How have your expectations changed?

[The NewEra]

I hope nobody's expectations changed as a result of a meaningless Spring Game

That was about as scaled down of a Spring Game as I have seen.  It's always fun to see the Hogs on the field, but I really didn't learn anything yesterday.  Snaps are what was needed at all positions and snaps are what the players got.

The one thing I did take away from yesterday was our secondary played much better no matter what unit was on the field.  I'm quite optimistic there will be significant improvement there this year.

[SooiecidetillNuttgone]

Maybe, maybe not, this could be the dream season, one never knows.

Very true.
BB is building depth and talent as a legit SEC team.
However, I'm not putting money on this year to be a dream one.

[ricepig]

Very true.
BB is building depth and talent as a legit SEC team.
However, I'm not putting money on this year to be a dream one.

No one said you had to, but don't diss those that choose to. I've said 8-4 since January, subject to injuries and other "problems" before Sept 3. That's for everyone on our schedule, and includes us.

[SooiecidetillNuttgone]

No one said you had to, but don't diss those that choose to. I've said 8-4 since January, subject to injuries and other "problems" before Sept 3. That's for everyone on our schedule, and includes us.

No diss.
I'm not going to tell someone they're crazy for their enthusiasm.
Now I will explain my concerns on the OL, etc.
You're in charge of you.
I think predicting 8-4 is potentially a letdown, but that's yours.

[Hawgphish]

It was a spring game so iam not going ti read much into it but we did look very ordinary.

[arlhog]

I'm not sure how much you can really tale away from a scrimmage like this.  I do know we lost a 3 year starting qb, an all American te, our best running back and 3 starting ol.  It will be tough to be as good as last year just saying that.  A lot of things have to go right to get to where we were last year and that includes our defense stepping it up which it could.   If we go 5-3 in conference again this coaching staff earns its money for sure.

[Kevin]

No change 7-6 with bowl game

[ricepig]

No diss.
I'm not going to tell someone they're crazy for their enthusiasm.
Now I will explain my concerns on the OL, etc.
You're in charge of you.
I think predicting 8-4 is potentially a letdown, but that's yours.

I think 6-6 shows little faith, but that's you.

[WilsonHog]

I don't do predictions, even game to game. Too many variables involved.

Case in point: we started off 1-3 last year, and posters all over this board were saying we were a 2-10 team, a 3-9 team, maybe luck into four wins. Won seven of our last nine games.

I'll let others predict. I prefer just to let the season unfold and see what happens.

[Biggus Piggus]

Nobody should EVER change expectations based on a spring exhibition. Ever. Ever. Not in any case. It's not designed to showcase the team, and the full team is rarely assembled in the spring in any year.

This spring game demonstrated that Arkansas has several positions where starters have not been ascertained and depth is still being developed. If you didn't already know that, you weren't trying.

If your natural reaction to uncertainty is to accept the negative hypothesis, then you flew off the deep end yesterday.

[thebignasty]

Just saying spring games don't give you much to base anything on.

7-5 or 8-4 is probably what I would've guessed before the spring game.  Neither 6-6 nor 9-3 would totally surprise me, though I would be either disappointed or pretty pumped.

10 wins would really surprise me, I do not think we are there yet.  I'd happily take it though.


Don't want to consider 5 or fewer.

[ChitownHawg]

7-5 or 8-4 is probably what I would've guessed before the spring game.  Neither 6-6 nor 9-3 would totally surprise me, though I would be either disappointed or pretty pumped.

10 wins would really surprise me, I do not think we are there yet.  I'd happily take it though.


Don't want to consider 5 or fewer.

Now that is covering all bases. 

[jwesley]

Right now I see 7-8 wins.. I think we are getting much closer to turning the corner.  Special really needs to show this year.

[HogMantheIntruder]

Right now I see 7-8 wins.. I think we are getting much closer to turning the corner.  Special really needs to show this year.

I don't see it happening; at least not on FG's. These guys just don't seem to have it. I think everything else can and will be fixed. It would not surprise me in the least to see great coverage, a good (possibly really good) return game, excellent blocking for FG's, etc, but we just don't have a consistent kicker. For some reason, that seems to be near impossible to coach up. It's like kickers either got it or they don't, and right now, they don't. I hope that I'm wrong, but I don't see much evidence to contrary.

[Pudgepork]

Im not a sunshine pumper by any measure. I am a realist.


Tell me of a team with a new qb and new offensive line and new  tight end (last one was a star) in SEC history that won 9 games? I can't think of any.


We might be the first.

I like this team.


When defense dominates spring games... its a good thing historically fellas.

Any Alabama team.   They lose players each year with little drop off

[ifghog]

7-9 wins...Allen will be fine...I think our D is legit....If we win 9 then the rise just continues....a lot of unknowns though without a doubt....

[yraciv]

The people who overreact to a spring game amazes me.  I wonder how many Bama fans are afraid they won't be able to score after watching their game.  Some people play well, some don't, but either way it's a glorified scrimmage with very little of what you are going to see in the fall.  And it's the same for all other schools!

[PorkSoda]

7 wins I hope.  RB position is a giant step down so far.

I don't know, RWIII looked the part and whaley is coming this fall.

7 wins is probably a solid projection, thought I would love to beat TCU and make that 8 wins.

[PorkSoda]

Any Alabama team.   They lose players each year with little drop off

we aren't alabama.

[PorkSoda]

The people who overreact to a spring game amazes me.  I wonder how many Bama fans are afraid they won't be able to score after watching their game.  Some people play well, some don't, but either way it's a glorified scrimmage with very little of what you are going to see in the fall.  And it's the same for all other schools!

while true, its the only game action we fans have to go off of until sept.

[WilsonHog]

while true, its the only game action we fans have to go off of until sept.

While I understand that, fans ought to still be able to see it for what it is.

[yraciv]

while true, its the only game action we fans have to go off of until sept.

It's also the only footage our opponents will have of us going into the fall, so take that for what it's worth.

[Razorbackers]

7-5, and another rent-a-win bowl. 

In year four.

We lost a lot of senior leaders and major players on the offense.

7-8 wins would be a nice year imo for 2016.

2017, with a fair amount of the offense coming back and a fair amount of the defense coming back will be a deciding year for CBB.

[Biggus Piggus]

Brace yourself - we're going to face an onslaught of "year four"-based arguments from now through January. From the beginning, some fans wanted to peg 2016 as "the year," while others were shooting for '17.

I'd like to say that this is the year when the depth-building exercise really begins to kick in, but Pittman screwed the pooch too badly on Oline building. If the Oline is adequate, the overall team could be pretty good. That is a big if.

[12247]

I believe this team has 9 win talent but it isn't developed to that point yet and I don't expect it will be.  We have lots of green players with little or no actual game experience.  Often, this should not be the case as we've had opportunities to get, for example, Austin Allen some real game time in the past but chose not to.  Same with some other positions.  I have over estimated our win total the past 2 years so I hopefully have learned something, they aren't as good as I expected they would be.  So 6 to 7 wins with a couple of the losses coming as a direct result of poor coaching decisions.

[Großer Kriegschwein]

Brace yourself - we're going to face an onslaught of "year four"-based arguments from now through January. From the beginning, some fans wanted to peg 2016 as "the year," while others were shooting for '17.

I'd like to say that this is the year when the depth-building exercise really begins to kick in, but Pittman screwed the pooch too badly on Oline building. If the Oline is adequate, the overall team could be pretty good. That is a big if.

Just looking at the QB position, '17 looks to be the year. Austin could absolutely outplay Coker and still not win 9 games due to supporting staff and running back youth. I don't even mention defense.

Bottom line is you can't win the SEC without a QB that can keep you out of trouble. Coker pretty much did that, the rest of the team, and to a large extent Derrick Henry and Reggie Ragland did that.

[Biggus Piggus]

I believe this team has 9 win talent but it isn't developed to that point yet and I don't expect it will be.  We have lots of green players with little or no actual game experience.  Often, this should not be the case as we've had opportunities to get, for example, Austin Allen some real game time in the past but chose not to.  Same with some other positions.  I have over estimated our win total the past 2 years so I hopefully have learned something, they aren't as good as I expected they would be.  So 6 to 7 wins with a couple of the losses coming as a direct result of poor coaching decisions.

One good point here - The raw talent level is seldom equal to the usable talent level. We'll probably look back in wonder at this roster, someday.

Don't get the "poor coaching decisions" jab. Arkansas's games have not been decided by coaching decisions. Fans love to attribute massive weight to single plays that they probably misunderstand in the first place.

[ricepig]

One good point here - The raw talent level is seldom equal to the usable talent level. We'll probably look back in wonder at this roster, someday.

Don't get the "poor coaching decisions" jab. Arkansas's games have not been decided by coaching decisions. Fans love to attribute massive weight to single plays that they probably misunderstand in the first place.

It's a BB jab as opposed to BP, think nothing of it.

[DeltaBoy]

Nope I expect us to win a minimum of 7 this year.

[Pork Twain]

People finally see a practice on TV and lose their minds.

[lefty08]

People finally see a practice on TV and lose their minds.

Its entertaining , I'll admit that much

[Pork Twain]

Practice

[code red]

I expect a more wide open style next year.  More single back....and spread folks outta the box....7-5 is what i'd expect.

[PorkSoda]

We lost a lot of senior leaders and major players on the offense.

7-8 wins would be a nice year imo for 2016.

2017, with a fair amount of the offense coming back and a fair amount of the defense coming back will be a deciding year for CBB.

we will be losing a lot of WR's next year and sprinkle, so a lot will be on the young guys next year.  hopefully they get some playing time this year.

[SooiecidetillNuttgone]

I think 6-6 shows little faith, but that's you.

I'm closer to 7-6, but apparently that would still paint me as a pessimist despite be excited about the coming season and the growth of our young talent.

[ChitownHawg]

I'm closer to 7-6, but apparently that would still paint me as a pessimist despite be excited about the coming season and the growth of our young talent.

You a pessimist? Nah. You just afraid to step into the light. Come on step into the sunshine. 

[presidenthog]

nothing has changed. 6-8 wins is what I expected. 9 if we sneak out some explosive offense early with some jet sweeps that go the distance like Cornelius vs lsu, with bubble screens, or the oline improves dramatically over the summer. I expect us to be somewhat mediocre on offense early, that or middle of the packish. If the defense can be like 2014 (due to all the seniors just like that defense) we might get to 9. we have to beat A&M and tcu to get there.

just like every year we will start slow and end very strong in novembert. if we can win some early we might be in for a better year than we expect. the defense has to win those or the oline get it together over summer and fall.

[Hawgzinbowlz]

Best DL in a long time, one of the best WR groups in the SEC (maybe the best), an improving secondary with an excellent (upgrade) coach, better LB depth and quality (with the newcomers), a RB group that could develop nicely, an OL that needs to gel and a starting QB who is very familiar with the system and in his second year under a competent OC/QB Coach...and a second team QB who is better than we've had in a while.
We should rank 3-5 in the West.
8-9 wins wouldn't surprise. Less than 8 and more than 9 would be surprising.

" GO HOGS "

[westside_player]

One of my best friends is a fanatical Hog fan freak. He watched the red-white game live on TV and dvr'd it and watched it twice more over.  He had been telling me we were going to win 8-10 this year but Sunday night called me and broke down in to tears saying we would be lucky to win 6.

[Großer Kriegschwein]

One of my best friends is a fanatical Hog fan freak. He watched the red-white game live on TV and dvr'd it and watched it twice more over.  He had been telling me we were going to win 8-10 this year but Sunday night called me and broke down in to tears saying we would be lucky to win 6.

Emotionally unstable.

[Porked Tongue]

One of my best friends is a fanatical Hog fan freak. He watched the red-white game live on TV and dvr'd it and watched it twice more over.  He had been telling me we were going to win 8-10 this year but Sunday night called me and broke down in to tears saying we would be lucky to win 6.

Is this post in the 3rd person?

[Bigmac2]

I still expect to go to games, tailgate with friends, watch the team, root for the team, cry in the losses and celebrate in the victories. My expectations haven't changed at all. Going to be a fun season watching the newbies along with upper classmen. I do expect a better start than last year even with the early schedule we have.

[Smalltownhog95]

7-9 wins. I think the defense improves greatly from last year. It comes down to our offensive line, running backs, and Austin Allen.

[westside_player]

Emotionally unstable.

Yes. He knows football but he is emotionally unstable

[Pork Twain]

One of my best friends is a fanatical Hog fan freak. He watched the red-white game live on TV and dvr'd it and watched it twice more over.  He had been telling me we were going to win 8-10 this year but Sunday night called me and broke down in to tears saying we would be lucky to win 6.

Move and find some new friends

[Pork Twain]

Yes. He knows football but he is emotionally unstable

One of those statements is questionable and one is spot on.  Assuming anything based on a Spring scrimmage tells me he thinks he knows a lot more than he actually does.

[ChitownHawg]

One of my best friends is a fanatical Hog fan freak. He watched the red-white game live on TV and dvr'd it and watched it twice more over.  He had been telling me we were going to win 8-10 this year but Sunday night called me and broke down in to tears saying we would be lucky to win 6.

This is a joke - right? Crying over a spring practice?

[southeasthog]

One of my best friends is a fanatical Hog fan freak. He watched the red-white game live on TV and dvr'd it and watched it twice more over.  He had been telling me we were going to win 8-10 this year but Sunday night called me and broke down in to tears saying we would be lucky to win 6.

[Inhogswetrust]

People finally see a practice on TV and lose their minds.

They would be down right suicidal if they were allowed to watch all practices!

[Inhogswetrust]

Move and find some new friends

Some rational, logical, less emotional and smarter.