Have Expectations Cooled

[Augustus]

This may be the dumbest thing ever written on this message board.

Given the content of your own post, directly above what you call the "dumbest thing ever..."

I'm not sure you should be talking. Glass houses & whatnot.

[bphi11ips]

Not a bit here, but I've been saying since he committed that Rawleigh Williams is seriously underrated.

I feel awful for J-Will.  That is all. 

[CFB_Fanatic]

Nope.  We still win the West

LOL. You srs?

BA will have to pass for around 30 TDs and throw <5 INTs for that to happen. And that was before JWill went down leaving us with an unproven backfield.

[Svrdhd]

I also take that as a compliment from someone who has made all of 50 posts

Just pointing out what I'm sure many have already observed, here on HV there is frequently a high inverse correlation between post count and substance. And there have been a couple of recent 'low post count' members that have really raised the bar.

BTW, I'm not one of those.

[JaketheSnake]

When was the last time a SECW champ had a QB Throw 30+TDs and under 5ints?  And we do have a RB with 2,000+ yards in his career right now.  All is not lost.

LOL. You srs?

BA will have to pass for around 30 TDs and throw <5 INTs for that to happen. And that was before JWill went down leaving us with an unproven backfield.

LOL. You srs?

BA will have to pass for around 30 TDs and throw <5 INTs for that to happen. And that was before JWill went down leaving us with an unproven backfield.

[CFB_Fanatic]

When was the last time a SECW champ had a QB Throw 30+TDs and under 5ints?  And we do have a RB with 2,000+ yards in his career right now.  All is not lost.

Im just gonna guess Tim Tebow. Since then not sure about AJ McCarron but pretty sure he also had Heisman trophy winners in the backfield.

[lefty08]

Just pointing out what I'm sure many have already observed, here on HV there is frequently a high inverse correlation between post count and substance. And there have been a couple of recent 'low post count' members that have really raised the bar.

BTW, I'm not one of those.

If you consider his posts raising the bar..........i wanna welcome you in from the SEC Rant.  We are glad to have you here

[goodguytex]

My predictions and expectations originally were 9-3 and 10 with a bowl win in something like the Cotton or capital one bowl. Then as the preseason got closer and closer I started upping my expectations to possibly only losing one and winning the west. With Jwills injury I am tempering my expectations a bit to 10 wins regular season. So losing the experience Jwill provides at the position may cost us one game. I'm gonna guess against LSU or Tennessee. I hope I'm wrong though and we go undefeated. But if the Hogs end the season with 10 wins or more I will be on every happy, proud Hog fan.

[Youngsta71701]

I still say best case scenario 10-2, worst case scenario 7-5, reality (not to optimistic) scenario 8-4.

[Pigsknuckles]

Tepid is a good word. From the content of this, and some of the other related threads, I would also like to throw out the word "turbid".

[LRHawg]

I'm going to stick with my 8 win prediction until some questions are answered. Not by our team but by Bama and other teams with brand new QB's and other key positions with questions unanswered. The SEC is going to be really un-predictable this year, I think. Probably no clear leader until late, and we will probably only get one team in the playoffs again, due to conference attrition.

[memphishog]

It does seem from a media perspective that the trendy "surprise" or "dark horse" that was squarely focused on Arkansas the last few weeks has cooled. but at some point what more can you say. We are still 2 weeks out from a kick-off and there are still pages on sites and in papers and magazines that need filled. I heard a segment on a regional radio show here in florida yesterday about LSU losing their senior safety and the talking-head made a case for the wheels coming off of LSU's season because his absence in the auburn and MSU games would be critical. its all hot air until sept 5, and even then there should be no polls until october.

bottom line: I feel horrible for JWill, his injury will impact him personally more than it will the team's production. Expectations should not cool.

WPS

[scruf]

LOL. You srs?

BA will have to pass for around 30 TDs and throw <5 INTs for that to happen. And that was before JWill went down leaving us with an unproven backfield.

Unproven backfield? Have you seen AC? He might get 20-25 carries a game.

[hawginbigd1]

Given the content of your own post, directly above what you call the "dumbest thing ever..."

I'm not sure you should be talking. Glass houses & whatnot.

+1 sir exactly what i thought when i read that little combo of posts, SMH

[hawginbigd1]

I'm not trying to be a jerk but there's no way I can say this without everyone thinking I am. Everyone talks about how much a leader Jonathan Williams is. Based on what? Because Beliema said he was after he was out for season. You people understand that's a nice thing a coach says when a players career is done here. Some people act like "leadership" from a guy who isn't going to be playing is literally going to win us games. These are college athletes. They want to win. Having Williams around is a positive don't get me wrong, but these guys don't need extra encouragement to play hard and win games.

Based on his body of work since he committed to being a Hog, CBB didn't have to say a word and people who pay attention know he is a leader. You are absolutely wrong, there is a 180 degree dynamic difference between what leadership/instruction a proven winner who is a peer on the sideline and in the meeting rooms can provide vs. your coaches. Especially when he does not have to worry about preparing himself to play.

[Hogarusa]

I have not seen expectations cooled

[GuvHog]

No change here. Last night on the SEC TV preview, one of the experts picked Arkansas as 1 of four SEC teams that have a legit shot at making the National Championship playoffs.

[bigdogbitting]

Sorry to see JWill hurt not because of the loss of games we might have  but because he is such a quality young man. I was wishing him a great senior season just because he has worked so hard and he deserved it. I still see us as a 9-3 team or 10-2 depends on BA and how he plays. Rushing numbers will work out because the system is built to sustain those yards.
But then what do I know I only have 30 or so post so according to some here I dont know anything til i have posted at least hundreds of trivial posts   Wooooooo Piiiiiiiig

[lefty08]

Sorry to see JWill hurt not because of the loss of games we might have  but because he is such a quality young man. I was wishing him a great senior season just because he has worked so hard and he deserved it. I still see us as a 9-3 team or 10-2 depends on BA and how he plays. Rushing numbers will work out because the system is built to sustain those yards.
But then what do I know I only have 30 or so post so according to some here I dont know anything til i have posted at least hundreds of trivial posts   Wooooooo Piiiiiiiig

I'm sure you are talking about my post, and I'm also sure it wasn't taken in context. I've got zero problems with new posters. My post was called the dumbest ever post on this website by a guy with 50 posts. I guess that means I win the "forever history of this site" since he got here.

Keep posting, it's good stuff you are adding to the board and it's welcome

[Biggus Piggus]

People who never saw batmanfan can't proclaim a post to be the dumbest ever.

[pfrg999]

We are a team no one wants to play regardless of the Jwill injury... Nasty DLine, The Great Wall of Hog O-Line, A skilled veteran QB, 3 maybe 4 RB's (Still) that can all rush for 1000+ yards, Solid BallHog LB's, Upgraded WR's and Secondary...Tough, Bruising Team that believes they can whip any team anywhere.. so The sky is still the Limit. We may win 5 or we may win 10 or even 12 depending on how the ball bounces, and who gets hurt where.. Especially in this league... However We ARE the team nobody wants to play!   (For the record we probably win 8 or 9 IMHO)

[hawginbigd1]

OUCH Dave Bartoo from CFB matrix just picked us to be bottom feeders on Finebaum with MSU! Biggest reason? Arkansas QB play is poor, and depth is not as good as others in the west.

[urkillnmesmalls]

OUCH Dave Bartoo from CFB matrix just picked us to be bottom feeders on Finebaum with MSU! Biggest reason? Arkansas QB play is poor, and depth is not as good as others in the west.

Then they're thinking last year was a fluke.  I don't think a lot of people see it that way, and we're going to see who's right or wrong.  We whipped some people physically last year, and we were so close to beating TAMU and Bama that I think most people have forgotten how well we did play in most of our games.   

The panic over a bad day by BA and losing JWill is expected.  It would be the same thing if we play the first half extremely vanilla against UTEP, and then turn to page 3 of the playbook in the second half and run off and leave them.  You'll still have people saying we stink and we should blow them off the field with every play being a dive over guard. 

I have no idea how practices were being run before the scrimmage Saturday, but if BA hadn't had ANY pressure put on him up to that point, and then suddenly the D line is in his face on every play, that's enough to cause some timing issues.  I'm just not ready to worry about that yet.  With that many months without facing true pressure, it's not that much of a shock to me for him to struggle.

What will irk some fans will be if BA has a few bad performances, makes unforced errors, and CBB doesn't give someone else a chance.  I don't think BA has any mental demons, but with this much experience, if he struggles...then there's really not an excuse.   

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

No cool down here. I'm standing by my original prediction of a 9-3 regular season. Woopig.

:razorback:

Same here... I hope we might even get to a real good bowl with that record due to league losses from beating up on each other. This is gonna be one of those brutal years where everyone is guffawing at how the SEC is down until after bowl season when a whole lot of "shut the hell up" is dealt out on the field.

[Biggus Piggus]

OUCH Dave Bartoo from CFB matrix just picked us to be bottom feeders on Finebaum with MSU! Biggest reason? Arkansas QB play is poor, and depth is not as good as others in the west.

Glad to see every one of these.

[PorkSoda]

OUCH Dave Bartoo from CFB matrix just picked us to be bottom feeders on Finebaum with MSU! Biggest reason? Arkansas QB play is poor, and depth is not as good as others in the west.

us and msu?  about the only teams in the SEC with senior QB's?

my guess is DB is well... a DB.

[770john111]

Don't forget those tight ends. We'll be fine

[JaketheSnake]

People who never saw batmanfan can't proclaim a post to be the dumbest ever.

MRCoolHog anyone?

[Hawgzinbowlz]

8-9 wins, before and after JWill. Our D is salty.

" GO HOGS "

[Hogsfan1981]

It is going to hurt...how much is really hard to tell. Someone has to step up. Lets just hope Collins is ready. You had two work horses sharing the load now I am guessing Collins will be taking on most of the weight.

What if other guys can't produce and Collins is out there %70 of the time...he is not use to taking it all on. We will see if he has any real help. Hopefully he will shine.

To say it won't affect us at all. I don't see how anyone could say that. It has and it will. How much is still to be seen. If pass protection is as bad as people seem to think it is and every defense just focuses on Collins every time he touches the ball. It could be a long year for a one dimensional offense.

Hopefully we will just be able to run over every team but if we can't get a passing game going its going to be trench warfare out there. We need someone for defenses to prepare for instead of 1. Collins 2. Henry.

[Iwastherein1969]

Not really. I had always projected our losses to come from the Teams with the QB's that will most likely give our Defense the most trouble, namely:  A&M, Auburn, and Miss State.

I know Tenn should fit this bill as well, but I'm still thinking we win in Knoxville.

Losing Jwill definitely hurts, but we are still solid at RB.  I'm still looking at 9-3.

technically speaking, you are predicting the Hogs lose three games as the home team...don't think we lose to MSU nor AU nor Aggy

[westside_player]

6-6

[Biggus Piggus]

Not really. I had always projected our losses to come from the Teams with the QB's that will most likely give our Defense the most trouble, namely:  A&M, Auburn, and Miss State.

Don't understand that at all. This defense will be best against the pass. Auburn will be hard to stop because of its running game + play-action passing. But TAM and MSU are going to have real problems stopping Arkansas's pass rush, and the pass coverage is getting really good now too.

I'd be more concerned about opponents with very strong running games, though don't expect anybody to look awesome against this Arkansas defense.

[hogcard1964]

6-6

Who do you believe we'll lose against?

[MikePiazza]

Who do you believe we'll lose against?

Every conference game but Mississippi State and Mizzou?

I don't see how they don't win 2 of these 4: Texas A&M, Tennessee, Ole Miss, or LSU.

Honestly 8-4 is the general consensus. Anything less than 7-5 shouldn't be tolerated. 9-3 would be great.

[Southern Hogspitality]

Nick Chubb says no! 

Losing JWill is brutual but only because I love the way he runs the ball.  Collins and Walker will do great and Williams will be a nice added spice, like Marshall was supposed to be.  I am glad that JWill leadership will still be on the sidelines during games this season.  I am still thinking 9 wins, possibly 10.

[hogcard1964]

Every conference game but Mississippi State and Mizzou?

I don't see how they don't win 2 of these 4: Texas A&M, Tennessee, Ole Miss, or LSU.

Honestly 8-4 is the general consensus. Anything less than 7-5 shouldn't be tolerated. 9-3 would be great.

I think we're still much better than that.  We're going to hurt teams up front.

[Boarmonger]

LOL. You srs?

BA will have to pass for around 30 TDs and throw <5 INTs for that to happen. And that was before JWill went down leaving us with an unproven backfield.

Seriously?  Last year's production wins the West if the Defense gells earlier in the season.  I think that will happen this year.  This year's team will be about the defense not the offense.  The offense wins them while the defense gells and then lookout.

[code red]

I think we could potentially go 10-2 with J Will.  The thing that concerns me is our pass blocking with our existing backs.  If Kody Walker is in on every 3 and 7 it's gonna tip the defense.  Kody got to hang on to the ball.  The thing that J Will brought is a lot of YAC yards and his eyes were great at finding creases.  To say we won't miss a beat I think is....well...extreme positive thinking.  I see us as a 8-4 or 7-5 team...unless BA has drastically improved.

[code red]

Seriously?  Last year's production wins the West if the Defense gells earlier in the season.  I think that will happen this year.  This year's team will be about the defense not the offense.  The offense wins them while the defense gells and then lookout.

Our Linebacker play will be the key....we are awful young and not very deep.

[alohawg]

My annual cautiously optimistic approach hasn't changed......much. JWill is an exceptional talent with experience, of course he will be missed and even with an equally exceptional talented replacement plugged in (RWIII hypothetically), there's no substitute for experience.
To say there will be no impact is wrong. The only question is- will that impact cost games? No ones knows yet. I will say this, overall some areas other than RB are stronger than last year and some we just don't know. The defense is where I think the tale will be told in 2015.

[Boarmonger]

Our Linebacker play will be the key....we are awful young and not very deep.

Completely agree.  I'm just betting that the O gives them time to grow up.

[Dugann]

we will find out ut sunday

[reddogjcss]

8-4 if we over achieve 10-2

[Iwastherein1969]

My annual cautiously optimistic approach hasn't changed......much. JWill is an exceptional talent with experience, of course he will be missed and even with an equally exceptional talented replacement plugged in (RWIII hypothetically), there's no substitute for experience.
To say there will be no impact is wrong. The only question is- will that impact cost games? No ones knows yet. I will say this, overall some areas other than RB are stronger than last year and some we just don't know. The defense is where I think the tale will be told in 2015.

aw come on, Alohawg. Has the cautiously optimistic gig worked yet ? Has the forever "woe is Arkansas" talk won us the SEC championship in football yet ?  Let it go, man. You live in paradise, you already have life by the sack. So go ahead, drink the cardinal kool-aid mixed with the white sugar drank out of the anthracite cups.  Just let  go and enjoy the ride. Its just like flying on an airplane from Honolulu to DFW, your thoughts of not having a plane crash aren't what's keeping the plane at 35,000 feet, its the damn jet engines doing the work. Let's jump on the Razorback Rocket, light this big candle and the next stop? The moon, my man.