Arkansas is a sleeping Giant

[GuvHog]

Oh good grief Guv. Stallings did NOT coach under the Bears shadow. He wasn't worried about any shadow. He got tired of all the crap their boosters pulled and the NCAA investigation.

That's what I meant by coaching in the Bear's shadow. The boosters always reminded him that he wasn't as good as the Bear.

[247Hog]

Rebut to Wally and all those Vandy of the West supporters.

Arkansas never hired a good coach after Hatfield until Petrino. To blame the program for all those years of poor hires is just lazy. Look at Clemson. They were in the wilderness for years before Dabo. Look at Alabama between Bryant and Saban. Coaching makes all the difference. But, at Arkansas we are not ready to win because we are more concerned with money, access, and evangelism. This is only about two things, education and winning. The rest is a personality disorder.

It can happen here. It's about to happen at Nebraska, which we're equivalent to Nebraska right now, since they hired the right coach. I hope more than anything it works out for CCM and the UA.

[Al Boarland]

"Looks at Clemson" is going to be on our grave stone.  Clemson wasn't in the SEC West.  Clemson could swim up for air. 

[hoggusamoungus]

I remember a miracle 93 yard fumble recovery and a pray that a FG isn't good. Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt.

But I also remember an offense that couldn't do squat vs Bama. A Bama team that many hog fans later on cheered on to win a national title.

Do you also remember Jerico Nelson fumbling entering the end zone after an interception return? Both teams got breaks that day.  That Vandy team put several guys in the NFL and lost to both GA and FL by similar scores as the Hog game. 

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

Rebut to Wally and all those Vandy of the West supporters.

Arkansas never hired a good coach after Hatfield until Petrino. To blame the program for all those years of poor hires is just lazy. Look at Clemson. They were in the wilderness for years before Dabo. Look at Alabama between Bryant and Saban. Coaching makes all the difference. But, at Arkansas we are not ready to win because we are more concerned with money, access, and evangelism. This is only about two things, education and winning. The rest is a personality disorder.

Please leave your condemnation of religion where I leave my relationship with the creator. Fair is only fair.

[12247]

Read this thread from the beginning and everyone is going to extremes, as usual.  Damn it, we are better than we've recently showed, much, much better.  We've not showed in the past 30 years that we can be consistently good.
                                                                                                                         If we can come into the 21st Century with recruiting and use the electronics out there that Kids use daily, come on strong, work the hot spots and never give up, we can do so much better than the past 6 years.  A sleeping giant might be too strong but woe is me is a little too weak.  We could become, once again, the team you must beat if you got a Championship in mind. 

We could become the team that isn't just a week of the competitions time wasted by running  through the motions against us and kicking our ass.  A team that doesn't gain a thing by kicking us around but should they go to sleep and lose, could end up suffering unrecoverable damage in the rankings.  About the only noise we currently make in the SEC is OMG, what if we actually lost to that group.  Losing to BAMA is one thing, hell, losing to MSU is bad, but, losing to Arkansas, thats likely job security problems right there.  Just think, if we could get better, it would help the other SEC head coaches get their players in the correct frame of mind. 

[rude1]

Arkansas can have a respected and nationally relevant program, Arkansas being a "giant" is nothing more than a pipe dream at best. Let's start by being competitive in the SEC before we start fantasizing about becoming a giant.........

[Inhogswetrust]

That's what I meant by coaching in the Bear's shadow. The boosters always reminded him that he wasn't as good as the Bear.

No they didn't. They reminded him THEY would do whatever the heck they wanted to do to get players no matter what he said.

[Peter Porker]

So you don't think we can get back to where we were in 2010-11?  I'm sure you never thought we'd be a factor then either.

Sure. If we had some Nutt holdovers, mixed with 5 star QB transfer and an Arkansas HS producing 3 NFL receivers. Also, throw in a big-time receiver from Central Arkansas. Also, some good instate talent from the previous class. Also, a combination of Bama, Auburn, and LSU must have a down year. Oh, and the Mississippi schools need to be bad, like historically bad for one of them. Also, we need A&M to go back to the level of their Big 12 days.

That's all you need.

[Inhogswetrust]

Please leave your condemnation of religion where I leave my relationship with the creator. Fair is only fair.

I didn't see him attack a specific religion. The topics here are suppose to be about sports not a specific religion. However sometimes religion in general does show up in a thread.

[GuvHog]

Sure. If we had some Nutt holdovers, mixed with 5 star QB transfer and an Arkansas HS producing 3 NFL receivers. Also, throw in a big-time receiver from Central Arkansas. Also, some good instate talent from the previous class. Also, a combination of Bama, Auburn, and LSU must have a down year. Oh, and the Mississippi schools need to be bad, like historically bad for one of them. Also, we need A&M to go back to the level of their Big 12 days.

That's all you need.

I'll give you Mallett, but those receivers were 4 star recruits that were developed by Petrino's staff. That class wasn't as highly talented as you think. Nutt left the cupboard almost bare of talent so Petrino's staff had to do a lot of rebuilding. By the way, Joe Adams was a USC lock until Petrino flipped him shortly before signing day.

[HogHomer]

If we can come into the 21st Century with recruiting and use the electronics out there that Kids use daily. 

What does this even mean? What electronics are others using  we aren't? Do you think we don't use social media? We've had VR for at least 2 years I believe. If that isn't 21st century idk what is? I'm just very puzzled by this statement.

[EastexHawg]

I remember a miracle 93 yard fumble recovery and a pray that a FG isn't good. Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt.

So what?  We won.  Clemson lost to Syracuse this year.  Bama came within a blocked field goal of losing to Tennessee a few years ago.  Ohio State "almost lost" a few times on their way to beating Miami in the national championship game several years back.

[hogsanity]

So you don't think we can get back to where we were in 2010-11?  I'm sure you never thought we'd be a factor then either.

I think they can and I think they will, because I saw 75, and 77 and 88 and 89 and 98 and 2006.  Get an above average year or two of instate recruits, and a couple big time out of staters, and they will have a really good year or two. But, just like I saw the seasons I mentioned, I also saw 76, and 83, and 92m and 200, and 2003, and 2012. They are never going to have the steady flow of talent to stay at the lofty levels they will reach occasionally.

[GuvHog]

I think they can and I think they will, because I saw 75, and 77 and 88 and 89 and 98 and 2006.  Get an above average year or two of instate recruits, and a couple big time out of staters, and they will have a really good year or two. But, just like I saw the seasons I mentioned, I also saw 76, and 83, and 92m and 200, and 2003, and 2012. They are never going to have the steady flow of talent to stay at the lofty levels they will reach occasionally.

They can be good enough to win at least 8 regular season games a year and occasionally get to a 10 or 11 win season though.

[hogsanity]

They can be good enough to win at least 8 regular season games a year and occasionally get to a 10 or 11 win season though.

which is what I have been saying for years, and for years been told that is a loser mentality and accepting mediocrity.

[okrazorback]

which is what I have been saying for years, and for years been told that is a loser mentality and accepting mediocrity.

I agree the right coach can get us there, I am just not sure if Morris is the right coach. I hope he is but I don't see why you think he is before he has coached a single game at  Arkansas. Now you will say because of what he did at SMU. His record was no better than Bretts. Now, before you say it this  does not mean I wish we had kept Brett.

[hogsanity]

I agree the right coach can get us there, I am just not sure if Morris is the right coach. I hope he is but I don't see why you think he is before he has coached a single game at  Arkansas. Now you will say because of what he did at SMU. His record was no better than Bretts. Now, before you say it this  does not mean I wish we had kept Brett.

I wont say that, I have no idea if Morris was a product of SMU or if SMU was a product of Morris.

[bphi11ips]

Read this thread from the beginning and everyone is going to extremes, as usual.  Damn it, we are better than we've recently showed, much, much better.  We've not showed in the past 30 years that we can be consistently good.
                                                                                                                         If we can come into the 21st Century with recruiting and use the electronics out there that Kids use daily, come on strong, work the hot spots and never give up, we can do so much better than the past 6 years.  A sleeping giant might be too strong but woe is me is a little too weak.  We could become, once again, the team you must beat if you got a Championship in mind. 

+1

As I said in the SEC Chant thread today, I have lived in the SEC melting pot of Nashville for 25 years.  Nashville is literally at the crossroads of SEC schools.  Every school has a fair number of alums and fans here. 

Arkansas gets much more respect in Nashville than it does on Hogville.  Arkansas went to three SEC championship games in its first twenty years in the SEC.  I don't recall anyone outside of the Big Six of Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Auburn and LSU doing that.  Mississippi State, I believe, went to one.  Outside of that no one else did.  South Carolina and Missouri have been since Petrino was fired, but Arkansas has still been to more than anyone outside of the Big Six since we joined the league.  We split with Auburn during those twenty years.  We pounded Ole Miss and Mississippi State.  We beat Alabama more than most SEC teams.  We beat Tennessee and played them tough all but once.  The only teams that ran us out of the building were Florida and Georgia, and they were running a lot of teams out of the building when they did it to us. 

SEC fans OUTSIDE of Arkansas have always seen Arkansas as a better-bring-your-lunch, tough out sort of team.  Even now most serious SEC football fans understand that Arkansas is simply down.  They think the same thing about Tennessee.  Why?  Because football goes in cycles.  Always has.  Why?  One big reason is because great coaches come and go.  Arkansas is who they know we are - a dangerous SEC team that can jump up and bite them on the rear at any given time.  They also know we are a program who can build a winner and may be able to sustain one with the right coach.     

[Peter Porker]

I'll give you Mallett, but those receivers were 4 star recruits that were developed by Petrino's staff. That class wasn't as highly talented as you think. Nutt left the cupboard almost bare of talent so Petrino's staff had to do a lot of rebuilding. By the way, Joe Adams was a USC lock until Petrino flipped him shortly before signing day.

I'm not debating those kids were developed by Petrino. Why even mention That?

What would you call bare? 3 NFL offensive linemen returned. A returning QB starter. Good tailback. NFL linebacker, NFL tight end, etc.

[hogsanity]

I would say it is more apt to say the Hog football program is a sleeping David. Never going to be a giant, but capable of defeating the big boys now and then.

[Biggus Piggus]

What do gnats sound like while sleeping?

[GuvHog]

I'm not debating those kids were developed by Petrino. Why even mention That?

What would you call bare? 3 NFL offensive linemen returned. A returning QB starter. Good tailback. NFL linebacker, NFL tight end, etc.

Arkansas lost it's entire starting offensive backfield and its best receiver along with 2 of it's best linemen from Nutt's last team. They returned a serviceable QB who improved under Petrino's tutelage and a pretty good TE that wasn't fully developed. The tailback had played very little playing time under Nutt so was basically inexperienced. None of the players that Petrino inherited were NFL caliber when he arrived. His staff had to develop them.

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

No they didn't. They reminded him THEY would do whatever the heck they wanted to do to get players no matter what he said.

They also threw a holy darn fit when he tore down The Bear's tower...

[hawganatic]

Arkansas can have a respected and nationally relevant program, Arkansas being a "giant" is nothing more than a pipe dream at best. Let's start by being competitive in the SEC before we start fantasizing about becoming a giant.........

It's not a pipe dream.  But we as a fanbase have to learn patience and that it takes time to build a program.  Get out of this mindset that an 8 win season should always be followed by a 10 win season or it's a failure.  Need to learn to take incremental progress, and that progress isn't always linear.

Besides if we are relevant in the SEC, that puts us in line to be a "giant."

[TigerHog93]

Respectfully disagree. Arkansas is severely lacking in high school football talent. And to make things even more complicated your coaches have to convince out of state recruits why they should play for Arkansas instead of Alabama, LSU, Auburn, Texas, etc teams that put more players in the league and have a longer tradition of winning.

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

Respectfully disagree. Arkansas is severely lacking in high school football talent. And to make things even more complicated your coaches have to convince out of state recruits why they should play for Arkansas instead of Alabama, LSU, Auburn, Texas, etc teams that put more players in the league and have a longer tradition of winning.

Respectfully disagree as well... It's not a hard sell once you get them to campus. CCM's ability to build relationships with High School coaches is going to pay off for us big time. I remember LSwho Pre Saban. I also see our record VS Auburn. Bama is another story, but just like Bama past they are going to trip up sooner rather than later. It's been a great run, but once that pressure to win as many Natty's as The Bear starts to hit down upon Ol Saint Nick's head it's going to mean a little more, and that's when fear set's in. Look at Florida pre Spurrier, post Spurrier and post Meyer. Hell, look at Tennessee... It's not impossible or even improbable. It's a question of when, and our time is coming...

[hogsanity]

Respectfully disagree. Arkansas is severely lacking in high school football talent. And to make things even more complicated your coaches have to convince out of state recruits why they should play for Arkansas instead of Alabama, LSU, Auburn, Texas, etc teams that put more players in the league and have a longer tradition of winning.

Might as well give that up. I have been saying that for over a decade on here and I just get told I am not a fan, or I love mediocrity, or I am a racist, or I love dinosaur football or a dozen other things to try to cover up how little real legit sec talent there is usually in this state. They wont admit it because they know that can't be fixed. Arkansas is population, geographically and demographically challenged.

[hogsanity]

Respectfully disagree as well... It's not a hard sell once you get them to campus. CCM's ability to build relationships with High School coaches is going to pay off for us big time. I remember LSwho Pre Saban. I also see our record VS Auburn. Bama is another story, but just like Bama past they are going to trip up sooner rather than later. It's been a great run, but once that pressure to win as many Natty's as The Bear starts to hit down upon Ol Saint Nick's head it's going to mean a little more, and that's when fear set's in. Look at Florida pre Spurrier, post Spurrier and post Meyer. Hell, look at Tennessee... It's not impossible or even improbable. It's a question of when, and our time is coming...

Really? Not a hard sell one you get the to campus? They bring in lots of high level out of state recruits every year on visits and sign almost none of them, especially not if those kids have LSU/Bama/Aub type of offer sheets.

[bphi11ips]

What do gnats sound like while sleeping?

Horse manure. Same with David.

[Peter Porker]

Arkansas lost it's entire starting offensive backfield and its best receiver along with 2 of it's best linemen from Nutt's last team. They returned a serviceable QB who improved under Petrino's tutelage and a pretty good TE that wasn't fully developed. The tailback had played very little playing time under Nutt so was basically inexperienced. None of the players that Petrino inherited were NFL caliber when he arrived. His staff had to develop them.

Stats show Dick did not improve under Booby.
Williams wasn't fully developed because he was a 2nd year player. They're usually not developed.
Inexperience does not mean not talented.
Demarcus Love wasn't NFL caliber?
Ray Dominguez?
Luigs?

You have got to be the greatest troll on Hogville. Congratulations you fooled me up until now. There is no way you truly believe the stuff you post.

[Grizzlyfan]

Rebut to Wally and all those Vandy of the West supporters.

Arkansas never hired a good coach after Hatfield until Petrino. To blame the program for all those years of poor hires is just lazy. Look at Clemson. They were in the wilderness for years before Dabo. Look at Alabama between Bryant and Saban. Coaching makes all the difference. But, at Arkansas we are not ready to win because we are more concerned with money, access, and evangelism. This is only about two things, education and winning. The rest is a personality disorder.

OR, if the coaches we hired had won more games they would have magically become "good" coaches.  But since they didn't win enough games they weren't "good".

[Pigsknuckles]

Bama won a NC under Stallings.

And he put Bama on probation.

[Mike Irwin]

Most of your better SEC schools in football have a network of cheating boosters. Arkansas doesn't. You've got a guy here and a guy there who might funnel a little money to a player from time to time but nothing organized and nothing big. It's hard to compete against schools that can do it without getting caught. Ole Miss tried but they weren't smart about it. 

[redeye]

Except every coach since Bryant at Alabama has had a 10 win season.

I'm pretty sure Mike Price never won 10 games... 

There's a lot of truth in the OP's post, imo.  Of course there's more to it, like our recruiting disadvantage, but we can, and have, had great SEC teams.

Mike also has an excellent point that I believe is true.

[Sho Nuff]

Can someone tell me what actions the U of A has taken to show that Evangelism is taken into consideration?

Exactly - if Arkansas happens to hire a coach who is a devout Christian, somehow they are evangelizing.  Give me a break...

[hawganatic]

It is funny how people want to pick one point in time and act as if that is the norm. I could pick 50 games from the last 25 years that looked exactly like many of the Hog games this past season. That seems much more like the norm than the Aub game of 2011.

Don't think anybody said that 2010-11 was or norm.  What people are saying that it is an example of what we CAN be if we get the right coach, and that coach is able to get the right players to run his system.  Petrino was a great coach for us who had the right players come into his system at the right time. 

Success is a snowball effect.  Once you take that first step towards being successful, the next step becomes easier, and easier.  Doubt anybody thought Clemson would be where they are right now 10 years ago.  Or even the first couple of years into Dabo's tenure. 

Chad Morris may or may not get us back to the 2010-11 level, but we won't know until he's given a chance.

[12247]

Peter Porker, I believe only one of the three receivers that Petrino recruited that first years group was a 4 star, that being Adams who was going to USC as a DB until Petrino got him to come to Arkansas.  The other Guys were 3 stars, I believe.

[Inhogswetrust]

Most of your better SEC schools in football have a network of cheating boosters. Arkansas doesn't. You've got a guy here and a guy there who might funnel a little money to a player from time to time but nothing organized and nothing big. It's hard to compete against schools that can do it without getting caught. Ole Miss tried but they weren't smart about it. 

The funny thing is that wasn't the first time Ole Miss tried it and got caught!

[GuvHog]

Stats show Dick did not improve under Booby.
Williams wasn't fully developed because he was a 2nd year player. They're usually not developed.
Inexperience does not mean not talented.
Demarcus Love wasn't NFL caliber?
Ray Dominguez?
Luigs?

You have got to be the greatest troll on Hogville. Congratulations you fooled me up until now. There is no way you truly believe the stuff you post.

Say what you want but they weren't ready for the NFL when Petrino arrived. You're wrong, just admit it and move on.

[holeinthewall]

Rebut to Wally and all those Vandy of the West supporters.

WTH?  Vandy is an academic school.  They should have trouble competing. Arkansas is nowhere near an academic school   Anyone can get in and pass classes

[rude1]

It's not a pipe dream.  But we as a fanbase have to learn patience and that it takes time to build a program.  Get out of this mindset that an 8 win season should always be followed by a 10 win season or it's a failure.  Need to learn to take incremental progress, and that progress isn't always linear.

Besides if we are relevant in the SEC, that puts us in line to be a "giant."

We have 25 years of history to go on, how much patience do you think it is going to take to become a giant? We are what we are, and at our best we will NEVER become a college football giant, unless you have an extreme low version of what a football giant looks like.

[Hoginsavga]

This is what a lot of the naysayers don't understand about Arkansas football. Arkansas became a charter member of the SWC in in 1915 and won the conference only three times until 1958. That was 43 years with three conference championships. Let that sink in for awhile. What happened in 1958 to drastically change things? Did Arkansas suddenly get an amazing population growth spurt? Did all of a sudden Arkansas get a burst of talent of in state players to change the complexion of Arkansas football? Did the other SWC teams suddenly become weak sisters in football?

No none of the above happened. What did happen was Arkansas hired a young energetic and smart coach named Frank Broyles and he replaced himself with Lou Holtz and Ken Hatfield. During that span of time Arkansas won or tied for the SWC conference championship 10 Times.

A lot of naysayers will say yes but that was the SWC not the SEC. What they ignore is the fact that Arkansas football changed its position in the eyes of the football world by getting the right coaches, not by population shifts nor by the integration factor. Broyles, Holtz and Hatfield all relied on mostly Arkansas and Texas recruits with a few other out of other out of state recruits.

I recognize that the SEC is a tough conference but so was the SWC for many years. Also there were plenty of years where Arkansas had to face many SWC teams that were cheating. There is absolutely no reason we can't be better than many of the teams we face in the SEC. With the right coach we should usually be better than Mizzo, Miss State, Ole Miss and Texas A&M. We should be on even par with Auburn and LSU. When Saban leaves Bama things will change as well.

Hopefully Coach Morris will be our 1958 makeover. 

[rude1]

This is what a lot of the naysayers don't understand about Arkansas football. Arkansas became a charter member of the SWC in in 1915 and win the conference only three times until 1958. That was 43 years with three conference championships. Let that sink in for awhile. What happened in 1958 to drastically change things? Did Arkansas suddenly get an amazing population growth spurt? Did all of a sudden Arkansas get a burst of talent of in state players to change the complexion of Arkansas football? Did the other SWC teams suddenly become weak sisters in football?

No none of the above happened. What did happen was Arkansas hired a young energetic and smart coach named Frank Broyles and he replaced himself with Lou Holtz and Ken Hatfield. During that span of time Arkansas win or tied for the SWC conference championship 10 Times.

A lot of naysayers will say yes but that was the SWC not the SEC. What they ignore is the fact that Arkansas football changed its position in the eyes of the football world by getting the right coaches, not by population shifts nor by the integration factor. Broyles, Holtz and Hatfield all relied on mostly Arkansas and Texas recruits with a few other out of other out of state recruits.

I recognize that the SEC is a tough conference but so was the SWC for many years. Also there were plenty of years where Arkansas had to face many SWC teams that were cheating. There is absolutely no reason we can't be better than many of the teams we face in the SEC. With the right coach we should usually be better than Mizzo, Miss State, Ole Miss and Texas A&M. We should be on even par with Auburn and LSU. When Saban leaves Bama things will change as well.

Hopefully Coach Morris will be our 1958 makeover. 

So what's the moral to this story? It took 43 years in the SWC, so we have to wait at least another 18 before SEC success will become common place?

[kp72204]

Didn't want to start a new thread so i'll just ask it here. Had we won the early titles 1966, 1969, 1977 would the amount of championships have helped built a legacy here? I have read here multiple times that we we're cheated due to being the only team not from TX. Would more kids be playing football and have the legacy that Alabama has if we weren't cheated? If Alabama had not had Bear Bryant (winning titles) would they be who they are today?

Was there ever a Friday Night Lights era in Arkansas? I went to school in Little Rock in the 90's and I don't remember football being "BIG" then.

[bphi11ips]

We have 25 years of history to go on, how much patience do you think it is going to take to become a giant? We are what we are, and at our best we will NEVER become a college football giant, unless you have an extreme low version of what a football giant looks like.

There was nothing in our past in 1958 to indicate we were about to become a football giant. We won one national championship and were one game away of two more twice in the next decade. In spite of three mediocre years to start the 70s, we appeared in 66% of all Top 20 AP polls published that decade. We had an arguably good claim to an NC in 1977.  We were preseason number one in 1978. We were a giant for a sustained period whether revisionists want to admit it or not. Were we Saban's Alabama?  No. But a college football giant nonetheless.

What we are is a member of the SEC West with a 75,000 seat newly renovated stadium with plush new player's facilities. We have over 20,000,000 people living within a 5 hour drive, over 3,000,000 of whom are African American. We produce enough SEC caliber athletes in-state to sign 6 or so a year, about the same in-state as Alabama signs.

The only thing we won't do is hire bagmen. If that means our ceiling is 7 or 8 wins most of us are cool with that.

[rude1]

There was nothing in our past in 1958 to indicate we were about to become a football giant. We won one national championship and were one game away of two more twice in the next decade. In spite of three mediocre years to start the 70s, we appeared in 66% of all Top 20 AP polls published that decade. We had an arguably good claim to an NC in 1977.  We were preseason number one in 1978. We were a giant for a sustained period whether revisionists want to admit it or not. Were we Saban's Alabama?  No. But a college football giant nonetheless.

What we are is a member of the SEC West with a 75,000 seat newly renovated stadium with plush new player's facilities. We have over 20,000,000 people living within a 5 hour drive, over 3,000,000 of whom are African American. We produce enough SEC caliber athletes in-state to sign 6 or so a year, about the same in-state as Alabama signs.

The only thing we won't do is hire bagmen. If that means our ceiling is 7 or 8 wins most of us are cool with that.

Ok if you guys want to compare today to back in 1958 to believe we can be a sleeping giant, good for you...................

[bphi11ips]

This is what a lot of the naysayers don't understand about Arkansas football. Arkansas became a charter member of the SWC in in 1915 and won the conference only three times until 1958. That was 43 years with three conference championships. Let that sink in for awhile. What happened in 1958 to drastically change things? Did Arkansas suddenly get an amazing population growth spurt? Did all of a sudden Arkansas get a burst of talent of in state players to change the complexion of Arkansas football? Did the other SWC teams suddenly become weak sisters in football?

No none of the above happened. What did happen was Arkansas hired a young energetic and smart coach named Frank Broyles and he replaced himself with Lou Holtz and Ken Hatfield. During that span of time Arkansas won or tied for the SWC conference championship 10 Times.

A lot of naysayers will say yes but that was the SWC not the SEC. What they ignore is the fact that Arkansas football changed its position in the eyes of the football world by getting the right coaches, not by population shifts nor by the integration factor. Broyles, Holtz and Hatfield all relied on mostly Arkansas and Texas recruits with a few other out of other out of state recruits.

I recognize that the SEC is a tough conference but so was the SWC for many years. Also there were plenty of years where Arkansas had to face many SWC teams that were cheating. There is absolutely no reason we can't be better than many of the teams we face in the SEC. With the right coach we should usually be better than Mizzo, Miss State, Ole Miss and Texas A&M. We should be on even par with Auburn and LSU. When Saban leaves Bama things will change as well.

Hopefully Coach Morris will be our 1958 makeover. 

Preach it brotha. Better job than mine.

[bphi11ips]

Ok if you guys want to compare today to back in 1958 to believe we can be a sleeping giant, good for you...................

What's the difference, other than your defeatism?  You have plenty of company here, but I doubt it is shared by the players and new staff. Some of us who know better need to keep rude fans from revising history to suit their pessimistic viewpoint.

[SooieGeneris]

Bama won a NC under Stallings.

ONE NC in all the years between Bear and Saban? That covers a number of years. That's what, a little over 30 years between 1978 and 2009? Sarcasm alert: Great rebuttal. Really saved the jobs of Mike Price, Mike Shula, Mike DuBose and any other Mike that served as HC there in that time..