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I like that both Head Coach Bobby Petrino and Defensive Coordinator Willy Robinson are taking the Tennessee Tech game seriously. Last week following practice Robinson was downright irate at a reporter who called Tennessee Tech a “tune-up game.”

Here’s what I’m looking for that I feel will be a good barometer of where the season is heading:

1. Arkansas’ defense literally smothers Tennessee Tech and Louisiana-Monroe in the first two games. 2. Arkansas’ offense is sharp and big time against the two teams and is led by the running game, not the passing game.

If those two aspects are present in Arkansas’ first two games against – admittedly – lesser opponents, we could see some special things from the Hogs in 2010.

With that said, here are my picks for the 2010 season:

Sept. 4 – Tennessee Tech at Arkansas: Hogs control and roll in a 46-10 opening win.

Sept. 11 – Louisiana-Monroe at Arkansas: Hogs roll again, win 52-7.

Sept. 18 – Arkansas at Georgia: Hogs avenge last year’s loss in Fayetteville, win 30-24.

Sept. 25 – Alabama at Arkansas: Hogs actually show up to play ‘Bama, win 28-21.

Oct. 9 – Texas A&M at Arkansas: Hogs in a shootout, win 38-28.

Oct. 16 – Arkansas at Auburn: Hogs avoid upset, win another shootout: 38-30.

Oct. 23 – ‘Ole Miss at Arkansas: Hogs give Nutt what’s coming to him, win 38-20.

Oct. 30 – Vandy at Arkansas: Hogs make Homecoming sweet, win 42-14.

Nov. 6 – Arkansas at South Carolina: Hogs stumble to improved Gamecocks, lose 28-24.

Nov. 13 – UTEP at Arkansas: Hogs unmerciful after first loss, win 65-14.

Nov. 20 – Arkansas at Mississippi State: Arkansas stumbles, loses in OT, 33-30.

Nov. 27 – LSU at Arkansas: Arkansas brings the wood, win 38-21.

Arkansas ends regular season 10-2.

Arkansas Razorback schedule from www.ArkansasRazorbacks.com:

Sat, Sep 04 Tennessee Tech Fayetteville, Ark. 6 p.m. Sat, Sep 11 Louisiana-Monroe Little Rock, Ark. 6 p.m. Sat, Sep 18 Georgia * at Athens, Ga. 11 a.m. Sat, Sep 25 Alabama * Fayetteville, Ark. TBA Sat, Oct 09 Texas A&M at Arlington, Texas TBA Sat, Oct 16 Auburn * at Auburn, Ala. TBA Sat, Oct 23 Ole Miss * Fayetteville, Ark. TBA Sat, Oct 30 Vanderbilt – Homecoming * Fayetteville, Ark. TBA Sat, Nov 06 South Carolina * at Columbia, SC TBA Sat, Nov 13 UTEP Fayetteville, Ark. TBA Sat, Nov 20 Mississippi State * at Starkville, MS TBA Sat, Nov 27 LSU * Little Rock, Ark. TBA

* Conference Games

Here’s an excerpt:

“A good quarterback working under Bobby Petrino’s guidance usually means big things—and lots of points. Ryan Mallett is college football’s most NFL-ready QB, and he’s got big-play targets in Joe Adams, Greg Childs and tight end D.J. Williams.”

Concerns about the Razorbacks’ defense – particularly the secondary – continue until laid to rest on the field.

The article predicts if all goes well the Hogs will finish 10-2 overall and 6-2 in the SEC.

Read it here:

http://www.sportingnews.com/college-football/article/2010-08-12/college-football-countdown-no-21-arkansas-razorbacks

Playing in the SEC makes winning football games difficult every year, but is this the season that Arkansas breaks out under head coach Bobby Petrino?

Read the entire article here or access via the direct link: http://www.thecitywire.com/?q=node/10559

There is no doubt that Petrino is placing a lot of emphasis on defense, because he knows to compete for an SEC West title defense is essential.

Whether Arkansas’ defense has improved enough to make it a contender in the SEC was written about often during Spring practice.

Today, John Adams of the Knoxville News joins the fray and offers some additional insight in the article, “Adams: Defense could put Arkansas over the top.”

Read it here.

Hogs basketball attendance drops
May 16, 2010 6:38 AM
Bob Holt
For the first time since Walton Arena opened for the 1993-1994 basketball season, Arkansas failed to finish among the top 14 teams nationally in home attendance.

Harry King

Harry King, sports columnist for the Arkansas News Bureau, has a run down of the problems some SEC teams are having nailing down a strong quarterback for 2010. Will this help Arkansas win games? We can only hope!

Here’s an excerpt:

“At Mississippi State, there is no decision about the starting quarterback for 2010. At Auburn, the winner of a four-man competition is a former backup to Tim Tebow who played at a junior college in 2009. At Georgia, Mark Richt had only one choice. At South Carolina, Steve Spurrier is dissatisfied with the obvious choice.

Those notations are particularly significant for Arkansas because the Razorbacks play at Starkville, Auburn, Athens, and Columbia, and Arkansas has not won a road game in the Southeastern Conference since Nov. 23, 2007, at LSU. To win nine this year, Arkansas likely has to win at least two on the road.”

Read Harry’s column here.

The Arkansas Razorbacks have quickly become one of the most exciting offenses in all of college football under Bobby Petrino. In just Petrino’s second year at Arkansas, the Hogs ranked No. 1 in the SEC in offense, scoring, and ranked at the top or near the top in nearly every scoring or passing offensive category.

Read the entire article here.

The Arkansas Razorbacks set out in 2009 to show they can compete in the SEC and to recruit big talented players to the U of A campus. Over the the year and into the new year of 2010 you could say one thing…

Mission accomplished.

Read the entire article here.

ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS WIN FOURTH STRAIGHT GAME

By Noah Trister, Associated Press
Published Saturday, February 6, 2010

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Even during its four-game winning streak, nothing is coming easily for Arkansas.

Courtney Fortson scored 24 points, and the Razorbacks withstood a fluky basket at the end of regulation to beat Auburn, 82-79, in overtime Saturday. Arkansas won despite an injury to center Mike Washington — and moved into sole possession of first place in the SEC West just two weeks after losing by 31 points at Kentucky.

“For what was said and written about those young men — really all season long and after that game in Lexington — nobody gave them a chance to be where they are right now,” Arkansas coach John Pelphrey said. “They deserve the credit for that.”

The Razorbacks have trailed at halftime in all four games of their streak, and Saturday they lost Washington to a left leg injury with 8:09 to play. Still, Arkansas (12-11, 5-3 SEC) was in good shape after Fortson’s layup gave the Hogs a 67-65 lead with 14.1 seconds left.

Auburn’s Tay Waller tried a contested 3-pointer that missed, but Frankie Sullivan saved the ball as it went toward the Tigers’ bench and threw it back toward the basket. Sullivan’s heave didn’t come close to going in, but Andre Malone was all alone to catch the ball and lay it in just before the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.

Playing their fourth game in 10 days, the Razorbacks pressed on.

“We’ve been dealing with adversity,” Fortson said. “As long as we can stick together, anything can happen.”

Fortson’s 3-pointer broke a 71-71 tie, and he later hit from the perimeter and made two free throws with 40.6 seconds left to make it 78-73. After an Auburn miss, Fortson grabbed the rebound and went coast to coast for a layup and a seven-point lead.

Auburn (11-12, 2-6) rallied one more time. With the score 81-76, Arkansas turned the ball over, and Waller made a 3-pointer. Fortson made one of two free throws with 4.2 seconds left, and after a timeout, Sullivan momentarily lost control of the ball rushing it up the court.

Sullivan recovered in time to get off a shot from midcourt. It was on line but hit the back of the rim, and Sullivan collapsed to the floor in disappointment.

“I thought it was good when it left my hand,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan and Waller each scored 18 points for Auburn.