Arkansas: Needs to win, and win now

[goodguytex]

There are some Razorback fans, that are still so ticked off at Jeff Long for firing Petrino and in their minds destroying our path to a NC and consistently winning big, that they want Bielema gone for many reasons, many made up in their minds, out of hate and bad feelings. Only way to drown out people like them is just to win and keep winning. I wonder who our QB will be next year. But we have talent at the position to backup BA. I look forward to seeing what coach Enos does with these guys.

[HappyHogFan]

Iowa, not Iowa State, but otherwise you are correct. Even if we wanted to fire him, can't afford it.

Oh, that's been said time and time again, yet when it comes down to it the schools fire those guys. If he won like 5 games each of the next 2 seasons, he's fired, I don't care what his buyout is.

[BOAR_N2BWILD]

I am not as worried about QB development now that Enos is here. I like his experience at developing QBs. I thought Cheney was by not very good at coaching mechanics but have already seen improvement in Allen and feel confident our next QB will be ready.

[Augustus]

Oh, that's been said time and time again, yet when it comes down to it the schools fire those guys. If he won like 5 games each of the next 2 seasons, he's fired, I don't care what his buyout is.

So... if Bret did go 5 wins for the next 2 years... you'd be ok with dropping $20+ Million just to replace him (Bret's buyout + plus whatever the new Coach's buyout is from his current job)? And, then, we gotta come up with $3.5-$4+ Million/year to pay the new coach?

You might be ok with that.  I seriously doubt the 'big money' people funding all of that would be.

Bret will be here until after we see the results of the 2017 season. I guarantee it. Jeff Long guaranteed it, when he updated the buyout clause. 

Unless, of course, Bret does something (like Petrino) that causes our Program to fire him for cause... and, not "for convenience"

[Jek Tono Porkins]

Oh, that's been said time and time again, yet when it comes down to it the schools fire those guys. If he won like 5 games each of the next 2 seasons, he's fired, I don't care what his buyout is.

$15 million? That would be the second-largest college football buyout in history, behind only Charlie Weis who got bought out for $18.9 mil. Bo Pelini is second with $7.9 mil. Weis was fired because he laid a brick in his third year, going 3-9, and over the next two seasons lost to the likes of Syracuse, Boston College, and Navy.

Bielema is in the SEC West. First of all, he's not going to lose 5 games each of the next two seasons, it's just not gonna happen. But if he did, he's in the toughest division of the toughest conference in America. Secondly, Long is in charge. Bielema is Long's man. That's not a bad thing, AD support for the program is integral and is paying off. Look what happened with Pelini and the Nebraska AD. I really don't like Long would fire Bielema before year 7. The only way he would fire Bielema in year 3 or 4 is if Bielema completely rams the program into the ground or crashes his motorcycle with a hot blonde on the back. Seeing as Bielema A) Would probably wear out the shocks on a bike fairly quickly, B) Already has a hot blonde wife, and C) Is running this program better than it's been ran in 20 years, the former and the latter are equally unlikely.

[lefty08]

luckily it wont happe and we will never know

[HoneyNuttPetrinoos]

If White and Agim are hogs then next year might even be better than this year.  You will still have 2 good backs and 5 TEs to throw to and a hand full of receivers with experience.  The defense will be murders row and the best defense we will have seen in 9-10 years.

[HappyHogFan]

$15 million? That would be the second-largest college football buyout in history, behind only Charlie Weis who got bought out for $18.9 mil. Bo Pelini is second with $7.9 mil. Weis was fired because he laid a brick in his third year, going 3-9, and over the next two seasons lost to the likes of Syracuse, Boston College, and Navy.

Bielema is in the SEC West. First of all, he's not going to lose 5 games each of the next two seasons, it's just not gonna happen. But if he did, he's in the toughest division of the toughest conference in America. Secondly, Long is in charge. Bielema is Long's man. That's not a bad thing, AD support for the program is integral and is paying off. Look what happened with Pelini and the Nebraska AD. I really don't like Long would fire Bielema before year 7. The only way he would fire Bielema in year 3 or 4 is if Bielema completely rams the program into the ground or crashes his motorcycle with a hot blonde on the back. Seeing as Bielema A) Would probably wear out the shocks on a bike fairly quickly, B) Already has a hot blonde wife, and C) Is running this program better than it's been ran in 20 years, the former and the latter are equally unlikely.

Oh , I don't thnk it will happen either, I was merely saying that the buyout won't stop him from being fired if he doesn't perform up to expectations for whatever reason.

The Razorback Foundation would come up with the money.

[NuttinItUp]

Long would get fired before Bielema. His buyout isn't nearly as large.

[12247]

I don't believe that BB is on any hotseat nor is he likely to get there any time soon.  Long hired the man and it appears he was Long's choice.  BB wins 6 or 7 games and he's good to go through at least the 16 season.

I don't see much difference in the 15 team and the 16 team from a wins point of view.  Hopefully Enos will get a second QB some training.  It is far more than awful that after 25 games over 2 years, we don't have a #2 QB that our coaches dare install into a game.  Even in a run first offense, the QB is important and to not have a useable backup is not acceptable.

I hope BA makes me eat my thoughts about him but I just do not believe in him to a level of us winning much with him in charge.  We likely will play 5 teams this season that have better talent than we do and 5 that we are simply better than.  That leaves 2 that are about our size.  Can we win those 7 games that we should win?  Then can we just go out and beat from 1 to 3 of those teams that are more talented than we are.  Other than several of the SEC teams will start the season a bit short on QB experience, I see no reason to believe we can win a game against any of those teams who have us out talented.  I further worry that the teams we play equal to may not turn out wins.  Because we are developing depth over time, I expect the 2016 season to be about the same as the 15 season unless a new starting QB ends up being REAL UNCOMMON and pulls a win or 2 from the jaws of defeat.

[Gabrielhog]

Arkansas will be fine in 2016, despite losses, because of the improving depth situation. This is the kind of story that Team Speed Kills loves to do. Crackpot nitpicking from afar without any research beyond scanning a roster.

This^^^.  Once again the national media proves itself dense, thick and self-absored.   Not just sports, either.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

I am not as worried about QB development now that Enos is here. I like his experience at developing QBs. I thought Cheney was by not very good at coaching mechanics but have already seen improvement in Allen and feel confident our next QB will be ready.

I agree with this but what I want to see, like many others, is the development of the #2 and #3 QB this season. When we get big leads, say 21 to 28 points in the 3rd quarter, I'd like to see BA on the sideline and allow these other kids to get some considerable experience this year in mop up duty. And I don't care if that winds up being AA or RP or both at times. We may need that experience later in the season (I hope not) but we will certainly benefit from that next season.

[Kevin]

too even mention cbb is anywhere near the hot seat just shows the hypocrisy of some hogville posters

[southeasthog]

I agree with this but what I want to see, like many others, is the development of the #2 and #3 QB this season. When we get big leads, say 21 to 28 points in the 3rd quarter, I'd like to see BA on the sideline and allow these other kids to get some considerable experience this year in mop up duty. And I don't care if that winds up being AA or RP or both at times. We may need that experience later in the season (I hope not) but we will certainly benefit from that next season.

I agree with this. Get the #2 in games and let him run the offense. Not just hand the ball off every time. At some point, the backup QB is going to be needed. If BA stays healthy all year then the game reps will help going into next season.

[Biggus Piggus]

There are some Razorback fans, that are still so ticked off at Jeff Long for firing Petrino and in their minds destroying our path to a NC and consistently winning big, that they want Bielema gone for many reasons, many made up in their minds, out of hate and bad feelings. Only way to drown out people like them is just to win and keep winning. I wonder who our QB will be next year. But we have talent at the position to backup BA. I look forward to seeing what coach Enos does with these guys.

Those bitter "fans" refuse to acknowledge that Petrino had the program positioned for decline before he left. Might have been able to avoid it, if recruiting would have improved dramatically, immediately.

[HF#1]

He has been building depth every year for 4 years.  I know it's hard to see it because we have virtually never done it this way.  That is why I'm not worried about replacing Flowers, Philon, and Spaight.  We've got guys behind them that have been developing physically and mentally.  I have 110% confidence they are ready to go.  I also trust Coach Smith. 

As others in the thread have stated, Bielema is close to having us reload every year rather than rebuild.  For the first time in a long time, I'm genuinely not concerned about the future, at all.

[goodguytex]

Those bitter "fans" refuse to acknowledge that Petrino had the program positioned for decline before he left. Might have been able to avoid it, if recruiting would have improved dramatically, immediately.

Well yeah, that's a great point. Petrino was pretty good at reloading in skill positions. But even there, the lack of consistent recruiting and retention were sure to catch up with us. And they did. As well as off the field issues. They caught up, snowballed our program, and Bielema had to jackhammer and clear away the cracked, broken foundation and rebuild from foundation up. And we start really reaping the benefits from that this year.

[Lake City Hog]

Offensively 2016 looks like it could be pretty much business as usual, depending on QB development.
We return:
QB--3-- 1 with some game experience and a very highly thought of Freshman
RB--5-- 1 is a current 1000 yd rusher and 1 is a highly recruited Freshman
OL--12- Several are starters/backups and several are newcomers
TE--4-- LOADED!
WR--9-- LOADED!
I am not considering any early departures, I think that we often grade our own guys higher than the NFL does!

IF Enos can develop one of the 3 guys on the bench to replace BA at about an 80% rate we should be pretty darned competitive. Look at the SEC this year and see just how many teams are starting young QB's. We simply cannot let that become an excuse.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Well yeah, that's a great point. Petrino was pretty good at reloading in skill positions. But even there, the lack of consistent recruiting and retention were sure to catch up with us. And they did. As well as off the field issues. They caught up, snowballed our program, and Bielema had to jackhammer and clear away the cracked, broken foundation and rebuild from foundation up. And we start really reaping the benefits from that this year.

I'm not sure, just speculating here and open to input from all of you, but I think that Petrino was so confident that he could take lesser players and coach them into being better players that he didn't feel the need to recruit at high levels. In fact, I think it was a part of his ego that he felt that he could do this. I also think that to some extent, he found as a HC in the SEC that he wasn't going to be able to pull this off at this level.

By the same token, I think that Bielema had an epiphany after arriving at Arkansas that he was going to have to recruit at a higher level than he ever had before in order to build and sustain success at this level. He still looks for those kids that are perhaps overlooked and diamonds in the rough, but I think he also pursues the more highly ranked kids that he feels will fit the team culture and work ethic. I think that is why you see some highly ranked kids not pursued as strongly as we might hope at times. This staff has done their due diligence in evaluating these kids and even having done that, there are going to be some that we land and some that we don't.

I think that the difference here is that Bielema isn't rolling the dice on so many kids as Petrino possibly did.

[Vantage 8 dude]

While I think we'd all agree that while it would be wonderful to realistically expect a SECW (and perhaps even an SEC) title this year, I think at this point it's somewhat unlikely. Doubtless the talent is definitely being upgraded and that staff appears to some of the best assembled in a long time; however, there are still some pieces missing (quality depth at all positions) and another challenging road schedule to think this is a "make or break" year for CBB.

I think what most of us fans want, and expect, is to see continued progress on the field with several SEC road wins this season along with a winning home field record. That would likely get us to somewhere around 7-5/8-4 for the regular season with a likely decent bowl game (and win) to go. Along with continued progress in recruiting AND in the class room I believe the program's future looks bright indeed.  :razorback: :razorback:

[The Kig]

wear and tear is the biggest enemy of a RB.

This.  One of the single biggest reasons RBs have a smaller # of early round picks than in the past.  RBs are the tires of a team... and while mileage may vary, the tread has a life expectancy.

[HappyHogFan]

I agree with this but what I want to see, like many others, is the development of the #2 and #3 QB this season. When we get big leads, say 21 to 28 points in the 3rd quarter, I'd like to see BA on the sideline and allow these other kids to get some considerable experience this year in mop up duty. And I don't care if that winds up being AA or RP or both at times. We may need that experience later in the season (I hope not) but we will certainly benefit from that next season.

Agree with this 100% . It's great if Enos can make BA better this year, but just as important is, can he get SOMEONE ready for next year? If CBB is going to win on a regular basis he will have to get to the point where we have a number 2 QB who can step in and be THE guy at a moment's notice, let alone at the beginning of the season in which he is scheduled to start.

So far, we haven't seen that. In fact, last year we seen the opposite, an injured BA was kept in the game because we didn't have any other player on the team who the staff had any confidence in, who's fault was that?

I THINK Enos will rectify that though.

[HappyHogFan]

I'm not sure, just speculating here and open to input from all of you, but I think that Petrino was so confident that he could take lesser players and coach them into being better players that he didn't feel the need to recruit at high levels. In fact, I think it was a part of his ego that he felt that he could do this. I also think that to some extent, he found as a HC in the SEC that he wasn't going to be able to pull this off at this level.

By the same token, I think that Bielema had an epiphany after arriving at Arkansas that he was going to have to recruit at a higher level than he ever had before in order to build and sustain success at this level. He still looks for those kids that are perhaps overlooked and diamonds in the rough, but I think he also pursues the more highly ranked kids that he feels will fit the team culture and work ethic. I think that is why you see some highly ranked kids not pursued as strongly as we might hope at times. This staff has done their due diligence in evaluating these kids and even having done that, there are going to be some that we land and some that we don't.

I think that the difference here is that Bielema isn't rolling the dice on so many kids as Petrino possibly did.

Very true, I think both coaches came to Arkansas thinking they could recruit just the same as they had at their previous schools and be just fine.

Both were proven wrong. In the SEC coaching alone will not win, you MUST have a certain level of talent to work with. I don't think Petrino had the personality, or the desire, to get those level of kids to Arkansas. I think Bielema does. We're not there yet, but he's obviously making inroads.

Another obvious difference is Petrino's offense relied more on skill players than Bielema's does and he concentrated on those players at the expense of lineman and such.

Which Bielema is completely the opposite, and believes that OL are the key to a stout offense.

And of course there different philosophies concerning defense. To me , that is the key, I said it even when Nutt was here, we need a DEFENSE first coach at Arkansas. We're never going to be the major destination of skill position players, so we need a super strong defense and a solid offense.

We finally have that coach.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Very true, I think both coaches came to Arkansas thinking they could recruit just the same as they had at their previous schools and be just fine.

Both were proven wrong. In the SEC coaching alone will not win, you MUST have a certain level of talent to work with. I don't think Petrino had the personality, or the desire, to get those level of kids to Arkansas. I think Bielema does. We're not there yet, but he's obviously making inroads.

Another obvious difference is Petrino's offense relied more on skill players than Bielema's does and he concentrated on those players at the expense of lineman and such.

Which Bielema is completely the opposite, and believes that OL are the key to a stout offense.

And of course there different philosophies concerning defense. To me , that is the key, I said it even when Nutt was here, we need a DEFENSE first coach at Arkansas. We're never going to be the major destination of skill position players, so we need a super strong defense and a solid offense.

We finally have that coach.

I'll disagree on one point, I think we can eventually become a "destination school" for players that want to go to the NFL. Why do I say this?

The NFL wants big, mobile, aggressive O-Linemen that can both run and pass block, equally as well.

They also want receivers that can not only run disciplined patterns, but who can gaina step or two and bend routes to the open spots between coverage levels and the catch the ball. This is where we are headed.

They want RB's that not only can see the hole and have the vision to run hard to daylight, but who can also step up and pass block when required to do so.

They want big, mobile and quick TE's that can not only run block, but present themselves as a receiving threat.

I'll let you guys finish this out in other positions, but I see Bielema building a team that is perfect for NFL teams to pick from simply because they will be so prepared to make the move to the next level without having to learn and adapt to higher degree over a longer time frame.

[goodguytex]

Big key is having a plan you can execute. Don't deviate from it If you know people in the chain of command are supporting you. Stay on track but at the same time don't be arrogant where you won't listen to others input. Petrino had a problem in that area. Nutt did too. They both wanted to surround themselves with people who they had known and worked with before who would pretty much yield to them on everything.

Bielema isn't like that. He surrounds himself, or tries to, with the best at doing their jobs. And gets out of their way and let them do it, with input and help from them. But he holds them accountable, and isn't afraid to help friends find opportunities elsewhere when he can see what they are doing isn't working. That shows great character to me.

[HappyHogFan]

I'll disagree on one point, I think we can eventually become a "destination school" for players that want to go to the NFL. Why do I say this?

The NFL wants big, mobile, aggressive O-Linemen that can both run and pass block, equally as well.

They also want receivers that can not only run disciplined patterns, but who can gaina step or two and bend routes to the open spots between coverage levels and the catch the ball. This is where we are headed.

They want RB's that not only can see the hole and have the vision to run hard to daylight, but who can also step up and pass block when required to do so.

They want big, mobile and quick TE's that can not only run block, but present themselves as a receiving threat.

I'll let you guys finish this out in other positions, but I see Bielema building a team that is perfect for NFL teams to pick from simply because they will be so prepared to make the move to the next level without having to learn and adapt to higher degree over a longer time frame.

I meant a destination for skill position players. Not saying we won't get a few, and certainly we can be a school that develops NFL players, but we're never going to be the school that has its pick of the top QB and WR recruits in the country, for example.

And that's okay, we don't have to be to win.

[Fatty McGee]

Oh , I don't thnk it will happen either, I was merely saying that the buyout won't stop him from being fired if he doesn't perform up to expectations for whatever reason.

The Razorback Foundation would come up with the money.

The whole money situation will probably change within two years as we sort through the aftermath of the recent court rulings.  Coaches salaries may level off as the talent starts getting a little here and there.

[ricepig]

The whole money situation will probably change within two years as we sort through the aftermath of the recent court rulings.  Coaches salaries may level off as the talent starts getting a little here and there.

Doubtful, we'll just raise ticket, cable, and tuition prices, lol.

[gmarv]

man what a great discussion.the only thing I would point out is theres a lot of "experts" saying we won,t be able to replace the big 3 on defense from last year.my guess is that's not the thought of most of us on hogville.
now we got a "expert" already saying were not gonna be able to replace players from this coming year.