Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel scores a touchdown against Arkansas. — (Brett Davis)

Hog Fans Might Want to Remember Last New Teams in SEC

Raiding Big 12 for teams hasn't exactly worked out well for Razorbacks

Author:
Andy Hodges
Publish date:
Jun 18, 2023 5:16 PM EDT

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas fans are content to keep trying to convince themselves Texas and Oklahoma are going to struggle coming to the SEC. The reasons use a logic system that is usually woefully out of date these days.

Of course, the Razorbacks should know better than anybody else than to assume newcomers from the Big 12 are automatically going to struggle. When Texas A&M and Missouri jumped leagues back in 2012, everyone immediately assumed the annual win over the Aggies would count as a league win.

The Hogs are 1-10 in games against A&M since then after three straight wins over them when they were in the Big 12 (and two of those wins were blowouts). Others may have selective amnesia, but on sports radio and just talking with folks, they all expected it would take a few years for the Aggies to catch up.

Expectations for the Tigers was even lower among Hog fans. They assumed if they could get them on the schedule it would be a big win every year because, well, the SEC was big boy football and "it would take years for them to get enough linemen to be competitive" was the prevailing opinion. After a year, Missouri was in the SEC title game two straight years, winning the East.

The Hogs are 2-6 against the Tigers now, after blowing some good opportunities for wins in there, something always seems to happen. It does against A&M, too, because we're not about to start trying to add up all of the "should have" moments in that series. The bottom line is the final score.

Yes, the Hogs are 3-16 in the last decade in games against the last two Big 12 teams that were supposed to struggle coming into the SEC. The Longhorns and Sooners have more resources, deeper pockets and better recruiting classes than either A&M or Missouri were having when they came into the league.

It will be a tougher grind for them, sure. But in a day and age when you can completely flip a roster from one season to the next, let's not start assuming now what either of them will be by 2024 (and save the "culture" nonsense). Literally everything can flip in a minute in Austin and they have the talent to make it happen. Hog fans might want to just worry about how Sam Pittman's going to be able to re-build his roster in a year.