Let’s review an updated timeline of events, shall we?

March 28, 2012: Bobby Petrino hires Jessica Dorrell as Student-Athlete Development Coordinator. And Petrino releases the following quote about Dorrell’s hire:

“Jessica Dorrell will be a great addition to our football program,” said Coach Petrino. “As a former student-athlete she has an enthusiasm for the Razorbacks and is familiar with what the University of Arkansas can offer. She is extremely organized and has a professional approach, which should translate well into our program and recruiting as we continue to place an emphasis on this area.”

April 1, 2012: Petrino is involved in motorcycle accident around 6:45 PM local time. It is listed as a single vehicle crash. He is hospitalized, kept overnight and later released.

April 2, 2012: Arkansas releases a statement regarding the accident.

“Coach Petrino was involved in a motorcycle accident on Sunday evening that involved no other individuals. He is in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery. Our family appreciates respect for our privacy during the recovery and we are grateful for the thoughts of Razorback fans at this time.”

April 3, 2012: Petrino goes back to work and admits he wasn’t wearing a helmet in the crash. Here is the video of the press conference.

He was specifically asked if anyone was with him, and he said “there was a lady there that helped me flag down a car”. That was, from what we understand, Jessica Dorrell.

April 5, 2012: We learn that Petrino was not alone on the motorcycle and that Jessica Dorrell was riding on the back. Arkansas’ released official statement was then called into question.

Later that evening, AD Jeff Long places Petrino on administrative leave with pay after he gets word that he has been lied to.

April 9, 2012: Arkansas State police release the 911 phone call following the incident, and that there was a female who was involved but did not look to be injured.

A rally is held on campus by Petrino’s supporters.

April 10, 2012: Jeff Long calls a presser for 7:15 PM and announces Petrino has been fired. Long also tells us that Petrino had given around “$20,000 in cash” to Dorrell.

Petrino released the following written statement:

“I chose to engage in an improper relationship. I also made several poor decisions following the end of that relationship and in the aftermath of the accident. I accept full responsibility for what has happened.”

April 23, 2012: Jeff Long announces that John L. Smith is hired to be the interim head coach and signs a 10-month contract. Smith was the head coach at Weber State and the former special teams coach under Petrino just last season.

July 16, 2012: Arkansas athletics launches the TD2012 campaign promoting players, namely Tyler Wilson and Knile Davis, for postseason awards. Both are considered preseason Heisman contenders.

The UA athletic department developed an all-encompassing strategic plan to support and promote multiple Razorback football student-athletes. The official campaign will highlight information regarding Arkansas’ candidates for post-season honors and rally the fans as the season progresses towards election day for each award.

July 18, 2012: SEC Media Days capture John L. Smith in his truest form, and “Get your piss hot” was born.

“Coach tells us to ‘get your piss hot’ to motivate the team.” -Tenarius Wright, about John L. Smith

August 9, 2012: Bobby Petrino is interviewed by ESPN about the Arkansas firing and the events that led up to it.

August 21, 2012: Petrino’s mistress, Jessica Dorrell, and her finance are still engaged, and her fiance takes a job at the University of South Carolina.

September 1, 2012: Arkansas beats Jacksonville State 49-24. The Hogs thought the team could be tightened up after mistakes against Jacksonville State. However, it was just a foreshadowing for the next game against ULM.

John L. Smith’s post-game quotes:

“We are going to have to tighten up in our pass coverage. That will come. In special teams, I was hoping to get Nate (Holmes) a little more running room. He got some room in there, except it had to be called back. I think that shows a little bit of his abilities as far as a return guy. So we’ll get some things out of him hopefully like what we got out of Joe Adams in the future. Anyway that was about it. There are a lot of things we need to work on and a lot of things we need to get better at before the next one.”

September 8, 2012: Arkansas has a monumental collapse to Louisiana-Monroe and loses in overtime 34-31. Tyler Wilson gets knocked out in the first half due to concussion-like symptoms. ULM even made t-shirts commemorating the victory.

September 9, 2012: Saturday Down South learns from a source close to Wilson that he was kept overnight in Little Rock from a severe concussion, was not released from hospital until “around 11 AM” and “had blood on the bottom of his brain”. Arkansas continues to say Wilson will be a game-time decision against Alabama.

YouTube singer LIZHONEY2U makes a video that would go viral by singing “Razorbacks United We Stand”.

September 13, 2012: Tyler Wilson misses practice because he went to a specialist for his concussion, and medical personnel does not clear him for Saturday’s game against Alabama. However, the media has no clue he was not cleared or why he missed practice.

September 15, 2012: Wilson warms up before the game, but he does not start because the medical personnel did not clear him. Arkansas goes on to get dominated by Alabama 52-0, and John L. Smith’s post-game comments give no encouragement to anyone.

“I really don’t know what to say. I didn’t know what to say to our team as well.”

Wilson calls out his teammates after the loss, which is met with mixed emotions:

“No, sorry, we’re not doing questions today. I’ll start with the football game. Obviously it wasn’t very pretty to watch. It wasn’t pretty for me to sit on the sideline and watch as a player. It sucks I can’t be out there to do anything about it. Do I feel like we at times gave up out there? Yeah. Absoutely. And as a leader, it sucks to see people not do their jobs and things go wrong. There have been a lot of things that have gone that way. As a leader at this point, you’ve got to look forward, and there’s been a lot of people jump off the bandwagon and it’s my responsibility as a leader to keep everybody in this organization, in this team, in that locker room, together. And I’m going to make sure of it going forward. We’ve got a big game against Rutgers next week. I’m going to do everything in my power to be a part of it and be the starting quarterback to run out there on the field and get a win. You’ve got to start with one before you can get the rest of them. But I give you my word I’m going to do the best in my ability and the best in my power to make that happen. That’s all I’ve got.”

September 16, 2012: LIZHONEY2U publishes another video after the Alabama loss named “Razorbacks Ain’t No Stopping Us Now“.

September 17, 2012: John L. Smith delivers the unforgettable “SMILE! SMILE!” press conference heard around the college football world.

September 19, 2012: Everyone learns that John L. Smith has over $25 million in debt from real estate deals gone bad. You can read the details here.

September 20, 2012: We also receive word from the University of Arkansas via a press release that John L. Smith’s brother has passed away, and he was in Idaho for the funeral.

“Coach John L. Smith flew to Idaho Falls last night following practice to attend the funeral of his brother (Bart) who passed away Monday. The funeral is being held this afternoon and Coach Smith will return to Fayetteville early this evening.”

September 21, 2012: Wilson is cleared to play against Rutgers, per John L. Smith.

“Good news this afternoon: Tyler is cleared to go,” Smith said. “That’s very exciting, and we are thankful that he is. Our football team is excited about that. Now we need to go to the field and be accountable and execute.”

September 22, 2012: Rutgers beats Arkansas 35-26, and the Rutgers quarterback throws for five touchdowns in the win. Hogs’ Cobi Hamilton sets a single-game SEC receiving record with 303 yards.

September 24, 2012: John L. Smith refers to the “state of Alabama program” when delivering a speech about his own team at the Arkansas Touchdown Club.

September 29, 2012: Arkansas got thumped by Texas A&M 58-10 on the road. That’s when everyone started taking note of Johnny Manziel and his crazy freshman season. The Aggies out-gained the Hogs 716 yards to 518 yards.

October 13, 2012: The Hogs won two straight against Auburn and Kentucky by a combined 73-14. Are the Hogs back? If Arkansas wins out, is there a chance Smith gets retained? No shot.

November 23, 2012: The Hogs finish the regular season losers in four of their five.

November 24, 2012: AD Jeff Long announces John L. Smith won’t be retained for the 2013 season.

December 4, 2012: Arkansas hires Wisconsin’s Bret Bielema. Bielema was a splash hire who was at the top of the big board, but we just didn’t know he was on the board.

December 5, 2012: Bret Bielema calls the Hogs for the first time during his introductory press conference.

January 10, 2013: Bielema shows he’s not afraid to dish it out to the haters on Twitter.

February 7, 2013: Bielema and Arkansas sign the country’s #27 recruiting class, according to Rivals.com. National Signing Day was February 6th, but Alex Collins’ mother made the Hogs’ big finish wait another day.

March 29, 2013: Bret Bielema (jokingly) takes aim at the SEC’s evil empire and the 500-pound gorilla in the room: Nick Saban.

“The reason the SEC is talked about all the time is one team, because of their dominance. But I didn’t come here to play Alabama. I came here to beat Alabama.

“You can take Saban’s record when he was at Michigan State and when he was a coach in the Big Ten and put it against mine, and he can’t compare.”

What will 2013 have in store for the Hogs?

Photo Credit: Beth Hall-USA TODAY Sports

And it certainly wasn’t.

“I don’t think an A.D. should ever hire somebody for 10 months,” Paul Petrino said. “Players know what that means; they understand that. It hurts the power of the head coach and the assistants.

“They should’ve hired (Smith) for two years or hired someone else for two years, or just (expletive)-canned all of us.”

Both coaches felt the same about the situation – hire a longer-term coach to a multi-year contract or can the entire staff. The 10-month contract basically told all the players and the rest of the coaching staff that unless they win the SEC, they, along with Smith, wouldn’t be returning.

In a slightly separate story, Paul Petrino confirmed some players quit on the team.  After the season turned out to be a dumpster fire, older players started worrying about their draft status and packed it in, according to the coaches.

“There were some seniors who kind of hung it up, to be honest with you,” Petrino said. “They were going to worry about their futures more than that team. A couple seniors said they were hurt and I don’t know if they really were.”

Haynes agreed that the players quit, but he didn’t fault he players, because the 10-month hire caused instability.

“I really don’t fault them, to be honest with you,” Haynes said. “I don’t fault the kids for thinking that way. Again, there was no stability there. Again, it goes back to, ‘Who am I playing for?’ Once they can’t say, ‘We’re trying to save the coaches’ jobs’—if they’re just playing for the university, sometimes kids feel the university let them down.”

John L. Smith also questioned some players’ injuries, and whether or not they could have played.

“If a kid’s hurt, he’s hurt. Could some of the guys that were hurt have played with those injuries and continued on? That’s up to those guys,” Smith said.

“But I think some of the players, some of the older guys, said, ‘Why should I continue on?’ They were looking ahead to the NFL.”

The players who were speculated to have faked injuries are senior tight end Chris Gragg, linebacker Tenarius Wright and running back Knile Davis, according to the Sporting News article.

Similarly, senior quarterback Tyler Wilson was both hammered and praised in the media for calling his players out after the 52-0 loss against Alabama and telling everyone they quit.

“No, sorry, we’re not doing questions today. I’ll start with the football game. Obviously it wasn’t very pretty to watch. It wasn’t pretty for me to sit on the sideline and watch as a player. It sucks I can’t be out there to do anything about it. Do I feel like we at times gave up out there? Yeah. Absolutely. And as a leader, it sucks to see people not do their jobs and things go wrong. There have been a lot of things that have gone that way. As a leader at this point, you’ve got to look forward, and there’s been a lot of people jump off the bandwagon and it’s my responsibility as a leader to keep everybody in this organization, in this team, in that locker room, together. And I’m going to make sure of it going forward. We’ve got a big game against Rutgers next week. I’m going to do everything in my power to be a part of it and be the starting quarterback to run out there on the field and get a win. You’ve got to start with one before you can get the rest of them. But I give you my word I’m going to do the best in my ability and the best in my power to make that happen. That’s all I’ve got.”

Even if the players quit in 2012, it’s a direct result of the failure of the coaching staff.

Do you find it ironic that throughout the season the coaches talked about how the players didn’t quit?

It should be noted that Smith, Petrino, Haynes, etc., complemented players all year for not quitting. Quote after quote after quote.

— Robbie Neiswanger (@NWARobbie) January 31, 2013

Paul Petrino on Nov. 23 after LSU game: ““I was proud of the kids. I was proud of the assistant coaches …” (continued)

— Robbie Neiswanger (@NWARobbie) January 31, 2013

“I was proud of everybody that fought as hard as they could. That’s something we can all look in the mirror and always know that we did.”

— Robbie Neiswanger (@NWARobbie) January 31, 2013

Paul Haynes Nov. 23: “It didn’t go the way we wanted it to, but the effort, the preparation our guys gave, you can’t ask for anything else.”

— Robbie Neiswanger (@NWARobbie) January 31, 2013

So, why are they singing a different tune now?

Photo Credit: Nelson Chenault-US PRESSWIRE

John L. has a good attitude, telling the Associated Press that ”The big time is simply where you are.”

Fort Lewis has a stadium which doesn’t seat quite 3,000 fans.

It is reported that Smith was offered more lucrative position coach offers at various schools, but Smith has chosen to be reunited with athletic director Gary Hunter, who gave him his first job in 1989 at Idaho.

Smith will have local skiing, beautiful scenery and a next to zero pressure as head coach. He’ll be far away from the pressure and big time football of SEC football… something that we assume both Smith himself and the Hog fans in Fayetteville are happy about.

Photo Credit: Beth Hall-USA TODAY Sports

Final Record: 4-8 overall, 2-6 SEC

2012 will be an unforgettable – or forgettable – year for Hogs fans. From Bobby Petrino’s April 10th firing to the April 24th hiring of John L. Smith, Arkansas has been the SEC’s roller coaster program and the brunt of many jokes for the past nine months.

Smith was tabbed to take over a program he was familiar with, as a coach who would keep the coaching staff in tact and give the players some peace in the midst of all hell breaking loose. Although some knew it was nearly impossible to happen, he was in the running for a long-term contract should the Hogs play well under Smith and reach SEC Championship goals. However, Smith served his purpose to keep everything intact and keep the program from meltdown mode, even in the midst of posting a 4-8 record.

Ranked preseason #10 and jumping up to #8 in week two, there were high aspirations for Tyler Wilson, Knile Davis, Cobi Hamilton and company. Wilson was returning for his senior season, and it looked like a beautiful story for the seniors. That story ended up turning into a nightmare for the Hogs.

After losing to Louisiana-Monroe in week two, Arkansas followed it up by losing three straight to Alabama, Rutgers and rival Texas A&M. The Hogs ended up winning their next two games against the two worst teams in the SEC – Auburn and Kentucky – but lost four of their last five, including a nail biter to LSU.

Tyler Wilson and Cobi Hamilton leave Arkansas as record setters. Wilson broke Ryan Mallett’s career passing record with 7,495 passing yards. Hamilton broke Arkansas’ single-season reception record and single-season receiving record, both held by former wide receiver Jarius Wright. Hamilton also broke Arkansas’ single-game receiving mark with 303 yards in a loss against Rutgers. Unfortunately for Arkansas, Knile Davis never got going on the ground, and senior Dennis Johnson stepped up in his lack of production.

Defensively, Arkansas was better against the run, but overall, it was a dismal season. They finished 12th in the SEC in total defense, allowing over 400 yards per game on defense. The run defense, however, was a bright spot. Paul Haynes’ group only allowed 124 yards on the ground per game, good for 5th best in the SEC. But the black eye was defending the pass. The Hogs were the worst in the SEC, allowing quarterbacks to throw for over 285 yards per game.

Offensive Stud: The offensive MVP was quarterback Tyler Wilson. Wilson was the only offense the Hogs could depend on to even stay in football games. He missed 1.5 games, but he still threw for 3,387 yards and 21 touchdowns. His interceptions were up to 13 from six last season, but he had little to no time to get rid of the football, nor did he have a running game that could help balance the offense. Wilson will be missed not only at Arkansas, but in the SEC, too. He’s a tough, hard-nosed player who isn’t afraid to sit in the pocket and take shots from defenders. That bodes well for quarterbacks at the next level.

Defensive Stud: Before the start of 2012, you might have said Tank Wright or Alonzo Highsmith would be the MVP of the defense, but defensive end Chris Smith was the best player by the end of the season for the Hogs. He was the one guy on Arkansas’ defense who progressively improved throughout the year, and he had a big game against LSU to close it out. Smith finished with 9.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss. It was an impressive season for a team that lost the will to live somewhere around week four.

Where To Next: The good news for Arkansas fans is there are better days ahead with new head coach Bret Bielema. He will have a bigger impact on the defensive side of the ball, while it will take some time to replenish the star power lost on offense. Bielema comes with a strong pedigree, having won three straight Big Ten Championships with three Rose Bowl appearances. He needs to hit the ground running, but he does have a good young nucleus of players to build around. It’s an interesting hire and a good hire, but can he build what Nick Saban and Les Miles have built?

Photo Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Below is a portion of Long’s statement.  You can read the entire release here.

“With our 2012 football season concluded, I met earlier today with Coach John L. Smith to inform him we would be making a change in leadership within our football program. I have great respect for Coach Smith and I thank him for the sincere commitment he has shown our program. He made a difficult decision in uncertain times to return from his alma mater to guide the young men in our football program, and I will always be grateful for his efforts.”

What is surprising is that the Hogs are expected to name a new coach within the next 10 days, per CBSSports.com.  That’s quite ambitious, but they have had more than enough time to get a head start on other universities that will also be replacing their head coaches after the season.

Arkansas becomes the third job to open up in the SEC, joining Kentucky and Tennessee. Is Auburn next?

Photo Credit: Beth Hall-US PRESSWIRE

We know John L. Smith and Joker Phillips will indeed coach their last games in the SEC today and Saturday. However, could we see a fourth in Auburn’s Gene Chizik?

John L. Smith, Arkansas
The 64-year-old Smith will indeed coach his last game today against LSU. Although nothing has been made official that AD Jeff Long won’t rehire Smith, the chances of that happening are…it’s not happening. Smith’s tenure at Arkansas has been up and down, but he was hired to provide the players and Long a coach they were familiar with after the Bobby Petrino cluster.

Although Smith was quite goofy at times, he has been through more in just the last year than some coaches go through in their lifetime. He filed for bankruptcy with $40.7 million in debt from real estate deals gone wrong, and the same week the official debt was made public, his brother passed away. He delivered his unforgettable “smile” speech that will be replayed for years on end. He later had a gaffe at an Arkansas speaking event in which he called the Arkansas program “the state of Alabama program”.

Smith is currently 4-7 as Arkansas’ head coach, with his team underachieving in nearly every facet of the game, and he even lost to a Sun Belt Louisiana-Monroe as the then #8 team in the country.

Smith served his purpose at Arkansas, providing some stability in the wake of Petrino’s massive instability. But it won’t be enough to get him rehired, seeing Arkansas won’t be bowl eligible and will virtually lose all their stars on offense. It will be a major rebuilding project in Fayetteville. It will take the right hire to make it happen.

The Hogs have been said to be looking in the direction of TCU’s Gary Patterson to take over the reigns of the program. It remains to be seen whether or not it will happen. That would be the right hire, though.

Joker Phillips, Kentucky
The firing of Joker Phillips was rather bittersweet for Kentucky fans. After all, Phillips is a Kentucky guy, having played there and coached in the program for nearly 19 years, but the program is nowhere near where it needs to be to compete in the SEC.

Phillips inherited a stable team and roster from Rich Brooks, but in just three years, Phillips compiled a 13-23 head coaching record, going 7-16 in just the last two seasons after reaching a bowl game in his first season. Phillips has managed just four wins in conference play in the last three years and sits currently winless in the SEC in 2012.

AD Mitch Barnhart fired Phillips two weeks ago, but let him coach his final two games – Samford and Tennessee – to finish out the season. And what a way it would be to finish if the Cats take down the Vols for the second straight season.

Look, Kentucky knows they won’t compete for Eastern Division championships year-in and year-out, but the standard set of obtaining seven to eight wins and reaching bowl games is very doable.

Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart has already said to express his dis-interest in the job, and Duke head coach David Cutcliffe has signed an extension at Duke. It’s going to be interesting to see where the coaching search ends up for Barnhart and the Wildcats.

Gene Chizik, Auburn
The much-maligned Gene Chizik is indeed really starting to feel the heat, especially after the recent report on the NCAA investigation regarding Jovon Robinson.

Outside of Cam Newton’s remarkable 2010 season, Chizik sports a record of 19-18 at Auburn and is currently 3-8 in 2012.

Chizik has reeled in top recruiting classes year-in and year-out, but there has been zero development of blue-chip players throughout his tenure. Remember, Newton and Nick Fairley – the two biggest players in Chizik’s tenure – were JUCO transfers. So, Chizik didn’t develop either of those players. And once again, Auburn has a top recruiting class committed. Recruiting isn’t the problem and never will be the problem at Auburn.

The biggest problem with Auburn right now is that it is a dumpster fire of program with the NCAA breathing down their neck and an incompetent AD in Jay Jacobs.

Two weeks ago, we learned that president Jay Gogue was said to be making plans to fire Chizik after the season, but he planned to retain Jacobs as the AD.

Winning at Auburn is difficult enough, but the athletic department as a whole makes this a less attractive job if indeed Chizik does get fired. A blowout loss against in-state rival Alabama, and Chizik may pack his bags on Sunday.

Photo Credit: John Reed-US PRESSWIRE

In other news, the sky is blue.

Phillips became the first SEC lame duck coach to receive his paper’s this fall during a tumultuous third season in Lexington. Saturday’s home shutout loss to Vanderbilt made things clear to UK athletic director Mitch Barnhart that the program’s spiral would continue unless a change was made. Effective at the end of the season, Phillips is out and new blood will be in (Here’s a list of candidates).

Phillips isn’t the only coach, however, who will be gone at the end of the season. John L. Smith is a dead man walking, and both Gene Chizik and Derek Dooley could be out, too. In a league where wins come at a premium, losses can build quickly if a quality product isn’t put on the field. Phillips has lost 23 of 35 games for the Wildcats in three seasons while Vanderbilt, the SEC East’s other perennial bottom-dweller seems to be headed in a different direction. James Franklin is considered one of college football’s best young coaches, has his team thinking bowl game and has been competitive against the big boys during his stint in Nashville.

The same can not be said for Phillips whose in a similar situation in terms of recruiting challenges and limited funds dedicated to football compared to other schools. In Fayetteville, things have been embarrassing for a team that were penciled in as a BCS sleeper in August. Smith’s been a disaster at Arkansas coming in for preseason hiccup Bobby Petrino. Petrino’s name is swirling around several soon-to-be vacant jobs in the country while Smith plays out the string for the Razorbacks. The overtime loss to Louisiana-Monroe started a rip current of defeats that included lopsided loss to Alabama and Texas A&M with a setback to Rutgers sandwiched in between.

At least Smith’s team hasn’t given up like what has appeared to happen at Kentucky and Auburn. We’ve all heard of Chizik’s post-Newton numbers, but the Tigers have been downright disastrous this season. Auburn needs a win over Georgia or Alabama over these next three weeks to avoid a winless conference season. Of the four lame duck coaches in the SEC, Chizik’s job is most safe since he does have a recent national title.

Dooley and the Volunteers have been the biggest disappointment. Tennessee has better players than Kentucky and one could argue Auburn. Tyler Bray and the Vols’ offense is statistically one of the conference’s best, but a grueling schedule and hole-filled defense as led to five SEC losses — the third straight season under Dooley that the Vols have started 0-5. A program with a rich history, Tennessee’s 15 consecutive losses to ranked teams under Dooley has turned his seat from hot to scorching. A loss to Troy Saturday night could have sealed Mr. Orange Pants’ fate. A team that entered Neyland Stadium 4-4 overall, nearly pulled the unthinkable with a season-high 721 yards of offense and 34 first downs. However, there are some rumblings that if Dooley does win seven games, he could return, but it would be a terrible mistake.

Soon, more heads will roll in the SEC.

Photo Credit: Beth Hall-US PRESSWIRE

Arkansas (3-4, 2-2)
John L. Smith will be replaced, and Athletic Director Jeff Long said he wants to hire a new head coach within two weeks after the season is over. Although Long has said that Coach Smith will be considered to be hired on a permanent basis, we all know that has zero chance of happening. Competing in the SEC with the likes of Alabama and LSU in the same division will be a sexy attraction to several big-time coaches.

Since Long will replace John L. Smith, here are five candidates who will get a phone call:

1. Charlie Strong, Louisville head coach
2. Kirby Smart, Alabama defensive coordinator
3. Gary Patterson, TCU head coach
4. Art Briles, Baylor head coach
5. Butch Davis, Tampa Bay Buccaneer special assistant

Auburn (1-5, 0-4)
Many say Gene Chizik survives no matter how bad Auburn finishes. However, I disagree with that. After lying down in the second half against Ole Miss, Auburn goes on the road to Vanderbilt. Three weeks ago, several looked to the Ole Miss and Vanderbilt games to leave a lasting impression if Chizik returns for 2013. Outside of 2010’s anomaly with Cam Newton and Nick Fairley, there has been zero development of players within the program, as both Newton and Fairley were JUCO transfers. Likewise, Chizik’s record outside of ‘10 is 17-15. However, Chizik does have a $7.5 million buyout that could be a massive obstacle to cutting ties with him. But if Auburn drops two in a row to Ole Miss and Vanderbilt and he then proceeds to get demolished against Alabama in November, Auburn will make a change. The presence of a more successful in-state rival may accelerate Chizik’s firing.

Kentucky (1-6, 0-4)
It’s a shame Kentucky and Auburn doesn’t play one another, because the worst team in the SEC would be settled, but we can certainly speculate from the eye test. Last week’s 49-7 blowout against Arkansas proves it can’t get any worse for the Cats, but with Georgia coming to town, it really could. It will be a difficult decision for Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart to move on from his ‘Kentucky guy’. But let me make Barnhart’s decision a little easier here. Phillips is 12-20 overall in three years and 4-16 in the SEC. Even the win against Tennessee last season isn’t enough to buy Phillips anymore time. It was crucial for Kentucky to show progress in Phillips’ third season, but they have only showed regression. However, the loss of starting QB Max Smith to injury and the fact the Wildcats have played one of the toughest schedules – Louisville, Florida, South Carolina and Mississippi State – could be cause for buying him a little bit more time. The Wildcats just want to be competitive, and they’re nearly last in every single offensive and defensive statistic in the SEC.

Tennessee (3-3, 0-3)
This was supposed to be the year that Derek Dooley turned things around for the Vols, seeing he had future NFL players saturating the offensive side of the football. The Vols have lost all three SEC games – Florida, Georgia and Mississippi State – and are giving up an average of 43 points per game. Defensive Coordinator Sal Sunseri certainly isn’t helping Dooley. Coming off a reeling loss at Mississippi State and heading into Alabama, a win Saturday could put the firing talks to bed for the season. Dooley has a chance to upset the #1 team in the country and save his job. But the facts remain – Dooley is 0-13 against ranked opponents and 1-9 on the road in the SEC, with his only win coming against Vandy in ‘10. Tennessee will likely go ‘O for October’. So, the question becomes, will Dooley make it back to Tennessee with a 7-5 finish? A new coach costs Tennessee $9 million, with a $5 million buyout of Dooley and $4 million to make the right hire.

Which programs do you think make a change?

Top Shelf: Nick Saban
If you can have one coach in all of college football to build your football program into a perennial powerhouse, you undoubtedly choose Nick Saban. Saban’s pedigree, record and championships speak for themselves, but what he’s done with a defense that lost six starters and an all-world running back has been nothing short of amazing. Saban has guided an inexperienced defense to tops in the nation in total defense, only allowing 181 yards per game. His attention to detail and command for excellence from his players is fun to watch, even if you hate the Tide. Bama is on autopilot.

Next Level: Les Miles and Steve Spurrier
Les Miles guided his team to a crucial win at home against South Carolina on Saturday, after a tough road loss against the Gators. LSU is still in the top ten, and they are still in the national championship talk. But the offense must improve moving forward to make a legitimate run. Steve Spurrier has made South Carolina a national championship contender, led by a powerful running game and a physical defense. This is still the same ole’ Spurrier, but he’s amended his high-flying offense to fit the strengths of his team. He’s done a marvelous job developing Connor Shaw and adapting to the SEC 2.0, a very different conference than the one we saw him dominate in the 90’s.

Hottest Young Coaches: Dan Mullen and Will Muschamp
What Dan Mullen is doing in Starkville, few could accomplish. He’s winning football games in a very convincing fashion, and he’s up for coach of the year in the conference. But it will largely fall on how the Bulldogs finish, as opposed to how they have started. Still, Mullen is a rising young superstar in the coaching ranks who has a veteran-laid team. Will Muschamp’s job of turning Florida around and guiding them to their #2 ranking in the BCS has been a joy to watch. When hired, he promised to bring a power running game and a physical defense, and he stuck to the course and has done just that in spectacular time. The Gators average over 233 yards per game on the ground and are fourth in total defense in the SEC.

Knocking on the Door: Mark Richt
Mark Richt is knocking on the door to get to the next level, but his loss to South Carolina obviously hurt those chances and rekindles talks about his ‘non-elite’ status as a coach. It just seems time and time again that Richt-led teams always falter against highly ranked opponents, and Carolina put a convincing beating on them earlier this month. What’s it going to take for Richt to get to that next level? Winning out and getting an SEC championship would be a great start.

Better than Advertised: Hugh Freeze and Kevin Sumlin
Hugh Freeze has brought a renewed energy to Oxford, and he’s doing it largely with a 2-10 roster. Outside of Bo Wallace, this is the same team that struggled to get two wins in ‘11, and they are vying for bowl eligibility in his first season. You really have to credit what he’s accomplished through seven weeks. Kevin Sumlin is known for his offense, and that’s exactly what he brought to College Station for the Aggies. Texas A&M leads in scoring offense at 47 points per game, and it doesn’t hurt that he has the best freshman player in the country in Johnny Manziel. Sumlin is off to the races, and with Texas struggling in awesome fashion, Sumlin has a chance to get a great head start on prowling the state for the top recruits.

Caught in the Middle: James Franklin
I want to believe James Franklin is a good coach, and I truly think Vanderbilt has a good one on their hands. He’s changed the atmosphere with his style and the way he’s building the brand, but he’s going to need better players to change the culture. More blue-chip recruits are looking the Dores’ way, but it’s just going to take time to make Vanderbilt not Vanderbilt.

Scraping the Bottom: Gene Chizik, Derek Dooley, Joker Phillips, Gary Pinkel and John L. Smith
There could be four legitimate coaching changes in the SEC after this season, with Gary Pinkel having the best chance to survive out of the five above. Gene Chizik has shown no progression this season, only regression in a rather remarkable fashion. Auburn sits 1-5 and 0-4 in the SEC. The Tigers will do well to win three. Derek Dooley’s seat gets hotter by the week, and his last loss against Mississippi State put it into overdrive. With Alabama and South Carolina looming, an ‘O for October’ is very likely. That won’t sit well with Tennessee fans and boosters. Joker Phillips may be cursed this season. Sitting at 1-6 and losing two of his better quarterbacks to injury, Phillips could be on his way out. The only other win on the schedule looks like Samford. Gary Pinkel has felt the criticism in Columbia in his first SEC season, and the Tigers have been hampered with injuries. But overall, they are just not SEC ready. I think Pinkel gets more time. John L. Smith is probably SMILING today after his third win of the season against Kentucky. Not too much longer Arkansas fans…

Long’s decision to bring Smith back to Arkansas as a ten-month head coach was just as reckless as Petrino putting his former mistress on the athletic department payroll. Smith had returned to his alma mater, Weber State, as head coach after serving as Petrino’s special teams coach in 2011. It was presumably the last stop for a coach who enjoyed modest success at the lower levels of the FBS before a 12-20 stint at Michigan State that ended in 2006. Still, Long felt Smith’s Big Ten experience made him ready to come back to Arkansas on short notice to clean up the mess left by Petrino’s firing.

This is not to suggest Long was wrong to fire Petrino. As I wrote six months ago:

The last thing Arkansas can afford to be is a national punchline. And the longer Jeff Long kept Bobby Petrino around, the more laughter there would be. Long admitted it was the “negative publicity” of Petrino’s motorcycle accident—and the “inappropriate relationship” with Jessica Dorrell that it unraveled—that proved the “key factor” in Long’s decision to fire Petrino for cause. As I noted last week, what the media calls the “morals clause” in Petrino’s contract is really a “bad publicity” clause.

But this wasn’t just about some today’s headlines. It was about Arkansas’ ability to remain competitive in recruiting with Alabama, LSU and the rest of the SEC West. We all know that negative recruiting is a big part of the game. Anything that publicly damages a coach’s reputation is fair game. (Heck, even rumors of things you can’t prove are “fair” game.) Moreover, once you’re in the media’s crosshairs, their tendency is to keep digging until they find even more stuff to embarrass or destroy you with. Jeff Long has been an athletic director long enough to understand this.

Unfortunately, Long went ahead and hired a temporary coach on the verge of declaring bankruptcy. That’s not a crime, but neither was Petrino’s affair. Smith told Long about his financial problems before he was hired back as head coach, which only emphasizes the recklessness of Long’s decision. Long’s first responsibility is to protect the reputation of the University of Arkansas, and coming off of Petrino’s malfeasance, Long needed to bring in a leader, interim or not, with no lingering personal baggage. It did a disservice to the team, and even to Smith, to give the public any further ammunition to use against Arkansas as the team struggles on-the-field this season.

It also begs the question of why Long felt it necessary to hire a temporary coach from the outside in the first place rather than promote a member of the remaining staff. Long suggested he always viewed Smith as a figurehead, saying last week, “I think Coach Smith has said he was counting heavily on the offensive and defensive coordinators, and I think that has been his style as a head coach and he’s continued that.” So what was he expecting Smith to do then, aside from giving bizarre press conferences?

Long’s hiring process was also suspect with Petrino. Not the decision to hire him, mind you, which clearly yielded excellent on-field results, but Petrino’s haphazard march from the Atlanta Falcons to Fayetteville in the middle of the night with three weeks to go in the NFL season. Long, then taking over at Arkansas from Frank Broyles, was desperate to lure a name coach after reportedly being spurned by Wake Forest’s Jim Grobe, and he induced a coach to quit on his team via a note posted in the locker room. That showed a lack of professionalism by both Petrino and Long, which in retrospect may help explain how the former coach felt empowered to undermine his athletic director with the Dorrell hiring.

(Arkansas defenders might point to a similar lack of professionalism in Nick Saban’s departure from the Miami Dolphins to Alabama, but there were two key differences: Saban finished out his season with Miami, and he had already proven his ability to win the SEC and a national championship.)

There’s nothing in Long’s past performance to give Arkansas fans much confidence in his ability to hire his third coach in a year. Prior to Arkansas, Long’s only football coaching hire was Dave Wannstedt at Pittsburgh; it’s not exactly rocket science to hire an alumnus of the school who was a two-time NFL head coach and, by all accounts, a model citizen. Now that the Petrino and Smith firings have blown up in Long’s face, Arkansas Chancellor G. David Gearhart needs to think long and hard–no pun intended–whether he trusts Long to get things right the third time around.