Arkansas Sports 360.com - July 2008 - (Page 42) froM tHe HiLL WHILE WAITING UNTIL JULY TO make predictions on Bobby Petrino’s first season probably seems like a nice bit of restraint, all it really means is I waited until everybody else’s predictions were out so I could do some, uh, “research.” There’s still no guarantee they are any better than if they’d been made the day Petrino was hired. Good luck if you choose to read further. Bless you if you base any sort of wager off them. And, if you think I need to be reminded how idiotic these picks are (winners in all caps), I don’t. Oh, by the way Arkansas goes 6-6. Western Illinois at ARKANSAS Nobody’s complaining about this game weakening the schedule. Arkansas is facing what some are calling the secondtoughest schedule in the country. Fans go Hog wild as the Razorbacks score a lot. ARKANSAS at Louisiana-Monroe (Little Rock) Imagine the difficulty Arkansas endured when looking for a Sun Belt Conference Difficult Season Awaits Razorbacks In Petrino’s Debut team willing to take years of abuse in exchange for healthy paychecks and the chance to claim Little Rock dates with the Razorbacks as a home game. No in-state school could have helped? Anyway … Arkansas wins easily. Arkansas at TEXAS Arkansas gets a true look at where it stands in this game. So, too, will football fans across the country as ABC televises. Texas will again fan those burntorange flames of hate as it hands Petrino his first loss. ALABAMA at Arkansas Beelzebub himself might be on hand for this one. Some regard Petrino and Alabama coach Nick Saban among the more dastardly figures in world history. Alabama struggled in Saban’s first season, but another year and an additional influx of talent should help the Crimson Tide win what we call the Pat Forde Bowl. (Confused? Google “Forde,” “Saban” and “Petrino”). FLORIDA at Arkansas If only this game had come a year earlier when Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and Arkansas tailback Darren McFadden finished first and second in 2007 Heisman balloting. McFadden is gone, so the spotlight belongs to Tebow. Arkansas fans discover what the Tebow fuss is about. Arkansas at AUBURN No matter how good the game, it won’t match the radio/Internet chatter. Petrino’s meeting with Auburn officials looking to replace Tommy Tuberville in 2003 will fuel pre-game talk. Afterward, grumblings will center on Tiger quarterback Kodi Burns and tackle Lee Ziemba, a pair of Natural State products. ARKANSAS at Kentucky This game would generally be about as ho-hum as a road SEC football game can be, but Arkansas fans and players ought to pay attention. It’s likely a must-win for the Razorbacks, who will be looking to stop a four-game skid. Ole Miss at ARKANSAS Houston Nutt returns to the place he coached for 10 years. Arkansas proves it will do just fine without him. Tulsa at ARKANSAS Few offensive minds in football can match Tulsa offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn. Petrino can, and neither team has a defense. Bet the over. ARKANSAS at South Carolina Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier has long been a fan of Petrino’s innovations, praising the then-Louisville coach for Sports Illustrated’s online readers in 2005. Petrino will remind Spurrier why he felt that way. Arkansas at MISSISSIPPI STATE Defense has been the trademark of the Sylvester Croom era at Mississippi State and should be again this year with six starters returning. That should sound worse to Razorbacks fans than all the cowbells in Starkville. Even with NFL caliber talent, Arkansas struggled there two years ago. LSU at Arkansas (Little Rock) Defending national champion LSU can fill the hole created in Baton Rouge when Arkansas won the “Golden Boot” last season. That empty space is actually a closet in the pen where mascot Mike VI is kept. Nobody in Louisiana cares about that gaudy thing. Neither should Arkansas. m cHriS BAHN $ ove 25 Ad ACCO r $1 ditio UN 00, na T S $50 l sa PEC on vings IAL ord on ers or ove ders r $2 00. NEW SAVE HAPPY. Let Cartridge World help you reduce costs, increase profits while you help save the environment. Take advantage of our Business Direct Program Today! » » » » Free Consultation to develop a program that is right for your company Free pick-up and delivery service for qualified businesses Savings up to 50% compared to buying a new cartridge High-quality premium inks and toners - 100% satisfaction guaranteed PRINT BIG. Cartridge World was named the #1 Toner Replacement Service franchise by Entrepreneur Magazine in 2005. 501.227.7480 » www.cartridgeworldusa.com 42 ArkansasSports360.com July 2008 11321 W. Markham » Little Rock http://www.arseafood.com http://www.arseafood.com http://www.cartridgeworldusa.com http://ArkansasSports360.com
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