Thank you

Well my, my, my. I have 1 post and already someone doesn’t like my name. Let me take a minute to thank you. You may have done more to get my name out there than anything I could have done.

As I remember it, makin bacon had lovely connotations as I was growing up. I believe I will stick with that. It is still one of my favorite things.

We are less than 2 weeks from kickoff and 1 month away from the TRUTH. I know, everyone is undefeated right now and Alabama is #1. I live in Alabama and I have Tide and Tiger news shoved down my throat each and every day. Living in enemy territory you expect this kind of living hazards but the woodwork is teeming with Tide fans that have been “lifelong” followers. They must have been born in the past 3 years because they were nowhere to be found prior to lil Nicky’s arrival. That probably explains the level of maturity they show so I will let it go at that for now.
Georgia is the first real test the Hogs will face and will serve as the foundation for fortunes of Hog football this year. An untested QB and new defensive alignment that they hope will showcase the talent they have on that side of the ball will be key. A.J. Green is an NFL talent and will test the young secondary of the team.
I, for one, am a big believer the D will be much better than last year. Young ones on the line are going to be impact players. The Jones gang will occupy the attention of the opponents, not to mention Stadther and Bequette. There should be more than enough attacking to free the linebackers and putting pressure on the QB makes the secondary look good. I expect pressure off the corners to be a trademark and look for Arkansas to win the turnover battle most games. Madison and Winston could be major players in the turnaround this year.
Kirk Herbstreit? Picks Auburn to be in the SEC Championship game against Florida? I know the job of the talking heads is to keep football top of mind in the weeks leading up to the season starting but come on. I guess he is feeling the pressure to take over for Corso and be the biggest dip on the air. Oh well, I guess we saw it coming. He still contends the Big 10 plays competitive football. Bless him.
Alabama comes to the loveliest spot in the Ozarks this year. I took my wife to the game two years ago and witnessed that 49-14 beat down. I hope the Hogs remember the Bama defense blitzing with a 35 point lead and 2 minutes left in the game. The people around here are laughing at the Hogs as far as being a threat. The Aubbies proclaim they are the better team, top to bottom. No one is really giving Arkansas any thought as a factor this year because of the defense. The offense is beloved, reminders of Mallett having poor performances against quality teams are always brought up at this point, and the defense is scorned. The way the defense came together (except for the end of the LSU game) as the year progressed gives me hope.
There are a number of Hog Haters in the media. Clay Travis is one. That guy seems to hate Coach Petrino and takes shots any time an opportunity arises. It makes you wonder, I don’t want homer news every day but if you can’t do anything but rip a team and/or the coach, why don’t you find something you can write about that is positive? Things must have changed since I lived in Arkansas. Clay, stop and smell the flowers. I hope you find something to make you happy. If you are hoping Arkansas will fall on its’ face this year, get ready for some disappointment.
Have there been high hopes in the past? Have those hopes been dashed? Yes and yes. Two things are different this year. No Nutt to destroy anyone getting more press than him and the attitude of the players. They EXPECT to win this year. It has been a while since the Hogs had swagger and it is good to see it back. The coach is not one to hog the headlines, he lets the Hogs do that. It is a wonderful thing to have a quality coach on the sidelines.
The schedule is tough, but so are the Hogs. I expect them to man up and show some pride. A win at Georgia will set them up to play the Tide with some confidence. Shadow Ingram and force Julio towards the middle. Julio had alligator arms on crossing patterns. He doesn’t want to expose himself to the hit so he short arms the catch. He is dangerous on the outside and deep. Hit him hard and often and he will continue to be the biggest blue chip bust I have seen lately. How he gets 1st team is beyond me. He sure hasn’t earned it. Bust GMc in the mouth a couple of times and you might see him disappear too. It can be done, it just depends on how big the “want to” is for the Hogs.
Once we get past the first quarter of the schedule we will know what Hog futures might do.
All I can say at this point is GAME ON!