I Applaud our Players’ Effort

[gchamblee]

I think the difference was leadership. With Cole being the starting QB he is a natural leader and he commanded the offense with confidence and toughness. On defense, I think Santos has become the leader we needed on that side of the ball. Leadership can change the attitude of the entire team. CBB has been saying we need leaders to emerge and you can't just annoint someone a leader, they have to take it.

Those that find fault with CBB in last nights game are just being desperate in their hatred. He was aggressive and had his boys ready to play. They were just overmatched. He also did an excellent job with his timeouts and clock management. The whole team looked better last night and it would have been more obvious if we weren't playing the best team in the country.

CBB needs to leave Cole in as the starter from here on out. He showed the leadership and talent last night that this team needs. Those that claimed our backup would suck because he didn't get meaningful snaps in previous games look stupid now. Cole looked prepared and unintimidated. I am proud of his performance. If we have a new coach next year, Cole is a great QB to build a new system around.

[Vantage 8 dude]

Why applaud them?  They lost, why give them an A for effort?  It's bizarre to me, it's like you are giving them a trophy for coming in last.   We have to stop doing that, these kids need to know that they are not even close to where they need to be to compete in this league.

Remember when Steve went to SC and he called out the fans for applauding after a loss?  He's 100% correct, it's a loser mentality and it has to stop here.

Well one has to start somewhere. We sure the heck won't have any chance of winning against the vast majority of our schedule if we don't at least have the effort and desire. We obviously don't have the overall talent and coaching to overcome less than top flight effort and attitude.

[gchamblee]

it is easy to identify the fans that are upset when positive change occurs under cbb. i want to improve and dont really care who gets credit for it.

[Oklahawg]

it is easy to identify the fans that are upset when positive change occurs under cbb. i want to improve and dont really care who gets credit for it.

Good post.

[Oklahawg]

I did not watch the game. Nevertheless, glad to hear that they played as you describe. Curious as to why the players picked this game to give it 110%. I have yet to see them really hustle, fly to the ball, and gang tackle on defense, and have yet to see the O line seem like it knows the plays and gives a dang. The entire team has always looked hesitant, as if they are not sure what to do on each called play.

Good post. I think if you watch the last three quarters you see all that you ask for. I would have preferred to not encounter the wrath of Nick (aka, football god) in the first quarter but his players were motivated to humiliate whomever they played.

[Oklahawg]

Bama, as noted by the TV commentators, continues to separate itself from the rest of the SEC. Looking at the rest of college football, there is one Bama, 4-5 contenders (betting no one from the Pac 12 gets into that list), and a bunch of solid teams who are going to be 8-10 win teams (but may luck into more).

Losing to them big means we are still not there. But, we rarely are there. And, few are.

[Malvin]

So our players go out and risk life and limb for your entertainment and you have the balls to sit on your couch and criticize them and the fans who appreciate their efforts.
        Coaches are fair game but the players are taking a lot of grief from so called fans like you.  You realize that no matter who the coaches are next year these are the players we have to work with.  Unless you're proposing that we kick everyone off the team and start over with 25 new scholarship players and 80 walkons

First off this isn't Iraq, they are taking a risk but it's not for me or any of the fans.. you need to make sure you get that clear.  They are taking the risk because for most it pays for their school and the school will go out of its way to get them a degree.  It also is a stepping stone for life for them, even the many that don't go to the NFL will be able to use the fact that they played at the U of A as a first step into just about any job they go after. 

Second thing is this is not lower division football, if the players wanted to go somewhere just to get a degree and 'have fun' playing football than there are many other lower division schools or even weaker conferences for them to go to.  Arkansas is not one of them, we play in the strongest conference year in and year out and if you come here you are going to be playing against players who are the best of the best at this level.  So when you decide to come here you need to dedicate yourself to playing at this level and if you aren't willing to do that then why are you here?

This is part of the issue I have, the U of A is giving these kids tremendous opportunity and resources to play at this level but the coaches and the fans are not holding them accountable.  I'm not talking about being a bad football team here, I'm talking about not being prepared for the season and the totality of the situation.  Getting destroyed by Alabama hurts in a normal year... for us it's now the expectation.  But getting destroyed by SC? TCU?  Not being able to run our offensive at will against the cupcake teams?  Come on, there is only so much lipstick you can put on a pig.

I'm not calling out specific players because we do have to keep in mind that they are armatures.  But it's 100% valid to call out the entire team when our QB leads the nation in getting hit/sacked over the past 2 years.  It's okay to call out the entire team when blow so many 2nd half leads.  It's 100% valid to call out the team when they struggle against non conference teams.. weak non conference teams.

You know, you can blame a lot on the coaches but here is something you can't.  When you play a non conference team who nobody has heard of, they basically have to take a bus cross country to get to the stadium because they have no money, no resources and have every disadvantage in the world.. but yet we can't run our plays at will, we aren't steamrolling them from the first play of the game?  That's not on coaches, teams like that the coaches and scheme doesn't matter.. the players should be blowing them off the line of scrimmage.  That's on the players, we shouldn't give them a trophy for that.

[Malvin]

Band nerd (good name, by the way), As a player, I would hate to have 75 K of your type in the stands jeering for me...

That name is auto assigned based on the number of posts that you have, sorry I don't spend every minute of the week posting here.  Sounds like you must be of the younger generation that looks for praise for delivering mediocrity, you feel comfortable being in last place in SEC.  I get it, I can see why you would hate fans like me.   

[rogers-hog]

First off this isn't Iraq, they are taking a risk but it's not for me or any of the fans.. you need to make sure you get that clear.  They are taking the risk because for most it pays for their school and the school will go out of its way to get them a degree.  It also is a stepping stone for life for them, even the many that don't go to the NFL will be able to use the fact that they played at the U of A as a first step into just about any job they go after. 

Second thing is this is not lower division football, if the players wanted to go somewhere just to get a degree and 'have fun' playing football than there are many other lower division schools or even weaker conferences for them to go to.  Arkansas is not one of them, we play in the strongest conference year in and year out and if you come here you are going to be playing against players who are the best of the best at this level.  So when you decide to come here you need to dedicate yourself to playing at this level and if you aren't willing to do that then why are you here?

This is part of the issue I have, the U of A is giving these kids tremendous opportunity and resources to play at this level but the coaches and the fans are not holding them accountable.  I'm not talking about being a bad football team here, I'm talking about not being prepared for the season and the totality of the situation.  Getting destroyed by Alabama hurts in a normal year... for us it's now the expectation.  But getting destroyed by SC? TCU?  Not being able to run our offensive at will against the cupcake teams?  Come on, there is only so much lipstick you can put on a pig.

I'm not calling out specific players because we do have to keep in mind that they are armatures.  But it's 100% valid to call out the entire team when our QB leads the nation in getting hit/sacked over the past 2 years.  It's okay to call out the entire team when blow so many 2nd half leads.  It's 100% valid to call out the team when they struggle against non conference teams.. weak non conference teams.

You know, you can blame a lot on the coaches but here is something you can't.  When you play a non conference team who nobody has heard of, they basically have to take a bus cross country to get to the stadium because they have no money, no resources and have every disadvantage in the world.. but yet we can't run our plays at will, we aren't steamrolling them from the first play of the game?  That's not on coaches, teams like that the coaches and scheme doesn't matter.. the players should be blowing them off the line of scrimmage.  That's on the players, we shouldn't give them a trophy for that.

Last I'm going to say on this but ask RWIII or his parents if he didn't risk it all. I understand they risk it for their own betterment,  but ultimately we benefit from the entertainment aspect of the sacrifice.

[Vantage 8 dude]

Why applaud them?  They lost, why give them an A for effort?  It's bizarre to me, it's like you are giving them a trophy for coming in last.   We have to stop doing that, these kids need to know that they are not even close to where they need to be to compete in this league.

Remember when Steve went to SC and he called out the fans for applauding after a loss?  He's 100% correct, it's a loser mentality and it has to stop here.

While I agree that we shouldn't be too satisfied with the fact they lost, and quite handily at that, let's at least acknowledge that for the most part the effort was there. Considering the could have very well "folded like a tent" after that disastrous first quarter but continued to play hard, they at least deserve to have that effort recognized. Yes, the Tide let off the "gas" as the game went on. Still the Hogs tried to stay with them. I mean if we crawl down their throats when they aren't giving it their all, let's at least be willing to recognize their efforts when they do.

I'm just sad that they didn't play this way against a very average USCe team. HAD we then I suspect we could have very realistically walked away with a win.

[HognotinMemphis]

First off this isn't Iraq, they are taking a risk but it's not for me or any of the fans.. you need to make sure you get that clear.  They are taking the risk because for most it pays for their school and the school will go out of its way to get them a degree.  It also is a stepping stone for life for them, even the many that don't go to the NFL will be able to use the fact that they played at the U of A as a first step into just about any job they go after. 

Second thing is this is not lower division football, if the players wanted to go somewhere just to get a degree and 'have fun' playing football than there are many other lower division schools or even weaker conferences for them to go to.  Arkansas is not one of them, we play in the strongest conference year in and year out and if you come here you are going to be playing against players who are the best of the best at this level.  So when you decide to come here you need to dedicate yourself to playing at this level and if you aren't willing to do that then why are you here?

This is part of the issue I have, the U of A is giving these kids tremendous opportunity and resources to play at this level but the coaches and the fans are not holding them accountable.  I'm not talking about being a bad football team here, I'm talking about not being prepared for the season and the totality of the situation.  Getting destroyed by Alabama hurts in a normal year... for us it's now the expectation.  But getting destroyed by SC? TCU?  Not being able to run our offensive at will against the cupcake teams?  Come on, there is only so much lipstick you can put on a pig.

I'm not calling out specific players because we do have to keep in mind that they are armatures.  But it's 100% valid to call out the entire team when our QB leads the nation in getting hit/sacked over the past 2 years.  It's okay to call out the entire team when blow so many 2nd half leads.  It's 100% valid to call out the team when they struggle against non conference teams.. weak non conference teams.

You know, you can blame a lot on the coaches but here is something you can't.  When you play a non conference team who nobody has heard of, they basically have to take a bus cross country to get to the stadium because they have no money, no resources and have every disadvantage in the world.. but yet we can't run our plays at will, we aren't steamrolling them from the first play of the game?  That's not on coaches, teams like that the coaches and scheme doesn't matter.. the players should be blowing them off the line of scrimmage.  That's on the players, we shouldn't give them a trophy for that.

Totally agree. Especially so this year when you can tell the players are not giving their all out effort, which is what it takes to compete in the SEC. Their hearts are not in it. No passion for being a Razorback. And I include Austin Allen in that too. The players can say one thing but their actions on field in a game say it all and it is contradictory to their words. No dog in most of them, with a few exceptions. Some people had a "bad class" that they went through school with and the class above or below was light years better...smarter, more athletic, more civic-minded, etc. We've seen that. Well, this team has a collection of classes who just are not willing to lay it out there in a game. It happens. No wrong it noting it and talking about it. Last year and this year is worst I recall seeing EVER for an Arkansas team, including the Crowe years.

I blame Bielema for recruiting multiple classes of players who simply do not have the strength of character to dedicate themselves to being a Razorback and do what it takes to compete in the SEC and not making them play they way they should. It's not rocket science.