All Hogs

Scatter Shooting: Razorback uniforms, schedules, playoffs and more

Fans get chance to convince Silverfield to take on their look, LSU faithful agree with Hogs, Texas needs to shut up
Kent Smith|
Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jefferson tries to jump the Texas A&M Aggies but loses a fumble that was returned to the other side of AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jefferson tries to jump the Texas A&M Aggies but loses a fumble that was returned to the other side of AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. | Ted McClenning-Hogs on SI Images

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Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — There's a lot of interesting topics getting tossed around out there that may not be worthy of a full story. However, when there's time to do a little scatter shooting, it's the perfect opportunity to address these minor thoughts.

So, that puts Arkansas uniforms, rivalry games, roster management and a little Texas whining square in the crosshairs. So, without further delay, let's tackle these discussions.

Best time to encourage change is when new coach comes in

When new coaches arrive on campus, one thing they often want to do is gain favor with fans. One way of doing that is with small changes that have little impact on whether the team will win.

That includes special uniform choices. One that is out there being pushed by fans is a dark gray uni with a carbon helmet that keeps the color from head to toe.

It's a solid look that will excite incoming players. However, a lot of Arkansas gear comes in dark gray and it always looks best when accented with thin bits of Razorback red, whether it be the outline of the running Hog or a thin out line around the team name.

If this look can work in those small Razorback red accents, even if it's a pinstripe on the pants, it will certainly be an acceptable look to run out there for a single game. Sure, the oldtimes will gripe about it, but they complain all the time anyway.

It would be nice to counter the look with the iced out look later in the season that goes white all the way through with Razorback red accents also.

Rule to Arkansas-proof playoffs has people all over U.S. flustered

Everyone is throwing a fit that two Group of Five teams made it into the playoffs. However, that happened because the SEC and Big Ten were trying to protect themselves when designing the format.

In the past, schools like Arkansas, which start so far down in the rankings it's almost impossible for them to jump into the Top 12, put together enough SEC wins to slip into the championship game on an off year for the conference.

Although it's never happened before as the Razorbacks have always struggled to perform well in the SEC title game, there's always an outside chance they will win the conference championship. Rather than face the shame of having a champion not make the playoffs, a provision was slipped in that said the five highest rated conference champions get automatic bids.

This way, when the Razorbacks, Ole Miss, South Carolina or Missouri slide through the back door and accidentally win an SEC championship, there's no way theoretically they would be left out. However, that doesn't really take into account if a similar scenario took place in a lesser conference like the ACC.

When Duke won the conference championship with an 8-5 record, it opened things up for No. 20 AAC champion Tulane and No. 24 Sun Belt champion James Madison to make the playoffs. The bigger surprise is the Mountain West didn't have a qualifier this year rather than the ACC having a champion missing the CFP.

For everyone complaining about James Madison making the field, they basically have two teams playing for the championship as their program has become the dominant factory of greatness in Division I football. Much of the No. 1 ranked Indiana team, complete with coaches led by former JMU head coach Curt Cignetti, is made up of former James Madison players.

As for Tulane, the Green Wave beat ACC champioin Duke 34-27 back in mid-September, so there's no argument to be made there that Duke should be in over them.

Finally, something people of all faiths, political sides agree upon

While Arkansas took a major hit with the SEC tradition of serving up whomever the Hogs hire as their new head coach to the Georgia Bulldogs as a welcome present, Arkansas did get a little something in exchange.

The Razorbacks get to finish the season against LSU in the Battle for the Golden Boot rather than being forced to conclude the year against Missouri in a forced fake rivalry game. Meanwhile, LSU was getting Texas A&M and Oklahoma forced upon them by the league.

That never sat well with LSU fans, especially the Oklahoma move out of nowhere. Now, social media is filled with Razorbacks and Tigers fans rejoicing about the game being back where it belongs.

There is now order in the world and a reason to watch the last game of the season regardless of records. They want the game on a Friday, but must accept little steps for now.

Meanwhile, Mizzou is still on the schedule, but far enough back toward the beginning of the season that Hogs fans might actually pay attention and care about the game.

Saving quality players from portal

If someone was going to take a vote on which players to salvage from the greatest 2-10 team in the history of college football, the players Silverfield is landing would be at the top. The return of quarterback KJ Jackson was a must, and talking defensive end Quincy Rhodes from going to the NFL was a true masterclass in recruiting knowing how high he would have likely went in the draft.

Adding in Maddox Lassiter to lead the way for running backs while also keeping several members of one of the country's best offensive lines, especially after Sam Pittman and Eric Mateos left town, is a huge coup on Silverfield's part.

There is a small handful of other players who have eligibility left who fit the role of must-keep current Hogs, but beyond that, there's a limited number of players who would be nice to have around for another year, but not ones who would break the program if they weren't retained.

It looks like Silverfield will have a solid foundation of returners. That just leaves the question as to whether he has the resources to put the right pieces around them from the portal and how many of those will come in with extra years available to play.

Weakest SEC schedule

Longhorns fans are complaining about facing the toughest schedule in school history and one SEC Network personality Cole Cubelic even declared it so, but anyone with the slightest awareness of what's going on in the SEC knows the Longhorns have, for the third year in a row, swindled the weakest conference schedule.

They get a three-week stretch of a flailing Florida team that will be under yet another G5 Louisiana coach in his first year against the SEC, a gutted Ole Miss team without it's "Come to the 'Sip" magic of Lane Kiffin, and Mississippi State doing Mississippi State things.

Their only tough game after their first game in October is LSU. However, if Kiffin splits for Alabama, even that might not be too tall of a task to take on. Arkansas might be better, but will be beat to pieces by its "Death Row" schedule early on, Missouri is never anything to fear, and Texas A&M is a lot like its little brother Texas in that the Aggies will rack up a lot of wins at times, but always feel highly beatable because they lack the "it" factor of Georgia, LSU and Alabama of years past.

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Kent Smith
KENT SMITH

Kent Smith has been in the world of media and film for nearly 30 years. From Nolan Richardson's final seasons, former Razorback quarterback Clint Stoerner trying to throw to anyone and anything in the blazing heat of Cowboys training camp in Wichita Falls, the first high school and college games after 9/11, to Troy Aikman's retirement and Alex Rodriguez's signing of his quarter billion dollar contract, Smith has been there to report on some of the region's biggest moments. 

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