RANKING CFB FAN HAPPINESS - Arkansas #93

[hawgon]

I predict 7 wins and more of this purgatory where we haters continue to hate and the sunshine pumpers continue to pump.

[moses_007]

I predict 7 wins and more of this purgatory where we haters continue to hate and the sunshine pumpers continue to pump.

+1

[Atlhogfan1]

I predict 7 wins and more of this purgatory where we haters continue to hate and the sunshine pumpers continue to pump.

I'm actually in purgatory between you jackasses. 

[phadedhawg]

The fan base has been fairly toxic for a decade.  Even when people who defended Nutt, saw the light (or darkness),and abandoned Nutt, the OG darksiders still wanted to draw distinctions between them and the newcomers. 

It's just our nature to be divided and work to make those who don't fan like us miserable.  I guess the alternative is apathy. As long as we are unhappy...we're at least tryin'...

[bphi11ips]

I'm actually in purgatory between you jackasses. 

The Hogville logo is under "Purgatory" in Oxford's Dictionary.

[gchamblee]

Winning will correct our place in this poll

[DLUXHOG]

Texass is 37 (snicker..... their fans are high on something other than their football team)

[Wildhog]

Texass is 37 (snicker..... their fans are high on something other than their football team)

I'd be pretty excited about Tom Herman if I were a Texas fan.

[Hoginsavga]

Damn. I didn't even know I was supposed to be miserable.

I think you may have been after the Mizzo game last year or is my memory failing me, haha.

[Snizzzo]

Football is fun if you watch it for that fact. If you gain some sort of personal self worth from the results of kids on Friday nights or young men on Saturdays, well that's a whole different story.

Amen!  So many NEEEED our Hogs to win because that is the only avenue for pride and self-esteem in their otherwise mundane and mediocre lives.  I love the hypicracy of those whom "don't settle for mediocrity" who aren't at the pinnacle of their profession, don't live in the biggest house on their street, don't drive a Bugatti and isn't married to Sofia Vergara.  The settled(or allowed water to find its level) in all of the important aspects of life, but those Razorbacks better go 14-0 dammit! 

[oldhawg]

Amen!  So many NEEEED our Hogs to win because that is the only avenue for pride and self-esteem in their otherwise mundane and mediocre lives.  I love the hypicracy of those whom "don't settle for mediocrity" who aren't at the pinnacle of their profession, don't live in the biggest house on their street, don't drive a Bugatti and isn't married to Sofia Vergara.  The settled(or allowed water to find its level) in all of the important aspects of life, but those Razorbacks better go 14-0 dammit! 

What happened?  Did they forfeit the National Championship game?

[sowmonella]

One of the many idiotic polls being pushed on the football fans. Pure stupidity.

[Al Boarland]

Besides, the real football coaches (like ours) know the difference between a prospect camp and a beauty pageant. They don't need no stinkin' stars.

Those guys with those stars do pretty well at the camps and CBB would take them if he could land them. A lot of "real football coaches" do get them and seem to do well.

[LZH]

Amen!  So many NEEEED our Hogs to win because that is the only avenue for pride and self-esteem in their otherwise mundane and mediocre lives.  I love the hypicracy of those whom "don't settle for mediocrity" who aren't at the pinnacle of their profession, don't live in the biggest house on their street, don't drive a Bugatti and isn't married to Sofia Vergara.  The settled(or allowed water to find its level) in all of the important aspects of life, but those Razorbacks better go 14-0 dammit! 

If a kid comes home with a report card full of C's and D's but yet you know they are much sharper than that, that is accepting mediocrity. That is exactly what a lot of hog fans are doing with Bielema so far. I would never say it is about being the best around, it is about being the best you can be. Why do so many people have a problem with this?

[ricepig]

Damn. I didn't even know I was supposed to be miserable.

You must need read Hogville, let me get you a link for it.

[MemphisBossHog]

No darn.  Rebuilding in the SEC isn't fun.  This covered 2012 - 2016 which started off as a crapshow for us.  Some fans can handle it and understand the situation and many can't. 

Personally, I'm still not over the last 2 games last season.

spot on ATL .  Should have finished 9-4.  Would have been yet another improvement over the previous season's record.  Inexcusable that it didnt end that way, but hey, "woulda, coulda, shoulda" doesnt matter. They blew the games.  Oh well, on to  2017-2018.  Got to do it on the field.

[Hogwild]

Is or is not Arkansas a small state?

It looks like population isn't a factor  in their methodology-

Recruiting is # of 3*, 4*,5* recruits vs. the school's expectations
Twitter metric isn't volume but positive vs negative tweets
Coach Stability has nothing to do with the state's population
Revenue growth- is comparing difference between revenue earned in 2016 season relative to 2012-2015 average
Rivalry dominance- our record in conference play over that period is near the bottom of the conference

[gchamblee]

If a kid comes home with a report card full of C's and D's but yet you know they are much sharper than that, that is accepting mediocrity. That is exactly what a lot of hog fans are doing with Bielema so far. I would never say it is about being the best around, it is about being the best you can be. Why do so many people have a problem with this?

Just because we aren't ready to put the kid up for adoption doesn't mean we are accepting mediocrity. We want better, same as you fools that want to fire a coach every 4 years.

[LZH]

Just because we aren't ready to put the kid up for adoption doesn't mean we are accepting mediocrity. We want better, same as you fools that want to fire a coach every 4 years.

25-26=49%......which is an F. That's not even mediocre. Some of you guys say you want better, but yet you keep propping him up.

[Porkchop#1]

Is or is not Arkansas a small state?

Yeah, but there's only 50 states.

[Deep Shoat]

25-26=49%......which is an F. That's not even mediocre. Some of you guys say you want better, but yet you keep propping him up.

What you see as "propping him up" most Hog fans see as "giving him adequate time to dig us out of the hole the program was in".

He has this season and next to show that he has.

You boys would have fired Nick Saban at Michigan State.

[jkstock04]

Out of 128 teams.

http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/20369846/ranking-happiness-every-college-football-fan-base-2017?sf108300231=1

Fan Happiness Index Methodology:

Program power - combination of strength of records from 2012 - 2016 and current FPI compared to recent history

Rivalry dominance - combination of wins above expectation over rivals in past 5 seasons and how a team's FPI compares to its rivals'

Coaching stability - how close a coach is to being fired, based on Phil Steele's coaching stability rankings

Recruiting trend - difference in percentage of five-, four-, and three-star recruits in current class vs. expectation

Revenue growth - difference between revenue earned in 2016 season relative to 2012-2015 average

Twitter buzz - percentage of tweets from fans that are positive, based on social media sentiment analysis


Me thinks it's not that bad overall. Me thinks they just read Hogville. Then again, a lot of it is based since 2012 and, well...you know

Not surprising...except maybe surprised it's not worse. This is since 2012. Since 2012 this has overall been an absolute miserable stretch to anyone with a lick of sense. We went from winning 10/11 games per year to garbage.

What's more amazing is that the fan base is split in half...many people just can't fathom why some would be upset over the last 5 years. Real shocker there I guess.

[Polecat]

Is or is not Arkansas a small state?

Red Wolves ranked #52....

[parallaxpig]

I was happy until I read this poll............

[Deep Shoat]

Not surprising...I'm surprised it's not worse. This is since 2012. Since 2012 this has overall been an absolute miserable stretch to anyone with a lick of sense. We went from winning 10/11 games per year to garbage.

What's more amazing is that the fan base is split in half...many people just can't fathom why some would be upset over the last 5 years. Real shocker there I guess.

I don't think there is anyone who can't fathom why people would be upset.  But some of us can't fathom why you have to constantly bitch about it.  It was and is obvious from the moment of CBB's hire, and made more so by the extension and increase in buy out, that he was going to be given a MINIMUM of 6 years to dig us out of the wreck the program had become.

At least, to anyone with a lick of sense.

Knowing that, why would you choose to be constantly miserable, constantly pissed off?  There are plenty of signs that we are close to breaking through, either this year or next.  Depth and talent is better than it's been since, at least, Lou Holtz.  Bielema makes changes when something or someone isn't getting it done.  He's obviously willing to adjust his plans based on the changes in the game. 

Seriously, we play in the absolute most difficult division of the absolute most difficult conference in the country.  Rebuilds are NOT going to be quick.  And sure, the national media isn't sure what to think this year.  But we should know.  We see the growth in the coach and the young men all the time.  The ONLY thing that could possibly make us expect less than a good to great season this year is unreasonable negativity.  And that is brought on by one of two things.  A misunderstanding of what wins football games, or just a plainly crappy outlook on life.

I'd just about guarantee my expectations are far higher than yours right now.  Because, instead of being a dick at every opportunity for the last 4 years, I've been patient and allowed CBB to rebuild.  I think he's there.  I think this is the year we break through.  I expect a minimum of 9 wins, as long as key players stay healthy.  Minimum 9.

Choosing to be patient isn't "settling for mediocrity".  In fact, at a school like ours, constantly agitating for the quick fix is the fastest path to mediocrity. 

All that said to say, "get on the bus or get run over".  CBB has the team primed to win now.  If he can't get it done, you'll finally get your wish.  Of course, once you get your wish, you're just going to bitch about the next guy not winning fast enough.

[hogsanity]

If a kid comes home with a report card full of C's and D's but yet you know they are much sharper than that, that is accepting mediocrity. That is exactly what a lot of hog fans are doing with Bielema so far. I would never say it is about being the best around, it is about being the best you can be. Why do so many people have a problem with this?

No, it is only accepting it if you do nothing about it. From a fans perspective, the only way to do something about it is to walk with your $ and quit going to games, but since many hog fans love to brag about how many games in a row they have been to, or where their season tickets are etc, then that is not going to happen.

What many Hog fans would do though is if their kid came home with all a's and one B that was a 89.98 they'd bitch at the kid for months or years about that .02.

[Seminole Indian]

Red Wolves ranked #52....

That is surprising ?



UCA fans are also a happy bunch.

[greenie]

One of the many idiotic polls being pushed on the football fans. Pure stupidity.

So, they didn't talk or directly poll any fans, they just made wild extrapolations on some data that they could easily get.
Fake poll.

[GuvHog]

I don't think there is anyone who can't fathom why people would be upset.  But some of us can't fathom why you have to constantly bitch about it.  It was and is obvious from the moment of CBB's hire, and made more so by the extension and increase in buy out, that he was going to be given a MINIMUM of 6 years to dig us out of the wreck the program had become.

At least, to anyone with a lick of sense.

Knowing that, why would you choose to be constantly miserable, constantly pissed off?  There are plenty of signs that we are close to breaking through, either this year or next.  Depth and talent is better than it's been since, at least, Lou Holtz.  Bielema makes changes when something or someone isn't getting it done.  He's obviously willing to adjust his plans based on the changes in the game. 

Seriously, we play in the absolute most difficult division of the absolute most difficult conference in the country.  Rebuilds are NOT going to be quick.  And sure, the national media isn't sure what to think this year.  But we should know.  We see the growth in the coach and the young men all the time.  The ONLY thing that could possibly make us expect less than a good to great season this year is unreasonable negativity.  And that is brought on by one of two things.  A misunderstanding of what wins football games, or just a plainly crappy outlook on life.

I'd just about guarantee my expectations are far higher than yours right now.  Because, instead of being a dick at every opportunity for the last 4 years, I've been patient and allowed CBB to rebuild.  I think he's there.  I think this is the year we break through.  I expect a minimum of 9 wins, as long as key players stay healthy.  Minimum 9.

Choosing to be patient isn't "settling for mediocrity".  In fact, at a school like ours, constantly agitating for the quick fix is the fastest path to mediocrity. 

All that said to say, "get on the bus or get run over".  CBB has the team primed to win now.  If he can't get it done, you'll finally get your wish.  Of course, once you get your wish, you're just going to bitch about the next guy not winning fast enough.

Whether you can accept it or not, a large part of the fan base is impatient. They tasted of what it's like to support a top 15 ranked team 2 years in a row (2010-2011) and they know the Hogs are capable of achieving that again so they are hungry for it. Fans have watched as the Hogs have underachieved the last 5 years, are growing weary of it, and are simply venting their frustration. If their venting offends you that can't be helped.

[ATU HOG]

I truly believe 99% of the fan-base wants CBB to be successful here.  I'm not a huge fan, but of course I want him to be successful... I hope he's the best coach in our history.  We see our team over the last few years and one word comes to mind, and that is "potential"

Potential is something that sounds great, but it's a word that has an unproven result.  CBB and the Hogs have potential, but at some point that potential has to pan out to success on the football field.

[hogcard1964]

That seems about right.

However, within the SEC, I don't believe we could be worse than Vanderbilt or Kentucky.

At least we had a once pretty proud tradition.

[Atlhogfan1]

Not surprising...except maybe surprised it's not worse. This is since 2012. Since 2012 this has overall been an absolute miserable stretch to anyone with a lick of sense. We went from winning 10/11 games per year to garbage.

What's more amazing is that the fan base is split in half...many people just can't fathom why some would be upset over the last 5 years. Real shocker there I guess.

Not amazing when you consider we were divided under Nutt.  Barely had mostly healed under Petrino when he was fired against the wishes of a portion of the fan base.  The portion who believe 10/11 wins a season was about to be the norm.  And have had to suffer through the post-Petrino fallout with some wanting to give Bielema a chance.  I think for most his chance is getting closer to an end.   

[RME]

I truly believe 99% of the fan-base wants CBB to be successful here.  I'm not a huge fan, but of course I want him to be successful... I hope he's the best coach in our history.  We see our team over the last few years and one word comes to mind, and that is "potential"

Potential is something that sounds great, but it's a word that has an unproven result.  CBB and the Hogs have potential, but at some point that potential has to pan out to success on the football field.

If someone doesn't want Bielema to be successful, they're essentially wanting the team and players to fail, too. And that's absolutely ridiculous. No real way to spin out of that one. "Of course I want the team to win and players to do well but I don't want Bielema."

Uhhhhhhhh.

[ATU HOG]

If someone doesn't want Bielema to be successful, they're essentially wanting the team and players to fail, too. And that's absolutely ridiculous. No real way to spin out of that one. "Of course I want the team to win and players to do well but I don't want Bielema."

Uhhhhhhhh.

I think there's always a 1% though that can't be happy with anything

[bphi11ips]

Those guys with those stars do pretty well at the camps and CBB would take them if he could land them. A lot of "real football coaches" do get them and seem to do well.

Some do and some don't.

The rating system is very good at identifying the very best players at a point in time.  It doesn't take much talent to do that, nor is it any great trick to convince those players to go to Alabama or Ohio State. 

It's also no great trick to show up at an "elite" camp at 6'4" 215 decked out in swag and get a 3-star rating.  Same for a 5'10" 175 guy with "loose hips" who runs a 4.4.  Whether these guys can block, tackle, catch, cover, or are willing to put forth the effort it takes to play at the P5 level is a different story altogether.  But many coaches will take them because of the pressure placed upon them by fans obsessed with recruiting rankings.  I don't think Bret Bielema is one of those coaches.

The system is also full of players who haven't been ranked as highly as they should have, or not at all, either because they developed late, they didn't have access to the "elite" dog and pony shows, their high school coach didn't get involved in the process, or for other reasons that kept them off the radar.  The best coaches keep their ears to the ground, watch a lot of film, spend a lot of time building relationships, and sign the best players available regardless of the impact it will have on their recruiting ranking.  I believe that's the approach Bret Bielema and his staff take.

For most of his tenure at Wisconsin, Brett Bielema fielded teams composed of classes ranked in the 40s.  His 2010 class was 82 (Rivals).  The Badgers finished 11-3 in 2014, beat Auburn in the Outback Bowl, and were ranked 13 in the final AP poll.

At Arkansas, CBB's classes have generally been ranked in the mid-20s.  That should be about our expectations because that is where we have just about always finished regardless of who our head coach has been.  But based upon what I have seen on the field in terms of talent and depth, I think CBB and his staff have done a great job of separating the wheat from the chaff at the 3-star level and also of identifying walk-on and under the radar talent.  But that's just my opinion.

[TruthHog]

Ranking is spot-on. Let's face it, we're a program that generates a ton of hope and even more heartbreak. It's been the case as long as I can remember, and I can remember a lot. Those last two games last year just the latest in soul-crushing ... instead of finishing 9-4 and getting us all fired up, we finish 7-6 then lose Rawleigh ... Truth: It will take a miracle to get anywhere close to 10 wins this year, and the reality is we're probably looking at 8-5.

[oldhawg]

The season has not started yet.  I'm still banking on a ten win season, January Bowl (or Cotton Bowl), and a top twenty finish.

If that does not happen, I would rather deal with the disappointment later instead of starting the season with low expectations.

[bphi11ips]

The season has not started yet.  I'm still banking on a ten win season, January Bowl (or Cotton Bowl), and a top twenty finish.

If that does not happen, I would rather deal with the disappointment later instead of starting the season with low expectations.

Amen.

[hogman64]

I have thought this was spot on for a long time.  It is kind of a compliment actually... it acknowledges we  have passionate fans who care and support the team in a huge way, but we are stuck in the best division of the best conference in college football.  we compete against schools  who have had more success than we and several have bigger budgets than we.  our recruiting base in our home state is smaller and  when we offer big time out of state players , much more often than not they choose one of our rivals when we go head to head.   that is a prescription for a miserable passionate fan base.....to me it means we have enough going for us to cause hope year after year but realistically the odds are against us  in a big way.

[Atlhogfan1]

Avg wins-losses per year for current or recent SECW coaches:

Miles 10.2-2.9

Sumlin 8.8 - 4.2

Gus 8.75 - 4.5

Freeze 7.8 - 5

Mullen 7.625 - 5.25


Petrino 8.5 - 4.25

Nutt at Ark 7.5 - 4.8


Bielema was 68-24 at Wisconsin inheriting a ready to win program.  9.7 - 3.4

At Ark, 6.25 - 6.5 per season.  7.3 - 5.6 after the first season.  Would have been 8-5 avg over last 3 if not for the season ending chokes which cannot happen again.

To me, Bielema's career is kind of Les Miles in reverse.  Both inherited ready to win programs and rebuilds.  Les just got his ready to win after Ok St where he was a 7-5 coach for 4 seasons trying to rebuild off of a string of losing seasons.  Their reality is probably somewhere in the middle between LSU/Ok St for Les and Wisc/current Ark record for BB. 

[bphi11ips]

I have thought this was spot on for a long time.  It is kind of a compliment actually... it acknowledges we  have passionate fans who care and support the team in a huge way, but we are stuck in the best division of the best conference in college football.  we compete against schools  who have had more success than we and several have bigger budgets than we.  our recruiting base in our home state is smaller and  when we offer big time out of state players , much more often than not they choose one of our rivals when we go head to head.   that is a prescription for a miserable passionate fan base.....to me it means we have enough going for us to cause hope year after year but realistically the odds are against us  in a big way.

True.  Makes 10-3 and 11-2, or 13-1 or even better that much sweeter.  No reason to get down in the mouth about before a season with promise.  Can't wait to play TCU and see what we've got. 

[gchamblee]

25-26=49%......which is an F. That's not even mediocre. Some of you guys say you want better, but yet you keep propping him up.

Not giving up on him is not the same thing as propping him up. You get cocky with guys that don't see it your way, same as I get cocky with guys that don't see it my way. Neither of us are right or wrong, we just want to handle the situation differently. I do not think he has peaked, and you think he has. Both of us can make valid arguments to support our opinions. I just lose my darn with people that go full retard and you haven't done that. I don't want to be antagonistic and name the posters I am referring to, but they know who they are.

[gchamblee]

Not surprising...except maybe surprised it's not worse. This is since 2012. Since 2012 this has overall been an absolute miserable stretch to anyone with a lick of sense. We went from winning 10/11 games per year to garbage.

What's more amazing is that the fan base is split in half...many people just can't fathom why some would be upset over the last 5 years. Real shocker there I guess.

You should make up your mind. Are we garbage or are we mediocre? They are not the same thing.

[gchamblee]

Whether you can accept it or not, a large part of the fan base is impatient. They tasted of what it's like to support a top 15 ranked team 2 years in a row (2010-2011) and they know the Hogs are capable of achieving that again so they are hungry for it. Fans have watched as the Hogs have underachieved the last 5 years, are growing weary of it, and are simply venting their frustration. If their venting offends you that can't be helped.

Your venting only frustrates me because my optimism offends you.

[KlubhouseKonnected]

Not surprised nobody I regularly interact IRL with seems to be positive about the program right now. It's weird that I seem to be the optimist in that respect.

[GuvHog]

Your venting only frustrates me because my optimism offends you.

Actually we're both optimistic. I have the Hogs winning 9 regular season games this year. I believe this is the year when Bielema's Hogs finally put it together.

[Hogwild]

  The team is competitive and wins more than it loses.  Fans desperately need some perspective.

No we haven't won more than we have lost, during the past 5 seasons, we have a record of 28-34 (12-30).

I'm glad to see that we are ranked #93 on the misery side of things, it gives my hope.  Not that I want it to stay there, but after the team's performance the past 5 seasons, I glad to see that most fans aren't all rainbows and sunshine.  That a large share of the fans base hasn't been happy and want to see a turn around, and not part of the excuse of the day crowd. I think we will win either 7 or 8 regular season games.  If we lose less than that I will be not be happy, but if we win more than eight I will be.

[hogcard1964]

The season has not started yet.  I'm still banking on a ten win season, January Bowl (or Cotton Bowl), and a top twenty finish.

If that does not happen, I would rather deal with the disappointment later instead of starting the season with low expectations.

We're going to end up in a lower tier bowl, that's a guarantee.  I just want to play someone other than Texas or Kansas St. in a bowl with a bit more prestige than the Belk, Liberty or Texas bowl.

[Tejano Jawg]

Ole Miss is happier than we are?? Dang. They must drink more.

There are 3 schools in the top 10 that I would put on my "wish they were UNhappy list"—starting with Ohio State, then Oklahoma and Alabama.

[hogsanity]

What I do not get is how the outcome of a game, that you are not playing in, could make you unhappy for more than maybe an hour, unless thats all you've got. And, if thats the case, nothing is going to make you happy.