Although both teams...

[Iwastherein1969]

are a mere 6-6, the Texas Bowl puts forth a corner stone for one of the two legendary programs to build a legitimate contender with....to the winner goes the spoils and a rocket up the charts for next year...Bielema knows this. In my opinion we'll see Bret Bielema in his finest hour as a head coach. Forget all the Big 10 stuff for it is meaningless now and our coach knows as much. This game reminds me of the scene in THE VERDICT where Paul Newman says, "this is the case, there is no other case, this is the case there is no other case." I can't wait to witness our once proud program rise from the ashes like a phoenix. The Arkansas player, coaches and particularly the UA's longsuffering fans deserve it. Even though this is a relatively obscure bowl the importance of winning this game cannot be overstated.  Enjoy it Hog fans for the Sun is about to rise on a new era of excellence in Arkansas Razorback football. The dark days are about to end.

[bigdaddyhawg]

It'll be something to build on, but I'm not sure about any cornerstone implications.

[jkstock04]

I think winning this game will be a step forward for the program...conversely losing in my opinion will be a step backwards. This is a game we are favored in (for good reason)...and a game we should win going away.

Sure, on a natl scale this is a couple of 6 win teams battling it out in a garbage bowl game. But, to the two programs actually playing in the game...you have new coaches and a new direction...therefore to those directly involved it is kind of a big deal. We are in year 2 of a rebuild...Texas is in year 1. I expect us to win this game, and will be pretty disappointed if we don't....I feel this way and have zero bias about a rivalry that ended decades ago. We need to win this game because we should...no excuses. It's right there for the taking.

[Paul]

i don't think the loser of this game loses any steam going into next year given the preseason expectations of both programs & the improvements they made in the 2nd half of the year.  I'd love to beat Texas tho.

[rlreev01]

Little bit of overkill isn't it. I want to beat Texas bad, but losing does nothing to keep from building your team for next year and the years after.  It does give the fans a good feeling all summer and help ticket sales for next year.  Other than that, it's a bowl game between two long time rivals and should be fun.  No more and no less!!!

[Hogarusa]

Yeesh, you are correct by saying "this is an obscure bowl" and way off on "the importance of winning this game cannot be overstated." 

Beating Bama is big.  Hogs won't be losing steam with a loss to 6-6 Texas n an obscure bowl game. 

A win will help the offseason MMQB threads be more positive though.  That's a plus

[Hoggish1]

Even though this is a relatively obscure bowl the importance of winning this game cannot be overstated.  Enjoy it Hog fans for the Sun is about to rise on a new era of excellence in Arkansas Razorback football. The dark days are about to end.

Good post!

But, this is anything but an obscure bowl.  And, it is probably the only one to fully sell out.

I think the SEC hit a home run with this matchup.

[DoctorSusscrofa]

It is a little overkill. But to say a loss does no harm is underkill. There is a big difference between 7-6 and 6-7. Beating Texas probably helps nail down our recruits. A win here and 3 wins to start off next season gives us a legit 4 game winning streak and a 6 of 7 streak. Losing the bowl game would weaken perception that we belong in the upper half of the SEC and we wouldn't be able to dispel that idea until halfway or more into next season. Winning gets us props earlier in the year upon which to build.

[Hawgey-Davidson]

Only football game on that particular monday night on the tube. No MNFB to contend with. This bowl game may appear to obscure to some but come that monday night, hardly.

[DLUXHOG]

I just hope the Hog fan representation is massive and crazy !

[Vildsvin]

I wish the people of Hogville would use the subject field to title their new thread's with a descriptive subject rather then using it to begin a sentence. The mmqb forum is just chaos..

This could easily have been titled something like, "What a Bowl Win Means for Either Tex/Ark"