There are no excuses for the way we lost the last two games, but...

[GalaHawg]

We need to remove ourselves from those two losses and look at the bigger picture before putting CBB on the hot seat.

He took over a 3 win team with major disciplinary issues. He committed to a re-building process and doing it the right way without cheating or using short-cuts.

In the age of instant gratification and get rich quick schemes, his approach is unusual. It will take time... more time than most expects here. We will go up one step at a time... without skipping any. CBB first established discipline. Then, we become a team with a winning record in the last three seasons. We are trying to establish ourselves as a team that can win 8 games a year and go 50% and above in the SEC -that is the next step. By establishing, I mean we consistently do so for 2-3 back to back seasons. Then, the next step will be 9-10 win seasons. Slow, incremental progress each year. He was on target to stay on this slow progress trend this year until the last two games. So while I understand the frustration, I think it is time to step back and take a deep breath.

Having said that though, there remains questions on certain aspects regarding the CBB teams we've seen over the four years that is not showing much progress. For instance:
- The O-line is supposed to be the strength of his system. One would expect that the O-line depth should have been established over the four years for the unit to not be the weakest link on offense. It is easy to blame it on Pittman but ultimately it is CBB's job to make sure Pittman was doing his job. So, I definitely believe that it is fair to criticize CBB regarding the O-line depth in his fourth year.

- CBB also promises on developing teams that do not beat itself with turnovers and penalties. The amount of turnovers and penalties were inexcusable all year - but especially in the last two games. This is very surprising given how much emphasis he puts on this aspect of the game and he deserves criticism.

- The predictability of both offensive and defensive schemes. We have seen some improvement on the offensive side since Enos has arrived except for the second half adjutments. The defense has been so basic and vanilla in all four years - almost zero surprise factor. We usually dare other teams to throw short --- on good tackling days, we win...on bad tackling days, we don't. Why has tackling been so inconsistent at all levels of defense? And supposedly, that is Robb Smith's expertise to teach how to tackle.

If we improve on these aspects next year, we'll probably take another step or two forward. As our record of wins and record of putting players on NFL rosters improve, the recruiting will improve slowly as well.

As a fan, I bought in to this process. If it works, the success will be so much sweeter. Because it will come as a result of hard work and grind rather than cheating and taking short cuts. The last two games shook my belief in the process that I am now questioning some aspects that I mentioned above but I did not lose total confidence in it --- yet.

[Sed76]

The whole season shook my belief in Bielema and his staff. Before this season the one thing you could count on was his teams playing hard and not giving up. They folded an awful lot this year and describing them as undisciplined when it comes to penalties would be being nice. Don't know what happened that caused such a drastic turnaround but he better find the answer or next year will be brutal. His good will is gone with a majority of folks and not just a few internet message board arm chair quarterbacks.

[jneal56]

Hard to keep the faith when the supposed "strengths" of Bielema's system are now failing. Examples are the offensive and defensive line, fundamentals and discipline. With those three aspects now all but lost, what has he done to improve the football team ON THE FIELD?

Off the field the program has improved with very little criminal activity as well as doing better with overall gpa of the team.

How many times have you paid a couple hundred bucks to watch the Razorbacks play and you were excited to say "we have more guys graduating then those guys" after they beat us 55-3 or whatever score?

The problem really isn't in the record as much as it is the lack of progression. 3-9 the first year with several close losses turned into a winning season the next. That was progression. Adding another win the season after was another small progression. Year 4 with all his guys and taking a step back is called RE-gression. Nothing to be excited about there.

[Pork Twain]

I think we will get back on track on offense next year but still think we need a new DL coach and DC

[code red]

If anyone can't see that we were on the verge of a 5-7 or 4-8 season....well then you must not have been watching closely.  Probably should have lost La Tech, TCU and Ole Miss.  I fail to see how any part of this team (besides Austin Allen and our RB's) could be considered an improvement over last year.

[AirForceHog]

If anyone can't see that we were on the verge of a 5-7 or 4-8 season....well then you must not have been watching closely.  Probably should have lost La Tech, TCU and Ole Miss.  I fail to see how any part of this team (besides Austin Allen and our RB's) could be considered an improvement over last year.

But they didn't. Fact is this team is exactly where most thought it would be.

[ricepig]

If anyone can't see that we were on the verge of a 5-7 or 4-8 season....well then you must not have been watching closely.  Probably should have lost La Tech, TCU and Ole Miss.  I fail to see how any part of this team (besides Austin Allen and our RB's) could be considered an improvement over last year.

Or beat VT and Mizzou, you earn it all, wins and losses.

[Boss Hog in the Arkansas]

We need to remove ourselves from those two losses and look at the bigger picture before putting CBB on the hot seat.

He took over a 3 win team with major disciplinary issues. He committed to a re-building process and doing it the right way without cheating or using short-cuts.

In the age of instant gratification and get rich quick schemes, his approach is unusual. It will take time... more time than most expects here. We will go up one step at a time... without skipping any. CBB first established discipline. Then, we become a team with a winning record in the last three seasons. We are trying to establish ourselves as a team that can win 8 games a year and go 50% and above in the SEC -that is the next step. By establishing, I mean we consistently do so for 2-3 back to back seasons. Then, the next step will be 9-10 win seasons. Slow, incremental progress each year. He was on target to stay on this slow progress trend this year until the last two games. So while I understand the frustration, I think it is time to step back and take a deep breath.

Having said that though, there remains questions on certain aspects regarding the CBB teams we've seen over the four years that is not showing much progress. For instance:
- The O-line is supposed to be the strength of his system. One would expect that the O-line depth should have been established over the four years for the unit to not be the weakest link on offense. It is easy to blame it on Pittman but ultimately it is CBB's job to make sure Pittman was doing his job. So, I definitely believe that it is fair to criticize CBB regarding the O-line depth in his fourth year.

- CBB also promises on developing teams that do not beat itself with turnovers and penalties. The amount of turnovers and penalties were inexcusable all year - but especially in the last two games. This is very surprising given how much emphasis he puts on this aspect of the game and he deserves criticism.

- The predictability of both offensive and defensive schemes. We have seen some improvement on the offensive side since Enos has arrived except for the second half adjutments. The defense has been so basic and vanilla in all four years - almost zero surprise factor. We usually dare other teams to throw short --- on good tackling days, we win...on bad tackling days, we don't. Why has tackling been so inconsistent at all levels of defense? And supposedly, that is Robb Smith's expertise to teach how to tackle.

If we improve on these aspects next year, we'll probably take another step or two forward. As our record of wins and record of putting players on NFL rosters improve, the recruiting will improve slowly as well.

As a fan, I bought in to this process. If it works, the success will be so much sweeter. Because it will come as a result of hard work and grind rather than cheating and taking short cuts. The last two games shook my belief in the process that I am now questioning some aspects that I mentioned above but I did not lose total confidence in it --- yet.

+1

[rhames]

If anyone can't see that we were on the verge of a 5-7 or 4-8 season....well then you must not have been watching closely.  Probably should have lost La Tech, TCU and Ole Miss.  I fail to see how any part of this team (besides Austin Allen and our RB's) could be considered an improvement over last year.

And last year's team was on the verge of winning 9+



The record is the record and what if's don't count for loses or wins.

[Boss Hog in the Arkansas]

If anyone can't see that we were on the verge of a 5-7 or 4-8 season....well then you must not have been watching closely.  Probably should have lost La Tech, TCU and Ole Miss.  I fail to see how any part of this team (besides Austin Allen and our RB's) could be considered an improvement over last year.

Fans are upset because we are 2 end of season meltdowns away from being a 9 win team

[Boss Hog in the Arkansas]

I think we will get back on track on offense next year but still think we need a new DL coach and DC

[Pork Twain]

If anyone can't see that we were on the verge of a 5-7 or 4-8 season....well then you must not have been watching closely.  Probably should have lost La Tech, TCU and Ole Miss.  I fail to see how any part of this team (besides Austin Allen and our RB's) could be considered an improvement over last year.

In the game of college football, very little often separates a victory from defeat.  We could play this game every single year and talk about what should have been victories or what could have been defeats, but at the end of the day things happened the way they should.

[ifghog]

The whole season shook my belief in Bielema and his staff. Before this season the one thing you could count on was his teams playing hard and not giving up. They folded an awful lot this year and describing them as undisciplined when it comes to penalties would be being nice. Don't know what happened that caused such a drastic turnaround but he better find the answer or next year will be brutal. His good will is gone with a majority of folks and not just a few internet message board arm chair quarterbacks.

^^^This^^^ I WAS 100% on board with CBB but now I feel he has to make staff changes and dramatic improvements next year. ITS been 4 YEARS.....no more excuses. No one here expects 10 wins every year..nor should they...but 8-9 every year is doable with a 10 or 11 thrown in once every 4 or 5 years.....I now don't believe he is the man to get it done and fully believe it can. Not being one of the people who are bashing but I am afraid he is a bit content and that just doesn't work in an ever changing game like CFB.

[KennyForAD]

The whole season shook my belief in Bielema and his staff. Before this season the one thing you could count on was his teams playing hard and not giving up. They folded an awful lot this year and describing them as undisciplined when it comes to penalties would be being nice. Don't know what happened that caused such a drastic turnaround but he better find the answer or next year will be brutal. His good will is gone with a majority of folks and not just a few internet message board arm chair quarterbacks.

Carrying the defense just became too heavy a load.  Whenever the offense started to sputter, they panicked - because everyone knows we have to outscore them.

[GalaHawg]

The problem really isn't in the record as much as it is the lack of progression. 3-9 the first year with several close losses turned into a winning season the next. That was progression. Adding another win the season after was another small progression. Year 4 with all his guys and taking a step back is called RE-gression. Nothing to be excited about there.

No real disagreement here. We did take a step back in year 4. But not everything in life progresses as perfectly as planned. Sometimes a step back is necessary to take two steps forward. Let's hope we take two steps forward next season and finish with 9 wins. It is a real possibility. But even an 8 win season with improved O-line play, less turnovers and penalties, and more aggressive defense would still  mean we are on track to re-build this team.

[HamSammich]

O.m.g.   You people kill me but make this website oh so irresistible

[TXArcher]

Ham, it's like a car wreck. You know it's bad, but we still have to slow down and look.

[Al Boarland]

Sounds like some contract extensions are on the horizon with the 20 year plan the OP envisions. I don't see any indicators that CBB is taking the program to the next level.

[Dumb ole famrboy]

My opinion is that 3-9 team was better personnel wise than the record indicates.

D-Line Smith, Flowers, Jones, Thomas, Philon, Hodge
O-Line Smothers, Swanson, Cook, Charpenter, Skipper, Kirkland, Henry

[EulessHog]

Bielema is slow to react to changes in the game.  This team is built for a weaker schedule and has limited team speed in key positions. He has past his peak and will be gone within two years.

[Pork Twain]

My opinion is that 3-9 team was better personnel wise than the record indicates.

D-Line Smith, Flowers, Jones, Thomas, Philon, Hodge
O-Line Smothers, Swanson, Cook, Charpenter, Skipper, Kirkland, Henry

You are right and we did have pretty good players on both sides of the ball, but lacked solid depth and young or questionable players at key skill positions (QB, WR, TE, RB, and LB).  We were doing a 180 when it comes to the offensive scheme we were using and I think we should have beaten Rutgers and Miss St that year.  Rutgers was tough and then we were hit in the face by one of our toughest SEC schedules: #10 aTm, at #18 Florida, #14 uSc, at #1 Bama, #11 Auburn, at Ole Miss, Miss St, and at #17 LSU.  If BP were here, with the players we had and the same scheme, I expect we would have won 3-4 more games.

http://www.wholehogsports.com/news/2013/aug/25/razorbacks-release-fall-depth-chart/

[riccoar]

Funny how so little of the season can mean so much.  The bottom line is if this team can beat Florida, it should have finished 9-4.  Not 7-6.  The biggest part of that was our defense.  Add in a minor part of Austin regressing the second half of the year.

[Pork Twain]

Funny how so little of the season can mean so much.  The bottom line is if this team can beat Florida, it should have finished 9-4.  Not 7-6.  The biggest part of that was our defense.  Add in a minor part of Austin regressing the second half of the year.

Agreed, it is very frustrating that we did not finish games and the season better.  I put most of that on the defense, and by that I mean the coaches.  I also believe that part of AA's regression was the realization that he was going to have to outscore every team in the second half because Coach Klien from the Waterboy was our DC.  At that point I think he started to press and that is always bad.

[Dumb ole famrboy]

You are right and we did have pretty good players on both sides of the ball, but lacked solid depth and young or questionable players at key skill positions (QB, WR, TE, RB, and LB).  We were doing a 180 when it comes to the offensive scheme we were using and I think we should have beaten Rutgers and Miss St that year.  Rutgers was tough and then we were hit in the face by one of our toughest SEC schedules: #10 aTm, at #18 Florida, #14 uSc, at #1 Bama, #11 Auburn, at Ole Miss, Miss St, and at #17 LSU.  If BP were here, with the players we had and the same scheme, I expect we would have won 3-4 more games.

http://www.wholehogsports.com/news/2013/aug/25/razorbacks-release-fall-depth-chart/

If memory serves - Williams and Collins @ RB - Small and Arinze @ FB - Herndon, Hatcher, Horton @ WR. I disagree - depth was there - he just wouldn't exploit the depth of the D-line and take the pressure off the young D-backs.

[Pork Twain]

If memory serves - Williams and Collins @ RB - Small and Arinze @ FB - Herndon, Hatcher, Horton @ WR. I disagree - depth was there - he just wouldn't exploit the depth of the D-line and take the pressure off the young D-backs.

Yup, that is why I said we lacked depth and had young players at key skill positions.  What I said is still true and that list of WR is not close to what we have had the last couple of years or what we had with BP.  We had a first year starter at QB, trFr at TE and a trFr was our leading rusher.  We also had an OL that was built to give the qb enough time to unload, not to pound the ball.  There are a lot of variables in play here that affected the outcome.

[hobhog]

Morgan scores on the great play call instead of fumbling for touchback we win that game. Add the uncharacteristic turnovers in red zone in both games and season is completely different. Just a weird friggin year end

Feel for players, coaches and fans. Time to move on to next year and  see what happens. That's all you can do.

[Pork Twain]

Morgan scores on the great play call instead of fumbling for touchback we win that game. Add the uncharacteristic turnovers in red zone in both games and season is completely different. Just a weird friggin year end

Feel for players, coaches and fans. Time to move on to next year and  see what happens. That's all you can do.

Morgan's first fumble cost us more and the fumble for a touchback was canceled out as there was a penalty on the play.  Take away the two fumbles by Morgan and the freakish interception on the deflected ball and I agree that it would have been a much different game.

[Razorbackers]

Morgan scores on the great play call instead of fumbling for touchback we win that game. Add the uncharacteristic turnovers in red zone in both games and season is completely different. Just a weird friggin year end

Feel for players, coaches and fans. Time to move on to next year and  see what happens. That's all you can do.

Exactly.

The Missouri game was bad coaching and planning, but the Va Tech game was just mistakes by the players imo. I mean, you can still put that on the coaches, but senior leaders making mistakes like that will kill ya.

[razorbackfaninar]

My opinion is that 3-9 team was better personnel wise than the record indicates.

D-Line Smith, Flowers, Jones, Thomas, Philon, Hodge
O-Line Smothers, Swanson, Cook, Charpenter, Skipper, Kirkland, Henry

That team had the same problem that this years team had, some good top end quality, but once you got past those starters there wasn't quality depth behind them.   

[Pork Twain]

Exactly.

The Missouri game was bad coaching and planning, but the Va Tech game was just mistakes by the players imo. I mean, you can still put that on the coaches, but senior leaders making mistakes like that will kill ya.

Mistake free football from Morgan (two fumbles and spitting) and Sprinkle not being a moron and we would likely be celebrating a W.  Still would  have been hard to overcome our defensive scheme in the 2nd half.

[Razorbackers]

Mistake free football from Morgan (two fumbles and spitting) and Sprinkle not being a moron and we would likely be celebrating a W.  Still would  have been hard to overcome our defensive scheme in the 2nd half.

Well, VA Tech has a brilliant DC that made some good adjustments, for sure. And Fuente is going to keep building them up. But I do agree, even if the only thing that changes is we we don't fumble into the endzone, I think we win. Sigh. lol

[Biggus Piggus]

[majp51]

We need to remove ourselves from those two losses and look at the bigger picture before putting CBB on the hot seat.

He took over a 3 win team with major disciplinary issues. He committed to a re-building process and doing it the right way without cheating or using short-cuts.

OK, I know you guys constantly want to throw his first season out, but this one is new.
FYI OP that 3 Win fiasco was someone else's upper classmen, but the Freshman and Coaching was all CBB. The 4 win season before is what he took over from.

[Biggus Piggus]

OK, I know you guys constantly want to throw his first season out, but this one is new.
FYI OP that 3 Win fiasco was someone else's upper classmen, but the Freshman and Coaching was all CBB. The 4 win season before is what he took over from.

What are you trying to say? It's nonsense. First season was going to be trash regardless of the coach. You don't hire somebody to clean up your mess then immediately accuse them of causing the mess. SMH. It's like blaming Obama for W's budget deficit. Oh wait...I sense a common thread of ignorance here.

[majp51]

What are you trying to say? It's nonsense. First season was going to be trash regardless of the coach. You don't hire somebody to clean up your mess then immediately accuse them of causing the mess. SMH. It's like blaming Obama for W's budget deficit. Oh wait...I sense a common thread of ignorance here.

No Biggus, my point was the OP isn't just not Counting the first season anymore, he's saying it was someone else.

Or Did Smiley have another win taken from him?

[Biggus Piggus]

No Biggus, my point was the OP isn't just not Counting the first season anymore, he's saying it was someone else.

Or Did Smiley have another win taken from him?

I get it, you're picking on him getting the 4-8 record of 2012 wrong. So solly.

[Pork Twain]

Well, VA Tech has a brilliant DC that made some good adjustments, for sure. And Fuente is going to keep building them up. But I do agree, even if the only thing that changes is we we don't fumble into the endzone, I think we win. Sigh. lol

God, I would love to have Bud Foster as our DC

[jneal56]

It is odd how how close to a 10-11 win season we were. Consider we didn't have the 2nd half meltdowns with Mizzou and VT. There is 9-4. Now how about LSU, Bama and the Barn all 3 beating our tales off. Had LSU not fired Les, maybe we steal that one. I say steal because they really beat us terribly. I had the privy of being on the sidelines for part of that game our whole team almost, including coaches just seemed to be lost the entire time. So we steal that one and actually come out and play the second half against aTm, maybe we do make it to 11 wins. Of course that is relying on Les still being at LSU and beating OU more than likely in the bowl game. If ifs and buts were coconuts.....

[KennyForAD]

It is odd how how close to a 10-11 win season we were. Consider we didn't have the 2nd half meltdowns with Mizzou and VT. There is 9-4. Now how about LSU, Bama and the Barn all 3 beating our tales off. Had LSU not fired Les, maybe we steal that one. I say steal because they really beat us terribly. I had the privy of being on the sidelines for part of that game our whole team almost, including coaches just seemed to be lost the entire time. So we steal that one and actually come out and play the second half against aTm, maybe we do make it to 11 wins. Of course that is relying on Les still being at LSU and beating OU more than likely in the bowl game. If ifs and buts were coconuts.....

Seems to me they were closer to a 5 win season.   A blocked FG at TCU, and didn't we almost lose to LA Tech, or did I dream that?   

[jneal56]

Seems to me they were closer to a 5 win season.   A blocked FG at TCU, and didn't we almost lose to LA Tech, or did I dream that?   

Doing my best to be optimistic but yes, 5 wins was just as close if not closer.

[PonderinHog]

Seems to me they were closer to a 5 win season.   A blocked FG at TCU, and didn't we almost lose to LA Tech, or did I dream that?

Damn, Kenny!

[Hogs958]

DC and DL coach have got to go.

[Dumb ole famrboy]

Yup, that is why I said we lacked depth and had young players at key skill positions.  What I said is still true and that list of WR is not close to what we have had the last couple of years or what we had with BP.  We had a first year starter at QB, trFr at TE and a trFr was our leading rusher.  We also had an OL that was built to give the qb enough time to unload, not to pound the ball.  There are a lot of variables in play here that affected the outcome.

A trFr leading rusher with 2 other NFL draft picks in J. Williams and K. Small in the backfield with him. The entire starting DL was at most one season away from being in the NFL. Two Jr. LBs that are now in the NFL. A Sr @ safety, a Jr. @ DB now in the NFL and a soph DB now in the NFL.

WRs - Herndon - San Diego Chargers, Julian Horton - Tennessee Titans

[Pork Twain]

A trFr leading rusher with 2 other NFL draft picks in J. Williams and K. Small in the backfield with him. The entire starting DL was at most one season away from being in the NFL. Two Jr. LBs that are now in the NFL. A Sr @ safety, a Jr. @ DB now in the NFL and a soph DB now in the NFL.

WRs - Herndon - San Diego Chargers, Julian Horton - Tennessee Titans

How are all those guys doing in the NFL and were they as good in that first season as they ended up being with some development in that painful year?  How did the depth look on that team?  How was that OL and their depth?  You have named a few players but it takes a lot more than a few good players on a team to compete in the SEC.

[Dumb ole famrboy]

How are all those guys doing in the NFL and were they as good in that first season as they ended up being with some development in that painful year?  How did the depth look on that team?  How was that OL and their depth?  You have named a few players but it takes a lot more than a few good players on a team to compete in the SEC.

My opinion is that 3-9 team was better personnel wise than the record indicates.

D-Line Smith, Flowers, Jones, Thomas, Philon, Hodge
O-Line Smothers, Swanson, Cook, Charpentier, Skipper, Kirkland, Henry

Z. Hocker - NFL, Loewen - NFL, Derby - NFL, BA - NFL

[hogpc]

The whole season shook my belief in Bielema and his staff. Before this season the one thing you could count on was his teams playing hard and not giving up. They folded an awful lot this year and describing them as undisciplined when it comes to penalties would be being nice. Don't know what happened that caused such a drastic turnaround but he better find the answer or next year will be brutal. His good will is gone with a majority of folks and not just a few internet message board arm chair quarterbacks.

Well said!

[Pork Twain]

My opinion is that 3-9 team was better personnel wise than the record indicates.

D-Line Smith, Flowers, Jones, Thomas, Philon, Hodge
O-Line Smothers, Swanson, Cook, Charpentier, Skipper, Kirkland, Henry

Z. Hocker - NFL, Loewen - NFL, Derby - NFL, BA - NFL

I have never said there was not talent on that team because there was.  It was just either new to the system or lacked any real depth behind it.  There is also a big difference between being on an NFL squad and seeing any playing time.  I agree that they were likely a 1-2 game better team, but I can rarely remember a more difficult conference schedule.

Listing a 6-7 players on the line that were good enough to start here, does not prove your point either.  As we have for several years, we lacked real depth on that team and our WR, LBs and secondary were not strong units for us.

[Biggus Piggus]

My opinion is that 3-9 team was better personnel wise than the record indicates.

D-Line Smith, Flowers, Jones, Thomas, Philon, Hodge
O-Line Smothers, Swanson, Cook, Charpentier, Skipper, Kirkland, Henry

Z. Hocker - NFL, Loewen - NFL, Derby - NFL, BA - NFL

They were not all ready to play at the same time. And that 2013 team was completely bereft of experienced linebackers. The receiving corps was abysmal. The secondary...ugh.

[gawntrail]

There is no sunshine to pump.  CBB's negatives and positives do not offset each other like some math equation.  There needs to be on the field improvement and success.  He does fine with the off the field stuff.  But we shouldn't be paying $4+MM/yr for a hall monitor. 

Some on this board are trying to justify CBB's performance by pointing to his success with his secondary responsibilities While dismissing his failure in his primary responsibilities.

CBB, at this point is failing at the on the field stuff... and succeeding at the off the field stuff.  And, a disturbing amount of fans are ok with both paying $4MM/yr AND giving him more time for it.  Personally, I think his contract sucks and those that crafted it should be held accountable.  And, considering the amount of money and possible harm to Arkansas Football that can/will happen by continuing to stick with the current situation, there needs to be an investigation to find direct cause to fire both JL and BB.  Managing the situation before it gets out of hand is prudent.

The future is uglier and uglier the longer we stick with a bad plan.