Arkansas Razorbacks: Status on Knile Davis

I'm not one to report "rumors" but I have heard rumblings that Knile Davis may go pro at the end of the season even though he did not play during the 2011 season at all.

As a Razorback fan, hopefully Davis will return for at least one more season. Knowing Davis' injury history it certainly makes sense that he would consider declaring for the NFL Draft.

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SEC Football: New Conference for Missouri, Same Disregard by Conference Leaders

The news about University of Missouri’s entrance into the SEC was a shock to no one by the time an official public announcement was made November 6, declaring the Tigers the 14th member of the Southeastern Conference after Texas A&M became the 13th member weeks prior.

Weeks of speculation about Missouri leaving for the SEC were confirmed only to have the Big East try to block West Virginia from leaving for the newly reformed Big 12 due to a 27-month notification period written within the league’s bylaws. Confusion over conference realignment still ensued.

Looking back a couple of questions have been left unanswered and perhaps none more important than did Missouri trade one unstable situation in a premiere conference for a role as an afterthought in another premiere conference?

Everyone knows that conference realignment is all about financial decisions. TV contracts and Neilson Ratings have sold out student athletes and 100 year old rivalries for the almighty dollar. Regardless of the thousands of miles that may separate one campus from another and the financial toll moms and dads may have to endure to see their children play college sports albeit football or gymnastics, the money train has left the station and Missouri is another academic institution that made a financial decision based on their bottom line not for those individuals that support or the students athletes that compete for the university.

From the outside peering in, Missouri along with Texas A&M may have made the best monetary decision for their university but at what costs to the athletic programs, primarily their football program?

The SEC has welcomed Missouri not because of their play on the football field but because of their campus’ proximity to St. Louis and Kansas City and the TV market value both cities represent. As a former Missouri resident I can share with those outside of the immediate area that St. Louis is a professional sports town and by and large could care less about Mizzou football.

The heart of downtown Kansas City is a 40 mile trip from Lawrence, Kansas, making Kansas City a melting pot of Kansas City Chiefs and Royals fans, Kansas Jayhawk fans, and Missouri Tiger fans.

The question begging to be asked is what did the SEC really gain by adding Missouri to their conference other than market share? Also, what kindness has the SEC given Missouri, other than split revenue, with their welcoming?

Missouri cut ties with the Big 12 and every form the Big 12 has embodied dating back to 1907, including their days in the Big Eight. As a warm welcome the SEC put the Tigers in the SEC East. What logic does this serve? The SEC in so many words said, “Thanks for joining our conference. We like things the way they are right now so you are going to have to go sit over in the corner and take whatever scraps we give to you.”

Logic would dictate that Missouri be in the SEC West moving Alabama and Auburn over to the SEC East with the addition of Texas A&M and Missouri, two schools west of the Mississippi River. Still the SEC has said Missouri will start off in the East.

Missouri’s new SEC East rivals will have to be University of Kentucky, Vanderbilt University, and University of Tennessee as Missouri’s boot heel barely touches both bordering states making this a fierce rivalry all SEC fans and national media outlets will want to cover.

UK is about 470 miles from Columbia, Missouri, Nashville is about 435 miles, and Knoxville is about 610 miles away. Seems difficult to set up recruiting battles and new rivalries when your closest counterpart is at least seven hours away much less the 1,000 plus miles between Columbia and Gainesville. Good luck to the women’s softball team for either school that has to take a bus ride between the two campuses.

The SEC has said that the conference alignment with Missouri in the East may only be a temporary solution. That’s reminiscent of a parent telling their child “we’ll get that toy for you next time we come back”. Translation, it ain’t ever going to happen.

Does SEC commissioner Michael Slive really expect the Tiger fan base to travel to South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, and/or Tennessee a couple of times per season? The clear message from the rest of the conference to Missouri is “thanks for giving us the 21st and 31st biggest television markets in the U.S. good luck the rest of the way you are on your own”.

When Missouri officially joins the SEC July 1, 2012, the West division will consist of Arkansas, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Texas A&M. The East alignment will be Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and Missouri.

The SEC has seemingly forgotten that Missouri recruits Texas heavily. One would think that having Texas A&M guaranteed on the schedule every year would work in Missouri’s favor in recruiting battles along state lines or within a day’s drive of a parent seeing their child play.

Did the SEC also forget that Missouri shares a border with Arkansas? The Tigers’ campus is only 300 miles away from Arkansas’ campus. Seems like a new natural rivalry without needing much media hype. Sorry Razorback and Tiger fans, the SEC does not want to put Alabama and Auburn in the same division with Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee.

After Florida and Tennessee’s play over the past two years in football it would behoove the SEC to put Alabama and Auburn in the East division.

Jokes and financials aside, does the SEC or the University of Missouri ever expect the Tigers to be competitive in the SEC with the current alignment? Why would the SEC allow Missouri to join the conference and promise revenue sharing to a team that may not be able to pull their own football weight because the divisional alignment prohibits the Tigers from being competitive on and off the field?

Why has Missouri’s Chancellor Brady J Deaton traded one bad situation for the Tigers athletic program for another?

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Ranking the 10 Best Quarterbacks in College Football

How do you like your college football quarterback? Do you like a QB that is rough and rugged, one with a quick release, or a guy with a gun for an arm? Does your leader need to be able to scramble out of the pocket to buy time for his wide receivers to keep the play alive?

How about a player that lines up under center with gaudy offensive numbers or a dual threat speed demon that can eat up chunks of yards with his feet as well as his arm?

Whatever your preference is in a quarterback, this year’s college football class has the talent to make any fan happy.

The following article breaks down each individual quarterback giving the highlights and lowlights of the 10 best college football quarterbacks in the nation with the reasons why they are better than all the rest.

10) Tajh Boyd, Clemson University, Sophomore, 6’1”, 230 lbs

Clemson was slated to be a .500 team by most college football pundits entering 2011 play. Once the season began college football took notice of the upstart Tigers behind the heady play of Tajh Boyd… and he’s only a sophomore.

Boyd led Clemson to eight straight wins to start the season on the way to a 9-3 regular season record. The Tigers play Virginia Tech in the ACC Conference Championship Game for the right to represent the ACC in a BCS Bowl game on Saturday.

The Highlights:

11 straight games with 200 yards or more passing, 28 passing touchdowns and 10 interceptions, with a QB Rating of 143.1 for the season. 17th in the nation in passing yards per game with 278. Boyd leads the ACC in total passing yards with 3,338.

Clemson had quality wins over Auburn, Florida State, and Virginia Tech.

The Lowlights:

Boyd had a horrible game against South Carolina, 11-29, 83 yards passing, 5 sacks, 1 passing touchdown, 1 interception. The Gamecocks rolled over the Tigers 34-13 to end the regular season for both teams.

Boyd was sacked 27 times during the season.

9) Russell Wilson, University of Wisconsin, Senior, 5’11”, 201 lbs

Wilson, a senior transfer from North Carolina State, has made an immediate impact for the Badgers. His noticeably seamless ease into the role of the new starting quarterback for Wisconsin has paid dividends as Wisconsin is two Hail Mary plays away from being undefeated and playing for a BCS National Championship.

Wilson’s numbers may not overwhelm but his results do. Sporting a 10-2 record entering the inaugural Big Ten Conference Championship Game, the Badgers have an opportunity to defend a last second loss to Michigan State, this time the game is on a neutral field. Can Wilson lead Wisconsin back to the Rose Bowl for the second year in a row?

The Highlights:

Wilson has two 300-yard passing games on the year, has thrown at least one touchdown pass in every game this season with five rushing touchdowns. His passing yards per game ranks him 46th in the nation with 224 per game.

Other than Wilson’s ridiculous 192.9 quarterback rating, his most impressive stat may be the three interceptions he’s thrown in 260 pass attempts against a defense first conference.

The Lowlights:

Wilson put up more passing yards at North Carolina State during his junior and sophomore campaigns, 3,563 in 2010 and 3,027 in 2009. The trade off for passing yards has been fewer interceptions thrown, a better team record, and the ability to rely on running back Montee Ball.

Ball is second total rushing yards in college football with 1,622 yards and two games left to play.

Wilson’s statistics will not get him an invite to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony but his leadership and play for Wisconsin has been tremendous. He leads FBS in quarterback rating, is fifth in completion percentage, and is second in yards per completions with an average of 10.4 yards per.

If more was asked of Wilson one can only imagine how gaudy his numbers would be.

8) Nick Foles, University of Arizona, Senior, 6’5”, 240 lbs

Foles has NFL ability and gaudy passing statistics to prove it despite having very little overall talent around him. The Wildcats are 4-8 on the season with tough losses at USC and at Oregon State. Without him Arizona might be winless.

Foles is second in the nation in total passing yards with 4,334. Because the Wildcats have played their last game of the season, Foles may drop to fifth or sixth by the end of the postseason.

The Highlights:

2-1 touchdown to interception ratio (28-14), 10 games with over 300-yards passing (two of those games he went over 400-yards), and averaged 32.25 completions per game.

Foles has a completion percentage of 69.1. He is second in college football in total passing attempts and completions with 560 and 387 respectively.

He can play against the “big boys”: In 2011 Foles threw for 398 yards against Oklahoma State, 398 against Oregon, 425 against USC, and 388 against Washington.

The last three years Foles has progressively gotten better. His numbers are amazing especially considering all opposing defensive coordinators know they have to try and stop Foles somehow but never do.

The Lowlights:

Foles takes a lot of sacks – 23 in 2011 and 23 in 2010. How much of this is his fault and how much is the play of the offensive line can be debated. Considering the entire offense rests on his ability to throw the ball, all in all he has played really well.

7) Matt Barkley, University of Southern California, Junior, 6’2”, 220 lbs

Matt Barkley is a college quarterback candidate who may leave college early for NFL riches. The shame for USC fans is if Barkley returns for the 2012 season the Trojans will more than likely be a Top 10 preseason team.

The Trojans will also have something to play for in 2012 as 2011 is their last season under NCAA post season sanctions stemming from Reggie Bush’s NCAA violations.

Even without much motivation or overall team goals to shoot for, Barkley has led the Trojans to a 10-2 season and what would have been a PAC-12 South Division Title.

The Highlights:

Barkley has a 39-7 TD-INT ratio, six games of 300-yards or more passing, and has only been sacked 8 times. He has a passing touchdown in every game this season with two games of six passing touchdowns against Colorado and UCLA.

The Lowlights:

Barkley puts up great numbers but has games when he underachieves against better competition. Against Arizona State he finished 21-33 for 227 yards passing, against California he went 19-35 for 195 yards, and 24-35 against Notre Dame for 224 yards.

Truth be told, Barkley could use one more year of seasoning in college football.

6) Case Keenum, University of Houston, Senior, 6’2”, 210 lbs

Keenum may be a product of the offensive system he is in, regardless, he delivers.

The Cougars are 12-0 entering Conference USA’s Conference Title Game against No. 24 Southern Mississippi. If Houston beats Southern Mississippi on Saturday, Houston will play in their first BCS Bowl.

The Highlights:

Keenum leads college football in just about every major passing category including total passing yards (4,726), passing touchdowns (43), completion percentage with a minimum of 300 attempts (73.2), and has only thrown 3 picks this season (14-1 TD-INT ratio).

His 393.83 passing yards per game leads FBS despite having fewer total passing attempts than 6 of the Top 10 quarterbacks in college football. Put in other terms, he’s more efficient than his counterparts.

Every Houston game during the 2011 season has finished with Keenum throwing for more than 300 yards; six of those games Keenum threw for more than 400 yards with one of those games going for 534.

If he throws one touchdown pass against Southern Miss he will tie his previous single season highs of 44 set in 2009 and 2008.

The Lowlights:

Keenum threw for more yards in 2009 (5,671) and 2008 (5,020).

Conference USA does not get the respect of the other power conferences; one could debate the level of play between the Big East and Conference USA. College football fans will always wonder how well Keenum would have performed playing against power conference teams every week.

UCLA was the lone BCS program Keenum faced in 2011; his first game back from a season ending knee injury in 2010 that occurred against UCLA. He finished the game 30-40 for 310 yards passing with 2 touchdowns and zero interceptions.

If Keenum puts up video game passing numbers in Houston’s bowl game his spot on the Top Quarterback list would jump dramatically. He will finally have an opportunity to prove himself against top tier competition.

5) Landry Jones, University of Oklahoma, Junior, 6’4”, 229 lbs

Will he stay or will he go? Entering the 2011 season Jones and company were preseason No. 1. The Sooners 9-2 team record may not have turned out the way he wanted but few could argue the success that Jones has had under center. The big question for Jones is will he stay on campus for one more year or pass up his senior year for NFL riches?

The Highlights:

Jones has eight games with 300 or more yards passing, ranks third in FBS in passing yards per game with 368, and averages 28 completions per game.

The Lowlights:

One can question the toughness of Big 12 defenses and the offensive numbers put up within conference play. Five of the top 20 passing quarterbacks in college football sling it around the Big 12; Seth Doege (Texas Tech), Brandon Weeden (OSU), Jones, Ryan Tannehill (Texas A&M), and Robert Griffin III (Baylor).

Are Big 12 quarterbacks that good or is pass defense an afterthought in that conference?

Texas is the only Big 12 team ranked in the Top 25 in total team defense.

In OU’s biggest non-conference game against Florida State, Jones finished 18-27 passing for 199 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions.

4) Tyler Wilson, University of Arkansas, Junior, 6’3”, 220 lbs

Tyler Wilson is a first year starter playing behind an average offensive line. All stats can be skewed but college football fans have to wonder how much better Wilson’s numbers could be if his offensive line gave him time to throw. He has been sacked 23 times in 2011. Who knows how many times he’s been knocked to the turf?

The Highlights:

Wilson leads the SEC in total passing yards, completion percentage among QBs with 300 or more attempts (63.1), and yards per game (285.17). His overall numbers place him among college football’s elite especially considering he has faced three of the four top total defenses in the nation (Alabama, LSU, and South Carolina) and six of the top 25 pass defense teams in the nation (No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 South Carolina, No. 6 LSU, No. 12 Tennessee, No. 23 Ole Miss, and No. 25 Mississippi State).

Wilson is 11th in FBS in total passing yards with 3,422 with an opportunity to move back in the top 10 during post season play.

In Arkansas’ biggest non-conference game of the year, Wilson threw for a school record 510 yards against Texas A&M. Against South Carolina Wilson threw for 299 yards with two passing touchdowns.

The Lowlights:

Wilson’s two worst games came against Alabama and LSU when he finished with 185 and 207 yards passing respectively. He threw two touchdowns against Bama and one against LSU. He also threw one pick in both games as well.

3) Geno Smith, West Virginia University, Junior, 6’3”, 214 lbs

The 8-3 Mountaineers have been riding the electric arm of Smith’s all season long. Even in WVU’s three losses to LSU, Syracuse, and Louisville Smith has played well. He finished the game against LSU with 463 yards passing, 338 against Syracuse, and 410 against Louisville.

Smith has one more regular season game against South Florida remaining to add to his passing totals before their bowl game. Because the Big East only has eight conference members and not the twelve mandated for a conference title game, Smith will not get that extra game to pad his 2011 stats.

The Highlights:

Smith’s 5-1 touchdown to interception ratio (25-5) has been tremendous. He’s ninth in FBS in total offense per game with 332.91 yards per game, has seven games of 300 or more passing yards, and is fifth in the nation with 340 passing yards per game.

3,741 total passing yards has Smith ranked sixth in the nation.

The Lowlights:

Smith takes too many sacks (25) and his 65 percent completion rate ranks him 28th best in the nation.

Smith already puts up great numbers. One could argue that he should put up even better numbers in a weak Big East conference, but that is splitting hairs.

2) Robert Griffin III, Baylor University

An advertisement for Baylor football should read, “Baylor football is… Robert Griffin.” RG3 is the ultimate all around college football quarterback and arguably one of the best players in college football.

In Baylor’s three losses to Kansas State, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma State RG3 put up 346 passing yards against KSU, 430 against A&M, and 425 on OSU. The big statistic against those three teams is each team held Griffin to his three lowest rushing totals of the season, 6, 15, and 27 rushing yards respectively.

The Highlights:

Griffin has thrown for 300 or more yards in eight games this season, over 400 yards in four of those games. His 34-5 TD-INT ratio, 72.6 completion percentage, 334.46 passing yards per game proves he is a complete quarterback.

College football passer rankings: 6th in passing yards per game (334), 2nd in total offense per game (390), and 2nd in quarterback rating (191.1).

The Lowlights:

It’s hard to poke too many holes in Griffin’s game but his 22 sacks on the season is a start.

He had season low totals last weekend against Texas Tech after being knocked out of the game with a concussion. He still finished the game with a passing touchdown, as he has every game this year.

1) Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State University, Senior, 6’4”, 218 lbs

The only knock on Weeden as a college football quarterback is his age; he’s 28. No wait, that will be the knock on him going into the NFL. As college quarterbacks go, Weeden is great.

Weeden has led the Cowboys to a 10-1 record with a chance for a BCS Bowl berth. Even in Oklahoma State’s lone loss to Iowa State Weeden was great when he threw for 476 yards. His three interceptions against the Cyclones… were not so great.

The Highlights:

Eight games of 300 or more yards passing, three of those games he was over 400, one of those was over 500.

College football passer rankings: 2nd in passing yards per game (374), third in total passing yards (4,111) but should move into second barring injury after this weekend’s game against Oklahoma, fifth in touchdown passes thrown with 34, and eighth in quarterback rating (162.2).

The Lowlights:

Not too many holes to poke here. His 12 interceptions and 11 sacks could be improved upon. He has improved on his completion percentage from 2010, 67 to 73 percent.

Weeden was held to 218 passing yards against the Longhorns in Austin, the only defensive minded team he has faced all season.

Weeden may not be the best all around quarterback in the Big 12 with Robert Griffin lurking behind him. But should he have a great game against OU will Heisman voters realize how much better Weeden is than Andrew Luck?

Honorable Mentions

Ryan Alpine, Arkansas State

11^th in total offense in FBS, averages 262 passing yards per game

Dan Persa, Northwestern

After returning from an injury, he leads FBS in completion percentage

Andrew Luck, Stanford

Luck is a media darling but statistically the fifth best QB in the PAC-12

Kellen Moore, Boise State

Average numbers in a non-BCS power conference, 290 passing yards per game

Zac Dysert, Miami of Ohio

Averages a FBS 11th best 293 passing yards per game

Brock Osweiler, Arizona State

Averages 303 passing yards per game, TD-INT ratio is poor (2-1)

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2011 Arkansas High School State Playoff Scores and Finals Matchups

7-A Semifinal Round

Fayetteville 23, Fort Smith Southside 20

Bentonville 31, North Little Rock 7

6-A Semifinal Round

Lake Hamilton 23, Pine Bluff 21

El Dorado 38, Jonesboro 28

5-A Semifinal Round

Greenwood 34, Camden Fairview 31

Batesville 47, White Hall 26

4-A Quarterfinal Round

Farmington 26, McGehee 23

Malvern 28, Nashville 16

Pulaski Academy 65, Pottsville 13

Dollaryway 20, Gravette 13

3-A Quarterfinal Round

Prescott 20, Earle 7

Barton 42, Arkansas Baptist 7

Charleston 35, Harding Academy 9

Fountain Lake 34, Rison 26

2-A Quarterfinal Round

Carlisle 13, Gurdon 12

East Poinsett County 12, Bearden 6

Junction City 9, Magazine 3

Strong 16, McCrory 14

State Final Matchups:

7-A State Final:

Fayetteville at Bentonville – Saturday December 3, 12:00 p.m. CST

6-A State Final:

El Dorado at Lake Hamilton – Friday December 2, 7:00 p.m. CST

5-A State Final:

Batesville at Greenwood – Saturday December 3, 6:30 p.m. CST

*Class 7A through 5A games all take place at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas.

4-A Semifinal Games:

Farmington at Malvern

Dollaryway at Pulaski Academy

3-A Semifinal Games:

Barton at Prescott

Fountain Lake at Charleston

2-A Semifinal Games:

East Poinsett County at Carlisle

Strong at Junction City

**All 4-A through 2-A games will be played Friday December 2, at 7:30 p.m. CST.

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HogManInLA’s Heisman Watch List: Week 14 Heisman Top Five-ish

Even though Robert Griffin III only got to play in the first half due to concussion like symptoms, he still finished Saturday’s game with three total touchdowns in a non-defensive game against Texas Tech winning 66-42… and Big 12 fans don’t understand why their high scoring offenses lose in BCS Bowl Games?

Trent Richardson put on another running back clinic against Auburn. The only hole to poke in his game was zero rushing touchdowns. Not very Heisman like, but again, that’s poking holes against a guy that rushed for over 200 yards.

Montee Ball continued his assault on college football’s single season rushing records. Wisconsin will play Michigan State in the Big 10 Conference Championship, another opportunity to gain on Trent Richardson who not get to add another game’s worth of stats in the SEC Championship Game this year.

If Brandon Weeden has a shot to win the Heisman Trophy and gain new voters, this weekend’s game against Oklahoma will be his chance. The Bedlam Series not only could decide the BCS National Championship teams, assuming OSU can win big over OU, but also the Heisman Trophy winner. Weeden has two concerns coming out of the Big 12, 1) will Heisman voters split votes between Weeden and Justin Blackmon and 2) will Heisman voters split votes between Weeden and Landry Jones?

All talk may be for not if Heisman voters are still stuck on Andrew Luck. Despite the fact that Luck’s total numbers are pedestrian and he only has one quality win on his resume, somehow he is still a frontrunner according to media pundits?

Brandon Weeden (Oklahoma State) Bye

Robert Griffin (Baylor) vs. Texas Tech

7-11 for 106 yards passing, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions

14 rushes for 62 yards, 2 touchdowns

Trent Richardson (Alabama) vs. Auburn

27 rushes for 203 yards, 0 rushing touchdowns

1 catch for 5 yards, 1 receiving touchdown

Montee Ball (Wisconsin) vs. Illinois

25 rushes for 156 yards, 4 rushing touchdowns

2 catches for 0 yards, 1 receiving touchdown

*Ball is five touchdowns shy of Barry Sanders 1988 single season rushing touchdown record of 39.

Case Keenum (Houston) vs. SMU

33-46 for 457 yards passing, 5 touchdowns, 0 interceptions

Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State) Bye

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HogManInLA’s College Football Top 25: Week 14

1. LSU 12-0
2. Alabama 11-1
3. Oklahoma State 10-1
4. Arkansas 10-2
5. Wisconsin 10-2
6. Michigan State 10-2
7. Georgia 10-2
8. Virginia Tech 11-1
9. South Carolina 10-2
10. Houston 12-0
11. Stanford 11-1
12. USC 10-2
13. Oklahoma 9-2
14. Boise State 10-1
15. Oregon 10-2
16. Kansas State 9-2
17. Michigan 10-2
18. Baylor 8-3
19. TCU 9-2
20. Arkansas State 9-2
21. Nebraska 9-3
22. Penn State 9-3
23. West Virginia 8-3
24. Clemson 9-3
25. Southern Mississippi 10-2

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A Win for No.3 Arkansas over No.1 LSU would have an Immeasurable Impact for Razorback Nation

Arkansas fans know the mantra well, “there’s always next year.” Well Razorback fans, next year has finally arrived. If Arkansas beats No. 1 LSU on Friday they should be a lock for the BCS National Championship Game, a position unfamiliar to Razorback Nation in a long time.

The Razorbacks have not won a national championship in football since 1964 and have been long suffering fans every since. The potential impact of an Arkansas win over LSU would not only help the team, the university, and the conference but it would also award the loyal Arkansas Razorback fans as well.

Following the national championship team of 1964, in 1965 No. 2 Arkansas finished the season undefeated with a chance to win the national championship. The 10-0 Hogs were in line to win it all after No. 1 Michigan State lost to UCLA 14-12 in the Rose Bowl.

All the Hogs had to do is beat LSU in the Cotton Bowl. The Razorbacks would lose 14-7 and that would be the last time they would finish within a game of being college football’s national champions. There is an air of familiarity for Friday’s game against that same Tiger program.

If the Hogs win, they’re in. The impact of a win for the University of Arkansas would be immeasurable at this point. Immediate thoughts would include a jump in university enrollment, jersey and Razorback paraphernalia sales would spike, an increase in monetary donations and endowments to the school would follow, bigger recruiting doors would open across the board for all Arkansas athletic programs, and a year’s worth of publicity by the national media for the Hogs would ensue.

More importantly what would a win over LSU mean to the Razorback Nation?

Feeling like the bride’s maid but never the bride, the Razorback fans have been loyal through the ups and downs of head coaches Jack Crowe, Joe Kines, Danny Ford, Houston Nutt, Reggie Herring (for one game), and Bobby Petrino and their players. A victory would give the Hogs a chance to differentiate them from the rest of the SEC and lay claim to SEC elite status. This moment in time is something Razorback fans have been wanting since joining the SEC in 1992, a chance for legitimate SEC bragging rights.

The Hogs have yet to win a SEC Conference Championship. Four times the Razorbacks have won or shared the SEC West Divisional Title representing the West in three of those years, 1995, 2002, and 2006; 1998 Arkansas did not play in the SEC Championship Game. All three SEC Title games ended in a loss further punctuating the differences between the Razorback program and their SEC East counterparts in Florida and Georgia.

Despite having the SEC Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2006, and the National Coach of the Year in 1998 with former head coach Houston Nutt, Nutt could never take Arkansas to the next level in the SEC. Nutt’s closest shot was in 2006, a year that ended with three straight losses to Top 10 teams (LSU, Florida, and Wisconsin) and a final record of 10-4. That downfall began with a 31-26 loss to the Tigers.

A win this year against LSU would also put Arkansas’ overall record in the SEC above .500. The Razorbacks are 77-77 in conference games since 1992 with a record of 136-100-2 overall. This would be just another step along the way for the Hogs to join the SEC elite while defeating one of their biggest rivals and college football nemesis.

With bragging rights, a possible SEC Conference Championship Game berth, and a possible BCS National Championship Game berth on the line, this is what Razorback fans have been praying for. This opportunity is what the University of Arkansas hired Bobby Petrino for. This is what Bobby Petrino has done for Razorback fans in four short seasons.

The SEC has won five straight BCS National Championships, three of those won by SEC West rivals LSU in 2007, Alabama in 2009, and Auburn in 2010. This is Arkansas’ opportunity to add to the SEC streak and SEC West run for three straight.

Good luck to the Arkansas Razorback players and staff, you have the support of Razorback Nation behind you. We are ready to shake the feeling of being “snake bitten” year after year and ready to join college football’s elite.

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Arkansas Alumni Association Los Angeles Area Watch Party: No. 3 Arkansas vs. No. 1 LSU

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#3 Arkansas vs. #1 LSU Friday, November 25, 2011 at 11:30 a.m. PST Watch parties begins 30 minutes prior to kick-off! O'Brien's Irish Pub & Restaurant 2226 Wilshire Boulevard Santa Monica, CA 90403 310.829.5303 http://www.obriensla.com Contact: Ryan Wright razorbackfan-rw@msn.com It was yet another crazy weekend in the world of college football. The stars aligned for our Razorbacks over the weekend, as the #2, #4, #5, and #7 teams all lost their match-ups, clearing a path for the Hogs to obtain a #3 BCS ranking. Since the 44-17 demolition of Mississippi State at War Memorial Stadium on Saturday, all talk has predictably turned to the upcoming match-up pitting #3 Arkansas against the #1 LSU Tigers on the road in Baton Rouge. This game is a must-win for the Razorbacks if they want to stay in the national title discussion. The Los Angeles Regional Razorbacks of the Arkansas Alumni Association will be hosting two Razorback watch parties Friday, November 25th, for all local alumni, family and friends in the area. The game is set to kick off at 11:30 a.m and the watch parties will start 30 minutes prior to kick-off. Come help us CALL THOSE HOGS and watch the Razorbacks establish themselves as a national title contender! We hope to see you at one of our Los Angeles Regional Razorbacks watch parties!! GO HOGS GO!! BEAT LSU!!

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In Memory of #88 Garrett Uekman

Razorback Nation mourns the loss of #88 Garrett Uekman. Student-athlete Garrett Uekman was found unconscious and unresponsive in his room in the Northwest Quad residence hall at approximately 11:15 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 20. Emergency medical crews were called to the scene but attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at Washington Regional Medical Center on Sunday afternoon. Garrett Uekman (pronounced Eck-man), 19, from Little Rock, was a sophomore majoring in applied exercise science in the College of Education and Health Professions. He was a redshirt freshman on the Arkansas Razorback football team, where he played tight end. He had played in nine games during the current football season. For more information, please visit http://newswire.uark.edu.

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10 Reasons Why No. 3 Arkansas will Beat No.1 LSU

The previous 2011 “game of the century” between No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama will be a forgotten afterthought Friday night when No. 3 Arkansas travels to Death Valley to take on No. 1 LSU. In a season full of upsets, the Razorbacks look to add one more team to the list.  

Arkansas vs. LSU has quietly become one of the best SEC rivalry games and one of the best throughout college football. Since 2005 Arkansas and LSU have split their series 3-3. 21 total points separates the winning team from the losing team with Arkansas having the largest winning margin, winning by 8 points in 2010 in Little Rock, Arkansas. That’s a 3.5 average margin of victory between the two schools.

This year’s winner not only receives the Golden Boot Trophy but should end up in the BCS National Title Game. Thankfully CBS put this game back on the schedule the Friday after Thanksgiving before a college football hungry crowd.

The following information lays out how the Hogs will beat the Tigers.

Bobby Petrino versus Les Miles

Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino has defeated Les Miles two out of the three times they have faced each other as head coaches in the SEC. In 2010 No. 12 Arkansas beat No. 6 LSU 31-23, 2009 No. 17 LSU beat unranked Arkansas 33-30 in overtime, and in 2008 Arkansas beat LSU 31-30.

Les Miles may have a BCS National Championship Trophy on his mantle but after Friday’s Razorback win over the Tigers so will Petrino.

Arkansas’ Improved Defense

In 2010 the Razorbacks finished the season ranked 36th in total defense. The Razorbacks’ defensive play started out poorly in 2011. Arkansas gave up 397 total yards of offense to Alabama in week four and 628 total yards to Texas A&M in week five.

Since their early season troubles the Hogs have slowly started to dominate their opponents on defense. The Hogs’ defense is currently ranked 44th in total defense.

The turnaround in play is due to the return of healthy players on defense. The Hogs were without both starting defensive ends Jake Bequette and Tank Wright and both starting cornerbacks Darius Winston and Isaac Madison for several games during the heart of their midseason schedule.

With the starters returning to action, Arkansas defensive coordinator Willy Robinson has been able to develop more depth on the team but more importantly start calling stunts and blitzes again. The base 4-3 defense the Hogs had to run was putting very little pressure on the opposing quarterbacks.

Arkansas’ Improved Running Game

Breaking in three new starters along any college football team’s offensive line will take time before the players gel. The amount of time for the entire line to gel may take longer when two true freshmen, a junior college transfer, two sophomores, and two seniors are learning to play together for the first time.

Offensive line coach Chris Klenakis has progressively done a solid job of getting these guys ready to play week after week. Early season run blocking woes have subsided with the return of running backs Dennis Johnson and Broderick Green from injury.

Johnson, a junior, missed all of 2010 with a bowel injury and started the 2011 season with a hamstring injury. Johnson was slow to get back to full health but by the seventh game of the season he had a season high 15 rushing attempts for 160 yards. Over the past five games Johnson has averaged 98.6 rushing yards per game.

Johnson is only 44 total rushing yards behind LSU’s leading rusher Spencer Ware and 19 rushing yards behind LSU’s second leading rusher Michael Ford on the year.

Senior running back Broderick Green was thought to be lost for the entire 2011 season after tearing his ACL in spring practices. Green returned for the Texas A&M game to provide depth and power running for the Hogs on short yardage and goal line plays. Green has five rushing touchdowns in the six games he has played in this year.

Fearing the LSU Defense?

LSU was among the top defensive teams in the nation during the 2010 season finishing 12th in total defense. 2011 has been an even better statistical year for LSU’s second ranked defense in total yards allowed per game. But is LSU’s defense really better than last year’s?

The loss of lock-down cornerback Patrick Peterson was thought to be difficult to replace along with his abilities as a kickoff and punt returner. Middle linebacker Kelvin Sheppard was a beast for LSU in 2010 totaling 116 tackles. Who has replaced these leaders on defense?

LSU’s leading tacklers are safeties Brandon Taylor and Eric Reid with 61 and 58 tackles respectively. It’s not unusual for a safety to lead a defense in tackles but it is preferred that your linebackers make stops before the running back gets to “the defense’s next level”.

Junior cornerback Morris Claiborne has continued to play well in Peterson’s absence. Claiborne led the Tigers in interceptions in 2010 with five and has four this year.

No one has replaced Peterson’s special teams play on punt returns. Tyrann Mathieu leads the Tigers with 186 return yards with no punt returns for a touchdown.

Another note about LSU’s defense is the skewed statistics they have tallied this season. In games against Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee, and Ole Miss the Tigers were facing either the worse offensive units in the SEC or a backup quarterback.

Also, last year was a stellar year for offensive players in the SEC. There’s an impressive list of offensive SEC players that are gone to the NFL or injured this season. The list includes: Ryan Mallett, Cam Newton, Darvin Adams, Marcus Lattimore, Greg McElroy, Mark Ingram, Julio Jones, Mike Hartline, Derrick Locke, Knile Davis, Randall Cobb, and A.J. Green. Without these players in the SEC it seems easier for teams to rack up stronger defensive numbers than in 2010.

Arkansas has Better Playmakers on Offense than LSU

Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson leads the SEC in passing yards with 3,215 total yards. Jarrett Lee is 7th in the SEC with 1,306 total passing yards.

Arkansas’ senior receiver Jarius Wright is tied for the lead the SEC in receiving yards with 1,002 yards despite missing one game this season. LSU’s leading receiver is Ruben Randle with 755 yards.

Arkansas’ second leading receiver is Joe Adams with 595 total receiving yards. LSU’s second leading receiver is Odell Beckham with 410 total yards, 47 total receiving yards behind Arkansas’ tight end Chris Gragg and 31 total receiving yards behind the Hogs’ third leading wide receiver Cobi Hamilton.

LSU’s Spencer Ware has 650 total rushing yards to Dennis Johnson’s 606. Johnson has a 6.7 yard per carry average to Ware’s 4.1. Ware has also carried the ball 160 times; Johnson only has 91 rushing attempts on the season.

Overconfidence of LSU

LSU’s team confidence seems to be at an all time high, and rightfully so. They are the unanimous No. 1 team in the nation with quality wins over Oregon and Alabama.

LSU is battle tested after playing six ranked teams with two of those teams being Top 10 teams at the time of the game, but so are the Razorbacks.

Arkansas has played four ranked teams this season with two of those teams being in the Top 10. Mississippi State was ranked at the time LSU played the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs were not rank at the time Arkansas played them.

Three of the ranked teams LSU beat are no longer ranked.

Win One for Garrett Uekman

After Arkansas took care of Mississippi State Saturday in Little Rock 44-17, the team was shocked to find out that their teammate Garrett Uekman had passed away Sunday. The sudden death of the 19-year-old redshirt freshman tight end will undoubtedly have a dramatic affect on the team entering the LSU game.

Not that the Razorbacks need extra motivation for their game against the Tigers with a possible BCS National Title Game berth on the line, but the opportunity to rally around a fallen player can prove to be an emotional and powerful tool for any team looking for a motivational edge.

LSU’s Defense versus Passing Offenses

LSU has not faced a passing offense like Arkansas’ this season. How well do the Tigers’ defense respond to offensive minded teams?

Oregon’s offense outgained LSU’s 335 to 273. The Ducks also ran 12 more plays than the Tigers, had a 4.1 yard per play average to the Tiger’s 3.9. Darron Thomas threw for 240 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception against LSU.

West Virginia’s quarterback Geno Smith threw for 463 yards against the mighty Tiger defense. Smith finished the game 38 of 65 with 2 touchdowns and 2 picks. The Mountaineers outgained LSU 533 to 366.

Oregon and West Virginia both lost the turnover battle against the Tigers. The Ducks fumbled three times losing all three times while the Mountaineers also fumbled three times losing the ball twice. LSU intercepted Oregon once and WVU twice.

LSU did not throw an interception against either team.

Even “run first” Alabama not only outgained LSU’s passing attack, throwing for 199 yard to LSU’s 91 total passing yards but more importantly had success against their secondary.

One can argue that LSU’s bend but don’t break defense works. One can also argue that LSU has been lucky and, to their benefit, opportunistic at the right time.

Arkansas has the 10th best passing offense in college football with pass catching ability at wide receiver, tight end, and running back. Arkansas has better a better talent level and overall team speed that LSU has not faced in 2011. In 2010 Arkansas gave this same LSU defense trouble as the Hogs finished with 320 yards passing with three touchdowns.

The Hogs’ 5-2 Defense is ready to stop the Tiger’s Rushing Attack

Many fans may forget that the Hogs experimented with a 5-2 defense against early season foes and in fall practices. The thought was the Razorbacks could stop Alabama’s rushing attack with a 5-2 defensive front. The 5-2 defense was not put into use against the Tide as both of Arkansas’ starting defensive ends did not play a full game against Bama.

The Razorbacks have their starters back and depth along the defensive front. Look for the Hogs to use the 5-2 defense against the Tigers to slow down their running game making LSU one-dimensional. The Hogs would love for Jordan Jefferson or Jarrett Lee to try to beat them with their arm.

Arkansas has been slow to stop the opposition’s quarterbacks from running at times during the season. Using a 5-2 defense will help keep Jefferson contained and limit running opportunities throughout the game as well.

The Razorbacks are Overdue!

The last Arkansas Razorback National Championship in football came in 1964. The Hogs have been a couple of games away a time or two in the past but have not been this close to playing for the national championship since 2006.

The SEC has won five straight BCS National Championships with three of those wins coming from their SEC West counterparts: Florida in 2007, LSU in 2008, Florida in 2009, Alabama in 2010, and Auburn in 2011. Arkansas would like to add the sixth straight title to the SEC’s run. 

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Arkansas will be a Lock for BCS National Championship Game after Beating LSU

After Friday the Arkansas Razorbacks should be in position to accept their first Bowl Championship Series National Championship Title Game bid with a win over No.1 LSU. With Arkansas moving to No. 3 in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll Sunday, the only two teams that currently stand in their way is No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama.

Friday November 25, the Hogs will get their chance to beat the unanimous top ranked college football team and lay claim to the number two ranking or perhaps even the top ranking in the BCS. Regardless of the No. 1 or No. 2 ranking, Arkansas will get their shot at the Crystal Trophy.

The BCS is supposed to take the top two ranked BCS teams for the national title game. If Arkansas beats LSU and Alabama beats Auburn, Alabama and Arkansas should occupy the top two positions with LSU dropping to third or worse.

Alabama holds the SEC West tie breaker over the Hogs. The Tide would represent the SEC West in the SEC Conference Title Game against Georgia. The outcome of the SEC Conference Title Game would not affect the Razorbacks in anyway other than who the Hogs may face in the national championship game.

If Arkansas is ranked second, the only possible obstacle blocking Arkansas’ path would be if the voters somehow jump Oklahoma State over the Razorbacks if OSU were to beat Oklahoma in the Bedlam Series. OU and OSU are set to square off December 3, in Stillwater. Should OSU jump the Razorbacks after they beat LSU with their only loss being on the road to Alabama, Razorback fans should start an “Occupy the BCS” movement

The task of the Razorbacks beating LSU in Death Valley seems daunting but not impossible. The Hogs have won 3 of the last 4 meeting against the Tigers including last year’s decisive 31-23 victory.

The chaos of this year’s BCS situation only heightens the need for a college football playoff system. 

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HogManInLA’s Heisman Watch List: The Week 13 Heisman Top Five-ish

Brandon Weeden (Oklahoma State) vs. Iowa State

42-58 for 476 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 3 interceptions

*Third in FBS with 373.73 passing yards per game

OSU lost to ISU

Robert Griffin (Baylor) vs. Oklahoma

21-34 for 479 yards passing, 4 touchdowns, 0 interceptions

18 rushes for 72 yards, 0 touchdowns

*Fifth in FBS with 357 passing yards per game, tied for third with 33 passing touchdowns, leads FBS in total yards per game averaging 412.20

Trent Richardson (Alabama) vs. Georgia Southern

32 rushes for 175 yards, 2 rushing touchdowns

1 catch for 4 yards, 1 receiving touchdown

*Averaging 125.45 rushing yards per game

Montee Ball (Wisconsin) vs. Illinois

38 rushes for 224 yards, 2 rushing touchdowns

2 catches for 0 yards, 1 receiving touchdown

*Leads FBS in total rushing yards, tied for most rushing TDs in FBS with 25

Case Keenum (Houston) vs. SMU

30-45 for 318 yards passing, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions

4 rushes for 19 yards, 1 touchdown

*Leads FBS in passing yards per game with 388.09, passing touchdowns with 38 and only 3 interceptions thrown,

Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State) vs. Iowa State

10 catches for 99 yards, 1 touchdown

*Leads FBS with 15 receiving touchdowns, sixth in total receiving yards with 1,241

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College Football: Week 12 Shows that the Big 12 Conference is Weak

The loss by No. 2 Oklahoma State and No. 5 Oklahoma this weekend sends an overdue wakeup call to the rest of the nation that the Big 12 is a weak conference this year.

All OSU had to do is win one game against an unranked team. The unranked team they had to beat owned a record of 2-4 in conference and 5-4 overall entering the game. This was an unranked team that lost four straight games to Texas, Baylor, Missouri, and Texas A&M earlier in the year. No. 2 Oklahoma State lost to an Iowa State team that held on for a 13-10 home win over 2-9 University of Kansas the week before.

Not surprising, this is not the first team in the Big 12 with a Top 10 ranking to fall to an unranked team this season. This loss was actually worse than Oklahoma State’s. No. 3 Oklahoma lost at home to Texas Tech 45-40 October 22.

Texas Tech was 4-2 entering the game with back-to-back losses in-conference to Texas A&M and Kansas State at home. Since beating Oklahoma, the 5-6 Red Raiders have lost four in a row.

Wait, Oklahoma did it again. Ranked in the Top 10, OU fell to a team that had not been ranked in the Top 25 in over five weeks? No. 5 Oklahoma upset loss to No. 25 Baylor Saturday night to help further prove that the 2011 Big 12 conference is overrated and weak. There are no dominate teams in conference.

What’s the problem in Big 12 country? Is parity in a tough conference the reason why the teams are cannibalizing each other within the Big 12?

Based off preseason rankings… no, the Big 12 is not that tough of a conference.

Preseason rankings included four teams from the Big 12 in the AP Top 25 and five in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll. Oklahoma was ranked No. 1 in both polls.

Of the four teams ranked in the AP preseason only two of those teams are currently ranked Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Texas A&M and Missouri are no longer ranked. Texas was the fifth team ranked in the preseason USA Today Coaches’ Poll. Texas is also no longer ranked in either poll as of end of week 12.

What about K State?

Kansas State has been one of the bigger surprise teams in the nation. The Wildcats won their first seven games of the season and was ranked as high as No. 10 in the nation. During their seven-game winning streak the only ranked team they beat was then No. 15 Baylor. The other two ranked teams KSU has played this year ended in defeats to OU and OSU. Not really an impressive record.

In times like these Big 12 conference apologist will turn to the non-conference schedule to settle the debate. What marquee victory can show that the Big 12 is truly a power conference and parity is the reason for the upset losses?

Here’s the list of Big 12 teams versus other power conference teams: Iowa State beat 7-4 Iowa and 4-6 Connecticut, Kansas State beat 6-5 Miami, Oklahoma State beat 2-8 Arizona, Texas beat 6-5 UCLA. The biggest win would have to be Oklahoma’s win over 7-4 Florida State.

What about Big 12 losses in non-conference games?

Texas A&M lost to 10-1 Arkansas, Kansas lost to 8-3 Georgia Tech, and Missouri lost to 6-5 Arizona State.

We could add Mountain West or Conference USA wins to pad the victories we can but this is about being a power conference with quality wins.

Strength of schedule rankings that exists for college football fans should have no part of this clear cut point of view. The difficulty of the Big 12 schedule is not that difficult. Florida State was the only ranked power conference team that was defeated by a Big 12 school and now FSU is 7-4.

Hopefully voters, the media, and college football fans will come to understand that no matter how one looks at it, the Big 12 is not an elite conference this year.

This year’s Bedlam Series will be hyped by the media but will prove nothing that we do not already know about the Big 12, it’s a weak conference. 

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