The Next Two Weeks

[NaturalStateReb]

Should get pretty interesting.

For Arkansas, the stakes are obvious:  bowl eligibility.  But there's more at play than just mere bowl eligibility--if the Hogs can somehow win out, an 8-win season is a real possibility.  That's heady stuff for a team that was mired in a 17-game conference losing streak just 72 hours ago.  Any bowl game would be a step forward, but ending the season on a 3-game winning streak would be good for everything around the Arkansas program--recruiting, experience, fan base morale, you name it.

But it ain't gonna be easy, because the last two opponents also have major skins left in the game.

Ole Miss (8-2) still has all of its preseason goals in front of it, although the Rebels will need a little help.  Ole Miss had a tiny sliver of hope of winning the West, provided that a not terribly likely series of events happened this weekend.  Well, they happened.  If the Rebels win out, and Auburn beats Alabama in the Iron Bowl, then Ole Miss will make its first trip to the SEC Championship Game, with a shot at the national playoff on the line.  If Ole Miss wins out and Auburn loses, the Rebels are still going to go to a major bowl game and yet another step forward under Hugh Freeze.

Yet again, Missouri has been quietly putting together another solid season under Gary Pinkel.  All but written off after a home loss to Indiana that was as embarrassing as it was inexplicable, the Tigers (8-2) are riding a 4-game winning streak and will clinch the SEC East for the second straight year if they win out.  If they beat Tennessee this week, there'll be plenty riding on the game at Columbia for both squads.

I think the combination of Ole Miss' defense, the Ole Miss WR vs. Arkansas DB matchup, and the fact that the Rebels have basically had 3 weeks to prepare may tip that one in favor of the Rebels.  Mizzou isn't a physically strong team--the one time this season that the Tigers played a team with a power running game they got blasted 34-0 by Georgia at home.  The defense isn't that good either--they're giving up a little over 21ppg to major conference opponents, and the number goes up to 25ppg when you take out results against awful Vandy and struggling Kentucky teams that Mizzou didn't exactly blow out.

My prediction:  Arkansas loses to Ole Miss, wins against Missouri, and makes a date in the Liberty Bowl, where the Hogs will face either West Virginia, Oklahoma State, or hated former rival Texas.

[demonHOG1013]

Just imagine how much momentum our program will have if we win out.  We will have beaten LSU, top 10 Ole Miss, and SECEast leader Mizzou.  We would be favored hugely in whatever bowl we made it to at 7-5.  Add in a bowl win to finish 8-5 and recruiting will explode under CBB!

[RazorPiggie]

Would be awesome.

[razorbackkid]

I'm glad we have Ole Miss at home, they have a nasty defensive line.  Our tightends will likely see a lot of action again.

[Hollywood_HOGan45]

Should get pretty interesting.

For Arkansas, the stakes are obvious:  bowl eligibility.  But there's more at play than just mere bowl eligibility--if the Hogs can somehow win out, an 8-win season is a real possibility.  That's heady stuff for a team that was mired in a 17-game conference losing streak just 72 hours ago.  Any bowl game would be a step forward, but ending the season on a 3-game winning streak would be good for everything around the Arkansas program--recruiting, experience, fan base morale, you name it.

But it ain't gonna be easy, because the last two opponents also have major skins left in the game.

Ole Miss (8-2) still has all of its preseason goals in front of it, although the Rebels will need a little help.  Ole Miss had a tiny sliver of hope of winning the West, provided that a not terribly likely series of events happened this weekend.  Well, they happened.  If the Rebels win out, and Auburn beats Alabama in the Iron Bowl, then Ole Miss will make its first trip to the SEC Championship Game, with a shot at the national playoff on the line.  If Ole Miss wins out and Auburn loses, the Rebels are still going to go to a major bowl game and yet another step forward under Hugh Freeze.

Yet again, Missouri has been quietly putting together another solid season under Gary Pinkel.  All but written off after a home loss to Indiana that was as embarrassing as it was inexplicable, the Tigers (8-2) are riding a 4-game winning streak and will clinch the SEC East for the second straight year if they win out.  If they beat Tennessee this week, there'll be plenty riding on the game at Columbia for both squads.

I think the combination of Ole Miss' defense, the Ole Miss WR vs. Arkansas DB matchup, and the fact that the Rebels have basically had 3 weeks to prepare may tip that one in favor of the Rebels.  Mizzou isn't a physically strong team--the one time this season that the Tigers played a team with a power running game they got blasted 34-0 by Georgia at home.  The defense isn't that good either--they're giving up a little over 21ppg to major conference opponents, and the number goes up to 25ppg when you take out results against awful Vandy and struggling Kentucky teams that Mizzou didn't exactly blow out.

My prediction:  Arkansas loses to Ole Miss, wins against Missouri, and makes a date in the Liberty Bowl, where the Hogs will face either West Virginia, Oklahoma State, or hated former rival Texas.

One thing about the Ole Miss game:

Our def front 7 vs Bo Wallace.

I like Arkansas in that matchup.
Bo won't win at fayetteville.

[WarPig88]

It will be interesting for sure.

Is this the launching pad or will it be a new challenge, handling success?

Would love to see us make a bowl just for the extra practices.

:razorback:

[Pickwick Hog]

If the Hogs win out and LSU loses to A&M, LSU finishes last in the West. Who da' thunk that?

[Biggus Piggus]

Ole Miss has yet to play a meaningful game without Laquon Treadwell. Vince Sanders clearly is the number one guy now, but who comes after that? The top guy in catches in their crip game was a 180-pound converted cornerback. Ole Miss's offense is going to be much diminished without Treadwell.

[Supermark101]

I'm glad we have Ole Miss at home, they have a nasty defensive line.  Our tightends will likely see a lot of action again

There starters only average 250, and the tackles are 280 each. LSU ran for 260 and THREW for 140. I said it in another thread, but I'll say again. If we don't turn the ball over, we win by double digets.

[GolfnHog]

To say the OM game is going to be a defensive battle is an understatement based on what's been shown by both teams over the season, more especially w/ the improvement of the Hogs D. 

It boils down to seeing if the Hogs D can get "Bad Bo" to make a 60 minute appearance this Sat and the Hogs,as a whole, minimizes mistakes and penalties.

[razorbackkid]

There starters only average 250, and the tackles are 280 each. LSU ran for 260 and THREW for 140. I said it in another thread, but I'll say again. If we don't turn the ball over, we win by double digets.

Sounds good to me, hope you are right.  :razorback:

[DLUXHOG]

Ole Miss' Defensive Coordinator used to be Arkansas DC for a while under Hootie....

[Hawgzinbowlz]

Calming down and focusing will be the key this week. Playing the game in Fayetteville will be the difference.
How we've played LSU, Bama' and MSU in Starkville alleviates any concern about Ole' Miss being too physical or creating physical mismatches. Our D is much improved, particularly in the secondary. Trey, Martrell, Jared and company will show up.
If we are sick enough of the feeling of losing and enjoyed the winning Saturday night...we win. Having a bowl game on the line should be extra motivation.

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=weather+forecast+for+Fayetteville+Arkansas+Saturday+November+22+2014
The weather shouldn't be an issue...just line 'em up and lets play.
Following last Saturday nights crowd and with good weather we should have a rowdy crowd. We'll help it be the bad Beau show..And Brandon was solid against LSU.
Kudos to the students against LSU.

" GO HOGS "

[demonHOG1013]

LSU beat Ole Miss, we beat LSU. This is a lock, right?

[Hawgzinbowlz]

LSU beat Ole Miss, we beat LSU. This is a lock, right?

LOL  It's never a lock in our conference. We'd better bring our A game, minimize mistakes and have a rowdy crowd.

:razorback: :razorback: " GO HOGS "  :razorback: :razorback:

[HogScoutMaster]

Like to see the next two games be WINS as well

[NaturalStateReb]

Ole Miss has yet to play a meaningful game without Laquon Treadwell. Vince Sanders clearly is the number one guy now, but who comes after that? The top guy in catches in their crip game was a 180-pound converted cornerback. Ole Miss's offense is going to be much diminished without Treadwell.

Losing Treadwell hurts--IMO, he's best WR in the country.  Still, Ole Miss has plenty of targets for Wallace to throw to.  As you note, Sanders is the obvious first choice, with 646 yards and 6TDs, but Ole Miss has actually had 17 different players catch a pass this season.  Cody Core and Evan Engram both have over 400 yards receiving and Quincy Adeboyejo has become an increasingly familiar target.

In addition to the WRs, Freeze also loves throws to the backs and wheel routes.  Walton leads the RBs with 159 yards and 2 TDs, but all of the RBs have receptions.

[rickm1976]

One thing about the Ole Miss game:

Our def front 7 vs Bo Wallace.

I like Arkansas in that matchup.
Bo won't win at fayetteville.

If we can get some pressure on Bo early we have a good chance to win.  When pressured, he has a tendency to get rattled and frustrated, and then just blows up.  Ole Miss' defense is really good, though.  Our offense and Brandon need to have their best games of the year.

[Albert Einswine]

I feel better about our chances to beat Ole Myth in Fayetteville than I do with Mizzou in Columbia.

[Supermark101]

Ole Miss' defense is really good, though.

I'm not convinced that's true. They have looked great against bad teams, but give up a ton of yards to good one. They a small fast defense that is built to play spread teams. They have one played one other line up and punch you in the face team. That was LSU. A small sample size yes, but I see no problem being able to move the ball on them. Limit the mistakes and we win.

[Biggus Piggus]

Losing Treadwell hurts--IMO, he's best WR in the country.  Still, Ole Miss has plenty of targets for Wallace to throw to.  As you note, Sanders is the obvious first choice, with 646 yards and 6TDs, but Ole Miss has actually had 17 different players catch a pass this season.  Cody Core and Evan Engram both have over 400 yards receiving and Quincy Adeboyejo has become an increasingly familiar target.

In addition to the WRs, Freeze also loves throws to the backs and wheel routes.  Walton leads the RBs with 159 yards and 2 TDs, but all of the RBs have receptions.

Seventeen different players =/= Treadwell. Severely diminishes the Ole Miss offense to not have two star-caliber receivers. And Ole Miss does not have two of those anymore.

[Pulled(PP)pork]

I'm not convinced that's true. They have looked great against bad teams, but give up a ton of yards to good one. They a small fast defense that is built to play spread teams. They have one played one other line up and punch you in the face team. That was LSU. A small sample size yes, but I see no problem being able to move the ball on them. Limit the mistakes and we win.

and it took LSU 3 quarters to finally play smashmouth football.  who knows how it would have turned out if they had started it from the beginning


PP

[Vantage 8 dude]

I'm not convinced that's true. They have looked great against bad teams, but give up a ton of yards to good one. They a small fast defense that is built to play spread teams. They have one played one other line up and punch you in the face team. That was LSU. A small sample size yes, but I see no problem being able to move the ball on them. Limit the mistakes and we win.

In watching their defense you better believe they have plenty of speed, especially on the perimeter. IMO we might be best served by running right at them and pounding them with our heavier OL and negating some of their quickness. I think keeping the rollout option for BA is also a good idea, even though their DL and LBs cover a lot of ground. BTW they definitely have a very good secondary.

Nice to know, however, that I'm (thankfully) not the guy that's scheming for these guys. I have full faith that our staff will already had some solid ideas on how best to attack their strengths. BTW I agree that if we can put pressure on Wallace, especially with just our DL, we have a chance of rattling him. I'm sure the coaches took note of his frustration and "meltdown" late in the game against LSWho.

[Dropkick]

Should get pretty interesting.

For Arkansas, the stakes are obvious:  bowl eligibility.  But there's more at play than just mere bowl eligibility--if the Hogs can somehow win out, an 8-win season is a real possibility.  That's heady stuff for a team that was mired in a 17-game conference losing streak just 72 hours ago.  Any bowl game would be a step forward, but ending the season on a 3-game winning streak would be good for everything around the Arkansas program--recruiting, experience, fan base morale, you name it.

But it ain't gonna be easy, because the last two opponents also have major skins left in the game.

Ole Miss (8-2) still has all of its preseason goals in front of it, although the Rebels will need a little help.  Ole Miss had a tiny sliver of hope of winning the West, provided that a not terribly likely series of events happened this weekend.  Well, they happened.  If the Rebels win out, and Auburn beats Alabama in the Iron Bowl, then Ole Miss will make its first trip to the SEC Championship Game, with a shot at the national playoff on the line.  If Ole Miss wins out and Auburn loses, the Rebels are still going to go to a major bowl game and yet another step forward under Hugh Freeze.

Yet again, Missouri has been quietly putting together another solid season under Gary Pinkel.  All but written off after a home loss to Indiana that was as embarrassing as it was inexplicable, the Tigers (8-2) are riding a 4-game winning streak and will clinch the SEC East for the second straight year if they win out.  If they beat Tennessee this week, there'll be plenty riding on the game at Columbia for both squads.

I think the combination of Ole Miss' defense, the Ole Miss WR vs. Arkansas DB matchup, and the fact that the Rebels have basically had 3 weeks to prepare may tip that one in favor of the Rebels.  Mizzou isn't a physically strong team--the one time this season that the Tigers played a team with a power running game they got blasted 34-0 by Georgia at home.  The defense isn't that good either--they're giving up a little over 21ppg to major conference opponents, and the number goes up to 25ppg when you take out results against awful Vandy and struggling Kentucky teams that Mizzou didn't exactly blow out.

My prediction:  Arkansas loses to Ole Miss, wins against Missouri, and makes a date in the Liberty Bowl, where the Hogs will face either West Virginia, Oklahoma State, or hated former rival Texas.

Hope we wreck Ole Miss's goals.

[Pulled(PP)pork]

BA will have to be pinpoint, they are stingy with the pass defense


PP

[Hawgzinbowlz]

BA played his most solid game last Saturday. It needs to continue.

Minimize mistakes, don't turn it over and stay aggressive.

Wild crowd.

" GO HOGS "

[Sir Oinksalot]

...well, I look at it like this - last week we had to win two out of three, this week, we have to win one out of two...

Our odds are getting better...

[Hoggish1]

Just imagine how much momentum our program will have if we win out.  We will have beaten LSU, top 10 Ole Miss, and SECEast leader Mizzou.  We would be favored hugely in whatever bowl we made it to at 7-5.  Add in a bowl win to finish 8-5 and recruiting will explode under CBB!

Exactly.  And that's why we must have two win streak going into the Mizzou game.

[NLRHog92]

This is an Arkansas board, nobody cares about Ole Piss.  :razorback:

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Should get pretty interesting.

For Arkansas, the stakes are obvious:  bowl eligibility.  But there's more at play than just mere bowl eligibility--if the Hogs can somehow win out, an 8-win season is a real possibility.  That's heady stuff for a team that was mired in a 17-game conference losing streak just 72 hours ago.  Any bowl game would be a step forward, but ending the season on a 3-game winning streak would be good for everything around the Arkansas program--recruiting, experience, fan base morale, you name it.

But it ain't gonna be easy, because the last two opponents also have major skins left in the game.

Ole Miss (8-2) still has all of its preseason goals in front of it, although the Rebels will need a little help.  Ole Miss had a tiny sliver of hope of winning the West, provided that a not terribly likely series of events happened this weekend.  Well, they happened.  If the Rebels win out, and Auburn beats Alabama in the Iron Bowl, then Ole Miss will make its first trip to the SEC Championship Game, with a shot at the national playoff on the line.  If Ole Miss wins out and Auburn loses, the Rebels are still going to go to a major bowl game and yet another step forward under Hugh Freeze.

Yet again, Missouri has been quietly putting together another solid season under Gary Pinkel.  All but written off after a home loss to Indiana that was as embarrassing as it was inexplicable, the Tigers (8-2) are riding a 4-game winning streak and will clinch the SEC East for the second straight year if they win out.  If they beat Tennessee this week, there'll be plenty riding on the game at Columbia for both squads.

I think the combination of Ole Miss' defense, the Ole Miss WR vs. Arkansas DB matchup, and the fact that the Rebels have basically had 3 weeks to prepare may tip that one in favor of the Rebels.  Mizzou isn't a physically strong team--the one time this season that the Tigers played a team with a power running game they got blasted 34-0 by Georgia at home.  The defense isn't that good either--they're giving up a little over 21ppg to major conference opponents, and the number goes up to 25ppg when you take out results against awful Vandy and struggling Kentucky teams that Mizzou didn't exactly blow out.

My prediction:  Arkansas loses to Ole Miss, wins against Missouri, and makes a date in the Liberty Bowl, where the Hogs will face either West Virginia, Oklahoma State, or hated former rival Texas.

I'm hoping that Ole Miss comes out stale in their performance, despite what is on the line, after (as you point out) basically a 3 week lay off.

[Jamie Jones]

Probably won't shut Ole Miss out, but I think the final spread will be greater than the 17 the Hogs just put on LSU. I've said for a while now, that once this team gets past the mental block of winning a SEC game, they will be a tough out. Ole Miss nor Missery will get it done. We won't be seriously challenged again until Alabama...next year.

[code red]

I think we got to win both games to be in the liberty.  If we only get 1....looks like Birmingham Bowl. 

[code red]

Probably won't shut Ole Miss out, but I think the final spread will be greater than the 17 the Hogs just put on LSU. I've said for a while now, that once this team gets past the mental block of winning a SEC game, they will be a tough out. Ole Miss nor Missery will get it done. We won't be seriously challenged again until Alabama...next year.

Hold on now!!!  Ole Miss can test us like no one has this year.  They can fling it around the yard and with Rohan Gaines out the 1st half our secondary will be tested to their limits.  Plus...the weather won't be a issue...there is plenty of challenge left in this season.  Missouri will probably be playing for the east championship.  It will be a challenge a BIG challenge.

[greasy_corner]

I'm hoping that Ole Miss comes out stale in their performance, despite what is on the line, after (as you point out) basically a 3 week lay off.

Yep, on the road, non-marquee matchup, less experienced coach, hated rival on the horizon. 

I always thought our dominance over State had some relation to us playing them immediately before the EGG bowl.

[Biggus Piggus]

Yes - It has stuck out since they released the schedules. Ole Miss played Auburn on Nov. 1, Presbyterian on Nov. 8, and now travels to Arkansas on Nov. 22, the week before the Egg Bowl. They probably weren't feeling very motivated until sometime Saturday night.

[Jamie Jones]

Probably won't shut Ole Miss out, but I think the final spread will be greater than the 17 the Hogs just put on LSU. I've said for a while now, that once this team gets past the mental block of winning a SEC game, they will be a tough out. Ole Miss nor Missery will get it done. We won't be seriously challenged again until Alabama...next year.

Bump. Ok, so I was wrong about the shutout...