Not to distract from the main goal - beating Alabama - but since an impressive percentage of our reader base consists of adversarial Arkansas fans (excuse me while I call the Hawgs - "Houston Nutt" - there, that ought to bring them to the trough), I want to play some fun with numbers. In the first four games, Michael Smith got 54 touches in the Petrinoffense, while Arkansas limped to a 2-2 record with razor-thin victories over UL-Monroe (Roll Tide!) and Western Illinois and canyon-like lopsided losses to Texas and Alabama. In the last two games, a moral victory over Florida, in which Timmy and the Resurrected spent three quarters with their hands in their pants, and and actual victory over Auburn, Michael Smith, who would certainly have been the centerpiece of Nutt's offense from Day 1 had he been in Fayetteville this year, has rushed for 55 times for 318 yards.
185 of those came against what I called a historically good SEC defense. I'm wrong about some things. One of the things I clearly am not wrong about, though, is that, while Houston Nutt might not have left the Hogs locked and loaded for a run at the SEC Championship, he at least left them the thing for which he has become famous - a top-flight running back.
Am I calling out Bobby Petrino. Heaven forbid. That would indicate on my part a lack of integrity because I doubted Michael Smith at season's beginning. Of course, I'm not his coach.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
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I'll take the bait. Most Arkansas fans have also been pleasantly surprised by Smith. He is really starting to look like another Fred Talley (who also just scored another TD against Barn). I also agree that Smith would have gotten far more touches under the Ol' QB killa. The Petrino offensive philosophy will never rely solely on the legs of a single running back. I would furthermore venture our record would be identical so far if Nutt were still here. We would have beaten the two patsies somewhere along the lines of 24-10 and surprise one of the three top five teams we have played. After all, and as you can now attest, the rabid weasel can rise up and giant kill from time to time.
The crucial difference is Petrino is slowly changing the whole system to fit his coaching style. An initial drop-off was to be expected, especially with the O-line actually having to learn how to pass block and C. Dick being introduced to the concept of having more than two receivers (one of them being a decoy). A six win season for most Hog fans will be just fine as Arkansas transitions from being just good enough to challenge the big boys from time to time to actually trying to BECOME one of those big boys. Is this a gamble? Sure. Will we be playing in a BCS game within a few years? Who knows. The thing is this: Under Nutt we KNEW we would never reach that level. Under Petrino we have a chance. Not this year. Probably not next year. But soon.
Can you say the same?
What can I say? I'm honored that you'd invite us poor ol' hog fans to come to the top blog of the #1 super team Ole Miss University Rebels!
There was never an issue with Petrino somehow not realizing what Michael Smith could do. The issue was that he was suspended for the first game and we managed to get down big in all of the other games up until Florida (yes, even Monroe) and were trying to play catchup. You're right when you say that he would have had more carries were nutt the coach (nutt probably wouldn't have even suspended him, come to think of it), but our record would be no different. We MIGHT have had a chance against florida, who came out sleepwalking. On the other hand, the auburn defense probably would've eaten Smith alive and shut us down offensively, as Casey would've performed about how Snead's been doing lately, minus the arm or the legs.
"The thing is this: Under Nutt we KNEW we would never reach that level. Under Petrino we have a chance. Not this year. Probably not next year. But soon.
Can you say the same?"
You Arkansas fans want people, especially us, to feel bad for you or something because you couldn't get over whatever hump it is you wanted to get over when Nutt was your coach.
Think about that. You want us, the fans of a team that didn't win a single conference game last season, to attempt to feel your "pain."
You're the man with no shoes. We're the man with no feet.
Nutt is an upgrade from Coach O. You cannot, in no logical way, disagree with that statement.
It depends on what angle your looking at it from Ghost.
There's no doubt your winning games now, while last year the Rebels laid a goose egg in conference play.
I watched a very competitive Ole Miss team last year leading up to the Arkansas game.
To my suprise, the Hogs didn't lose as I exspected.
To that point, the Hogs had played pitiful, considering we probably had the most talented backfield in the country.
I know the score was lop-sided in the Hogs favor, but something told me then the Rebels were going to be for real the next year.
I didn't make that assuption because of Nutt, who clearly didn't even know he would be the Rebels new HC at that point, but because of what Orjeron had built so far with his above average recruiting skills.
Like it or not, recruiting is just as important as the actual coaching itself.
That is something Ole Miss fans haven't seen from Nutt.
Emotion will only take you so far in life, and so far about 70 to 80%of Houston Nutt's coaching career has been a direct result of just that.
The point i'm trying to make is Orjeron was a much better recruiter, in the few short years he had at Ole Miss, than Nutt ever was in 10 years at the UofA.
How long do you think it'll be before that start's to catch up with you?
Nutt has the ability to recruit RBs because you can develope them with enthusiasm and game exsperience, but you will never develope a QB with the same philosify.
Eventually, your offense will suffer because your one-dimensional most of the time.
Recruits are not stupid, and most of them know that Houston Nutt has never developed a QB or a WR that has went on to the NFL and enjoyed any kind of sucsess.
Recruiting is what builds sucsessful programs, not coaching alone.
Orjeron did that for you, but Nutt wasn't the guy you needed to continue the rebuilding process he started.
What's gonna happen when your tired of Nutt and the cupboard is bare? NOTHING, unless you get lucky like we did.
Is that really your idea of an upgrade?
Call us when Ole Miss gets a sniff of the SEC championship game.
"Call us when Ole Miss gets a sniff of the SEC championship game."
Sure thing.
Don't worry, it won't be anytime soon.
Quick question-
Who is the only school in the SEC West to never appear in the SEC Championship Game?
Quick answer, Ole Miss.
Quick question-
Who should fuck off?
Here's a hint: you.
Get ready girls, Alabama is about to whip your ass
Hotty Totty gosh almighty,
Houston's bout to shit the potty
ROLL TIDE
Tim Brando after the Alabama loss: "Can there be a better 3 - 4 team than Ole Miss?"
And there you have it - the essence of the Houston Nutt Experience is that you're always better than your record indicates.
For having LOST, you sure do talk a lot of shit, Arkansas.
Also, with regards to the "essence of the Houston Nutt Experience" being "better than your record indicates" comment, I would like to say that what you observed is the essence of the OLE MISS experience. The whole "being better than your record indicates" has been a mainstay of Ole Miss football for a long, long time.
The 2003, the 7-1 in the SEC Rebels lost to fucking Memphis and Texas Tech... Houston Nutt didn't coach that team. The Rebels have played the Tide extremely closely the three seasons leading up to this one... Houston Nutt didn't coach those teams.
Houston Nutt didn't bring this garbage here, and it won't leave with him.
You fucking lost and have the audacity to come talk shit, that's absolutely pathetic.
Hey, Jay, get over it. If you look at the time (I realize you have an OM education, but give you the benefit of the doubt that you can tell time, anyway) I wrote the post before we lost; but, hey, I can take it - we gave away that game and will probably fuck up again before this season ends.
But I do agree with the premise of your post: OM is a sack of shit now, has always been a sack of shit, and will continue to be a sack of shit - Houston Nutt is powerless to change that reality.
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