For some reason, I always feel like Houston Nutt's job is on the line going into each season. Maybe it's the pressure of being in the SEC, who knows. However, you have to think that he's feeling the heat about as much as John L. Smith was this time last year up in East Lansing.
I know the Hogs are coming off a 10-win season and a trip to the SEC championship game, I know. But the Mitch Mustain fiasco was just ugly and the result is the quarterback of Arkansas' present and future is gone off to Los Angeles. But, that's here nor there at this point because there's ball games to be won.
Looking back at last year, there's one number that really jumps out at me: 438. That's the combined number of carries that Felix Jones and Heisman runner up Darren McFadden. That's 31 a game, or, in other words, about 10 too few. Let's say you average about 60 plays per game. With that amount of talent in your running backs corps, you should expect to run the ball 45 times per game and pass 15 (all to Marcus Monk).
The numbers are slightly skewed because sacks count as rushes in college football, but I think McFadden should average 22-23 carries and Jones should average 17-18. We all know the benefits of having a successful running game. Quarterback all Casey Dick needs to do is manage games and limit turnovers and that will be more than enough. Remember that he started five games last year and threw the same amount of passes as Mustain. He had three fewer completions, three fewer interceptions and just one fewer touchdown. The kid can play.
On defense, the Razorbacks will surely miss Mount Anderson (Jamaal…who was drafted by the Falcons). But the five seniors slated to start this year, DT Marcus Harrison, LB Weston Dacus, CB Matterral Richardson and safety duo Matt Hewitt and Michael Grant, will be key in bringing along two freshmen and a sophomore starting on D. This unit, ranked 26 last year, should strive for a Top 20 ranking.
With such a strong running game, Arkansas should have its sights on the SEC Championship game again. LSU is going to be insanely strong, but if they did it last year, they can do it this year as well. The schedule definitely plays into their favor with trips to Alabama, Tennessee and LSU (they get to avoid Georgia and Florida this year
Player I would shred you with on NCAA Football 2008: Darren McFadden, and when you had enough of him, Felix Jones
Save the date: Nov. 23 at LSU
80s theme song: I was tempted to go with "Good Thing" by Fine Young Cannibals, but it's time to forget about Mustain. But I think I'm going to go with "I Go To Extremes" by Billy Joel (1989) ... Everything Nutt does is to an extreme. And if you do take the Mustain thing into account, then the line "Either I'm wrong or I'm perfectly right every time" is spot on...
25. Boston College; 24. UCLA; 23. Hawaii; 22. Florida State; 21. Georgia; 20. Oklahoma; 19. South Carolina; 18. Oregon; 17. Rutgers