The Turning Point

This is it. This is the week we've all be waiting for. This is the time for the Hogs to officially step it up, and it's their time to prove themselves to the nation that wrote them off roughly two years ago. As fans, we honestly can't be much happier with what we've seen transpire on The Hill over the last 18 games. We have gotten the chance to see a team grow, to develop, to raise the bar, and to create an atmosphere of winning that hasn't been seen on campus since the early 90's when the Nolan Richardson had his kids playing 40 Minutes of Hell. Hog fans, this is the team we've been waiting for.

Obviously these are rather high praises to give a bunch of sophomores and freshmen that are 3-3 on the season, but I believe in what I see. And the reason, because I honestly think that Coach Petrino has his team believing everything I just wrote. This is not a team that is going to harp on some bad calls that might have cost them the game. These guys aren't going into Saturday looking for petty revenge over what was a notably dramatic shift of coaching staffs. This is a group of guys that goes out to play every game with a disciplined and well planned strategy. They have one goal week in and week out, to execute. And with execution will come wins... lots of them.

So here we sit at the turning point of our season. Predictions all year had us being 3-3 going into the game vs. Ole Miss, and that's where we are. Ole Miss has started what was supposed to be their dream season with a resounding THUD, going 1-2 in conference and beating up on a bunch of nobody schools (in the 4th quarter). Arkansas has underachieved at times, but their recent appearance in The Swamp has a lot of people looking for Arkansas to be the next big thing in the SEC. With this being said, I believe it's safe to say that this is the biggest game both teams will play all year, and will determine who goes to Dallas on January 3rd, and who is stuck in Memphrica ringing in 2010.

So who takes it? Do the Rebels finally decide that they are as good as many said they should be? Does Jevan Snead stop playing like a big ol' bag full of mashed up a**holes and start playing like the Heisman hopeful he once was? Or is it Arkansas, fresh off almost upsetting the #1 team in the nation on the road, that comes into the Grove looking for revenge (on so many levels)? In an effort to answer these questions, and in honor of the recent introduction of the lottery in the Great State of Arkansas, this round of predictions comes to you as an Ode to the Arkansas Powerball.

And the first number is:

• #91 - Jake Bequette has really come of his own on the defense recently, and from what I've heard he's made tremendous strides. It is evident on the field that he is playing with a new found passion to get to the QB, and his performances against Auburn and Florida have shown that this Catholic High alum truly has football running through his blood. Get ready for a third great SEC performance, and he will be the defensive player of the game

Our second number of the night:

• #7 - The number of 3rd down conversions Arkansas must have on Saturday. I realize the offense is explosive, and I understand that a 42 yard pass is almost run of the mill for Mallett and company, but they cannot be a successful football team on a regular basis if they do not complete more 3rd downs. Ole Miss has not shown many signs of being the same defense they were a year ago, but if they can back up the Arkansas offense on 3rd down, their D-line could have a lot of shots to get to the QB, which is never good considering Mallett's mobility

Coming down the shoot:

• #4 - The number of turnovers the Hog defense will get off of Jevan Snead by the end of the night. Never has a QB fallen so quickly from grace as has Snead. He's been tested week in and week out... and has failed. Alabama (the best team in the nation) made the Ole Miss defense look anemic at best, and Snead was unable to get anything done. To boot, he was at home. Unless that powerhouse win over UAB last week did something for his confidence, look for a few fumbles and almost certainly a pair of interceptions

The fourth number of the night:

• #24 - This is the number of points the Hogs will score in the first half to stun the Rebels into submission early. The Hog offense will show it's ability to score early and often against a top notch defense, and look for Mallet and the receivers to be on their best game. They missed a ton of opportunities late in the game against Florida, and they're looking to prove they deserved a W in Gainsville

The fifth number coming to you:

• #2 - Alex Tejada bounces back from what was one of the more difficult kicking blunders of his four year career at Arkansas. I'm not saying he hits a fifty yard game winner or anything, but he'll be perfect on the day, with numerous extra points and even a couple of nice field goals. He's been here before, he knows how to deal with it, and much like Casey Dick against LSU last year, he'll want to play well in his senior season and knows how to do it

And for the sixth and final Powerball:

• #33 - I was off two weeks ago when I said that Wingo would be the breakout young back behind Michael Smith. As it turns out, it was Dennis Johnson, and he has been sensational in every aspect of his game. DJ is at his best when the team is counting on him, and this is evidenced by his dominance in special teams returns, and his incredible performance as a starter against a heralded Florida defense. With the way he's playing, I say if DJ wants it, DJ gets it

So there you have it folks, your winning Powerball Lottery #'s are 91, 7, 4, 24, 2, and the Powerball 33.

On a side note, this will be my first SEC road game I'll get to see in person, and I couldn't be more excited. Last week I got the pleasure of attending Texas v. OU in the Cotton Bowl, and while I hate both teams, it was truly an awesome experience. This week I get to back it up with The Grove, and two weeks from now I'll be in God's Country once again to see the Old Ball Coach come to town. It's going to be a truly great 4 week stretch!

And as always... GO HOGS!

Painful...but time

Well, I think we've all been avoiding being the first to post after the tough loss this weekend, for obvious reasons. I guess I'll be the one to tackle it. It's too early for me to joke about the loss; sorry if you're looking for me to be jovial.

I think we all feel the same about the game, and I can say, honestly, I wasn't at all surprised about the results. I told you I was drinking the Kool-Aid last weekend and gave you at least 4 good reasons why you guys should have been drinking also. I really don't want to dwell on the game because it hurts, but here's just a few points that stayed with me after the game.

1. Whether it's Vanderbilt or Florida, you can't leave points on the field in the SEC. By my conservative calculations, we left 18 points on the field. I feel unbelievably bad for Alex Tejada, and knowing some of his family, I can't imagine how hard it is for him to wake up in the morning after a game like that. I'm still behind the kid and know he just needs to get his head right and could be a great kicker (this probably isn't the predominant opinion of all the contributors to DSD). Just as much blame for this loss should be left on the shoulders of Ryan Mallett. He missed at least two open guys in the end zone, and could have made Tejada's job much easier. Don't forget the play at the end of the first half where our receivers knocked each other over in what could have been a TD and what could have been a great catch made by Greg Childs in the end zone. Sure, Florida left some points on the field too, but it was probably only 14 points at best. That still gives us the win.

2. The Hogs D is SO much better than they were in the first three games. Granted, the whole defense is better, but having Elton Ford back from injury has totally changed the swagger of the Hat Tappers. Jake Bequette has been playing like a man since the TAMU game much to my surprise. I get to talk to his high school coaches often, and they seriously don't believe how far he's come. Stadther, Sheppard, Franklin, Nelson, and Burton all deserve a few slegehammers on the helmet. The pressure our D-line and blitzing linebackers are getting on QB's is giving our fairly weak secondary a nice cushion.

3. Going into this game, I really did expect a close game. I truly believed we had a chance of winning the game, but it was for all different reasons than those which kept us close. I would have said that Mallett and the receivers would be the stars of the show, not our defense. Shows what I know.

4. It's hard to beat Florida in the Swamp, but it's even harder to beat them when the officiating crew is clearly protecting their #1 rank. The personal foul on Sheppard should be reviewed by the league and the man who called it should lose his job. This is coming from a man who VERY rarely complains about the officiating because I can usually see it going both ways. Not so this weekend. That wasn't the only bad call, but I just can't bring myself to keep dwelling on what should have been.

Let's look forward. This weekend we face, what I consider, our biggest game of the year, and while that loss was heartbreaking, I think we'll come out incredibly confident. I'll leave the Jevan Snead predictions to Crown Pub, and let you know that we'll be ready. Look for this to be a big week on DSD considering the this coaching match-up.