We May as Well Start Looking Ahead to Kinda Big Football Game

Hogs desperately need win to get out of sharing SEC basement with Vanderbilt

Author:
Andy Hodges
Updated:
Oct 30, 2023 7:57 AM EDT
Original:
Oct 29, 2023

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — As uncomfortable as it is, we are going to have to resume talking about the sad state of affairs with Arkansas football right now. Having Vanderbilt for a roommate as the bottom-feeders in the SEC isn't a place folks around here are used to seeing with just four games left.

The Razorbacks' highly-covered win over Purdue at Saturday afternoon's practice sorta allowed fans to put football out of mind. At noon Monday, we'll hear Arkansas coach Sam Pittman try to put some sort of spin he's got coming out of a bye week about to face a Florida team that is probably a little ticked-off about getting kicked around by No. 1 Georgia.

It's a good bet we'll hear how well the Hogs' offense is adjusting to Kenny Guiton taking over after Pittman had enough of Dan Enos apparently ignoring what he wanted to do his own thing. Considering the results the knee-jerk thought about all that is Enos might still be employed if he had done it.

The Gators losing to the Bulldogs probably is going to get blown out of proportion. It's a rivalry game. Running up the score tends to happen whenever possible. That's basically what happened to Florida. Georgia isn't ranked at the top of the polls playing favorites with the two-time national champions.

While we're on the subject of ruining your weekend by bringing up football in the first place, this might not be the best time to bring up the Hogs have never won a game in Gainesville. Feel free to talk about the highway robbery there in 2009, but the record is what it is.

The Hogs may be running into a team that has a hangover from an emotional loss, but since it turned into a blowout about all that's going to do is get their attention. If it was a close one into the fourth quarter for the Gators and Bulldogs that would may take some to flush out of the system. They were probably already flushing by the start of the fourth quarter.

While Hog fans are looking forward to these final four games of the year and view each as a winnable game, the Gators' faithful aren't nearly as confident. After the Razorbacks, Florida has LSU, Missouri and Florida State to close out the year. Considering they still need a win to lock down bowl eligibility with another win, the easy choices are getting slim.

Arkansas has to win all four games left and only one (against Florida International) offers any positive feelings. There is a way to paint this game Saturday as a must-win for both sides.

The Hogs want to keep hope alive. Florida probably just wants to not let qualifying for any bowl game turn this year into a bleak existence. One more loss really makes Pittman's job difficult the rest of the way with not a whole lot left to play for in the eyes of the coaches and players.

Enjoy that big basketball win at practice Saturday, guys. Football is back and the finish to the season could end up making Eric Musselman's bus even more crowded.