If you’ve never encountered a razorback hog, don’t be deceived by that bubbly, rubber life-size pig that bounces around Arkansas’ basketball sidecourts.
I discovered this in the early 1980s in Cade’s Cove, a scenic, isolated valley in the
Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, once occupied by Cherokees and early settlers. While walking across an open field one late afternoon, I saw a really big, black animal charging out from a wooded area heading my way.
Fortunately for me, I made it over a split-rail fence before it made it to me. It‘s amazing how fast a creature that huge and ugly with such short legs can run!
Unfortunately for Arkansas fans, there aren’t that many football opponents running for their lives away from the Razorbacks these days. The latest debacle on Frank Broyles Field, a 56-13 massacre at the hands of two-loss Notre Dame, was enough to send Big Red fans exiting early onto Razorback Road, and send head coach Sam Pittman onto the unemployment line.
It was supposed to be a competitive game. The visiting Irish were favored by only 5.5 points before kickoff. On our weekly Lindy’s Football Report radio network program, I even picked the Hogs as my national Upset of the Week. (I’ll give you a tip. Don’t go running to your bookie with any prediction coming from me!)
After a fast start this season (52-7 over Alabama A&M, 56-14 over Arkansas State), Arkansas has lost three in a row. Still to play … Tennessee, Ole Miss, Auburn, Mississippi State, LSU, Texas, Missouri. The Fayetteville powers-that-be could see the writing on the wall.
Pittman, with a successful earlier career as an offensive line coach, ends his five season-plus Fayetteville head coach resume at 32-34 overall, a 14-29 conference record, only having one year with more than seven wins and never posting a league winning record.
As I’m writing this column, former NFL head coach John Gruden and current SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee appear to be the leading candidates to replace the likable Pittman.
While Arkansas is the only SEC program to fire its football head man so far, there are several conference teams with head coaches who could be in career jeopardy.
Start with Kentucky, led by Mark Stoops, the dean of SEC head coaches, now in his 13th year in Lexington. With an overall mark of 79-75, he is well-respected and a favorite of most Wildcat football fans. But last season, the Cats were 4-8 with only one conference win. His teams haven’t won more than seven games in a season since 2019 and wins in 2021 were vacated due to NCAA violations.
Already this season, the Wildcats have two losses. The remaining schedule includes road games at Georgia, Auburn, Vanderbilt and Louisville, plus home games against Texas and Tennessee. There should be victories over Tennessee Tech and possibly Florida. Do you see any others? Even playing second fiddle to basketball, this season probably won’t be enough to save the current staff.
Speaking of the Gators, how about Billy Napier’s Florida (1-3) team, its lone win over Long Island University? (Be honest … did you know that LIU even had a team?) The rest of the lineup … Texas, at Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Georgia, at Kentucky, at Ole Miss, Tennessee and Florida State. Is there even one SURE win on that list? The most recent season when the Gators didn’t win even one SEC game was 1979 and they played only six league opponents that year. Having the reigning basketball national champions likely won’t help Napier either.
Auburn and South Carolina could also be on that list.
The Tigers (3-2) have disappointed, even though both of their defeats have been on the road by just one score at No. 5 Oklahoma (24-17) and No. 6 Texas A&M (16-10). Auburn could do a lot to change its national perception and its chances for significant postseason play by a win over Georgia, but that hasn’t happened since 2017.
With a win by Georgia, Auburn will have three losses, needing three more wins to have bowl eligibility, four more to insure a winning regular season. Remaining opponents include No. 19 Missouri, No. 16 Vanderbilt and No. 10 Alabama, as well as Arkansas, Kentucky and Mercer. Do you see three more “for-certain” wins? And, would six or seven wins be enough to extend the Auburn tenure for Hugh Freeze and his staff? Of course, an upset over the Bulldogs would at least temporarily change the outlook on the Plains.
How about South Carolina, also 3-2? Chances are that the positive vibes toward head coach Shane Beamer would allow him at least another season. The popular head coach’s team won nine games a year ago and started this season ranked No. 13 by Lindy’s.
But things haven’t gone as expected. The Gamecocks were blown out at home by Vanderbilt (31-7), lost at Missouri (29-20) and suffered an injury to Heisman Trophy candidate LaNorris Sellers, who I voted as first-team All-SEC quarterback on my ballot at SEC Media Days in July.
It’s a bad thing if hungry fans anticipate high rankings and impressive wins, then get the opposite. Ahead for Carolina – at LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama, at Ole Miss, at Texas A&M, Coastal Carolina and Clemson. The Gamecocks will beat the Chanticleers in the battle of the roosters, but what does it say about your season when Clemson is your next-most-likely win? Do see a winning season here? Could the vacancy at Virginia Tech become a factor?
And, don’t give accolades to Vandy yet, nor discount the Commodores. At this point, Clark Lea of Vandy or Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby would be SEC Coach of the Year. Rightfully so for Lea whose nationally-ranked squad already has five wins.
But, the “real” season starts on Saturday in Tuscaloosa. Last season, quarterback Diego Pavia led the upset of then-No. 1 Alabama, putting up 40 points on the Tide. (That’s right, 40 points, in case you’ve forgotten.) For sure, Tide players and fans haven’t forgotten, so pay-back should be expected. Kentucky plays in Nashville the week before Thanksgiving, so that should be the sixth win for bowl eligibility. The other opponents – LSU, Missouri, Texas, Auburn and Tennessee. Will a seventh win come from among that group?
Some of these teams will win a big game over one of the current “upper” bracket of conference teams. Who knows; that win might even come from Arkansas.
Back in October, 1993, I was at the coldest football game that I’ve ever attended in-person … “The Blizzard Game” between Auburn and the Hogs in Fayetteville. Snow. Sleet. High winds. Below freezing temperatures. A lot of people reading this column will remember the day. That game had it all.
It was so cold that I bought a red, rubber pig nose with an elastic band to go around your head to keep your face and nose warm. I’ve been known to wear that pig nose on gameday from time to time over the years in honor of the hogs. I think I’ll find that pig nose this next week just in case.
Who knows; that win might even come from Arkansas.