re: Arkansas fans, let's come clean. Air this out once & 4 all..

quote:

---

I was thinking the same thing

---

Meh, I think we are upper-middle class. Sort of like Texas Tech, Florida State, and Cal.

quote:

---

I think we are upper-middle class.

---

I think you are the other white meat. We obviously have a difference of opinion.

quote:

---

definatly do not mean to cause enemies with you guys/gals. I like your athletic programs.

When you set your expectations for your football program year after year you need to remember that status quo conference season for Ark is going to be about what you saw this year at 2-6 and it's what you'll see in 09. I think over a 20 year period you would have more 2-6's than anything else. A few 1-7's, a few 3-5's, a few 4-4's and a very few better than 4-4. You need to get an understanding of your conference competition and their recruiting base, how many guys within 50, 100, 200 miles grow up wanting to play for those programs or who move in there and end up there b/c they want to stay close to family or girlfriend etc ,who ultimately get drafted compared to Ark, compare fan following size, stadium size, there are alot of indicators you can point to to help tell you where you are. Most around the nation would compare Arkansas in football to kentucky. They both have about equal recruit base, and Kentucky has about 20 more million in it's annual budget. Kentucky does share with Louisville in recruiting. Another program to compare to outside of the SEC is Purdue. Not alot of tradition in conference, decent recruiting base, and in the lower 1/3rd of the conference in terms of potential. Purdue has 33 active NFLers after this draft and free agent signing. Arkansas has 25. so by that logic you would think if Bear bryant was coaching both programs Purdue would probabaly win 6 or 7 out of 10 matchups.

I'm tired of hearing this "he had dmac, felix, and Hillis, and that's all he could do" statement.

Most of you are football novices so let me break this down. It takes more than a backfield, some of whom where injured at various times of their careers, to win a national championship in the SEC. YOu also need a defense and when you had all those Little Rock defensive linemen, anchored by #1 round draft pick Jamaal Anderson in 06, it gave you a chance to overacheive. In 06 you would of been at or near the top of the SEC in rushing regardless of if Dmac and Felix were ever born b/c Nutt always was up there. Dmac was a safety in highschool and punt returner. He was somewhat of an emergency tailback. Felix wanted to play for Bob Stoops but they wouldn't recruit him. So, you could say Nutt had something to do with developing them into first round backs. Arkansas' biggest problem is there is not enough defensive size and speed in the immediate recruiting base to compete consistantly with SEC teams like their is at LSU, Bama, Auburn, MS, even MSU puts a DL or 2 in the NFL each year. How many players in the NFL right now grew up playing highschool defense in Arkansas? Harrison, Dacus? and that's about all I think and they were 08 draftees. Prior to that I think there were years where there were none. Anderson was a 200lbs wide out that they bulked up to 270.

So, that is why you should be happy with 6-6 and just a bowl game.

---

Man Arky fans get their panties in a bunch!

quote:

---

We have won a National Championship in football

---

Good for you. So has Harvard, Yale, Colgate, Purdue, Minnesota, TCU, Cornell, Army, Maryland, Iowa, Syracuse, Missouri, Washington, Colorado, and Georgia Tech.

None of these programs would have fired Hootie - just sayin'

I hope you guys understand.

It's not about "hootie" or the springdale 5. Well maybe you or your compadre's ran him off b/c they weren't going to utilize a spread exclusive offense that won't work in the SEC. But, this thread is about Arkansas' potential. Arkansas' resources. Arkansas' recruiting base.

There is only 1 program in the SEC you can consistantly out-recruit. Vandy. Even MSU has more players in the NFL, and they are coming from the state of MS. So, in my opinion, and in everyone elses who represent different fanbases on this forum, you should consider the Cotton Bowl a national championship game. B/c it goes to 4th place in the SEC and that is pretty much your ceiling of potential. That 06 year was a year of luck, chance, and you had alot of good defensive players, particularly linemen from LR on that team. When you don't have that it's mmuch tougher.

You're not even worth responding to.

what I said was so far his accomplishments compared to his predecessors and successors in the modern era right now is equal b/c no one has come close do doing what he's done at Arkansas in the SEC, and I don't think they will.

If Bryant were coaching in his prime at Ark from 98 to 07 He would not have won more than Nutt did, I'll put it that way.

quote:

---

he will also lose to South Carolina

---

Jevan Snead > Stephen Garcia

QB play is going to determine the SEC. Mallett, Jefferson/Lee, McElroy are all going to have growing pains, which gives us a huge advantage.

I'll give Bama the best chance to beat us in the West because of their great D.

quote:

---

and that is what will frustrate the hell out of you Ole Miss fans....

He is not known as the QB killa for nothing.

---

Truth...However, Austin is probably his best QB coach since Fergi...Hell, he may be the best coach on the OM staff which shoots a gigantic whole in WRT's theory on how great Nutt is...

You can't judge on Snead...He was a polished QB coming out of high school...Nutt will be judged on Stanley, Cotton, etc..

quote:

---

Since Arky joined the SEC (last 20 years) here is how I see the West v. East comparisons. Not just records but overall program expectations and results.

Ark = USCe
OM = UK
MSU = Vandy
Auburn = Tenn
Bama = UGA
LSU = UF

---

For what it's worth, we are 7th in overall wins since 1992 (LSU is 6th) ahead of Old Piss, Miss St. USC, Kentucky, and Vandy