Western Carolina vs Arkansas: Countdown to kick

[animal]

Adam Ford has always asserted that Arkansas' best case scenario to win football games is to find ways to out scheme the others in the SEC because we aren't going to out recruit them. That's at all 3 phases of the game too. He's being a bit dark here because deep down he knows what happens here whenever we go down this road of trying to square up and play it straight. We never ever ever seem to have the mens for sustained success. The dynamic has changed a bit because the NIL/portal is redefining the order of things. Being organized, willing, and able to fork over money is very important to effectively replenishing the ranks. Cap that off with taking these kids and getting them a showcase to the NFL is going to only make that better. A guy like Drew Sanders probably would have been a low mileage linebacker prospect picked in the later rounds had he stayed at Bama. As it was he made himself into a early Day 2 pick if I recall correctly.

The emphasis on high school development/recruiting has been relaxed greatly and to that point we are going to continue to see if our coaching staff's mettle in player personnel...finding and filling need positions. Linebackers have traditionally been a terrible position to recruit because it's so hard to know which guys grow into linebackers, which guys grow into DE's and which guys are just fucking linebackers. Some of these guys are just slow safeties. What if you could avoid all those misses by simply figuring on going to the portal? Well that's going to happen. Figure out which positions are higher probability for development vs the positions that have a high flop rate.

I for one believe we could teeter on the cusp of Danny Ford levels of success/failure under Pittman for another 4 or so years leading up to his retirement. Danny's task was to make Arkansas into an SEC roster. Sound familiar? Ford had flirted with success in a time in which Alabama was down...LSU was yet to wake up from it's slumber. The SEC West as a whole wasn't nearly what it is today top to bottom. Still yet at the time it certainly seemed like a tall task. That gap feels wider now than it was then but I do deep down feel that Arkansas can find some moderate levels of success. We've seen it with Petrino...Pittman is no Petrino. But maybe we can pull together some 10+ win seasons if things fall right.

[vegashog]

the lines on both side of the ball are huge.

obviously going to have to see if they can actually play some football, but size-wise, this is a sec roster.

[Doc Hogaday]

We caught lightning in a bottle w/ Bobby and JL BF'd it. As much as I'd love to, no need to rehash.

Linebackers are cool and all but where it's made in the SEC is both sides of the line and we don't have the home recruiting base to support sustained success there. High schools round here want to play glorified 7-on-7 and while I'm sure that's entertaining to folks that are going to drive thru Sonic for tots after the game, that doesn't feed the flagship.

Be cool if we had an HC that specialized in OL play.

[piglosopher]

Our recruiting is getting better every year under Pittman. This is our best roster to date, top to bottom IMO.

The guy's reputation in the business precedes him in recruiting assistant coaches. And he seems to give them the freedom to do their jobs.


This is a good formula. Time will tell, but we can have the jimmies and X's and O's.

[Doc Hogaday]

Our recruiting is getting better every year under Pittman. This is our best roster to date, top to bottom IMO.

The guy's reputation in the business precedes him in recruiting assistant coaches. And he seems to give them the freedom to do their jobs.


This is a good formula. Time will tell, but we can have the jimmies and X's and O's.

I do think the portal helps us more than it hurts us. Other than Domineck and Ketron, not sure what we'll miss. OL still a concern. Hopefully S&C coach was a big part of that and we make strides.

[bigpig]

Random thought I had.

Here are the number of head coaches in the modern era (Broyles and beyond) that made it to their fifth year here...

Broyles
Holtz
Hatfield
Ford
Nutt
Petrino*
Bielema
Pittman*

Pittman is very likely to join this list. It would take an epic collapse for him to be pressured to resign/retire. Petrino technically made it but he never coached a game in his fifth year. Still, he would have been here five seasons if not for off-field circumstances. Let's go ahead and include both of them on the list. That's eight coaches in over sixty years.

How many coaches have we had in that time frame that didn't make it to year five (not counting interim coaches)?...

Crowe
Morris

I just think it's pretty incredible that, for all our struggles getting over the hump for the past...generation, we can't be accused of not giving coaches time to either succeed or fail. Eight coaches lasted at least five years; only two did not.



I have no point to any of this.

Carry on.

[Feral]

I do think the portal helps us more than it hurts us. Other than Domineck and Ketron, not sure what we'll miss. OL still a concern. Hopefully S&C coach was a big part of that and we make strides.

Pittman was asked today about his process with integrating the portal guys, and he straight up said he fucked up last year by working Haselwood with the 1's immediately instead of making him earn it.

Granted, he's said that before about Haselwood as an example of something he'd do differently if he had the chance, but I found it interesting that he went there pretty directly on a fairly benign question. Makes me think the Haselwood situation was what drove off Ketron despite the fact he was going to be a featured receiver this year.

I also found it interesting he called out Haselwood explicitly. I have a hard time believing Drew Sanders was told to earn his spot considering he was the best football player on our roster the minute he hit campus.   

I'm hoping Sam's learning on the job portion of his tenure is behind him and he has a some asshole SEC coach in him. I can't envision a world where Kirby Smart would play a broken down COVID senior linebacker with no range so he could break* a tackle record when his backup is light years better.

[Vito Porkleone]

It's not even supposed to be that hot. We're just softer than a baby's ass aren't we? And Pittman wants to hustle and get to the lake for 24 hours.

We haven't even played a game and you're jabbering on like we're going 0-12 for fuck's sake.  

[animal]

You know Pittman's ass will be on Lake Hamilton by 6pm having a co-beer.

[hit_that_line]

We haven't even played a game and you're jabbering on like we're going 0-12 for fuck's sake. 

What? Are you drunk on a Monday? I forgot this place is nobville lite now.

[hit_that_line]

You know Pittman's ass will be on Lake Hamilton by 6pm having a co-beer.

100%. The benefits of having access to donor plane.

[DRYANKNPULL]

100%. The benefits of having access to donor plane.

You realize it would be faster to get to his lake house by....  Never mind. You can't reason anything.

[animal]

You realize it would be faster to get to his lake house by....  Never mind. You can't reason anything.

Maybe he can borrow Chad Morris' helicopter

[Vito Porkleone]

What? Are you drunk on a Monday? I forgot this place is nobville lite now.

I wish I was.

No, it's not Nobville.  But according to you we seemingly haven't done anything right since the Johnson administration.  It's just tiring when you profess to know every goddamn thing in every goddamn thread on this board.  From my calculations you're still hitting under the Mendoza line there sport.

[jdcatty]

Adam Ford has always asserted that Arkansas' best case scenario to win football games is to find ways to out scheme the others in the SEC because we aren't going to out recruit them. That's at all 3 phases of the game too. He's being a bit dark here because deep down he knows what happens here whenever we go down this road of trying to square up and play it straight. We never ever ever seem to have the mens for sustained success. The dynamic has changed a bit because the NIL/portal is redefining the order of things. Being organized, willing, and able to fork over money is very important to effectively replenishing the ranks. Cap that off with taking these kids and getting them a showcase to the NFL is going to only make that better. A guy like Drew Sanders probably would have been a low mileage linebacker prospect picked in the later rounds had he stayed at Bama. As it was he made himself into a early Day 2 pick if I recall correctly.

The emphasis on high school development/recruiting has been relaxed greatly and to that point we are going to continue to see if our coaching staff's mettle in player personnel...finding and filling need positions. Linebackers have traditionally been a terrible position to recruit because it's so hard to know which guys grow into linebackers, which guys grow into DE's and which guys are just fucking linebackers. Some of these guys are just slow safeties. What if you could avoid all those misses by simply figuring on going to the portal? Well that's going to happen. Figure out which positions are higher probability for development vs the positions that have a high flop rate.

I for one believe we could teeter on the cusp of Danny Ford levels of success/failure under Pittman for another 4 or so years leading up to his retirement. Danny's task was to make Arkansas into an SEC roster. Sound familiar? Ford had flirted with success in a time in which Alabama was down...LSU was yet to wake up from it's slumber. The SEC West as a whole wasn't nearly what it is today top to bottom. Still yet at the time it certainly seemed like a tall task. That gap feels wider now than it was then but I do deep down feel that Arkansas can find some moderate levels of success. We've seen it with Petrino...Pittman is no Petrino. But maybe we can pull together some 10+ win seasons if things fall right.

Don't know if I agree with the part about the high school recruiting being "relaxed." We have a ton of 4 stars committed for next year.  Yeah, I know they aren't 5 stars, but it looks to be a strong class.  Remember, there just aren't many 5 stars out there. 

[egregious]

No, it's not Nobville. 

They do not have an impressive roster of Wordle All-Stars for one thing.  Pfft!

[hit_that_line]

I wish I was.

No, it's not Nobville.  But according to you we seemingly haven't done anything right since the Johnson administration.  It's just tiring when you profess to know every goddamn thing in every goddamn thread on this board.  From my calculations you're still hitting under the Mendoza line there sport.

What the fuck are you even talking about? Jfc nothing but mental cases around here.

[egregious]

What the fuck are you even talking about? Jfc nothing but mental cases around here.

The mental cases always think that.

[Vito Porkleone]

What the fuck are you even talking about? Jfc nothing but mental cases around here.

Appears self awareness ain't your thing either Cotton.  I'm done with you, so carry on with your pontificatin and strategizin about everything on erf.  

[bigpig]

Nobody beats HTL at predicting bad news.