs.  When they point to the record you can bet they are going to use the all time numbers.  We would do the same if things were reversed.

[hogsanity]

I think, as was mentioned previously, that you move the A&M game to a "home and home" and play an annual game in Jerry's place with Texas. Granted that they already have that with Oklahoma every year as a conference game, but playing them in Dallas every year would be a marquee game for television on a national basis (most years) and couldn't hurt us from a recruiting standpoint in Texas and nationally, in any way. JMO

Is Texas STUPID enough to give away more home games? I see no way they keep playing OU in Dallas, and then every other year give away another home game.

[GuvHog]

The only way Arkansas and Texas scheduled annual games would be as a precursor to a Texas move to the SEC.

Far, far more likely is that ESPN decides the LHN is a failure without Texas entering into scheduling agreements with either the SEC Network or the PAC Network or the B1G Network.  ESPN benefits most if the deal is with the SEC.  Texas will end up with 2 or 3 SEC games per year with an annual match with A&M and every few years Arkansas will be on the schedule.  If OU jumps to the PAC or SEC and wrecks the B12 then Texas will go full indy with scheduling agreements involving more games with the SEC and the PAC.

If Texas opts to go full Independent, I strongly expect OU and Okla State would jump ship and join the SEC.

As for playing Texas in non-conference play, I don't believe that is a good Idea especially if the SEC switches to a 9 game conference schedule.

[wholehog92]

It would help texass, so I'm against it.

The 12 is so lousy right now, they need some sort of legitimacy in their schedule.  On the off chance they field a decent team when we have a down year, the last thing I want to do is give them a win that might help them down the road.

Our schedule is fine right now as is.

[Pudgepork]

Our schedules are brutal enough.

I would be for playing Texas home and home once a decade or so.  But it is good to rotate ooc opponents.

NO to playing them in Dallas.  Stop giving up home games and making our players travel considering how physical our SEC schedule is.

Its a great time to catch tejas, and possibly even up the won/loss record between the schools.   tejas is almost up to the level of say a miss stake team from the late 90's.  I'd love to see the Hogs contribute in keeping tejas at about that level

[The NewEra]

Make that the one game at WMS every year and charge $100 per ticket.  That way there would be no loss of revenue (you know damn well it would sell out - what would that be, $5 million?).  Swap venues each year.....Austin/LR.  In the long run, that might (well, I know it really wouldn't...just sayin') get the goobers in LR to enlarge WMS or even raise money for a new stadium so LR can keep a game or two down the road.  That could actually turn into what Arkansas/LSU was 6, 8, 10 years ago.

See LZH, that's why I like you. One out of every ten times you get it right 😉 and this is one of those times. Great idea!  There would be no problem filling up WMS.

[EastexHawg]

If an annual game with Texas were scheduled there would be a lot of upside, and it would be an instantly revived rivalry. It wouldn't be a negative but for me personally I would prefer a more national footprint.
Good subject.

" GO HOGS "

Playing Texas every year would give us all the national footprint we could hope for.  I would love it and so would every Texas fan I know.

If we started playing them every year, after a while we wouldn't need the oft-repeated "Who Is Our Biggest Rival" threads.  The youngsters would soon learn and know what the rest of us found out a long time ago.

[hogsanity]

Playing Texas every year would give us all the national footprint we could hope for.  I would love it and so would every Texas fan I know.

If we started playing them every year, after a while we wouldn't need the oft-repeated "Who Is Our Biggest Rival" threads.  The youngsters would soon learn and know what the rest of us found out a long time ago.

Key phrase there ".....a LONG time ago."

Hogs left the SWC going on 24 seasons ago. I am 45, I remember Texas week during the 70's and 80's, it WAS a big deal. Bama week, Lsu week, should be like that now. We should not have to jump in the way back machine to generate that kind of excitement.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

It would help texass, so I'm against it.

The 12 is so lousy right now, they need some sort of legitimacy in their schedule.  On the off chance they field a decent team when we have a down year, the last thing I want to do is give them a win that might help them down the road.

Our schedule is fine right now as is.

Wholehog I am not sure why you feel it would be doing Texas a favor?

The Shorthorns, despite having put more current talent in the NFL than anyone else in their conference with an average of 47.8 players per year from 2009 through 2014 (which by the way is only good enough to be #2 in every other P-5 conference) has more than enough challenges in their future schedules within their own conference, let alone OOC play.

This coming year they have to open with Notre Dame at Notre Dame. That may not be pretty. But then they have Rice at home and California at home in back to back weeks. Rice may challenge them but will eventually get worn down. California  has produced more NFL talent than any other #2 in any other P-5 conference (with an average of 40.8 per year) except the SEC. How they have not been better than what they have been is amazing, but it also makes them a potentially dangerous team. I'd love to see Cal surprise Texas at Austin.

Beyond that Texas always has to contend with Oklahoma and now they have to worry about Baylor and TCU. K-State, W. Virginia and Oklahoma State has shown that from time to time, they can slip up on Texas.

An annual game with Arkansas (though it isn't going to happen) wouldn't be doing them any favors. It would in fact provide them with an OOC game where they would likely come away beaten up and probably at least half the time, maybe more, with a loss.

Would it provide them with t.v. exposure? Well, more than the Longhorn Network. But do you really want to take a chance on getting beat up on national t.v. by a big, physical team? Do they need the game for national exposure or exposure in their own state? The answer is "no" to both. Bottom line is that Texas really has nothing to gain by playing us, at this point anyway.

Would I like to see it? Yeah I would but it isn't going to happen because Texas has more to gain by the renewal of the series with Texas A&M (recruiting purposes) and because Bielema and Long aren't likely to pursue anything like that when they have already laid out plans to go a different direction.

But playing Arkansas every year wouldn't be doing Texas any favors, it would in fact do the opposite, in my opinion.

[lefty08]

I'm with you on the desire to have a piece of that action.

BTW, one stipulation I would have in place for this game that would be non-negotiable.  We should not agree to play them with the only televised rights for any of the games going to The Longhorn Network.  Make it an ESPN or major network televised game only.  I wouldn't want to do ANYTHING that would help out their pitiful Network.

The LHN is ESPN. Same with the SECN

[MuskogeeHogFan]

The LHN is ESPN. Same with the SECN

Yes but one is a loser and the other a cash cow.

[root_hawg]

Texas doesn't consider us a rival and could care no more for playing them than I do any other power 5 conference team