Bowl Picks - Fun Facts

A quick look at some of the facts that emerged from the Razorpod Bowl Picks:

18 Bowl Games that the Crew agreed unanimously - Navy, Memphis, Cincinnati, Boise State, Arizona State, Boston College, Oregon State, Miss. State, Alabama, Kentucky, Oklahoma State, Auburn, Tennessee, Texas Tech, USC, Georgia, Rutgers, Tulsa
4 Bowl Games Jimmy G went alone - Purdue, Oregon, Missouri, Michigan
3 Bowl Games Tom Logan went alone - UCLA, Texas A&M, Georgia Tech
2 Bowl Games Patrick Williams went alone - Connecticut, Kansas
0 Bowl Games Johnny Fayetteville went alone

Johnny Fayetteville's Bowl Picks

Navy (+8) over Utah
Memphis (-2.5) over FAU
Cincinnati (-11) over Southern Miss
Nevada (+3) over New Mexico
BYU (-6) over UCLA
Boise State (-10.5) over ECU
CMU (+8.5) over Purdue
Arizona State (+1.5) over Texas
BC (-3) over Michigan State
Houston (+3.5) over TCU
Oregon State (-4.5) over Maryland
Wake Forest (-3) over UConn
Miss. State (+3) over UCF
Penn State (-5.5) over Texas A&M
Alabama (-3.5) over Colorado
Cal (-3.5) over Air Force
Fresno State (+4) over Georgia Tech
USF (-6.5) over Oregon
Kentucky (-1) over FSU
Oklahoma State (-4) over Indiana
Auburn (+2) over Clemson
Tennessee (-3.5) over Wisconsin
Arkansas (+3) over Missouri
Texas Tech (-5.5) over Virginia
Florida (-10) over Michigan
USC (-13.5) over Illinois
Georgia (-9) over Hawaii
OU (-6.5) over WVU
Virginia Tech (-3) over Kansas
Rutgers (-10) over Ball State
Tulsa (-4.5) over Bowling Green
LSU (-5) over Ohio State

Logan's Bowl Picks

Navy (+8) over Utah
Memphis (-2.5) over FAU
Cincinnati (-11) over Southern Miss
New Mexico (-3) over Nevada
UCLA (+6) over BYU
Boise State (-10.5) over ECU
CMU (+8.5) over Purdue
Arizona State (+1.5) over Texas
BC (-3) over Michigan State
TCU (-3.5) over Houston
Oregon State (-4.5) over Maryland
Wake Forest (-3) over UConn
Miss. State (+3) over UCF
Texas A&M (+5.5) over Penn State
Alabama (-3.5) over Colorado
Cal (-3.5) over Air Force
Georgia Tech (-4) over Fresno State
USF (-6.5) over Oregon
Kentucky (-1) over FSU
Oklahoma State (-4) over Indiana
Auburn (+2) over Clemson
Tennessee (-3.5) over Wisconsin
Arkansas (+3) over Missouri
Texas Tech (-5.5) over Virginia
Florida (-10) over Michigan
USC (-13.5) over Illinois
Georgia (-9) over Hawaii
WVU (+6.5) over OU
Virginia Tech (-3) over Kansas
Rutgers (-10) over Ball State
Tulsa (-4.5) over Bowling Green
Ohio State (+5) over LSU

More Bowl Picks

Here are Jimmy G's bowl predictions:

Navy (+8) over Utah
Memphis (-2.5) over FAU
Cincinnati (-11) over Southern Miss
New Mexico (-3) over Nevada
BYU (-6) over UCLA
Boise State (-10.5) over ECU
Purdue (-8.5) over CMU
Arizona State (+1.5) over Texas
BC (-3) over Michigan State
Houston (+3.5) over TCU
Oregon State (-4.5) over Maryland
Wake Forest (-3) over UConn
Mississippi State (+3) over UCF
Penn State (-5.5) over Texas A&M
Alabama (-3.5) over Colorado
Air Force (+3.5) over Cal
Fresno State (+4) over Ga. Tech
Oregon (+6.5) over USF
Kentucky (-1) over FSU
Oklahoma State (-4) over Indiana
Auburn (+2) over Clemson
Tennessee (-3.5) over Wisconsin
Missouri (-3) over Arkansas
Texas Tech (-5.5) over Virginia
Michigan (+10) over Florida
USC (-13.5) over Illinois
Georgia (-9) over Hawaii
WVU (+6.5) over OU
Va. Tech (-3) over Kansas
Rutgers (-10) over Ball State
Tulsa (-4.5) over Bowling Green
Ohio State (+5) over LSU

Razorpod Bowl Picks

The Razorpod Crew's bowl picks will be posted over the next few days. Bowl season starts December 20 with the Poinsettia Bowl and culminates January 7 with the BCS Championship Game. As always the crew adds some degree of difficulty by picking the bowl games against the spread - for entertainment purposes only. Up first are our fearless host's picks - Patrick Williams.

Navy (+8) over Utah
Memphis (-2.5) over FAU
Cincinnati (-11) over Southern Miss
Nevada (+3) over New Mexico
BYU (-6) over UCLA
Boise State (-10.5) over East Carolina
CMU (+8.5) over Purdue
Arizona State (+1.5) over Texas
Boston College (-3) over Mich. State
TCU (-3.5) over Houston
Oregon State (-4.5) over Maryland
UConn (+3) over Wake Forest
Miss. State (+3) over UCF
Penn State (-5.5) over Texas A&M
Alabama (-3.5) over Colorado
Air Force (+3.5) over Cal
Fresno State (+4) over Ga. Tech
USF (-6.5) over Oregon
Kentucky (-1) over FSU
Okla. State (-4) over Indiana
Auburn (+2) over Clemson
Tennessee (-3.5) over Wisconsin
Arkansas (+3) over Missouri
Texas Tech (-5.5) over Virginia
Florida (-10) over Michigan
USC (-13.5) over Illinois
Georgia (-9) over Hawaii
Oklahoma (-6.5) over WVU
Kansas (+3) over Va. Tech
Rutgers (-10) over Ball State
Tulsa (-4.5) over Bowling Green
LSU (-5) over Ohio State

Time to Start Talkin' Cotton

With all the hoopla surrounding the coaching search/Ole Miss shenanigans, we haven't spent much time talking about the Cotton Bowl Classic, now a mere 17 days away. Our own Jimmy G will be on assignment at the Texas State Fairgrounds, hoping the weather cooperates on New Years' Day.

This is being called the best non-BCS bowl, and it may be. As we have all seen, most bowl games are determined by each team's respective mental state, rather than sheer talent. So, the burning question is whether Arkansas' coaching situation or Missouri's failure to be selected for the BCS will be the bigger negative mental factor.

We discussed this on the show, but for my money, I think the Hogs will play hard in D-Mac's last game. By all accounts, Reggie has done a good job in bowl prep. I have no idea of what's coming out of the Mizzou camp, though. Everything I have heard and seen seems to show they are still throwing a pity party for not making the BCS. Mind you, I agree with their position, I just question whether its time for them to move on and think about early morning New Year's Day in Dallas...

Good Read on Petrino Media Storm

Here's a good read on the Petrino media backlash. It's a blog entry, but what the hey, we're in the blogosphere, right?

Seriously, the ESPN agenda has gotten ridiculous, and this blarney about telling recruits to break their committment is complete shenanigans.

Just wait until they cover the first game from RRS next year, and we'll see how quickly they change their tune so they can gain "access" for all their "insider" pieces that they show pregame and coming out of timeouts.

New Show is Posted

Hey Razorpod fans,

Last night's show is up. I know, its been too long. Hopefully, you haven't had too many symptoms of withdrawal.

We catch you up on the state of the Hogs, including the coaching change, monster victory over LSU, D-Mac and the Heisman, the Cotton Bowl preview and BCS preview. Its our longest show ever, so make sure you have room on your ipod!

P. Williams

It's Petrino!

Bobby Petrino became the Arkansas Razorbacks 30th head coach last night. Thank goodness the search is over. This is a great hire by the U of A, and if he stays more than 2 or 3 three years, there's a good chance Arkansas will celebrate its first SEC football title and BCS bowl berth during his tenure. See you in October, HDN.

A Fox-y New Coach Is What Arkansas Needs

The debacle that is the search for a new head football coach at the University of Arkansas rolls into it's 10th day without an end in sight. Butch Davis, Tommy Tuberville, Tommy Bowden, Jimbo Fisher, and now, Jim Grobe have all parlayed interest by the U of A into extensions and/or raises at their current schools. Fisher was even promised the head job at Florida State when Bobby Bowden retires. I personally think Megan Fox should be given a shot. She would kill in recruiting and with the right staff in place could win some ballgames.

Keep checking the Razorpod blog for any updates on the coaching search.

Razorpod Picks - Final Standings

Tom Logan captured the Razorpod regular picks championship with a perfect 5-0 record last week. Logan's pick of Navy over Army proved to be the difference with Jimmy G taking Army.

Final Standings:
1. Tom Logan (51-32)
2. Jimmy G (50-33)
3. Johnny Fayetteville (47-36)
4. Patrick Williams (37-46)

This leaves Johnny Fayetteville as the only crew member without a regular season title. Jimmy G won in '05 with Patrick Williams taking the '06 title. Congratulations, Mr. Logan. Johnny Fayetteville enters as the favorite for the '08 title if the current trend continues.

Look for the Razorpod Bowl Picks in the next couple of weeks.

Houston out; to take Ole Miss job

You never thought it could get more chaotic than last off-season's firestorm of controversy, right?

Well, the end of this football season is just as bizarro. Following up on the upset of the century against No. 1 LSU on the road last Friday, Houston Nutt announced his resignation as the Arkansas football coach on Monday. In a press conference with the man who just fired him, no less, and the outgoing AD, Frank Broyles.

Only in Arkansas.

Just to put the icing on the cake, Ole Miss has scheduled a press conference at 12:30 today to announce Houston as its new coach.

Should be fun times in the SEC West next year. Burning question of the day is, how will the Arkansas-Ole Miss series go over the next few years? Arkansas has dominated lately, but will Houston's hiring as Ole Miss coach cause momentum to swing in the series?

Bye, Houston. We'll miss ya. Especially one Jimmy G.

Hogs Upset LSU 50-48 in Triple Overtime

The Arkansas Razorbacks finished their season with a bang as they upset the number one-rated team in the country, the LSU Tigers, in Death Valley last Friday by a final score of 50-48 in triple overtime. Once again, it was Darren McFadden leading the way with 206 yards on 32 carries, including 3 rushing touchdowns. He also completed 3 passes for 34 yards and a crucial touchdown toss to Peyton Hillis with 5 minutes remaining. Again, as I said after the South Carolina game, it is criminal that I am so numb to McFadden's greatness that I am not even surprised at his performance. I expect him to be Superman, because he's done it time after time, especially in the biggest games. The LSU defense had not given up a 100-yard rusher all season, and the Hogs nearly had 3, with Peyton Hillis and Felix Jones gaining 89 and 85 yards respectively. Simply put, although Les Miles made several coaching blunders, the true story is that on the day after Thanksgiving, the Hogs were the better team.

It was a great win to cap a roller coaster season for the Hogs. Putting away the questions swirling around Houston Nutt, it was great to cheer the Hogs to a big victory. A victory most of us will always remember where we were when it happened. Those games are few and far between, and surely all but the darkest of darksider could set aside their hatred, at least for a few hours, and soak up the win. At least I hope so.

Razorpod and Elisha on Thanksgiving Break

There will be no show this week due to Thanksgiving, but the Razorpod crew have submitted their national predictions. All you need to know about the LSU game is that every Razorpod member, even Johnny Fayetteville, picked the Tigers to defeat the Razorbacks. Happy Thanksgiving.

Tom Logan (44-28): Arizona State, Mississippi State, Auburn, Kansas, LSU, Boise State

Jimmy G (41-31): USC, Mississippi State, Auburn, Missouri, LSU, UCLA

Johnny Fayetteville (39-33): USC, Mississippi State, Auburn, Kansas, LSU, Oklahoma State

Patrick Williams (31-41): USC, Mississippi State, Alabama, Missouri, LSU, Connecticut

Should He Stay Or Should He Go?

There are as many stories about whether or not Houston Nutt is going to return as the head coach of the Razorbacks that you can get confused. Since it's my role on the show to be a homer, I'll attach one from The Sporting News that says he's staying.

Whatever happens, I hope the University realizes that this is a very important hire/fire situation. A misstep could be felt for a decade. Lets all be careful what we wish for. The Callahan/Coach O factor could rear its ugly head. I'm just sayin' . . .

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=307682

By the way, the story on Butch Davis is he's getting an extension to $3.2 million per year for 5 years and expedited expansion of the stadium. That could play a factor, as he is expected to have to make a decision before Friday.

Hogs Defeat MSU 45-31

Despite our predictions, the Hogs and Dawgs put on quite an offensive show this past Saturday at War Memorial Stadium. Casey Dick was the bright spot for the Razorbacks, throwing for 199 yards and 4 touchdowns. This was the sort of passing game that we expected to see this year, in that when defenses key on McFadden and gang up on him, we strike downfield for long touchdown passes. This might have helped in September. Oh well. Hogs win 45-31. Darren McFadden, although held to 88 yards rushing, had a 57 yard touchdown catch from Casey Dick and a 24 yard touchdown pass to Robert Johnson.

On to LSU.

New Episode Up

The newest episode of Razorpod is posted here. The crew discusses the disappointment at Neyland, Houston Nutt's disinterested game plan, and why our defense can't line up onsides. Fun times.

College Football Rivalries

The 2007 college football season is winding down, and that means that the traditional rivalry games will taking place over the final three weekends of the regular season. Ohio State and Michigan play this Saturday with yet another Big Ten Title and Rose Bowl berth at stake. Here are my favorite rivalries (also, let the Razorpod crew know what your favorite rivalries are in the comments section):

1. Auburn-Alabama

2. Oklahoma-Texas

3. Army-Navy

4. Michigan-Ohio State

5. Florida-Florida State

6. Alabama-Tennessee

7. Texas-Texas A&M

8. USC-UCLA

9. Notre Dame-USC

10. Ole Miss-Mississippi State

Davis to Arkansas Rumors Not just in Arkansas

http://www.gastongazette.com/sports/davis_12781___article.html/arkansas_one

Rocky Top Horror Show

Arkansas' team plane found its way to Knoxville on Friday afternoon, and the team bus arrived at Neyland Stadium on Saturday morning. However, it's still not apparent if the Arkansas Razorbacks coaches and players ever arrived. Tennessee hammered the Hogs 34-13 on Saturday afternoon in front of nearly 105,000 fans. Darren McFadden did all he could while rushing for 117 yards, but with no passing game or Felix Jones for most of the game, it was nowhere near enough against a Tennessee defense that played inspired football. Arkansas fell behind 20-3 at halftime, and any hope for a comeback was dashed when Arian Foster ran for 59 yards to give Tennessee a 27-3 lead. Jerod Mayo put the finishing touches on the romp by returning an interception for a touchdown late in the 4th quarter.

The reasons for the loss were numerous: no semblance of a game plan, inept play calling, curious personnel moves, lack of emotion, undisciplined play, etc. A total all-around dud. Give credit to Tennessee for taking the gift that Arkansas gave them. It's hard to imagine that the Vols thought it would be so easy on Saturday afternoon against an Arkansas team that ran for 541 yards against South Carolina the previous week.

As Tennessee prepares for Vanderbilt and Kentucky with East division title hopes in their own hands, Arkansas will return to Little Rock this Saturday to face revitalized Mississippi State. The Bulldogs defeated Alabama 17-12 last Saturday and have now defeated the Crimson Tide, Auburn, and Kentucky to stand at 3-3 in SEC play. Yes, that's one game better than the Hogs. Arkansas then travels to Baton Rouge to face No. 1 LSU the day after Thanksgiving. Should Arkansas lose both games, they will find themselves home at bowl time and possibly, minus a head coach.

Such is life in the SEC. Two 6-3 teams took the field last Saturday in Knoxville. Now, one team has dreams of an SEC Championship and BCS bowl berth, while the other is staring at a lost season. It's not hard to guess which team is which.

Tennessee Preview Episode Posted

This week's Razorpod is posted here. We are "Logan-less" this week but that doesn't stop us from insightful analysis and a thorough trashing of South Carolina.

Will the Tennessee game be more of the same? Listen and find out.

But Wait, There's More...

Ok, there's a twist to this tiebreaker thing. Miss St. could actually be the key.

Assume a 3-way tie between LSU, Bama orAuburn, and Ark at 5-3. The round-robin (first 3-way tiebreaker) winds up 1-1.

The second tiebreaker is Division records. This is where it gets interesting.

Assume a 3 way tie involving LSU, Auburn, and Arkansas all at 5-3. This would mean that Alabama loses out to finish 4-4, and Auburn lost to Georgia but beat Bama.

Divisional records would still be tied at 3-2 for LSU, AU, and Ark.

So, on to the third tiebreaker, which I'll call for clarity purposes "your team's record against the 'Measuring Stick' team" (the team with best conf. record other than the tied teams). That team would be Bama . . . or Miss. State, assuming Miss. State wins every game left for them other than at Ark. But Miss St would have beaten Bama head-to-head, and therefore, the "Measuring Stick" team would be Miss. St.

Guess what the records are against Miss. State: LSU 1-0, AU 0-1, Ark. 1-0. AU is out, moves to two-way breaker, which is head to head, and . . .

wait for it . . .

Ark. wins, having beaten LSU head to head.

The crazyness isn't over yet:

Now, assume a three-way tie between LSU, Bama, and Ark. at 5-3. This would mean Auburn loses out and Bama loses to Miss St. but beats Auburn.

Round robin is even.

Divisional records are even at 3-2.

Once again, to the "Measuring Stick" tiebreaker...and again, the Measuring Stick is Miss. St. based upon their head-to-head win against Auburn.

LSU is 1-0, Bama is 0-1, Ark is 1-0, so Bama is out, and head to head between LSU-Ark = Ark to Atlanta.

Now, I'll be the first to acknowledge that the probabilities here are about twenty trillion to one. But, pending verifying research by the accounting firm of Ernst and Young, I think there is a slim mathematical possibility we can still go to the championship game.

Go MS State, beat Bama! (PW's DEEP, DEEP, sleeper pick, by the way).

The Razorbacks are Mathematically Eliminated From the SEC West Race (I Think, Anyway)

As I was sitting at my desk during a slow Wednesday, I started thinking about if the Hogs won out, would they still have a chance to go to Atlanta. After researching the tiebreakers, I think the LSU-Bama result from last weekend caused the Razorbacks to be mathematically eliminated from the West race.

Flow it out, with me, if you will...(warning, this exercise involves high-level mathematics and an understanding of SEC divisional tiebreakers, both of which are more complicated than nuclear physics...)

Right now, the standings are (with games left to play):

LSU 5-1 at Ole Miss, Ark
Auburn 4-2 at UGA, Bama
Bama 4-2 at MSST, at AU
Ark 2-3 at TN, MSST, at LSU
MSST 2-3 Bama, at Ark, Ole Miss
Ole Miss 0-6 LSU, MSST

Clearly, LSU is in the driver's seat, so this is probably moot. However, assuming the unthinkable happens and LSU loses to winless Ole Miss and to the Hogs at home, Auburn and Bama go 1-1 in remaining SEC games, and Arkansas wins out, the four teams would be tied at 5-3 in the league. Here are the SEC tiebreaker rules for three or more way ties in a division:

• THREE (OR MORE) TEAM TIE
  (Once the tie has been reduced to two teams, go to the two-team tie-breaker format.)
  


• Combined head-to-head record among the tied teams.
  


• Record of the tied teams within the division.
  


• Head-to-head competition vs. the team within the division with the best overall (divisional and non-divisional) Conference record and proceeding through the division. Multiple ties within the division will be broken from first to last.
  


• Overall record vs. non-division teams.
  


• Combined record vs. all common non-divisional teams.
  


• Record vs. common non-divisional team with the best overall Conference (divisional and non-divisional) record and proceeding through other common non-divisional teams based on their order of finish within their division.
  


• The tied team with the highest ranking in the Bowl Championship Series Standings following the last weekend of regular-season games shall be the divisional representative in the SEC Championship Game, unless the second of the tied teams is ranked within five-or-fewer places of the highest ranked tied team. In this case, the head-to-head results of the top two ranked tied teams shall determine the representative in the SEC Championship Game.

A. TWO-TEAM TIE
1. Head-to-head competition between the two tied teams.


So, we have a four way tie. The first three way tiebreaker is "round-robin" record against the tied teams. In the scenario above, LSU would be 2-1, having already beaten Auburn and Bama, Arkansas would be 1-2, having already lost to Auburn and Bama, and either Auburn or Bama would be 2-1 depending on the outcome of their head-to-head.

Then, it would simply be a two-way tie between LSU and either Auburn or Bama, and head to head wins--LSU comes out ahead already having beaten both teams. LSU WINS.

Where it gets kind of interesting is if LSU loses out, Ark wins out, and either Bama or Auburn loses out. Then its a 3-way tie between LSU, Ark, and either Bama or Auburn.

1. Round-robin doesn't help-all 3 tied teams would be 1-1 against the others.
2. Division records would be 3-2 for all 3 teams
3. Here's where it gets really frickin' nutty. The third tie breaker is Head-to Head against divisional team with best conference record after the tied teams. That team would be either Bama or Auburn, at 4-4. LSU would be 1-0, AU/Bama would be 1-0, and Ark would be out having lost to both.
4. Then it reverts to the two team tie breaker, and LSU wins against either AU/Bama. LSU WINS.

So, yes, Arkansas is mathematically eliminated from the West race. But it sure took more cipherin' to get there than I thought it would.

Other interesting points:

LSU holds mucho tiebreakers after beating Bama. Any tie goes LSU's way. The ONLY way LSU doesn't end up in ATL is if it loses out (finishing 5-3) and either AU or Bama wins out to finish 6-2.

The 10-peso version: if LSU beats Ole Miss this weekend, they win the West.

The Latest From CFN

Their panel of experts picks the Hogs 30-27, with (surprise) Darren McFadden and Felix Jones having huge days.

http://cfn.scout.com/2/698956.html

Also, kudos to Arkansas' offensive line, ranked by CFN as the second best in the nation. The best? Yep. Tennessee, bolstered by the fact that Ainge has been sacked only 3 times all season. Don't look for that to change much this weekend, what with our "blitz directly into our own defensive tackle's back" pass rush and the fact that Tennessee uses a ton of three and five step drops. Our defensive backs are going to have to make some plays and tackle well.

http://cfn.scout.com/2/698963.html

Razorpod Game Predictions

The crew's national picks for the 2nd Saturday in November:

Patrick Williams (26-34): Kansas, Cal, Auburn, S. Carolina, Arkansas, Illinois

Johnny Fayetteville (32-28): Kansas, USC, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Florida State

Tom Logan (37-23): Kansas, USC, Auburn, Florida, Tennessee, Wake Forest

Jimmy G (34-26): Oklahoma State, USC, Auburn, Florida, Tennessee, Rice

Arkansas 48 South Carolina 36

Arkansas defeated South Carolina at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville on Saturday night in front of 70,000+ fans including two Razorpod crew members. Darren McFadden and Felix Jones stole the show with 323 and 163 rushing yards, respectively. Read ARSN's game recap right here:

http://www.arsnonline.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=4734

South Carolina Preview Episode Up and Running

The latest edition of Razorpod is up for your listening pleasure one day earlier than normal. Follow the link.

http://www.switchpod.com/p131.html

CFN Takes the Hogs

The boys over at www.collegefootballnews.com like the Hogs 28-20 over South Carolina. Their analysis is much the same as one Mr. Johnny Fayetteville's expert analysis on the latest episode of Razorpod.

Smart guys they've got over there at CFN.

http://cfn.scout.com/2/696472.html

Do You Know This Man?

If so, please call your local Weight Watchers facility immediately. PW Spite Sleeper picks: 0-1.

Hogs Win! Hogs Win! Oh my God, Hogs Win!

The Hogs manhandled the Florida International Golden Panthers in Fayetteville yesterday by a final score of 58-10. Depending on which article you read in the Dem Gaz, the Hogs either played down to their opponent (per Wally Hall), or pretty much dominated, scoring 10 times in 14 possessions (per Tom Murphy). I have yet to watch the film, but I'm going to take Murphy's point of view. I at least think he probably watched and comprehended the game. Or it could have been that Wally wrote that column after media days and pulled it out and printed it and took a day off.

South Carolina suffered a tough loss last night in a great game against the Tennessee Volunteers. That sets up an ESPN matchup between a 5-3 Razorback squad and a 6-3 Gamecock team at 7:00 next Saturday. The game will be on either ESPN or the Deuce, and the network will announce which on Monday.

Great day of college football yesterday. Mississippi State pulled off the big upset against Kentucky. Georgia and Florida played a great one, with Georgia getting the win. Oregon got a late interception to seal the victory over USC. Tennessee followed General Neyland's maxims late night and won the kicking game in overtime to beat South Carolina. Lots of good games, lots of big plays, especially in the SEC.

This is Just the Damndest Thing I've Ever Seen

Down 24-22 to Trinity University with :02 left and on their own 39 yard line, Millsaps College runs a play that involves something like 14 laterals and takes, honestly, over a minute to complete. However, Millsaps scores with no time remaining to win the game. You've got to watch it to believe it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHbzQoXuxdU

Saturday's Schedule, The Cocktail Party, & Razorpod Crew's Picks

As October comes to a close, there is finally some semblance of a national title picture. It appears that Ohio State, Boston College, and LSU will be fighting for the two spots in the BCS Championship Game. Oklahoma, Arizona State, Kansas, Oregon, West Virginia, USC, and South Florida still have a shot, but they'll all need some help. This Saturday offers up some good games, and provides some interesting tests for many in the top ten. Also, the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party continues in Jacksonville, FL, when Georgia and Florida renew acquaintances. Technically, it's no longer supposed to be call the WLOCP, but I won't tell if you won't. Let's look at tomorrow's games by start time. Just like Saturday the Studio will be be open early and closed early.

The early games to watch (11:00 a.m. to noon kicks):

West Virginia at Rutgers (ABC/GP), Colorado at Texas Tech (ABC/GP), Michigan State at Iowa (ESPN2), Ball State at Illinois (BTN), Northwestern at Purdue (BTN), Indiana at Wisconsin (BTN), North Carolina at Wake Forest (GP), Pittsburgh at Louisville (GP), Mississippi State at Kentucky (LFS)

The afternoon games (1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. kicks):

USC at Oregon (FSN), Arizona at Washington (FSN Regional), Georgia vs. Florida (CBS), Nebraska at Texas (ABC/GP), South Florida at UConn (ABC/GP), Clemson at Maryland (ABC/GP), Minnesota at Michigan (ESPN Classic), Virginia at N.C. State (ESPNU),

The evening games: (5:00 p.m. and later kicks):

Ole Miss at Auburn (GP), UCLA at Washington State (FSN), Kansas at Texas A&M (ESPN2), South Carolina at Tennessee (ESPN), Ohio State at Penn State (ABC), Duke at Florida State (ESPNU), Cal at Arizona State (FSN)

Don't forget that ESPN will be broadcasting the Breeders' Cup races throughout the afternoon.

The crew selected last night's game between BC & Va. Tech on Wednesday's show, so Patrick Williams and Jimmy G already have a correct pick this week.

PW (20-29) - Oregon, Florida, Penn State, Arkansas, TAMU

JF (25-24) - Oregon, Florida, Penn State, Arkansas, Indiana

TL (32-17) - USC, Florida, Ohio State, Arkansas, North Carolina

JG (27-22) - USC, Georgia, Ohio State, Arkansas, Cal

White Out Controversy

The Phoenix Coyotes aren't letting go of the rope on the "White Out" controversy between the NHL franchise and Penn State University. The following article from the Arizona Republic discusses the hot topic and informs readers that Phoenix has trademarked the phrase "White Out" and has kept the trademark up to date. Much silliness will surely ensue.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cheapseats/articles/1016p2main1016.html

New Episode is Posted

The new episode of Razorpod is posted here.  The crew discusses the Ole Miss blowout win and Patrick Williams revels in his prediction of an Arkansas landslide.  Jimmy G brings him back to earth by reminding him of his overall record.  High Comedy.  Game 1 of the World Series plays in the background, and Logan analyzes whether Penn State or the Phoenix Coyotes have a better claim to the "White Out."

BREAKING NEWS!!!

Shocking news leaking into the Razorback Nation this afternoon. The experts over at www.collegefootballnews.com have predicted a Razorback victory over the Florida International Golden Panthers! Details are sketchy at this point, but this post will be updated as more information is received. Please stay tuned.

http://cfn.scout.com/2/694083.html

Cracking the TV Coverage Code

We tried to hack through this stuff on e-mail a few weeks ago, but I think it's a little clearer now. Saw this afternoon that LFS has picked up the Vandy-Florida game for the weekend of November 3rd. I have now officially seen more Vanderbilt football than I ever thought possible. Here is a link to the LFS website.

http://www.lfsports.com/

There are only two other SEC games that weekend, with the Alabama Crimson Tide playing host to the LSU Tigers. Per their website, CBS has "tentatively" picked up that game, but you have to think it's a no-brainer, given that both teams are currently 4-1 in the conference, the Nick Saban "you can't go home again" factor, and that the winner may very well go to Atlanta. Here is a link to CBS' website. It is also interesting to note that game is a 4:00 kickoff and I think ESPN has an option on the Oregon State-USC game that day. So unless we find ourselves on the Deuce, the South Carolina game may not be televised at all. That doesn't sound right.

http://www.sportsline.com/cbssports/schedules/page/collegefootball

It is also interesting to note that the following week, CBS has also "tentatively" picked the oldest rivalry in the south, Auburn-Georgia, but have also listed Arkansas-Tennessee as a possibility. I don't see it. That game screams LFS, given that South Carolina-Florida is also that day and we haven't been on LFS yet this year.

UPDATE: Per the SEC website, everyone passed on the Arkansas-South Carolina game. Therefore, the Hogs will go a MONTH without playing on TV by the time the Tennessee game rolls around. SOMEONE will pick up that game, right?

http://www.secsports.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=2&url_article_id=9760&url_subchannel_id=&change_well_id=2

Hogs Handle Ole Miss

The Hogs got their first conference win over Ole Miss in Oxford on Saturday by a final score of 44-8. Although Ole Miss did not show nearly the improvement they had in close losses to Florida and Alabama at home, Arkansas showed the sort of effort and gameplan we had expected to see most of the year: A good defense that was opportunistic and a passing game that didn't didn't necessarily rack up a lot of yards, but was efficient and effective, especially early in the game when Casey Dick threw for two early touchdowns. That got the Hogs a solid lead and opened even more running lanes.

In a sense, this game reminded me of the Auburn game last year, although against a much lesser opponent. Dick started out 7-7 for about 70 or so yards and 2 scores early in the game, which got us out to a nice lead and kept the Rebel defense from crowding the line too badly.

Although there's not a lot to take from this game, other than it was a good effort on the road by a team that could have really come out flat, it only adds to the "what might have been" nature of our season. After a pillow fight next weekend with Florida International, the South Carolina Gamecocks come to town. We'll see then if our defensive shuffling and Dick's efficiency are harbingers of improvement or a one hit wonder.

Predictions

You see the Razorpod Crew's predictions posted below. What are the predictions of the wacky Pod posters? The winner gets an autographed Johnny Fayetteville Swimsuit Calendar.

Real Men of Genius

I know everyone has seen this already, but it's pretty funny. The commercials have always cracked me up, and this is just as good. Houston, this Bud's for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM-yCyIdOYU

CFN Says . . .

Hogs over Ole Miss. 34-24.

http://cfn.scout.com/2/691989.html

I'll believe it when I see it.

National Picks

The Razorpod Crew's picks for the Third Saturday in October:

PW (17-25 overall) - Tennessee, Florida, Texas Tech, Auburn, Arkansas, Kansas State
JF (21-21) - Tennessee, Florida, Missouri, Auburn, Arkansas, Miami
TL (28-14) - Tennessee, Florida, Missouri, LSU, Ole Miss, Rutgers
JG (25-17) - Tennessee, Florida, Texas Tech, Auburn, Ole Miss, Michigan State

Pel, Yes!

Thank God basketball season is upon us. Houston Nutt's tumultuous tenure may be coming to an end, and the '07 football team is on the verge of going from preseason SEC and National Title contender to Independence Bowl bound or worse. However, John Pelphrey and the hoop Hogs are returning everybody from last year's NCAA Tournament team. Luke Winn of SI.com rates Arkansas No. 14 in his preseason power poll, and the Hogs are the 2nd highest rated SEC team behind only No. 3 Tennessee.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/luke_winn/10/12/power.rankings1/index.html

Stewart Mandel

His thoughts on the dead man walking (his words, not mine).

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/stewart_mandel/10/17/cfb.bag/index.html

Yes, Elisha, it is the famed Third Saturday in October

The Third Saturday in October. That simple phrase has only one meaning in the Deep South - Alabama is playing Tennessee. Unfortunately, if you live outside the South, you will only hear about this game, because it will not be on national television. Fortunately, the Razorpod Crew will be able to see this game, and keep their eye on several other intriguing games this weekend - no, I'm not talking about the Hogs vs. Ole Miss. The national games that the Crew will be predicting includes the aforementioned Tennessee/Alabama game as well as Florida at Kentucky, Texas Tech at Missouri, and Auburn at LSU. The Studio will be tracking all of these games throughout the afternoon, but will have to close early due to a primetime fiesta. Studio Patrick Williams will be the setting for the following:

Auburn at LSU. 8 p.m. kickoff. Death Valley. Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

How has the college football landscape changed in the past couple of years (or past six weeks)? Miami at Florida State and USC at Notre Dame are on tap for this Saturday, and those two games aren't even close to mattering in the national title chase. However, if you're a college football diehard, those games still stir the emotions and may even wake up a few echoes.

Don't forget about the Thursday night game. #2 South Florida travels to last year's national darling, Rutgers, to see if the Bulls can keep their national title hopes. PU Alum Chris Fowler will endure the Pony and Doug Flutie for three plus hours as the rest of us root on the Scarlet Knights to finish off USF.

Other games to keep an eye on this weekend: Penn State at Indiana, Vanderbilt at South Carolina, Cal at UCLA, Michigan State at Ohio State, Mississippi State at West Virginia, Kansas at Colorado, Oregon at Washington, and Michigan at Illinois.

Where has the creativity gone?

Asks the Morning News. Even the most ardent Nutt supporters have to realize that Malzahn made the offense better last year. He's not the only guy who could have done it I'm sure, but it was the heighth of arrogance for Nutt to fire the OC who led him to his best ever in conference record. "We're 7-1 in conference - let's shake things up! Malzahn, you're out, Lee you're in. Campbell, you're out. Vaughn, you're in." The man's love affair with himself has been his undoing.

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2007/10/17/razorback_central/101707uafboffcreat.txt

Where do we go from here?

It's no secret that the Razorbacks are in real trouble. Standing 0-3 in the SEC in a year when many, including Sunshine Rick Schaeffer, Frank Broyles and HD Nutt himself thought a national championship was a legitimate possibility. And when many of these comments were made, in the aftermath of back-to-back losing seasons, Razorback fans everywhere wanted to believe it. When Nutt landed America's best high school quarterback and a trio of impressive receivers to complement superstars McFadden and Jones, Razorback fans really started believing it.

I remember listening to a post game report last season and hearing Schaeffer comment (and I'm paraphrasing), "2007 is the year for the Razorbacks. With all of this talent returning and a favorble schedule, a national championship is a possibility." Because national championships are hard to win at any school (and it's what makes winning one so damn impressive), I took Rick's comments with a grain of salt. But I did believe that 2007 would be an SEC championship type season, not matter how tough the rest of the competition in the conference was.

But things happened and the wheels came off. No more Mustain, Williams, Malzahn, passing game, efficient offense, etc., etc., etc. David Lee and that band of offensive bozos have not only ruined any hopes for an SEC Championships (something that has mysteriously eluded Nutt since he's been at Arkansas), but's obliterated McFadden's Heisman hopes. As they say, Atta Boy!

In almost as much time as Nutt has been at Arkansas, South Florida's had a football program. Today, they stand #2 in the BCS, and they control their own destiny. If the Bulls win out, they'll play for a national title. I raise this point because Arkansas fans bitch and moan about everything. It's South Florida! In a little over a decade, they've built a program into a national power. How? Coaching, that's how.

An e-mail chain went around last night about Nutt and what should happen. Knowing full well that the next two seasons will be losing ones for the Razorbacks (sorry fans, but the schedule is brutal and the Hogs talent level, thanks to Nutt's inept recruiting, is abysmal), why continue on this path? It will be 2010 before the Hogs will even sniff a bowl game, and probably an additional season or two before we can even talk about a BCS birth. At what point should we say, "this simply isn't working, we need to try something else."

After all, Nebraska's headed in that direction. Shouldn't the Hogs follow their lead?

ESPN Bowl Projections

Ivan Maisel doesn't have the Hogs in one. Mark Schlabach has us in the Independence v. A&M.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?page=bowlprojections7

Houston listed third by Pat Forde as Coaches in Trouble

No surprise

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=3065672&sportCat=ncf

Scott Faldon

Good read.

http://swtimes.com/articles/2007/10/16/commentary/scott_faldon/faldon01.txt

Brutal Truth

Since the blog needs to be updated, here we go. The Hogs lost to the Auburn Tigers 9-7 Saturday night at Reynolds Razorback Stadium. It was a hard fought, defensive, old-school SEC game. The Hogs took a 7-6 lead on Casey Dick's touchdown pass to Lucas Miller with 1:26 left in the game. A kickoff out of bounds and subsequent penalty, followed by a good return, put the ball at Auburn's 48 yard line. The rest of the game was a mere formality, as the gassed Hog defense could not keep the Tigers out of field goal range. Auburn's 20 yard field goal with :21 remaining gave the Razorbacks their third SEC loss of the season. The Hogs' chances at repeating as Western Division champions, believe it or not, was still alive after LSU's loss earlier in the day to Kentucky. No longer after the heartbreaking loss. Also gone are Darren McFadden's Heisman chances after being held to 43 yards on 17 carries.

It's time to tell it like it is, sports fans. Is the program where it needs to be after 10 years with Houston Nutt as head coach? Can we honestly say that this season has been anything other than a huge disappointment? Top 15 preseason in many polls. The Heisman front runner. No offense to Nolan for stealing his line, but can't we honestly say that a blind man can see what our offensive weaknesses are? Our passing game is flat killing us against good defenses. We still can't get defenses more than 10 feet off the line of scrimmage, because they are not scared of our passing game at all. We have held leads in the final :8 against Bama, the final :21 against Auburn, and the final 4:00 against Kentucky, yet we have found a way to lose. We are under .500 in SEC play at home since the expansion of Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Is this where we expected to be?

We aren't going to make a change midseason. Not this season. Not ever again after Jack Crowe and The Citadel. And we shouldn't. And I'm not sure if the axe will fall on Nutt this year. Most coaching changes occur the first week of December. Broyles won't do it, and I feel fairly certain Jeff Long will not do it when he takes over January 1, 2008. By that time, most coaching changes will have been made, all dominoes fallen, and the Hogs being the odd man out. For all he has had to endure, and I feel that much of it has been out of line, mean-spirited, bad for the program and recruiting, and simply wrong, I think he still wants to be the head coach at Arkansas and will not resign. Maybe I'm wrong. But it's time to take a good, hard look at where we are. This season is not over, but it is teetering on the brink of a precipice we have not seen in 10 years.

Danny

On the sidelines during the Tennesse Chattanooga Game after being ordered out of the Coaches Box during the Kentucky game.

Feel free to caption the photograph in response.

CollegeFootballNews.com

Pick the Tigers.

http://cfn.scout.com/2/689316.html

Another Midseason Report

This from the Shreveport Times quoting several sports writers from across the country. McFadden still getting plenty of pub for best player, despite playing on a stuggling team.

"I think the best player in the country is probably (Darren) McFadden. He's done what was expected and he's doing it with a mediocre team and poor coaching," Schroeder said.

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071010/SPORTS/710100340/1001/SPORTS

SEC MidSeason Report

From Ron Higgins on ESPN.com. Arkansas wins the most disappointing team award. Felix wins most valuable player. And the SEC is projected to have 10 bowl teams.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3057106

Ft. Smith Commentary

This article from the Southwest Times Record underscores how important the Auburn game is to Houston Nutt.

http://www.swtimes.com/articles/2007/10/10/commentary/rich_polikoff/polikoff01.txt

Razorbacks ranked 34th

In Stewart Mandel's power rankings.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/football/ncaa/10/09/26-119powerrankings1/index.html

Hogs finish 9-3

At least according to one collegefootballnews.com pundit. Another has the Vols running the table.

http://cfn.scout.com/2/688607.html

Darren Still No. 1

He needs a win Saturday almost as much as Houston.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/heisman07/index

SEC Coach's Salaries

Houston's fairly low on the list, but only LSU pays their coordinators more. The good news, Shibest is dead last on the list.

http://www.l-emedia.com/series/sec_coach_salaries/sec-salary.pdf

Arkansas Sports 360 Stat Analysis

Interesting read.

"Through five games, Casey Dick and Nathan Emert have completed 46% of their third down passes for about 4-1/4 yards per throw."

One intersting note, other than the North Texas game, our average yards per carry have gone down every week. That suggests that our passing game is worrying less and less people.

http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/sports_blog_post.asp?pid=2197

No TV for Ole Miss

Per Nate Allen's report

"No TV at Ole Miss

All TV options have passed on the Arkansas-Ole Miss game Oct. 20 at Oxford. So the game will kick off at 1 p.m. at the Rebels' Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Off on Monday, Arkansas resumes drills in full pads today prepping against Auburn."

Actually a Decent Wally Article.

Talks about football strategy and stuff. Somebody must be ghostwriting for him.

http://www.wholehogsports.com/adg/203889

Good Column by Rob Keys

Comparing Nutt and Tubby.

http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Sports/203816/

Nutt: It's the players' fault

A couple of quotes from yesterday's press conference pretty much shows where Nutt believes the blame lies:

"The one thing that stood out is, boy, just the lack of execution," Nutt said.

Nutt said he had an idea that Saturday might not go so smoothly after watching his players stumble through a practice earlier in the week. That lack of concentration followed the Razorbacks (3-2, 0-2 Southeastern Conference) to Little Rock.

"(The players) thought they could just roll that Razorback helmet out there in front of a great crowd and do exactly what they did against North Texas," Nutt said. "It just doesn't work that way."

It continues to amaze me that he doesn't ever, ever, publicly take blame for a bad performance. Even if he didn't believe it, you'd think that he'd do it from time to time. Although at this point, no one's opinion of him would be changed anyway so it might not be worth bothering.

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2007/10/08/razorback_central/100807uafbtnchatfllw.txt

Auburn Notebook

From al.com. Some good information about injuries. Groves practiced some Monday.

http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/sports/1191834988120280.xml&coll=3

Arkansas 34 UTC 15

It was ugly, but every win is "precious."

Saturday Ramblings

Some random thoughts on this Saturday's big slate of college football:

1. Finally, there are some entertaining early kickoffs. The 2007 season has provided few exciting 11:00 a.m. games outside of App. State's win over Michigan in the Big House. That change's tomorrow. No. 5 Wisconsin visits Ron Zook and his 4-1 Fighting Illini in what should be a good indicator of where both teams stand nationally and in the Big Ten race. Wisconsin is viewed as a paper tiger what with less than convincing wins against less than convincing opposition, while most people on the sane side of the lunatic asylum just can't wrap their head around Ron Zook actually improving a program's fortunes. I'll take Wisconsin and their vast experience in playing 11:00 a.m. games over the Illini. Other intriguing early starts - Kansas visits K-State (give me K-State over the Manginas), Auburn hosting Vandy while on super letdown alert (I'll take Auburn on a late FG), Ga. Tech visits Maryland (Ga. Tech over the suddenly resurgent Terps), and Miami visits their former head coach Butch Davis and UNC (Miami in a defensive slopfest)

2. The lack of hype for the OU-Texas game is appalling. Sure, these teams are coming off losses, but this is the Red River Rivalry. What tops the antiquated Cotton Bowl, the final weekend of the Texas State Fair, and 75,000 OU and Texas fans cramming themselves equally into the stadium for a blood feud? I'll tell you what - nada. Just thinking about the teams heading thru the tunnel and down the ramp onto the field gives me goosebumps. Boomer Sooner this year as the two game Texas win streak in this game comes to an end. Can the cry for Mack Brown's job be far behind?

3. SEC Saturday looms with the aforementioned Vandy/Auburn game along with UGA visiting Tennessee and Florida heading to Baton Rouge to play LSU in a primetime CBS game. If you're so inclined, you can watch SEC football for ten straight hours, leave the rest of country outside, and not miss anything important (other than OU/Texas, of course). Begin your SEC day at Jordan-Hare Stadium at 11:30 a.m. on LFS, then head pretty much due north to Neyland Stadium for the 2:30 p.m. kick on CBS between Georgia and Tennessee (just be sure to bring your own copy of Neyland's Seven Maxims - Press the Kicking Game for Godssakes!), and finally, wind your way southeast to Death Valley and Baton Rouge for Florida/LSU at 7:00 p.m. Jimmy G likes Tennessee and Florida to survive this weekend.

4. Not to be forgotton is the late night showdown between Big XII North foes Nebraska and Missouri. Show up drunk, fat, and late to this 8:15 p.m. kick on ESPN after you've watched Florida pull off the win over No. 1 LSU and enjoy the offensive fireworks. Mizzou's offense will overwhelm the Huskers below average defense, and Born Red will be left to plan his late December trip to Shreveport for the Independence Bowl.

5. Enjoy your Saturday of college football whether be at a friendly stadium or a comfortable couch. Please drink irresponsibly and let somebody else drive you home.

Jimmy G

New Episode of Razorpod Is Posted

The new episode of Razorpod is is posted here.  The crew discusses North Texas (66-7 win) and the upcoming game at WMS against the Tennessee-Chattanooga Mocs (not to be confused with the Mocks).  Also, the crew teabags OU for the loss to CU and goes around the horn with the rest of the upsets from the past weekend.  JimmyG takes major props for his Auburn pick and 5-1 week.  Logan still leads after the first month of the season, and Patrick Williams is mired in last. 

 

Here's hoping our midterm grades will really boost our average.

Razorpod Game Predictions - Week 5

The crew's picks for this week's Arkansas game, the national games, and the sleeper game with guest analyst, Big Red's picks included:

PW - Ky, OU, UGa, LSU, UA, Va. Tech

JF - Ky, OU, UGa, LSU, UA, OK State

TL - SC, OU, Tenn., LSU, UA, Wisconsin

JG - SC, OU, Tenn., Fla., UA, Wazzu

Buford - Ky, OU, UGa, LSU, UA, Nebraska

Big Red - SC, OU, Tenn., LSU, UA, ND

Monk

Looking less and less likely that we'll see him this year.

http://www.wholehogsports.com/nwat/57841

Finebaum on Tuberville

In today's paper, Paul Finebaum talks about Tuberville and his possibilities after this year. Arkansas is mentioned, but A&M may be the front runner for Tuberville's services.

http://www.al.com/press-register/stories/index.ssf?/base/sports/1191316774222490.xml&coll=3

Tough Week

Not much action on the blog since the weekend. It's hard to have back to back games against terrible non conference opponents. Not much to talk about after pasting North Texas. And what can you say about this weekend's game? Chattanooga is not only a 1-AA team, they're a bad one, standing at 1-3 on they year. So far, Chattanooga's results are:

Carson Newman 29 Chattanooga 17
Jacksonville State 33 Chattanooga 19
Chattanooga 45 Georgia Southern 38
The Citadel 41 Chattanooga 16

Looking forward to Auburn week.

Hogs and Tigers going Primetime

ESPN has picked up the Razorbacks' game with Auburn, and the kickoff is now at 6:45 p.m.

http://www.hogwired.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=6100&ATCLID=1253220

Arkansas 66 North Texas 7

Again, not news at this point, but the blog needed to be updated. The game doesn't tell us much, but it was a thorough drubbing. It was good to see the defense keep a team under 20. That's probably the biggest positive from the game.

JR and Henry: Time for Houston to go

Arkansas's most popular and influential sportswriters JR and Henry have a column up today at Arkansas Sports 360.com where they call for Houston Nutt to be fired. They also predict a sound victory over North Texas.

Latest Edition of Razorpod

Is available for download. The whole crew is back for one of the few times this season. Click on the link to listen. Yes, Johnny Fayetteville's pick 'em lead evaporated quicker than it began, but it was sweet while it lasted. However, his ASU sleeper pick over Memphis State came together with some second half heroics from the Tribe.

http://www.switchpod.com/p131.html

U of A Student Newspaper Calls for Nutt's Head

A sportswriter for the Arkansas Traveler, the on-campus student newspaper, has called for Nutt's firing. It's not anything new, and in fact, is reminiscent of Wally's article right before Ford was canned in 1997. However, nothing will cure the situation other than a bunch of wins. Quickly.

There are some wistful memories lamented by the writer about the bygone Springdale days. Heaven that they were . . .

Follow the link.

http://media.www.thetraveleronline.com/media/storage/paper688/news/2007/09/28/Sports/Enough.Is.Enough.Its.Time.For.A.Change-2998210-page2.shtml

Bobby Petrino

He's coaching the Atlanta Falcons. They're 0-3, have no Mike Vick, have Joey Harrington starting, and really have no future to speak of. Let's say Houston, for whatever reason, doesn't come back. Any chance Petrino could be lured back to college ball (specifically, Arkansas) before his inevitable firing by the Falcons in 2009 at the latest?

19

The number of LSU starters who were recruited by Nick Saban.

http://www.wholehogsports.com/adg/202620

Razorbacks with no late game comebacks since 2003

Per this article. Houston blames youth and the loss of Marcus Monk.

http://www.wholehogsports.com/adg/202596

Hogs Punt return average measured in inches

7.2 a return, to be exact.

http://www.wholehogsports.com/adg/202618

Arkansas Sports 360 - Interesting Break Down by some guy named Randy Reece

http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/sports_blog_post.asp?pid=2151

Negative, Ghost Rider, the Pattern is Full

As further proof that some of our fans are the biggest morons in the world, apparently a group of disgruntled Razorback fans have raised enough money to hire an airplane with a banner saying "Players and Fans Deserve Better -- Fire Nutt!" to fly over the tailgate areas and around the stadium this weekend before the North Texas game.

Look, don't buy tickets. Get on message boards until your eyes cross. Herd your family into the basement, hold them at gunpoint, have a personal crisis, and call in to whatever show you want and go all Mike Gundy on Houston Nutt. But c'mon. This is ridiculous. I am sure this will insure whatever coach you think we deserve will come here immediately.

Sometimes I am embarrassed to be a Razorback fan. This is one of those times.

http://razorbacktalk.com/board/index.php/topic,7880.msg134139.html#msg134139

Razorpod Week 5 Games

West Virginia at South Florida
Michigan State at Wisconsin
Alabama vs. Florida State (in Jacksonville)
Cal at Oregon
North Texas at UA
Sleeper Game

The crew will pick the games this week tonight on Razorpod. Look for it here tomorrow. My picks are easy: West Virgina, Wisconsin, Alabama, Cal, Arkansas and for a sleeper I like Georgia Tech (+3) over Clemson.

What, no Danny Nutt in the coaching booth?

It seems that Houston Nutt and the U of A athletic department can't read a rule book. The SEC issued a determination yesterday that Danny Nutt, brother of head coach Houston Nutt, can't sit in the coaching booth wearing a headset and, you know, coach? Why? Nutt resigned his position as running backs coach citing health reasons. Since that time, he's been spotted dressing and now acting like a coach, despite not being a formal member of the staff (there are reports that he's still being compensated from the U of A).

If anything, this makes the U of A, an already foolish-looking football program, appear even more foolish. What possible reason is there for Danny Nutt to be involved in the coaching operations of the football team, especially when Tim Horton was hired to replace him?

Of course, this is Arkansas where they have a have a "Director of High School recruiting," and a "Director of On-Campus recruiting." They probably even have a "Director of Travel Entertainment" or whatever it was that Michigan had during the Fab 5 days (his job was to set up nintendo's in each of the hotel rooms where the players stayed). Ye Gods.

Sad But Probably True Heisman Breakdown

CFN does their Heisman breakdown. McFadden no longer the lead dog. We have to get to 9 wins for him to have a chance. Unlikely.

http://cfn.scout.com/2/678204.html

CFN picks the Hogs in a rout.

http://cfn.scout.com/2/682482.html

ESPN Bowl Projections

Hogs back home in Shreveport.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?page=bowlprojections4

Razorpodders > Defensive Coaches

As called for by the Razorback crew weeks ago, Marcus Harrison is moving back inside. Why does it take two SEC games to figure out that Marcus is too slow to play DE now that he's over 300 pounds?

http://www.wholehogsports.com/adg/202520

Stockholm Syndrome Occurs in Canines, Too, Researchers Say

Researchers from the Institute of Canine Studies recently discovered that "Stockholm Syndrome," the phenomenon in which a kidnapping victim identifies with his or her captors, has crossed species from humans to canines.

"We are discovering more disturbing links every day between Man and Man's Best Friend," stated Gunner Schlocke, head researcher on the project. "Its amazing what dogs can pick up from humans and vice-versa."

Robert Shields Predicts Nutt's Demise

Robert Shields says that this weekend's loss will prove to be Houston's demise. Good insight into the effect that Nutt's emotions seem to have on his team. Plus, what seems as a waste of two of the best players to ever wear the cardinal and white is simply unacceptable.

http://www.hogville.net/yabbse/index.php?topic=158633.0

Kentucky 42 Arkansas 29

Think about this, with the best player in Razorback history and the best running back duo in college football, Houston Nutt has managed a record of 15-13.

JR and Henry predict Kentucky win

Arkansas's favorite sports columnists JR and Henry, writing for Arkansas Sports 360.com filed their Kentucky preview column. In short, they predict an offensive shootout with the Wildcats coming out on top. It's always worth a read.

Extra! Extra!

Newest edition of Razorpod is up. Follow the link, or download it directly into iTunes. Listen to the crew lament the Alabama loss, plus look ahead to the Kentucky game. Johnny Fayetteville comes back to the pack in the Razorpod pick 'em, and Tom Logan solidifies his lead. Lot of season left, however.

http://www.switchpod.com/p131.html

Baffled

"His eyebrows furrowed, Arkansas coach Houston Nutt shook his head when informed of the trend. Mike Marksuon, the Razorbacks’ offensive line coach, had a similar reaction," writes Ryan Malashock of Stephens Media. The "trend" he's talking about is Houston Nutt's streak of losing the conference game immediately following the first conference defeat.

“I’m not worried about that,” Nutt said. “It’s brand-new news to me. I’ve never known that stat. I hate that I even heard it. But you know what, now that I have, we’re going to break it.”

FW: Nutt pic

A picture is worth a thousand words-

Hope

The good news is that the future of Arkansas' football team is apparently doing quite well in practice. The bad news, Mitch Mustain is now at USC. Without McFadden, where will Arkansas be next year? .500 maybe? One thing is for sure, the Hogs would be alot better off if No. 16 in red wasn't now Nathan Emert.

http://www.pe.com/sports/college/usc/stories/PE_Sports_Local_D_usc_notes_20.3ea90ab.html

I miss Gus

There's hasn't been much talk on Razorpod lately about the incredibly hot start of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. As many loyal readers know, the offense is orchestrated by former Arkansas offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn (no "a" Houston). Tulsa whipped up on Louisiana-Monroe in the first game of the season, amassing an impressive 523 yards of total offense (216 rushing, 307 passing). In a game no one thought Tulsa could win, the Golden Hurricane beat BYU 55-47 in what was another very impressive offensive performance (595 yards in total offense). But I'm not the only one who's picking up on this. ESPN.com's Ivan Maisel writes in his column today,

At first glance, Tulsa's 55-47 victory over BYU appears incredible enough. The Golden Hurricane and the Cougars combined for 1,289 yards, yet played enough defense to force 10 punts.

A closer look, however, shows just how explosive the Tulsa offense is. Six touchdown drives averaged 1:27 in length (a seventh touchdown came on Roy Roberts' 49-yard interception return). In fact, Tulsa (2-0) held the ball for only 24:56. BYU, in its 35:04 of possession, snapped the ball on 94 plays from scrimmage.

SEC Round-Up

Good article by Neal McCready of the Mobile Press-Register covering all the goings on around the SEC this week. One tasty nugget concerns the possiblity of up to six schools changing coaches after the season. Arkansas is mentioned. Butch Davis is said to be in the mix if Houston Nutt steps down. . . as well as - wait for it, Terry Bowden. Yikes!

http://www.al.com/sports/press-register/nmccready.ssf?/base/sports/1190280141288950.xml&coll=3&thispage=1

Razorpod Game Predictions - Week 4

Texas A&M @ Miami: PW - TAMU, JF - TAMU, TL - Miami, JG - Miami
Penn St. @ Michigan: PW - PSU, JF - PSU, TL - Mich, JG - Mich
Georgia @ Alabama: PW - Bama, JF - Bama, TL - UGa, JG - UGa
S. Carolina @ LSU: PW - LSU, JF - LSU, TL - LSU, JG - LSU
Kentucky @ Arkansas: PW - Ky, JF - UA, TL - Ky, JG - UA
Sleeper Game: PW - Indiana, JF - NMSU, TL - Iowa, JG - Minnesota

Hogs Picked to Win in Shootout

The folks over at http://www.collegefootballnews.com/ pick the Hogs to defeat Kentucky in a shootout 38-34. Home field and (of course) McFadden and Jones make the difference. This game is huge, as CFN points out, because it would pretty much guarantee a 4-1 start leading into the Auburn game. I'll take the Hogs at home in a close game.

http://www.moviewavs.com/php/sounds/?id=bst&media=WAVS&type=Movies&movie=Tombstone&quote=huckleberry.txt&file=huckleberry.wav


More on the jump.

http://cfn.scout.com/2/651709.html

Every Day should be Saturday standing behind the Hogs

Under Orson's holds

http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/?p=3862

Cleveland on His Way to Redshirt

After much speculation, it looks like Cleveland's done for the year.

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2007/09/19/razorback_central/091907uafbcleveland.txt

Ernest Mitchell Suspended for Kentucky Game

Arkansas head football coach Houston Nutt suspended junior defensive tackle Ernest Mitchell for the Kentucky game this upcoming weekend. Mitchell was ejected from Saturday's game against Alabama for ripping offensive tackle Justin Britt's helmet and throwing it at him. Addittional information on the jump.

http://www.hogwired.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=6100&ATCLID=1242585

No place for what Mitchell did, although I can understand why he was upset. His leg was caught underneath him, and all 325 pounds of Justin Britt was on top of him, with one hand on this throat and one on his facemask, grinding him into the turf several seconds after the play was whistled dead. Britt did his best soccer player imitation, acting like his head had been nearly severed and limping to the sidelines Brodie Croyle style only to sprint back onto the field on the very next play.

It's always the second guy that gets caught.

Gut Punched in Tuscaloosa

The Hogs took one square in the solar plexus last night with their last second loss in Tuscaloosa to the Alabama Crimson Tide, 41-38, on a touchdown pass with :08 remaining in the game.

My thoughts are wide and varied, including being pretty upset with our decision to pass the ball with 2:31 left. An incompletion stopped the clock and prevented about 30 seconds from running off. However, in retrospect, we lost the game on the little things.

1. Special teams. Fumble on a kickoff, giving Alabama great field position. Allowing an Alabama punt return down to our five yard line in the second half. One play, touchdown.

2. Turnovers. Tipped pass interception gave Bama a 9 yard field in the first half. 2 plays, touchdown.

3. Tough breaks. Alabama's field goal with 4 minutes remaining came after the play clock expired. A flag would have moved the distance from 42 to 47 yards and a 4th and 11. May have changed the game and the decision to kick at all. Kevin Woods' pass interference call in the end zone was questionable at best. The clock stopping for a measurement with :21 left, although the ball was clearly 2 yards short of a first down basically gave the Tide a 4th second half timeout. Had they simply wound the clock, I would have expected a 6-8 second rundown. As tough as these breaks are, they're part of football, however.

The bright side?

Darren McFadden. He may not win the Heisman, but he's the best player I've ever seen. No superlative is enough.

Casey Dick. He got very little help from his wide receivers, with dropped passes and fumbles. However, he looked downfield better and made some nice throws.

The bad?

Our pass defense has to get well in a hurry before Kentucky comes to town. If we start slowly in the secondary next week, we may get down early.

Dennis Dodd on Arkansas/Alabama

In his Weekend Watch List column, Dennis Dodd of CBS Sportsline.com has this to say about the Arkansas - Alabama match-up:

• Alabama is looking at a 7-0 start. It gets Arkansas (Saturday) and Georgia in back-to-back home games, followed by Florida State in Jacksonville, Houston and Ole Miss. That's one true road game in the first six.

Look out if 'Bama comes in undefeated for the Tennessee game on Oct. 20.

• WWWWL Do? (Or What Would Weekend Watch List Do?) Forget quarterback Casey Dick at Arkansas. Line up Darren McFadden or Felix Jones in the Wildcat formation on every play. Leading receiver Marcus Monk is out with a knee injury. Why risk Dick's scatter-shooting at 'Bama? At least you know what you're getting with D-Mac and Jones.

Jim Donnan likes the Tide's chances on Saturday

In his ESPN.com chat today, everyone's favorite "former" coach Jim Donnan wrote, "I really think they (Alabama) have a good shot, playing at home. A lot of the same guys who played against them last year in the disappointing OT loss to them, know they can play with them this year. The key will be not to give up a lot of easy throws from the QB. Offensively, keep the ball away from McFadden. This is a game I look forward to seeing from both teams. Neither one has been challenged so far. Everyone's excited about Saban, but the next two weeks will give you an idea of how they stand."

JR and Henry predict Bama victory

JR and Henry the popular columnists over at Arkansas Sports 360.com have weighed in on the Arkansas - Alabama game, and the outlook isn't good for Razorback fans. They predict a 38-30 loss in Tuscaloosa by virtue of Arkansas's inability to move the football in the air. That, and the 92,000 plus screaming Roll Tide, Mike Price style.

Latest Edition of Razorpod is Up

The gang discusses the upcoming Alabama game, as well as all the latest news and notes out of Fayetteville. Big game this weekend for both teams, and will likely set the tone for the rest of the season.

You guys make sure to let me know how it goes.

http://www.switchpod.com/p131.html

Studio Jimmy G - Saturday Sept. 15

Early Games
TV 1 - Mississippi State @ Auburn
TV 2 - Pittsburgh @ Michigan State
TV 3 - Iowa @ Iowa State

Afternoon Games
TV 1 - Tennessee @ Florida
TV 2 - Notre Dame @ Michigan
TV 3 - Ohio State @ Washington

Evening Games
TV 1 - Arkansas @ Alabama
TV 2 - USC @ Nebraska
TV 3 - Boston College @ Georgia Tech

Heading down to the beach for one last day. Taking Elisha with me and the new razorpod for entertainment. See everyone on Saturday.

EDSBS at it again

It's favorite subject, Houston Nutt.

http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/?p=3830

Maisel Picks Pigs

In his online chat on ESPN.com. He believes lack of depth on Alabama's defensive line will tell the tale.

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=17206

Razorblade? Check. Salt? Check. Lemon Juice? Check

Just rub it in, why don't ya? It has been well documented in the world of Razorpod that Johnny Fayetteville has "commitments" this weekend, and will miss the Bama game in its entirety.

No big deal, per www.collegefootballnews.com. It's only anticipated to be one of the best games of the day, with an exciting finish to boot. I disagree with their final score, but it's good to know what I'll be missing.

Excuse me while I go cry.

http://cfn.scout.com/2/651708.html

We're all fans, but come on

According to police, 32-year-old Texas fan Brian Christopher Thomas walked into Henry Hudson's Pub [in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma] on June 17 wearing a Longhorns T-shirt and quickly became the focus of football "trash talk" from another regular, 53-year-old Oklahoma fan Allen Michael Beckett.

Thomas told police that when he decided to leave and went to the bar to pay his tab, Beckett grabbed him in the crotch, pulled him to the ground and wouldn't let go, even as bar patrons tried to break it up. When the two men were separated, Thomas looked down and realized the extent of his injuries.

"He could see both of his testicles hanging on the outside of his body," said Thomas' attorney, Carl Hughes. "He was wearing a pair of white shorts, which made it that much worse."

It took more than 60 stitches to close the wound, and police interviewed Thomas at a nearby hospital emergency room.

The virtue of the spread

Spencer Tillman, writing for CBS Sportsline.com notes, " the spread wreaks havoc with defensive schemes, particularly if it's run by highly skilled athletes, boosted by overall team speed and precise execution. Not that long ago, the spread was seen as a gimmick, but today's oddball approach often is tomorrow's genius. The spread is effective because it allows teams to create one-on-one matchups, take advantage of speed, limit the defense by formation, cut back on blitzing and reduce the number of blocks that are needed."

Not to dig up old business, but I think a few of us on the RAN made similar arguments when Gus Malzahn was hired (and subsequently fired, I mean demoted, I mean quit) at Arkansas. Observes Tillman, " The centerpiece of any good offense is the ability to match your approach with the talent you have. In effect, size and strength are at best compromised. Florida conducted a clinic in quickness over bulk in last year's BCS Championship Game. The lesson didn't fall on deaf ears."

Tillman concludes," Once upon a time, smash-mouth, three yards and a cloud of dust was the norm. A running game is still the foundation of great football, however today we're seeing another era. The spread is flattening the competitive playing field." I wonder if Houston Nutt is listening?