The Precarious State of the Program

[Potosihog]

I am typically a very optimistic guy.  However, the state of this football program concerns me beyond CBB's tenure.

2 years ago I was happy with the idea of player retention.  The idea of not signing full classes because our guys were sticking around seemed like a good thing.  But take a look at the current situation:

1. We are "planning" to sign around 15 in this class.
2. Odds are we could lose some of the better commitments we have before this thing is done.
3. With low numbers, misses on recruiting will have more impact.
4. Our current retention doesn't seem to be creating developed players who came in as 3 stars but develop into 5 stars as we have all hoped for.
5. History has shown having one disastrous recruiting year can set a program back significantly.

Even if CBB leaves this year, as most of us agree should happen, the view looking forward is frightening.  This year could prove to have the same impact as significant NCAA sanctions typically have on a program.

Add to those things the reality of many potential coaches looking at our current situation and saying "no thanks".  We have a lack of team speed which has been more and more entrenched over the past 5 years.   We seem to have had inconsistent recruiting philosophies.  For example, Pitman recruited one type of OL and CBB in the last couple years has focused on what he called a more "Wisconsin" type line.

We did appear to answer some of the serious concerns about DBs in our last class so that helps some.  We have talent at RB.  We believe we have talent at QB.  Other than those positions we are looking at a total rebuild imo.

None of us are going to be happy with another "5-6 year plan".  Unless we catch lightening in a bottle with an unknown coach, it could be a while before we are good again.  The test will be progress.  Can we sustain improvement year to year?  I sure hope so.

[jkstock04]

I started a thread a couple of days ago about "the rebuild" but nobody really wanted to take on the subject. If you have listended to the pro Bielema people the past few years they would have you believe our recruiting and depth is unlike we have seen since joining the SEC. Thats no exaggeration, that's been pushed hard.

I'm actually open to the idea that's half ass true and all we need is a good coach to come in and organize this thing. If it's as bad as you paint it out (which I am afraid of in the back of my mind) this could be just as bad of a death sentence or worse than we have already faced the past 5 years.

[Boss Hog in the Arkansas]

Cant disagree with anything you said. Its been clear for a while that guys aren't been developed. Every year we have a 4* player come in and looks promising as a freshman then seem like they get worse in year 2.

[Cambridge Hog]

Although inexperienced, several of our WRs appear like explosive playmakers that a creative coach could leverage. Could be a pretty quick turnaround on offense.

[Pig in the Pokey]

Cant disagree with anything you said. Its been clear for a while that guys aren't been developed. Every year we have a 4* player come in and looks promising as a freshman then seem like they get worse in year 2.

guys, Fatboy is a deadmanwalking. It's all good.

[LRRandy]

Who really knows how good the depth is or if it has all just been positive spin (fake news). There probably is quite a bit of quality talent on the roster that is just being mismanaged. BB acts like a beat dog. Flinching at every movement. It seems he has lost the ability to get this team in position to win. I do know Arkansas is a great job. The facilities are top notch. There is money available to aquire nearly anything a coach would need. The fan base is as passionate as any in the country. There will be a good coach eager to come to this program and take on the challenge. A fresh approach may light the fires in the players that BB appears to be unable to light. The challenge is great, but Arkansas has a lot to offer a guy that can come in and work hard to develop a winning culture. Who would that coach be? I don't know. There is one out there though. Arkansas just needs to find him.

[Boss Hog in the Arkansas]

guys, Fatboy is a deadmanwalking. It's all good.

And that is happening at the worst time possible. This is the year where we have a small recruiting class. If bielema is forced out I would expect several of those guys to jump ship. The new coach would be forced to sign guys in a hurry and the class would be horrible

[Pig in the Pokey]

And that is happening at the worst time possible. This is the year where we have a small recruiting class. If bielema is forced out I would expect several of those guys to jump ship. The new coach would be forced to sign guys in a hurry and the class would be horrible

nope. BEST time, we have the new recruiting rules this year- early signing period. Our class will be locked in in early december, then fatty walks. New guy will have about 6 schollies to work with, presumably to bring in his guys from wherever he is currently coaching (*cough wazzoo*). we straight. And Long knows this is his last hire if it isn't a home run at least on paper.

[DeltaBoy]

We are in BAD SHAPE Ie Nutt"s 2 year pass.

[#1Fan]

He's turning us into the Illinois or Oregon State of the SEC, for years to come.

[wildhogman]

nope. BEST time, we have the new recruiting rules this year- early signing period. Our class will be locked in in early december, then fatty walks. New guy will have about 6 schollies to work with, presumably to bring in his guys from wherever he is currently coaching (*cough wazzoo*). we straight. And Long knows this is his last hire if it isn't a home run at least on paper.

I could be wrong, but until they actually attend classes the schollie is not locked, or else that's wht I have thought in past

[woodrow hog call]

Who really knows how good the depth is or if it has all just been positive spin (fake news). There probably is quite a bit of quality talent on the roster that is just being mismanaged. BB acts like a beat dog. Flinching at every movement. It seems he has lost the ability to get this team in position to win. I do know Arkansas is a great job. The facilities are top notch. There is money available to aquire nearly anything a coach would need. The fan base is as passionate as any in the country. There will be a good coach eager to come to this program and take on the challenge. A fresh approach may light the fires in the players that BB appears to be unable to light. The challenge is great, but Arkansas has a lot to offer a guy that can come in and work hard to develop a winning culture. Who would that coach be? I don't know. There is one out there though. Arkansas just needs to find him.

^^^^^^^This is how I feel as well, I think new energy and new competition for every position, and we will see some guys step up. Even though CBB hasn't gotten it done here, the fact remains that the statement of "he's building it the right way" is correct. Get a high energy guy with great organizational skills and a solid structure that he has developed and knows what he wants, and DEMANDS, out every person involved in the program and we could be right back in the 9-10 win range in a hurry.

[trphog]

Although inexperienced, several of our WRs appear like explosive playmakers that a creative coach could leverage. Could be a pretty quick turnaround on offense.

I agree. Without looking, I believe our entire current starting offense will be back next year sans AA and Frank. As well as more than half of our starting defense. You also have a QB in Cole who has at least taken some meaningful snaps and several 4-stars on the roster who just haven't seem to "pan out." While I have no faith in Coach B to have any success with this experience, some coach out there is going to look at this team and think he can at least be semi-successful with them next year.

[Redhogs]

Who really knows how good the depth is or if it has all just been positive spin (fake news). There probably is quite a bit of quality talent on the roster that is just being mismanaged. BB acts like a beat dog. Flinching at every movement. It seems he has lost the ability to get this team in position to win. I do know Arkansas is a great job. The facilities are top notch. There is money available to aquire nearly anything a coach would need. The fan base is as passionate as any in the country. There will be a good coach eager to come to this program and take on the challenge. A fresh approach may light the fires in the players that BB appears to be unable to light. The challenge is great, but Arkansas has a lot to offer a guy that can come in and work hard to develop a winning culture. Who would that coach be? I don't know. There is one out there though. Arkansas just needs to find him.

Bravo!!  +1000%

[jkstock04]

I agree. Without looking, I believe our entire current starting offense will be back next year sans AA and Frank. As well as more than half of our starting defense. You also have a QB in Cole who has at least taken some meaningful snaps and several 4-stars on the roster who just haven't seem to "pan out." While I have no faith in Coach B to have any success with this experience, some coach out there is going to look at this team and think he can at least be semi-successful with them next year.

See this sounds....pretty good. Paints a different picture than the OP. The truth as usual will probably wind up somewhere in the middle.

[PLHawg]

I don't think things are precarious as the OP is stating.  We can only take 15 this recruiting class for a reason, because we have too many existing bodies to take more.  At the end of the day numbers are numbers, it's not like we're going into next year with 65 guys on scholarship.  We have guys on this team that have ability, that were quality players in high school, but unfortunately have not had any development under this staff.  We need fresh blood to come in here, light the fire under these guys and inspire them with a new system that gives them the opportunity to succeed.  The guys on our team are like beaten dogs right now, they have no hope and they play like it.

[12247]

Honestly, I believe we have 8 win talent on this team right now.  They have been brain raped and will need a complete overhaul as to mental status and attitude.  These Kids can learn quickly and hopefully return to the lighthearted Kids they were coming here from High School.  Put them in a system that stands a chance of being successful here and they just might fool everyone.  I would expect a new coach to sift through the scholarship players and some may have to be terminated, but I bet that is very few.  These Guys didn't get their rankings from BB.  Those rankings were for the most part earned. 

Our overall program is about where it was starting the 2013 season.  Mixed up mental state, bad attitudes, no hope.  An energetic young coach could have a chance at turning that around.  We need a coach that can utilize the time alotted for on the field to healing broken dreams, teaching new ways, building mental states, showing leadership.  We need to get this man started ASAP.  If the new Guy knew he was the new Guy right now, the 2017/18 recruits could be salvaged.  There may be a lot of the currently committed Kids that a new Guy would not want.

Knowing how Arkansas does things, we will wait until its too late to salvage anything and too late for finding the right fit or let Long make the call and totally miss the right fit.  Thats us, poor little ole Arkansaw.

[Razorbackers]

I agree. Without looking, I believe our entire current starting offense will be back next year sans AA and Frank. As well as more than half of our starting defense. You also have a QB in Cole who has at least taken some meaningful snaps and several 4-stars on the roster who just haven't seem to "pan out." While I have no faith in Coach B to have any success with this experience, some coach out there is going to look at this team and think he can at least be semi-successful with them next year.

Thank you.

You can say what you want about player development, but the fact is, Bielema has signed good classes while at Arkansas. Whatever coach comes in isn't going to have to do a complete rebuild, and the team isn't going to be in shambles and full of troublemakers like when CBB got here. Bielema will leave the program better than when he found it, and our last 2 coaches (not counting JLS) can't really say that.

[Potosihog]

Oh I get the numbers are numbers thing.  My point is that with other coaches if a kid isn't going to develop, he gets a tour of a new campus and a good luck letter.  Because CBB doesn't operate that way it is possible we have several players on the roster who will not develop into SEC players even by year 4 or 5.

So if we have 85 players but only 55 of those have any chance of contributing it feels like scholarship reductions.

Other coaches sign 25 every year and cull.  Yes sometimes they may send a kid down the road who would have developed into a fine player in time.  I'm just hoping we don't have a lot of carp in the basket.

One thing is for sure.  If we get a new coach and he immediately shows major progress with the players he inherits, it will be evidence to the world that CBB was never going to get it done here.

[woodrow hog call]

Look at the last couple of years, all of the games where we had a win in hand if we don't just melt like warm butter in the second half. The players we have/had on the roster were absolutely good enough to win those games, no ifs and or buts about it, we have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory time and time again.

So the talent was good enough to get the lead, but not good enough to keep it?  I don't buy that.

Lets rewrite history for the last two seasons plus the season so far this year, put a W in there everywhere we actually had the game in hand and see what our record is, now let's say we heard that CBB is leaving at the end of the year to go back up north.

How do you feel about a new coach coming in with the talent we have on hand now?

[Al Boarland]

Your concerns are warranted, OP. There will be a number of jobs open and after CBB's failure any proven and some unproven coaches are not going to want to come here. Now more than ever it's apparent that a few programs are getting all the talent. The program has now been set back for a number of years.

[PLHawg]

Your concerns are warranted, OP. There will be a number of jobs open and after CBB's failure any proven and some unproven coaches are not going to want to come here. Now more than ever it's apparent that a few programs are getting all the talent. The program has now been set back for a number of years.

I don't think CBB's failure is necessarily a strike against our program like some think.  We haven't toiled in mediocrity for years and years - HDN had success here, BP had success here.  I would be curious how highly CBB is held in regards in coaching circles, if I'm guessing probably not that highly.  As it stands right now we're in between a stepping-stone program and a destination program and I think there's a lot of things that makes us an attractive opportunity, recruiting challenges notwithstanding.  Let's face it, there's like maybe 10 - 15 "destination programs" and how many of those come open in a given year?  I think there are certain candidates that will be attracted to this opportunity and others won't be given their background, geographic connection, etc.  I do think we will have to be realistic with our expectations on who we will ultimately be able to land, but I'm definitely optimistic that we can get someone that will inject some energy and optimism, and ultimately success into not only our team, but our fanbase as well.

[Bacons Rebellion]

I started a thread a couple of days ago about "the rebuild" but nobody really wanted to take on the subject. If you have listended to the pro Bielema people the past few years they would have you believe our recruiting and depth is unlike we have seen since joining the SEC. Thats no exaggeration, that's been pushed hard.

I'm actually open to the idea that's half ass true and all we need is a good coach to come in and organize this thing. If it's as bad as you paint it out (which I am afraid of in the back of my mind) this could be just as bad of a death sentence or worse than we have already faced the past 5 years.

I decided a while back that "Great depth" can mean "Our starters aren't anything special compared to anybody else."

As in, I truthfully think our offensive line has good depth.

[12247]

BB could coach for the next 10 years and he won't leave the next coach any better than Petrino left when he parted.  Nutt left about what he would have left any time he departed.  I believe we had a few stars that went on to the next level instead of sticking around and playing Petrinos first year.  Anyway, I said I think we have 8 win talent on hand right now if we had a coach.  These Guys are in total mental breakdown and there is no hope in sight.  This HC and his staff do not know how to prepare a team mentally.

[Wildhog]

R-E-L-A-X