Fans are a coiled spring--win might rupture the Fayetteville fault

[Biggus Piggus]

I have heard some Northwest Arkansas and Little Rock talk radio (probably the worst sample of all) to go with what I get bombarded with on the Internet and in e-mail.  I seriously underestimated people's optimism about Saturday's game against Southern Cal. 

Few people will come out and say they expect the Hogs to beat USC, but everybody's excited about the game.  Excited about the game means what?  They have to be expecting to see something good.  People don't get excited about anything that they, deep down, believe lacks a happy ending.

This game is going to carry great importance, possibly deciding the direction of the program from here.  I wonder whether the coaches feel that kind of pressure.  Doesn't seem like they do.  Seems like they are focused on implementing the plan and herding the cats.  Been a lot of stray cats lately.

I, personally, am excited out of sheer anticipation, wanting to see:

* What the Arkansas offense looks like compared with last season.  If Robert Johnson can find the big-opportunity receiver, set up by the defense's respect for the run, when the defensive call is a run blitz--that will be a sea change.  I'm expecting something in the middle, better efficiency but not Swiss clock precision.  Probably won't have the protection to do that.  USC is fast.

* Whether the Razorback defense carried momentum from the end of last season.  The safeties are what, a bridge or an answer?  I hope the scheme is sound, first, not asking too much of any position.  If the D covers the tight end, we'll know the answer's favorable.  Will the front put pressure on the new Trojan leader Booty, or will we get caught in failed stunts that turn into TDs?  I like this one-game shot at a first-time starting QB, three new starters on the line, and a new backfield.  How does USC offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin prepare for a game like this, with as many losses as his offense took?  He is young, and this is new.

* Will the Porker D's initial pass coverage make the QB hesitate, or will they let people run free again?  Can't simulate in practice how good their receivers are.  Dwayne Jarrett's the visible one, but Steve Smith is the type that has burned Arkansas defenses for years: running back sized, fast and slippery.

* Is USC really that good up front on defense?  If so, why did they go to a 3-4?  They did it because they recruited phenomenally well at linebacker and had a lot of duds among linemen.  Their linebackers are good size, but they are not physically huge.  Will their speed overwhelm the Hogs' physical approach?  Didn't last season.  USC does have big safeties.

Transitional issues may offset some of Southern Cal's advantages, at least for a game or two.  I am a believer in the Norm Chow magic and doubt it's still ingrained in the program.  Makes me believe Booty is the weak spot--and attacking Booty is the shortest path to success.

Having freshman tailbacks behind him much of the time also might not help, though they're very talented and eventually will be stars.  Even Reggie Bush began with spot duty and ordinary numbers.

Arkansas's also in its own transition, with new offensive coaches, promising young players, a retread QB and some potential stars who are coming off injuries.  Gus Malzahn may be a genius, but he's preparing (with a lot of help) his first college game plan opposed by a truly brilliant defensive coach.  I am certain he has been more thorough than Houston Nutt had been the past few years, and that gives me some comfort.  It's still a titanic challenge, and the outcome will be a watershed event for the program.

When I thought the kicking game story couldn't get worse, Nutt dismissed his best kicker because he didn't want to spend a scholarship on him.  If Nutt is calm enough to care about the possibility of having two kickers on scholarship next year, he's not thinking one and done in '06 like some of his critics would have us believe.  Nevertheless, kickers shouldn't be chosen this way.  Field goal fear ought to be at an alltime peak.

It would be nice to believe the offense will move the ball consistently well and put up points this season.  Seems we're stuck with no man's land between the 20 and 40, the place where 27 Arkansas drives went to die in 2005.  Twenty-seven!  Ought to be a single-digit number.  Lack of competent placekicking materially diminishes the effectiveness of the offense.

Nutt can offload responsibility for the offense to Malzahn and lay the defense on Reggie Herring, but if the kicker costs us the game Saturday night it's Nutt who gets to explain it.

Arkansas fans are wound up because ...

They know the Hogs went 5-6 and 4-7.  They know 70-17.  They also know the future is looking better, just don't know how much better.  Arkansas fans know a veteran-dominated lineup has been augmented with a nice assortment of highly promising youngsters.  Fans don't know how much is coming, or when, but they know something better IS coming.  Intensity is sky high.  The right spark would set off an incredible explosion of Razorback fanaticism.  The wrong spark, we have a crater alongside Razorback Road.

Darren McFadden, partial or whole.  Felix Jones.  Marcus Monk.  Peyton Hillis.  Cedric Washington.  Damian Williams.  London Crawford.  Robert Johnson OR Mitch Mustain.  Zac Tubbs.  Tony Ugoh.  Jonathan Luigs.  And somebody new and unknown will rise.

Marcus Harrison.  Jamaal Anderson.  Chris Wade.  Keith Jackson Jr.  Sam Olajubutu.  Fred Fairchild.  Chris Houston.  Matterral Richardson.  Michael Grant.  Who will join them?

Arkansas doesn't string together top 1 recruiting classes like USC does, but this is the best blue-chip talent situation the Razorbacks have seen in a long time.  Will all the talent be ready at the same time, probably not.  Does the addition of new assistant coaches offer hope that things may come together fast, certainly.

The outcome of this game will be very big--good or bad, very big.  Huge risk, enormous opportunity.  If that's not cause for excitement, I don't know what is.

See you on Saturday, and CALL THOSE HOGS!