Amazingly, Jarius Wright and Greg Childs, both from a small town of 6,000 played together as kids, at Warren High School, at the University of Arkansas and now the Minnesota Vikings. The two athletes figured their run of staying together was over. When Wright’s name was called with the 23rd pick of the 4th round, the two friends never imagined Greg Child’s name would be called just 16 picks later by the same team. Incredible.

Childs was considered a major NFL prospect prior to tearing his patella tendon and having an average senior year. Despite not having the breakaway speed, Childs is considering viable in the NFL with his size and body control. He is 6’3 and weighs 219 lbs.

Wright was the go-to guy for quarterback Tyler Wilson in the 2011 season putting up over 1100 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s the opposite of Childs, much more of a speedster with a smaller body. He ran a 4.42 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine (official Combine times are always slower than school reported times). With his speed and quickness, you might see Wright on kick returns as well.

Arkansas fans might want to print out a copy of the 2012 Vikings schedule to get a chance at watching these two at the next level.

Adams and Wright are two of four Razorbacks looking to impress scouts during the week-long series of tests, drills and evaluations. Adams, believed by most to be the more NFL-ready of the two, is just outside the elite WR group, a list containing Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon, Baylor’s Kendall Wright, Michael Floyd from Notre Dame and South Carolina’s Alshon Jeffery.

While both are undersized at 5-foot-11 and 5-foot-10, Adams and Wright have impressed scouts with their hands, agility and world-class speed to make up for their lack of size. Adams, a Paul Hornung award finalist, caught 54 passes as a senior for 652 yards and three touchdowns. By now, SEC fans know the role Adams played in the return game (see Tennessee highlight film). Wright snared 66 passes for a team-high 1,117 yards and 12 touchdowns, a banner senior campaign that included a 13-catch, 281-yard effort in a win over SEC newcomer Texas A&M.

Defensive end Jake Bequette and receiver Greg Childs will join the two Razorback speedsters in Indy.

Defensively, Arkansas only loses one defensive lineman, but DE Jake Bequette is a huge loss.  Bequette led the team in sacks with a total of 10 and he forced five fumbles.  The Razorbacks also lose their best linebacker in Jerry Franklin.  Franklin led the team in tackles with 101 total tackles.  Arkansas loses a total of 6 defensive backs  It will be difficult to replace the production of Safety Tramain Thomas.  Thomas was second on the team in tackles with 91, and he led the team in interceptions with five.  Jerico Nelson and Greg Gatson are two other DBs that will be tough to find replacements for.

Needs Met: Arkansas filled all of their positions of needs with a warm body, but there are no real ground-breaking players in this class.  Up front the Razorbacks signed two offensive linemen in Cordale Boyd and Jeremy Ward, and it is a safe bet that both guys are destined for a redshirt.  They signed two RBs and I really like Jonathan Williams who could add quality depth to the running back stable.  The Razorbacks spent most of their offensive scholarships on wide receivers since that’s where their biggest losses were.  They signed four WRs, including Demetrius Wilson, who is a JUCO guy that could have an immediate impact.  However, don’t be surprised to see true freshmen Keon Hatcher or D’Arthur Cowan on the field next year.  Both guys are big possession type receivers that Arkansas will need.

Defensively, Arkansas used seven scholarships on defensive linemen.  The Razorbacks signed bookend defensive ends from Vigor High School in Alabama.  JaMichael Winston and Darius Philon (both from Vigor) are going to be great players, but rumors about Philon’s health will have fans waiting to see if they are true or not.  Austin Flynn is a speed rush JUCO defensive linemen that will probably be in the rotation next year.  The Razorbacks signed three linebackers, with Otha Peters looking ready to come in and contribute next year.  They also signed four defensive backs, and Jared Collins brings a ton of speed that could get him on the field next year.

Biggest Get: Jonathan Williams is a great back out of Texas that will be a quality back-up next year, but I think he could be a starter his second year.

Biggest Miss: Dorial Green-Beckham.  It looked as if Arkansas had DGB locked up prior to signing day, but Missouri kept the best recruit in the country at home.  This loss hurts bad, because the Razorbacks were looking to replace three productive receivers.

Final Evaluation: This class is not bad, but it’s not great either.  If the Razorbacks want to finally get over the hump and beat Alabama and LSU on a yearly basis, they are going to have to out-recruit those teams.  This recruiting class is not better than Alabama’s or LSU’s, and it’s not even the third-best class in the SEC West.

Final Grade:  C+

Other 2012 Signing Report Cards:

• Alabama Crimson Tide: A+
• Auburn Tigers: A-
• Florida Gators: A+
• Georgia Bulldogs: A
• Kentucky Wildcats: C
• Missouri Tigers: C+
• Ole Miss Rebels: C

When Arkansas left Bryant-Denny their stat line was nearly opposite giving up 38 points and only managing two touchdowns.

Alabama’s offensive line bullied the Razorbacks down the field on the first drive that ended with a fourth down conversion pass from AJ McCarron that was laid beautifully into the hands of Mike Williams. Arkansas however, came right back knocking the Tide blow for blow on their second drive ending in a Wilson to Johnson touchdown. From that point on, Crimson Tide really buckled down and squeezed the life out of the Razorbacks.

Dre Kirkpatrick was the defensive star of the game, playing corner, he shut down the likes of Joe Adams, Jarius Wright and Greg Childs while delivering punishing hits on anyone who caught the ball in his zone.

You cannot overlook what the defense was able to do. They held the high octane offense of Arkansas to under 230 yards of offense when they have averaged just over 500 yards per game. The defense was able to get to Wilson and get to him often. Tyler Wilson was knocked down nine times and showed tremendous heart getting up after every gut wrenching hit. Wilson’s only mistake was costly as DeQuan Menzie intercepted a pass and took it 25 yards for a pick six.

Alabama followed the expected game plan by completely shutting down Arkansas’ run game. The only carry of more than twenty yards was negated by a holding penalty. Prior to this game, Arkansas was averaging 180 yards on the ground – when the clock hit zero on Saturday, they had only managed 17 rushing yards.

Arkansas’ major concern heading in to the game was their defensive line and the loss of their stud defensive end Jake Bequette. This concern was taken advantage of as they were pushed all over the field with the stud running back duo of Richardson and Lacy.

When Arkansas was able to pressure McCarron, he dumped the ball off to Richardson who torched Arkansas on a 61 yard touchdown catch and added two more catches for an additional 25 yards.

Arkansas really had no answer for this Alabama team, offensively or defensively. The Crimson Tide scored in every facet of the game by scoring on offense, defense, special teams and a fake field goal.

Neither team held anything back but in the end Alabama’s combination of strength and speed was too much for Arkansas.

The Arkansas Razorbacks haven’t won a national championship since 1964 (although Tide fans would argue that), and haven’t won a conference title since 1989 when they were still in the Southwest Conference.

So why not Arkansas in 2011? Recruiting classes not ranked high enough? Not enough speed or size? Too many holes to fill? I say the Hogs are primed for a run at not only the SEC Championship, but keeping the SEC national title streak alive as well. Let’s take a look why this might be possible.

Arkansas has six starters back on offense, to include their top four receivers, a 1,000 yard back, and two linemen. I know that’s seven, but Cobi Hamilton became a starter after Greg Childs went down with an injury against Vandy. Ryan Mallett is gone, but Tyler Wilson inherits a team loaded with skill position talent. Plus, Wilson is mobile and can use his feet to get out of trouble – an aspect of the Arkansas offense that defenses did not have to prepare for with Mallett behind center.

D. J. Williams will be a big loss for the Hogs, especially since he was so good at getting that medium third down yardage. With that said, Arkansas has some very good TE’s in the fold. It may be compensation by committee at tight end in 2011, but look out for junior Chris Gragg, as he is similar to Williams in size and speed.

The offensive line is where most people are pointing when asking about weaknesses. Three players gone from a group that started all 13 games last season. Center Travis Swanson and guard Alvin Bailey are back, and the other guard spot looks like it is senior Grant Cook’s to lose. The tackles are the real worrisome positions. Petrino dismissed Anthony Oden earlier this summer because he couldn’t stay out of trouble. Senior Grant Freeman is the only tackle with game experience. Brey Cook looks to be a possible starter as a true freshman. He has the size (6’7” 317 lbs) and ability that coaches dream about. Juco transfers Jason Peacock and Chris Stringer, and freshmen Austin Beck and Grady Ollison will vie for the other starting tackle position. If the line can come together by the time Arkansas travels to Tuscaloosa, they could give the Tide a real fight.

Defense is where most people are overlooking the Hogs. They didn’t have a dominant defense last year, but it was good enough to jump from 89^th in total defense, to 36th. Anytime a defense can jump 53 spots, most experts would call it a big improvement.

Now consider that same defense returns eight starters and is a year older. Tenarius “Tank” Wright steps into the lone vacated position on the line, where Arkansas has depth, size, and speed. With leading tackler Jerry Franklin back at MLB, and undersized but speedy and hard-hitting Jerico Nelson returning at one of the OLB positions, the Hogs will be looking to tab a new starter opposite Nelson. Likely candidates are junior Terrell Williams, Juco transfers Alonzo Highsmith Jr and Robert Atiga, and redshirt freshman Braylon Mitchell. Defensive Coordinator Willy Robinson has done a great job recruiting, as Arkansas finally has some depth at linebacker. The secondary returns three players, and a fourth with starting experience, all are seniors or juniors. With speed to burn back there, coupled with what should be a strong pass-rush from the line, offenses may struggle in the passing game.

The last piece is special teams. Arkansas, under the tutelage of John L. Smith, has gotten better each of the last two years. The kickoff returns did falter in 2010 after Dennis Johnson was lost in the second game, but he is back, 100% healthy, and ready to pick up where he left off. Joe Adams was the second-best punt returner in the SEC last year, which isn’t too bad considering Patrick Peterson was first. Adams showed his speed and athleticism with a 96 yard punt return for a TD against Ole Miss in 2010, and he is back for one more go. Dylan Breeding averaged over 42 yards per punt, and Zach Hocker established himself as a go-to kicker last year.

What does all of this mean? Right now it doesn’t mean a whole lot. No one will know anything until these guys get onto a field and play an actual game. Looking at the Razorbacks schedule, the two glaring contests are at Alabama and at LSU. Winning on the road in the SEC isn’t easy, but I am of the opinion that Arkansas has the team to compete in every single game this year, and if all goes right, it could be a very special season. My expectations are high, and I believe the team can deliver in 2011.

While that is of utmost importance, I think it is also important to note that Arkansas’ main safety valve in the passing game, tight end DJ Williams, is now gone.

Williams was the leading receiver last year for the Hogs, with 54 catches for 627 yards and four touchdowns.

An additional question I have for the Razorbacks’ offense this season would be this – who will Arkansas turn to on third and five or six – i.e. third and medium?

Petrino recently spoke to the hole Williams leaves at tight end:

“That’s what we need to learn as an offense, how to convert third downs, and not only at quarterback, but we lost that tight end we used to go to a whole bunch,” Petrino said. “When you’re missing that third-and-medium guy with tremendous confidence, we now have to have some guys step up.”

With all the firepower this offense returns at the skill positions, I’m sure Petrino will find someone to fill that vacant go-to role.

However, Petrino is looking for a tight end to step up in this offense, and there are no really proven ones as of right now.

Tight end Chris Gragg looks to be the starter at tight end, and he hopes to be that go-to player Tyler Wilson can lean on in third-and-five situations. The one weakness for Gragg looks to be his blocking ability. I’m not sure he is there yet and ready to be mentioned in the same breath as Williams as a blocker.

I do look for wide receiver Greg Childs to be a big-time possession receiver and someone Wilson can really go to in similar situations as Williams last year, as I expect Arkansas to run slightly less I-formation running plays with a blocking tight end. Petrino will cater his play calling to his strengths, but he obviously won’t abandon the blocking tight end even if no one is proven either.

We all know who the number one wide receiver is in this conference, and there is no debating that. But who are the other receivers, and how do they stack up?

Here is how I think the SEC wide receivers stack up in 2011:

10. Tavarres King, Georgia
9. Emory Blake, Auburn
8. Chad Bumphis, Mississippi State

Tavarres King was under the radar somewhat in Athens, playing behind All-American AJ Green. Now Green is gone, and King will have a chance to make a name for himself. King is a great athlete, and he knows this offense for Georgia. He quietly caught 27 passes for over 500 yards last year. Now is King’s time to shine at Georgia…Emory Blake was a great asset to the National Champion Auburn Tigers last year with over 550 yards receiving. However, that was last year, and Auburn will have to find a quarterback to get Blake the ball. He is a good receiver, and I fully expect Gus Malzahn to get him the ball every opportunity he can, somehow…Chad Bumphis has somewhat underachieved during his time at MSU. He was a can’t-miss recruit out of high school who has not fully developed at this level – partly because of the lack of success in the passing game and partly because he just hasn’t blossomed yet fully. I do expect Mullen to get more creative in his offense and use Bumphis much like he used Percy Harvin at Florida.

7. Rueben Randle, LSU
6. Jarius Wright, Arkansas
5. Justin Hunter, Tennessee

Rueben Randle is a great looking wide receiver prospect on the Bayou. He has yet to get a quarterback who can get him the football, though. Randle has great size, and he will use that to his advantage over the smaller defensive backs. He did catch 33 passes for 544 yards and three touchdowns last year, but those numbers could be significantly better once the passing game picks up. He needs a quarterback, and if LSU is going with Jordan Jefferson, I’m not going with Rueben Randle having top-five receiver numbers in this league. I could be singing a different tune at the end of this year…Jarius Wright gets lost in the mix somewhat behind Greg Childs and Joe Adams in Fayetteville. However, Wright can be just as much of a weapon as those two when he is on his game. He is one of the fastest players on this football team, and I expect him to have a great year…Justin Hunter will be the next great wide receiver in the SEC. From what I saw of Hunter last year, he has it all. He didn’t get much playing time, but he did average 26 yards per catch, which is just stupid-good numbers. Hunter has an adequate quarterback in Tyler Bray, and he can out-jump any SEC defensive back to get that football. He should be the No. 1 receiver on Bray’s list; therefore, he will get a lot of balls thrown his way. I love the way this kid plays the game.

4. Marquis Maze, Alabama
3. Joe Adams, Arkansas
2. Greg Childs, Arkansas

Marquis Maze should be the primary receiver at Alabama this year for the quarterbacks. Maze is an older and wiser player than a year ago. He did have 557 yards receiving and three touchdowns on the year. He is so important to this team for so many reasons, namely his experience and leadership for transfer Duron Carter. Maze will use his blazing speed this year to shake defenders right off him…Joe Adams is such a different player than many on this list. I believe he has a chip on his shoulder to prove himself once again after dropping a couple of passes in the Sugar Bowl and also prove he can be mentioned with his fellow teammate and receiver Greg Childs. Adams’ health is of utmost importance to this Arkansas football team because he is so vital in the punt return game as well…Fellow Razorback Greg Childs looks to be the best pro prospect on this Arkansas team. Childs has the size at 6-3 to make any play on the field. He is as good of a possession receiver in the country, and he should be dynamite for this passing game. Hopefully his health is restored because he suffered a nasty season-ending knee injury early last year.

1. Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina

Was there any doubt about this pick? Alshon Jeffery is the only receiver in this league who could total 100 receptions on the year. He is the primary receiver on a talented team with a quarterback who – when he’s not on a binge – can play as good as anyone in the conference. Jeffery is the top pro prospect in the country for 2011. He can do it all for the Gamecocks, and he has speed that is very deceptive. The sky is the limit for Alshon Jeffery. He can be as good as he wants to be – just get him the freaking ball!

Of the 12, four belong to the Arkansas Razorbacks. Can anyone say Wide Receiver U?

Here are the 12 that made it on the list from the SEC:

Joe Adams, Arkansas
Emory Blake, Auburn
Chad Bumphis, Mississippi State
Duron Carter, Alabama
Greg Childs, Arkansas
Cobi Hamilton, Arkansas
Darius Hanks, Alabama
Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina
Tavarres King, Georgia
Marquis Maze, Alabama
Rueben Randle, LSU
Jarius Wright, Arkansas

I look for Alshon Jeffery and Greg Childs to be the premier receivers on this list and in this league this year.

Also, I thought the list should have included Justin Hunter from Tennessee. The kid can flat out play some football.

Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino is often labeled an offensive guru and for good reason (as the stats in this post demonstrate).  He has had a high level of offensive success across multiple teams with all sorts of personnel. In this article, we will look at the offensive numbers for the Petrino offenses over the years and use such statistics to make an educated guess on the type of production we might see from Tyler Wilson in 2011.

Auburn Tigers – 2002

Let’s start with Auburn in 2002. Petrino was named offensive coordinator in 2002 under head coach Tommy Tuberville (along with Gene Chizik as defensive coordinator). Petrino coached at Auburn one year before moving on to Louisville.

The offense that year had the blessing of having two NFL running backs in Ronnie Brown and Carnell “Cadillac” Williams. The well-balanced offense that year had 2,448 rushing yards (1,008 for Brown, 745 for Williams) and 2,312 passing yards. Quarterback time was split between Jason Campbell and Daniel Cobb who combined for 2,390 yards and 18 touchdowns. The offense averaged 31.2 points per game.

The quarterback did not have to do much in this offense because of the insane talent at running back. Petrino is very effective at putting together an offensive strategy based on the talent on his roster. For instance, the 2002 Auburn offense couldn’t look more different than the 2009 Arkansas offense.

Louisville Cardinals – 2003-2006

In 2003, Louisville hired Bobby Petrino as their new head coach. It was a great hire. Petrino’s offense in his four seasons was no worse than 13th in the nation in scoring and in the top 3 each season from 2004 to 2006. Obviously, the competition on Louisville’s schedule is different than any SEC team. Petrino’s Louisville team may not have lined up against NFL defensive personnel week-in and week-out, but he again demonstrated producing very high offensive output with the talent on his team.

Petrino produced high passing numbers across two main quarterbacks during his Louisville tenure.

• 2003: Stefan Lafors – 219/357 completions, 3,145 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, 10 interceptions
• 2004: Stefan Lafors – 189/257 completions, 2,596 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, 3 interceptions
• 2004: Brian Brohm – 66/98 completions, 819 yards, 6 touchdowns, 2 interceptions
• 2005: Brian Brohm – 207/301 completions, 2,883 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, 5 interceptions
• 2006: Brian Brohm – 199/313 completions, 3,049 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, 5 interceptions

In scoring offense, Louisville ranked nationally as follows:

• 2003: 13th best scoring offense
• 2004: 1st best scoring offense
• 2005: 3rd best scoring offense
• 2006: 3rd best scoring offense

Petrino’s offensive production and overall success at Louisville led the Atlanta Falcons to hire him ahead of the 2007 season. A Falcons disaster centered around Mike Vick and some dead dogs led Petrino to bail on the Falcons after just one season and head back to the SEC.

Arkansas Razorbacks – 2008-Present

The 2008 offense for Arkansas was the worst offensive production we have seen this decade from Petrino. The team itself was in a state of transition and struggled all season. Casey Dick got most of the time at QB and managed to throw for 2,586 yards and 13 touchdowns, but 14 interceptions. The team had the 91st ranked scoring offense, and went a disappointing 5-7.

2009 was a massive turnaround as Petrino brought in more talent and none bigger than Michigan transfer Ryan Mallett.  The offense jumped from 91st in the nation to 8th in scoring. Mallett put up an impressive 3,624 yards and a whopping 30 touchdowns with only 7 picks. The team went 8-5 including a very near upset to the top ranked Florida Gators.

In 2010, Petrino kept it rolling with the 17th best offense in the nation despite playing in one of the toughest divisions we’ve ever seen in a single year. Mallett once again put up big numbers, going 266 for 411 and throwing for 3,869 yards. His 32 touchdowns were accompanied by 12 interceptions.

Even more impressive is that the 2010 passing game was coupled with a Knile Davis-led running attack. Davis compiled 1,322 yards and 13 touchdowns.

After dropping two key games against Alabama and Auburn before the first half of the season was in the books, Petrino made the adjustment to balance the offense more and the result was a six game run including wins over ranked South Carolina, Mississippi State and LSU. Five of those six games, Davis had over 100 yards after not getting over 100 in any of the first six games. Of those five, four of them had Davis over 150 yards rushing. 12 of Davis’ 13 touchdowns came in those six games. The second half of the season was nothing short of dominance on the ground at the hands of Knile Davis.

What Does This Mean For 2011?

Ryan Mallett’s production was very high, and it’s very unlikely that Tyler Wilson can reproduce it. The good news is he likely won’t have to.

The team returns immense talent to support the offense both at running back and wide receiver. We’ve already documented what Davis did last season, now let’s look at the talent at receiver.

In 2010, the Razorbacks had five receivers that each had over 600 yards receiving. This is incredible.

The depth at receiver is insane. The 2010 Oklahoma Sooners who had the top passing offense of BCS conference programs had the following numbers:

Now, obviously the numbers are skewed with the insane production of Ryan Broyles with his nutty 1,622 yards. The bottom line is that Arkansas’ receivers are very good and very deep.  They return all of their top five wide outs, with the exception of tight end D.J. Williams.

As we look at the experience and production Bobby Petrino has gotten out of his quarterbacks at three different programs, we know this is a positive for Tyler Wilson. As we look at what Knile Davis should be able to accomplish in 2011, we know this is a positive for Tyler Wilson. As we look at the excellent receiving corps that will line up for Wilson, we know this is a positive. It’s also worth noting that Greg Childs, Knile Davis and Tyler Wilson were each recently named to the Maxwell Award Watch List, and Arkansas had four receivers on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List given to the best wide receiver in the country.

The best glimpse we received of Tyler Wilson was last year during the Auburn shoot out when Ryan Mallett went down with an injury. This appearance is really not significant at all, except for the good ol’ eye ball test. Wilson showed he could flat out sling the ball. He threw for four touchdowns that day and 300-plus passing yards (and also two interceptions).

In 2010, Arkansas registered 4,061 passing yards and 1,810 rushing yards. They averaged 489.3 yards per game of offense. What can we expect with regards to 2011 production? Since the balanced offense didn’t really start until mid-way through the year in 2010, it’s likely we will see more balanced yardage numbers over the entire year. Passing numbers will likely come down slightly and rushing yards will go up. I could absolutely see 3,500 passing yards and 2,200 rushing yards in 2011.

Arkansas has every piece in place to play some excellent and exciting football this year for their fans. Coming off the first BCS game from last year (which they officially did not lose), this program has immense momentum. The only thing stopping Arkansas from winning the brutal West this season is a handful of plays that need to go Arkansas’ way. In my opinion, you can’t convince me that the Hogs don’t have as much of a chance to win the West as any other team in 2011.

Arkansas Razorbacks

Three Reasons Why

1. Knile Davis – As many know, I absolutely love Knile Davis. I think he is a premier back in this league – a league that is saturated with great running backs. Davis is the leading returning rusher, with 1,322 yards and 13 touchdowns. If Davis can have another great year in 2011, this offense can hit you in every direction. I expect Davis to stay healthy because he will share the load with Dennis Johnson and Ronnie Wingo, Jr.

2. Jake Bequette – Bequette is the team leader, and there is little doubt about that. He is a three year starter who will be the anchor of this defense and this team. Bequette is the fourth member of his family to be a Razorback – so he bleeds Arkansas Football. Bequette’s defense returns eight of 11 starters, and they look ready to steal some of the offense’s thunder as to why this team can make a title run in 2011.

3. Wide Receivers – 2011 Wide Receiver U is stacked at the position. With four returning stars in Greg Childs, Joe Adams, Cobi Hamilton and Jarius Wight, this offense has playmakers all around for the quarterback to go to in any situation. Childs is the best receiver on this team, and he might be the second best receiver in the conference, only behind South Carolina’s Alshon Jeffery. Joe Adams is a playmaker who can outrun you to the deep ball, or he can take a short hitch to the house in a hurry.

Three Reasons Why Not

1. Offensive Line – The offensive line will be breaking in three new starters, and one looks to be freshman Brey Cook. A year ago, DeMarcus Love was the anchor of this offensive line, but he is now gone to the NFL. In order for Knile Davis and this offense to be effective, the offensive line has to gel throughout the season. One of the reasons the offense is so effective in Fayetteville is because the ground game was moving the football a year ago. Hopefully, this position will not hold back this offense.

2. Tyler Wilson – With so much hype surrounding Tyler Wilson in Bobby Petrino’s offense, there are certainly questions as to how good he really is. He played well in one football game all of last year – one game. He certainly looked the part then, but what if he cannot run this offense and is a complete mental head case? I’m certainly not saying he is, but there is always that chance when a new starter steps into the limelight and takes the helm at quarterback for his school. The offense has playmakers everywhere, but if the quarterback cannot get them the football, they cannot score points.

3. Road Schedule – Let’s face it; Arkansas has one of the toughest schedules in the SEC West. The Razorbacks have to travel to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama and Baton Rouge to take on LSU. If Arkansas can win at least one of those games, they will have a shot to win the West. If the Hogs lose both, the division crown is likely out of reach. They need to pull an upset in either of those two games.