Those that want Nutt gone?. . .

[Feralhog]

Does your level of contempt for Nutt exceed the times in the past when it was clear we needed a change?
When we hired Nutt, our program was still stinging from the shambles of Hatfield's departure, and the players had adopted a mindset of losing.   Ford did have one very solid recruiting class on heels of the 95 season,  and HDN was the catalyst which sparked the winning spirit inside a group of talented young men.

  If the 98 season showed anything, it proved that it is possible to get the caliber of talent on the hill that can compete on a BCS level.  As a matter of fact, I don't recall the "we're po' little arkysaw" argument even being an issue until recently. 

Up until the 90's, we consistently competed on the national level.  We didn't have the internet back then, so researching such things was next to impossible, but I would imagine our all time season's end AP ranking had to be 15 or better.  We currently sit at 18.

You can give a million excuses as to why we were a power then and not now - ie; SEC v SWC -  but the 98 season PROVED we can do it in the SEC.  So who started the 'we're po' little arkysaw" excuse, and why has it saturated the mindset to the point that it's now accepted as gospel by so many?  The answer is HDN!  It's evident every time he justifies a loss.  Remember what he said after the USC trashing?  Practically the first words from his mouth were, They scored 55 on OU!

I have never felt this kind of a disconnect from the program before.  My frustration level is to the point that I'm having feelings about our program that I never thought possible.   I don't ever remember a coach pitting the players against it's fans, like this one has.  I don't ever remember a coach actively campaigning to have the expectations of the program be lowered, until now.

Sorry for the length, I'm just at my wits end!  My desire to see a coach fired has never reached this level before. 

[idochog]

I completely agree,

I cant believe the # of media folks trying to keep HDN propped up.  I dont ever remember it being this bad.  I do have a disconnect ocurring b/c I dont think the powers on the HILL want to do what is necessary to take our program to a higher level.

There is more to a program than just a nice stadium or a place to tailgate. 

The experience there would be magnified 10x if we were winning or trying to win.  Im completely disgusted especially when you got a BOT member blocking things that could happen to fix the program.

[hogsanity]

What did 98 prove?  It proved, just like 2003 should have, that once every 5 or 6 yrs we have a team loaded with good experinced Linemen on both sides of the ball and a qb who has started about 20 games that we will have one good yr, maybe 2 then we fall off again for another 3 or 4 years till we load up again.   

Somehow, the need or ability to get quality linemen in sufficient numbers passed by the UA at some point.  When linemen were still relatively small and quick we did just fine, but when bulk and strength began to matter we missed the memo.

[Swino]

I agree 100% feral.  It seems like that many folks aren't looking at the patterns, the shape of the team or the W-L records.  All they care about is that Houston is from Arkansas.  I have no clue as to why that is such a big deal, I guess because we have been sold that since day 1. 

If everything remained the same, but Houston was from New York, we would have had a new coach a few years ago.

I too am disgusted with the active campaign (and the fans buying it!!) to lower expectations.  I find myself not caring in the least about the outcome of razorback sports.  Hell, I'm not even going to the game Saturday.  Of course, the fans will be bashed for not showing up and supporting the team, but the Athletic director should be putting the best possible product on the field... and they aint.

[Feralhog]

What did 98 prove? It proved, just like 2003 should have, that once every 5 or 6 yrs we have a team loaded with good experinced Linemen on both sides of the ball and a qb who has started about 20 games that we will have one good yr, maybe 2 then we fall off again for another 3 or 4 years till we load up again.

Somehow, the need or ability to get quality linemen in sufficient numbers passed by the UA at some point. When linemen were still relatively small and quick we did just fine, but when bulk and strength began to matter we missed the memo.

I'm not going to get into this with you bud.  People who are quick to excuse or justify our current situation make me friken sick.   

[dirty stanchez]

Feral Hog just hit one out of the park.

Nutt has lowered expectations for this team and made us believe that we suck so we should just get used to it.

The sunshine pumpers can go Frank themselves.

[hogmary]

I couldn't agree with you more, Feral.  I have never felt this level of disgust with the program either.  When Holtz left, I was glad to see him go, but certainly didn't feel like I do now.  I've never given up on the team, but I gave up on Nutt some time ago.

[JDW]

What did 98 prove? It proved, just like 2003 should have, that once every 5 or 6 yrs we have a team loaded with good experinced Linemen on both sides of the ball and a qb who has started about 20 games that we will have one good yr, maybe 2 then we fall off again for another 3 or 4 years till we load up again.

Somehow, the need or ability to get quality linemen in sufficient numbers passed by the UA at some point. When linemen were still relatively small and quick we did just fine, but when bulk and strength began to matter we missed the memo.

I agree but you or I are not going to get many valid discussions from most here. There are a few that can debate but for the most part they like calling names and spouting crap.

[Hog Bounty Hunter]

What did 98 prove? It proved, just like 2003 should have, that once every 5 or 6 yrs we have a team loaded with good experinced Linemen on both sides of the ball and a qb who has started about 20 games that we will have one good yr, maybe 2 then we fall off again for another 3 or 4 years till we load up again.

Somehow, the need or ability to get quality linemen in sufficient numbers passed by the UA at some point. When linemen were still relatively small and quick we did just fine, but when bulk and strength began to matter we missed the memo.

Oh I see, somehow everyone else is able to "Bigger lineman" now than we can. I got a little clue for you, don't tell anyone but when we had smaller lineman everyone else did too. Lineman are all bigger these days even in Arkansas.

[kremlinhog]

great post, it never really hit me till you said it, he actually campaigns to lower expectations and the extra jolt is the ad is on board with the idea that we are going to suck for two years. this is a man bites dog story.

i am incredulous this man is allowed to coach at a major university, but he has done a great job of convincing people that even five wins is a good year.

feral contact me when you hear this out of a florida,georgia, tennessee etc coach.

nutt has ruined hog football for me. crap, many will be orgasmic with five wins.

[Boarsnest]

Not only has he lowered our expectations, he has some how conviced JFB!!! The younger JFB would have already booted his arse out the door!!!

[big papa]

I agree totally with feralhog's post.  I have never been a fan of Nutt as razorback coach.  The day he was hired was a very disappointing day for the football fans of Arkansas.  He may be a great person, but he is not a major college coach!  I do not hate him nor do I hate the hogs, yet each year gets more discouraging, and yet there still could be no change at the top.  What will it take to get a new coach?

[Dances With Hogs]

The only way to show how upset you are is to not go to the games, if Frank gets no shows at 3-4 games it would speak volums.

I completely agree,

I cant believe the # of media folks trying to keep HDN propped up. I dont ever remember it being this bad. I do have a disconnect ocurring b/c I dont think the powers on the HILL want to do what is necessary to take our program to a higher level.

There is more to a program than just a nice stadium or a place to tailgate.

The experience there would be magnified 10x if we were winning or trying to win. Im completely disgusted especially when you got a BOT member blocking things that could happen to fix the program.

[PigInGulfport]

Talk about lowering expectations . . . what other coach anywhere would say we are going to be down the next two years???  Why is that???  Why is the team you have had control of for 7 years going to be down???  HDN, did you screw up recruiting? did you screw up hiring your Assistants?  What did you do to cause you to say we are going to be down the next two years???

I wonder what he considers up.  Looking at his SEC record the past few years, I think he is drinking some dangerous stuff.

[PintailKiller]

Talk about lowering expectations . . . what other coach anywhere would say we are going to be down the next two years??? Why is that??? Why is the team you have had control of for 7 years going to be down??? HDN, did you screw up recruiting? did you screw up hiring your Assistants? What did you do to cause you to say we are going to be down the next two years???

I wonder what he considers up. Looking at his SEC record the past few years, I think he is drinking some dangerous stuff.

That is my question exactly - why a down year after 6 on the job?  Is it that Nutt can't develop players and have trust in them when the pressure is on?  The only way to gain experience is to play.

[Macgyver_Hawg]

This SWC vs. SEC argument doesn't hold any water to me.

We won a combined 6 games in the SWC our last 2 years, beating only SMU the season after Hatfield left.  Our first game in the SEC we lost to the Citadel.  The Citadel isn't an SEC member. That shows me we were a bad football team.
We beat South Carolina and Tennessee on the road and LSU at home our first season in the SEC.

We didn't have very good football teams after 2 non-existent recruiting years by Hatfield.

It has nothing to do with the big bad SEC.  How people believe this argument is beyond me.

[wacohog]

macgyver,

I couldn't agree with you more. the belief that the old SWC was a joke is usually perpetuated by people not old enough to remember those days. They truly believe that the SEC is too tough for us...pathetic

[PerryHog]

Good point Feral. I don't get it either.
We have the finest facilities. We're in the best conference. We take in tons of money. NWA is booming. Everything is at it's peak.
Except for the won/loss record.
How can it NOT be the coaching?
Competition is even tougher(conference wise) in track, yet we always win.
We hire a baseball coach and go to the series.
Our bball and football woes are inexcusable.

[jkstock04]

I get the feeling from listening to all the talk radio shows that they think this is what we should expect...in other words they think it aint gonna get any better than this no matter who the coach is because this is arkansas...and recruiting and ncaa investigation blah blah blah.  I say thats bull sh**!!  Perry you made a good point about our track and baseball teams...we compete well and win often there but in football we should just expect things to be like this...see thats just not logical to me.  All we ever hear is excuses and I'm so tired of it....

[Hog1751]

The media in Arkansas is who needs to buck up and put it to Nutt. We have the talent to compete at the BCS level we just don't have the coach. Nutt is way to soft to be a coach in the SEC, probably any big time college football conference. I am so tired of us playing not to lose instead of playing to win. That alone coast us 1-3 games every year. The offense is vanilla (and thats being nice). Im glad Herring is here, at least he chews thier asses when they f' up. Arkansas will be a perennial 8-4 to 6-5 team as long as Nutt is at the helm. Just like at Georgia, Donnan revived em, Richt got em over the hump. Nutt revived Arkansas, now it's time for us to find whoever it is that will get us over the hump. No team in the SEC will ever win the SEC tile every year, but every two to three years is not to much to ask. We have the nicest facillities in the league, we have a better recruting base than, Vandy, Ole Miss, Miss State, S Carolina, Auburn, and Kentucky. That puts us in the top half of the league with the traditional powers (UF, UGA, BAMA, LSU, and UT). There is no reason as Arkansas fans that we shouldn't expect an SEC title every 5-6 years, and a trip to the SEC title game at least 1 other time in that period. We should be in serious contention for the National Title at least once every 5-6 years. The one thing I would like to see is a reallignment of our schedule, to something along the lines of...(we'll use this years schedule as an example)

La Monroe
Vanderbilt
@ Southern Cal
Mississippi State
Missouri State
@ Alabama
@ Georgia
South Carolina
@ Ole Miss
Auburn
@ LSU

I hate the fact that our schedule is always so front heavy with the better teams were going to play, I especially hate it when we have a young team, that needs experience. Anyway no matter which way I slice it I still end up being a Hog fan, and I just can't see the program moving up with Nutt, I dont think it will go down, but not up either.

[dirty stanchez]

This SWC vs. SEC argument doesn't hold any water to me.

We won a combined 6 games in the SWC our last 2 years, beating only SMU the season after Hatfield left. Our first game in the SEC we lost to the Citadel. The Citadel isn't an SEC member. That shows me we were a bad football team.
We beat South Carolina and Tennessee on the road and LSU at home our first season in the SEC.

We didn't have very good football teams after 2 non-existent recruiting years by Hatfield.

It has nothing to do with the big bad SEC. How people believe this argument is beyond me.

The SWC was a pretty good conference.

Hell, in the 80s, everyone but the Hogs and Rice had a professional football team.

Guess what Nutt huggers ---->  We won a lot of farging games in the 80s because we played good defense, played hard, played tough, and had an OC.

In fact, we won so many games that Hatfield was named SWC coach of the DECADE!