Hall Closets

Lofty Expectations and Dreams of Conference Dubs

Now that college baseball is finally in the rearview mirror, it is time to fully turn our attention to the next 500 lb., cardinal red gorilla on the shelf – Razorback Football. On the heels of a successful (?) 7-5, campaign, Head Coach Sam Pittman and his staff have their hands full, once again, as they try to navigate the shark-infested and Natty-filled waters of the mighty, mighty SEC and beyond.

Gimme a second, as I dig down into this funky bag of tricks to find my all-knowing crystal ball and humbly ask it some queries about the upcoming season; specifically, where Arkansas will fit into the narrative.

So let’s get down to business and scatter some heady presumptions up and down the waning, autumn months of the calendar. Shall we?

Before we get ahead of ourselves, it is time to pay the piper and mention Hogwild Koolaid, that stunningly sweet and never bitter, cardinal-colored concoction that fuels all homegrown Razorback fans’ expectations. It is an acquired taste that develops over the years, and if its intake isn’t moderated, overindulgence can set in, and that, my friends, will almost always fester into a case of the dreaded DTs – delirium touchdowns.

We all know the drill. Spurred by the smallest of victories (moral or otherwise) and left to our own vices, the official drank of the Razorbacks can and will consume us all. Please don’t misunderstand my prose, for I still regularly nip from the dusty bottle but have tried to stay away from the gridiron version ever since “the April Fools’ Day Motorcycle Wreck.”

So, after closing out last season by beating lowly Texas Tech in a lower-rung bowl game, the Razorbacks find themselves saddled with yet another brutal schedule – highlighted by games against the usual suspects – top-ranked conference foes, such as Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas, etc. But the buck doesn’t stop there, as the U of A finally decided to up its non-con game and invite some nationally relevant teams to their pre-conference party, particularly #2 Notre Dame. This will be the Golden Domers inaugural trip to NWA, and I expect their fanbase to travel well and represent.

The only games that jump off the page as guaranteed dubs, come right outta the gate – Alabama A&M and Arkansas St. Fosho, both teams are simple-rent-a-wins and nothing more, regardless of how Red Wolves’ fans feel about it.

For certain – Taylen Green will be infinitely more at ease in the pocket, and that should equate to better everything. But don’t just take my word for it. Let’s hear from the man, himself.

“Taylen knows the offense,” BMFP said. “Now he understands defenses a whole lot better, and that’ll allow him to operate our offense way better.”

Arriba! 

Green has been on campus for over a year and a half, now, and has had ample time to learn and blossom under Mr. Football’s lit system. One thing for certain, Petrino loves reps. He’ll do it ‘til it’s anatomically automatic, and then they’ll do it and do it again ‘til it’s anatomically automatic for the people.

If Green can cut down on the picks (9) and be still his fleet, happy feet in the pocket, no telling how many more TDs he’ll accrue in ‘25. No doubt he has elite wheels when 100% healthy. You know the kind – runnin’-outta-his-shoes speed, like Matt Jones, DMAC, Joe Adams and Treylon Burks all possessed – straight jets. And once he syncs up his upper and lower bodies, it will be on like Donkey Kong, and you can bet that, junior.

Ahh, be still my beating heart.

To sum things up, other than the first two match ups, victories are gonna be as flighty and elusive as those dad-gummed passenger manifests from Epstein Airlines. Oddsmakers are setting the victory bar at 5.5 games, and that sounds sound to me, since there are enough unranked foes on the docket to eclipse that number and achieve bowl eligibility. But it won’t be easy. It never is.

So relish in the remaining daze of summer and prepare yourselves for all-out war come September.

WOOPIG!!