It's amazing to me how the media sets the narrative for hog football. Petrino's last 2 teams were "great" and "super-talented". When John L. came in and went 4-8 it was all due to terrible "coaching". When Beliema came in and continued losing it was all due to "lack of talent".
A team that beats Top 20 LSU and Top 10 Ole Miss, 17-0 and 30-0, respectively does not lack talent. Vanderbilt is not beating anyone in the SEC 30-0. No doubt Coach Beliema has done a great job with this team. It's been fun for me watching hog SEC games the past 2 and a half years. I'm probably done watching for awhile since I believe Beliema is building a very good football team.
They had something like 22 players leave that had been recruited by Petrino. That's an entire recruiting class. Beliema's first class included Alex Collins, Dan Skipper, and Denver Kirkland among others, all who were Freshmen last year and starters. He added some more players this year who have contributed. But when he took over, there were a lot of holes in the lineup. He's filling them with players who can play his system. He's way ahead of schedule. Hardly anyone who follows the team thought they'd accomplish what they have this season, even if they lose to Mizzou. Starting next season, they'll be a competitive SEC team for as long as Beliema is here. He has stuck by his guns and done things his way, and we're seeing the result.
(11-24-2014 02:54 PM)outsideualr Wrote: [ -> ]They had something like 22 players leave that had been recruited by Petrino. That's an entire recruiting class. Beliema's first class included Alex Collins, Dan Skipper, and Denver Kirkland among others, all who were Freshmen last year and starters. He added some more players this year who have contributed. But when he took over, there were a lot of holes in the lineup. He's filling them with players who can play his system. He's way ahead of schedule. Hardly anyone who follows the team thought they'd accomplish what they have this season, even if they lose to Mizzou. Starting next season, they'll be a competitive SEC team for as long as Beliema is here. He has stuck by his guns and done things his way, and we're seeing the result.
What "talent" is there this year, that wasn't there last year?
I'm talking about talent that Petrino left. Beliema came in late in the recruiting process last year and still recruited a few SEC type players, but they were Freshmen. They're only Sophomores this year. And some he recruited for this year are starting as Freshmen. They are slowly but surely filling up the holes and building depth. Sure there were some players there, but not enough to compete in the division he is playing in. The best indication how far this program has come is in John L. Smith's year, the Hogs lost to Alabama 52-0. In Beliema's first season, the Hogs lost to Alabama 52-0. This season, it was 14-13, and the Hogs could have just as easily won the game. Most experts thought Arkansas would be better this year, but still only good enough to win around four games. And hardly anyone gave them a chance to go to a bowl. That's pretty amazing.
(11-24-2014 03:25 PM)outsideualr Wrote: [ -> ]I'm talking about talent that Petrino left. Beliema came in late in the recruiting process last year and still recruited a few SEC type players, but they were Freshmen. They're only Sophomores this year. And some he recruited for this year are starting as Freshmen. They are slowly but surely filling up the holes and building depth. Sure there were some players there, but not enough to compete in the division he is playing in. The best indication how far this program has come is in John L. Smith's year, the Hogs lost to Alabama 52-0. In Beliema's first season, the Hogs lost to Alabama 52-0. This season, it was 14-13, and the Hogs could have just as easily won the game. Most experts thought Arkansas would be better this year, but still only good enough to win around four games. And hardly anyone gave them a chance to go to a bowl. That's pretty amazing.
The majority of the "star" players on this team (i.e. Allen, Williams, Flowers, Spaight, Cook, Mitchell, etc.) were Petrino recruits. Not one media person talked bad about Petrino until he left. That's one thing that's sickening about the media in this State.
(11-24-2014 03:25 PM)outsideualr Wrote: [ -> ]I'm talking about talent that Petrino left. Beliema came in late in the recruiting process last year and still recruited a few SEC type players, but they were Freshmen. They're only Sophomores this year. And some he recruited for this year are starting as Freshmen. They are slowly but surely filling up the holes and building depth. Sure there were some players there, but not enough to compete in the division he is playing in. The best indication how far this program has come is in John L. Smith's year, the Hogs lost to Alabama 52-0. In Beliema's first season, the Hogs lost to Alabama 52-0. This season, it was 14-13, and the Hogs could have just as easily won the game. Most experts thought Arkansas would be better this year, but still only good enough to win around four games. And hardly anyone gave them a chance to go to a bowl. That's pretty amazing.
Maybe if he'd had another year and a year to recruit, Smith may have done better against Alabama the second year. Part of Smith's problems probably had something to do with Petrino getting fired for not keeping his thing in his pants. Don't you think that affected his players some?
Personally, I'm having some doubts about just how great the SEC West is this year. "Great" teams don't lose 30-0 (Ole Miss this week) and 59-0 (A & M to Alabama), and 34-7 (Auburn to Georgia). I know the media loves them, and they may be right. I see one (possibly) great team, and as always it's Alabama. We'll see during bowl season how good these teams really are. I know Miss State is #4 in the rankings, right now, but it would be a joke to send a team to the 4 team playoff that doesn't even go to the league's championship game- It won't happen (although I like State), unless Baylor, TCU, and Ohio State all lose another game.