A year without Arkansas football...
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying, and Love the Uncertainty
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Now… let’s talk some Hogs!
What if there’s not a football season?
If you’re like me, you’re probably incredibly skeptical about the possibility of a football season this fall. COVID-19 has thrown the sports world (and the world at large) into turmoil, and as of publication, we’ve seen two out of five Power 5 Conferences cancel fall sports. That’s not a great sign of things to come, although the SEC, ACC, and Big 12 have insisted that things are moving ahead as scheduled.
My frustration with these kinds of announcements comes from (as with everything about this pandemic) the complete lack of transparency. In The Athletic this week, Josh Kendall called out the SEC specifically, as short of a brief round of media appearances, Commissioner Greg Sankey has largely been silent.
Sankey believes that there are “indicators” of the possibility of a healthy season. As Kendall observed in that Athletic piece, “It would be fascinating to know what those indicators are.” Thus far, Sankey hasn’t elaborated, nor has the conference indicated anything aside from a 10 game, conference-only season.
I would love to see Sankey’s data, or on the other hand, I would love to see what data led to the cancellation of the PAC 12 and Big 10. That’s the baffling part— we don’t have anyone’s data, and it doesn’t seem like the conferences will be forthcoming with new information.
The cynical part of me thinks that the PAC 12 and Big 10 have cancelled their seasons rather than dealing with the completely reasonable demands of player coalitions that have formed over the past couple of weeks. If SEC, ACC, and Big 12 players create similar movements, we may see all Power 5 Conferences punt on football.
Nevertheless, the optimist in me looks at the success of the NBA Bubble and remains hopeful that something can be achieved to ensure player safety while giving us a welcome break from worrying about the pandemic.
So where does that leave Arkansas?
While we wait on a decision that may never come, football appears to be moving ahead as scheduled. Practices have begun in full force, and thankfully, no outbreaks have occured. Unfortunately, all of this is for the privilege of playing a conference-only schedule in the toughest division of the toughest conference in college football. In addition to that grim news, we get #4 Georgia in Fayetteville and #8 Florida in The Swamp for our two new SEC East opponents. Yippee.
After two winless conference seasons in a row, a third season certainly seems possible, if not likely. Despite that, I find myself incredibly excited for the beginning of the Sam Pittman era. Recruiting has been great, as expected under Pittman, but I’m more excited for the on-field product. We know Barry Odom is a great defensive coordinator, though apparently we’re still figuring out what our base defense will be.
Just based on personnel, we’ll probably have an even front, though lack of linebacker depth will mean we run something closer to a 4-2-5, rather than a 4-3. Given our historic struggles at recruiting SEC level linebackers, and Arkansas’ propensity to produce big linemen, I think that makes sense.
On the offensive side of the ball, Kendal Briles said today that the team has learned around 75% of his offense, which is more than Chad Morris could say in 2 full years of “coaching.” I expect to see something relatively spread out in a Briles offense, but Pittman’s bread and butter is the offensive line, so I’m sure there will be power formations. This will be awkward for a bit as we transition from whatever Morris was doing, but it’s worked here before, and could work again.
But what if all of this is sound and fury? What if there’s no season? What if the Sam Pittman era gets delayed?
Don’t hate me if I say this, but…
No season could be good for us.
Let me preface this by saying: I WANT THERE TO BE A SEASON. I want to see the new systems, I want to see new players, and I want to see Rakeem Boyd do good things again. HOWEVER, would it really be all that terrible if Arkansas had a season of practice only?
Obviously some assumptions will have to be made in this scenario, but let’s assume that the NCAA allows practices to take place. They’re taking place now with no outbreak issues, so it stands to reason that as long as a school is in good health, the school should be allowed to practice.
Imagine getting the opportunity to avoid the awkward transition season, and jump straight into a familiarity next year. It would certainly help us avoid the embarrassing hiccups that come with a new scheme. The players would get a season to focus on learning the playbook, improving in the weight room, and getting safe reps under their belts.
It doesn’t have to be all bad!
There are some issues here, of course. It puts seniors and NFL hopeful juniors in a difficult spot, deciding whether or not to come back for 2021 (assuming they retain eligibility). It also seems unfair to take playing time away from players who already suffered two lost years under the Morris regime. Then of course, there’s the possibility of outbreaks from other returning students.
It’s not a hot take to say that this situation will be difficult, no matter what happens, but if you’re doubtful about a season like me, then perhaps you can take solace as I am, that no season would give us more time to get ready for 2021. If that’s the result of a no-win situation, then that’s far from the worst it could be.
Thanks again for checking out this first post. I’m hoping to maintain a weekly schedule publishing these every Friday, with more to come if time/interest permits. If you have any suggestions, please shoot them my way, either on twitter or in a comment below. Be sure to share this, and spread the word to anyone who you think could be mildly interested in what I have to say.
I’ve got some exciting projects in the works that I’ll be revealing soon, but for now, it’s just good to be back writing. Thank you, and go Hogs!