Bizarre Prediction

[AllAboutThe'O']

The local host of the "Sports In the Fort" program on 103.1 FM in Fort Smith this afternoon predicted that Arkansas would finish the regular season 8-4. Not too terribly bold of a prediction.

However,

He went on to predict that the Hogs would go to the Cotton Bowl and play the Sooners. Then he went on to say that the Hogs would beat the Sooners.

Won't happen. First, Arkansas won't go to the Cotton Bowl. They'll go to the Liberty Bowl or the Independence Bowl before they go to the Cotton Bowl. Yes, Arkansas went to the Cotton Bowl five years ago at 8-4 but it was a special exemption because of the after-effects of 9/11 and not letting teams and their fans travel too far for bowl games.
Second, he's implying that OU won't win the Big XII and go to a BCS bowl. Even if OU doesn't win the Big XII, say we go 10-2, we'll go to a better bowl than the Cotton. For instance, this will be the first year for the Gator Bowl with a Big XII tie-in and wouldn't they love to have us? But I still think we'll win at least 10 games, beat Texas and win the Big XII and go to Glendale, BCS title game or no BCS title game.
And third, the Hogs' "high-school" offense will be stymied by the Sooner defense.

Incidentally, tomorrow on "Sports In the Fort" will be designated "Boomer Sooner Tuesday," so the host will be obligated to talk Oklahoma sports. Maybe we should put him on the spot and ask him how the Sooners will finish this season. BTW, it runs from 3-4 p.m.

[Octavian]

Arky needs to worry about SUC and winning more than 4 games before they start dreaming about a bowl win over OU

[goingoneight]

The hogs were only one spot above OU in terms of RS and true freshmen on the field last season, and showed signs of hope against Georgia and LSU. I'd say they're in the same seat as say, OSU, right now. Media expects something better than 2005, most likely they'll fumble up again.

[zeke]

The hogs wont win enough games to go bowling.
My guess is that the new offensive coach will see a bit more speed & size in D-1 football than he did in H.S. ball. They might be good/fair in a year or two.
Houston Nutt is still Houston Nutt so the hogs are about the same as they have been.
My advise to anyone around the Ft. Smith area would be not to listen to those bozo's over there. However, its good for a laugh from time to time.

[AllAboutThe'O']

The hogs wont win enough games to go bowling.
Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing them go 5-7 this year.

My guess is that the new offensive coach will see a bit more speed & size in D-1 football than he did in H.S. ball. They might be good/fair in a year or two.
Malzahn got his rep by beating up on the Gentrys and Gravettes of the world when he was at Shiloh Christian. Yeah, Springdale had a very phenomenal team last year, no doubt about it, but even playing Jenks and Evangel Christian are nothing compared to playing against Auburn, LSU, Alabama and Tennessee.

Houston Nutt is still Houston Nutt so the hogs are about the same as they have been.
Yep, Houston Nutt might be to college coaching what the Chicago Cubs are to professional baseball.

My advise to anyone around the Ft. Smith area would be not to listen to those bozo's over there. However, its good for a laugh from time to time.
That's why we keep wanting to listen to these local yokels over here; we wait with baited breath to hear what preposterous thing they're going to say next.

[Rhino]

Second, he's implying that OU won't win the Big XII and go to a BCS bowl. Even if OU doesn't win the Big XII, say we go 10-2, we'll go to a better bowl than the Cotton. For instance, this will be the first year for the Gator Bowl with a Big XII tie-in and wouldn't they love to have us? Unless I'm mistaken, Cotton Bowl still gets first Big XII pick after the BCS slots are put together.

I know the Gator Bowl factors in this year, but not higher than the Cotton Bowl.

[CORNholio]

Damn those arkys are a strange breed. Inbreeding has made them dillusional.

[AllAboutThe'O']

Unless I'm mistaken, Cotton Bowl still gets first Big XII pick after the BCS slots are put together.

I know the Gator Bowl factors in this year, but not higher than the Cotton Bowl.
Thanks, I wasn't sure which bowl got the higher choice.

[the_edge]

Unless I'm mistaken, Cotton Bowl still gets first Big XII pick after the BCS slots are put together.

I know the Gator Bowl factors in this year, but not higher than the Cotton Bowl.The school still gets to choose amongst its suitors.

Hmmm...

Florida, Dallas, Florida, Dallas (in December)

Where would you rather go? (and yeah, I realize the Cotton Bowl might be like $200,000 more in payout than the Gator Bowl.)

OU goes to the Cotton Bowl every year, and went to it another time after the 2001 regular season. I don't see a reason to want to visit that dump any more than absolutely necessary.

[mrowl]

The school still gets to choose amongst its suitors.

Hmmm...

Florida, Dallas, Florida, Dallas (in December)

Where would you rather go? (and yeah, I realize the Cotton Bowl might be like $200,000 more in payout than the Gator Bowl.)

OU goes to the Cotton Bowl every year, and went to it another time after the 2001 regular season. I don't see a reason to want to visit that dump any more than absolutely necessary.

actually the school does not get the choice, they can decline though.

[4everasooner]

Why would you want to talk about this; were not going to go to one or the other; I live 10 minutes from the new stadium in Glendale, and I have reserved a room for some Sooner fans in Jan. End of story, squash this thread.

[Rhino]

The school still gets to choose amongst its suitors.

Hmmm...

Florida, Dallas, Florida, Dallas (in December)

Where would you rather go? (and yeah, I realize the Cotton Bowl might be like $200,000 more in payout than the Gator Bowl.)

OU goes to the Cotton Bowl every year, and went to it another time after the 2001 regular season. I don't see a reason to want to visit that dump any more than absolutely necessary. Both bowls are in January, not December.

It may not be appealing to fans, but it's very appealing to OU. Ask anyone within the athletic department and they will say, outside of a BCS bowl, the Cotton Bowl is the best place for them to go.

And, like mrowl said, they don't get to pick. They get to decline, which teams rarely do.

[the_edge]

Well, I mean "choose" by going down the bowl hierarchy. In the past, if a school were in line to go to the Cotton Bowl, but would rather go to the Holiday Bowl, the school just had to decline the Cotton Bowl invitation and the Holiday Bowl would be right there to scoop them up. Texas did that at least once recently.

Sure, there would be instances where the Holiday Bowl might not want that school for whatever reason, but that's how it would work most of the time.

December or January, they're still both cold in Dallas. :P

[OUstud]

I never knew about the 9/11 exemption that year...

[Jimminy Crimson]

Who knew there was radio in Ft. Smith? :confused:

[phead903]

Who knew there was radio in Ft. Smith? :confused:

That's putting it very loosely to say there is "radio" in Ft Smith...the host that AllAboutheO was talking about is usually enthralled in the local dirt track racing scene:confused: !

The media over here are so far up the UofA's butt it's not even funny. IF any of them don't toe the party line they are fed from Fayettenam, they don't get to darken the halls of the Broyles Center ever again!!

The fans over here are the worst homers I have ever seen - I put them on the same level as OSU fans. They have such a case of Texas and OU envy, it's pathetic!

You should hear them all predicting a 10 -14 point victory over USC this weekend - without their best player (McFadden) and a defense that merely waved at the Trojans as they ran by them last year!:D

[AllAboutThe'O']

I never knew about the 9/11 exemption that year...
I'm not very clear on the details but I think at the time the SEC encouraged the bowls to pick teams that would be as close as possible because many fans were pretty wary about traveling too far with 9/11 still fresh in a lot of people's minds. There was speculation that Georgia would play OU in that Cotton Bowl, but the Bulldogs ended up going to the Music City Bowl. Alabama went to Shreveport, Tennessee to Orlando, Auburn to Atlanta for the Peach Bowl. Then Arkansas got the Cotton bid. Another thing probably forgotten was that LSU was likely in line for the Cotton Bowl, but that was before the Bayou Bengals upset Tennessee in the SEC title game, giving LSU the automatic Sugar Bowl bid and causing more dominoes to fall.

[clambe00]

Arkansas will suprise people. There D-Coord. did miracles at NC St. before coming to Ark. This will be a turning year for them

[AllAboutThe'O']

Arkansas will suprise people. There D-Coord. did miracles at NC St. before coming to Ark. This will be a turning year for them
I like Herring; he's not cut from the same cloth as the rest of their coaching staff. He's not afraid to get in someone's face and can be a loose cannon at times.

[Readyfor8]

September 2 No. 6 USC
September 9 Utah State
September 16 at Vanderbilt
September 23 Alabama
October 7 at No. 4 Auburn
October 14 Southeast Missouri State
October 21 Mississippi
October 28 Louisiana-Monroe
November 4 at South Carolina
November 11 No. 23 Tennessee
November 18 at Mississippi State
November 24 No. 8 LSU

Where exactly are they going to turn that around? There are 5-6 losses on that schedule. Arkansas is going to suprise me if they make it to the Humanitarian Bowl.

[AllAboutThe'O']

September 2 No. 6 USC
September 9 Utah State
September 16 at Vanderbilt
September 23 Alabama
October 7 at No. 4 Auburn
October 14 Southeast Missouri State
October 21 Mississippi
October 28 Louisiana-Monroe
November 4 at South Carolina
November 11 No. 23 Tennessee
November 18 at Mississippi State
November 24 No. 8 LSU

Where exactly are they going to turn that around? There are 5-6 losses on that schedule. Arkansas is going to suprise me if they make it to the Humanitarian Bowl.
I say at best 6-6. They should go 3-1 in nonconference play and they should beat Jay Cutler-less Vanderbilt. I see them losing to at least one of the Mississippi schools. Alabama at home is winnable but the Nutt has been notorious for starting slow out of the gate in SEC play so I'm going to say that the Tide may find a way to pull that one out.

[stoopified]

I'm thinking Hogs 6-6,7-5 at best.

[AllAboutThe'O']

I say at best 6-6. They should go 3-1 in nonconference play and they should beat Jay Cutler-less Vanderbilt. I see them losing to at least one of the Mississippi schools. Alabama at home is winnable but the Nutt has been notorious for starting slow out of the gate in SEC play so I'm going to say that the Tide may find a way to pull that one out.
Bumping up this thread.
Well, I missed the Alabama game. Of course, if they had any kicking game to speak of.....
And the "Sports In the Fort" host is at it again. Even though he picked OU to beat Texas next week, for some strange (or insane) reason, he still thinks the Sooners will go to the Cotton Bowl and play Arkansas. Uh, if the Sooners beat the Horns, there will be no Cotton Bowl in their immediate future. It will be a bigger bowl at a warm-weather location.
Oh, and if anyone wants to see the host up close and personal:
http://www.fortsmithradiogroup.com/sportshog103.htm.
He's the third guy from the left on the top of the page, the one in the Razorback cap next to Jim Rome's picture.