Arkansas' inability to play pass defense has made some fans choke while trying to keep swigging the Bobby Petrino Kool-Aid. Actually, it's not even Petrino-Aid. It's Willy Robinson Kool-Aid.
Petrino's offense performed admirably and excitingly. Ryan Mallet, a future NFL first-rounder, was impressive.
But, it seems nobody told Arkansas defense they can cover receivers between the hash marks. Whenever the Ginger Ninja Joe Cox needed a completion, he looked straight down the middle of the field, and invariably there was a wide open Bulldog.
While some blame the officials for tossing Jerry Franklin (kids, never touch an official, not even on accident, after your first unsportsmanlike penalty), the fault goes to Robinson.
I fear he's in over his head. Sure, he was an NFL coach. Sure, he was an assistant with the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers. But he was a position coach and not running the whole show on D.
Ellis Johnson left Petrino in a lurch. Petrino grabbed the first guy he could to be the DC. When Petrino hires his next defensive coordinator (after this season), he needs to make a better selection than Robinson.
Because in the SEC, you've got to have a solid defense. Unlike whatever also-ran conference Louisville was in during Petrino's time, you just can't get by with a great offense and a sub-par defense in the SEC.
2. Tulsa's new mascot totally sucks
3. Arkansas makes Deadspin's FAILgate feature!
New Year's Day, 2007: Wisconsin is playing Arkansas in the Outback Bowl in Orlando, FL. About 15 guys from my fraternity at and me make the trip down for a long weekend of general debauchery and to watch the Badgers.
Whoever holds a bowl game on New Year's Day should realize what they're asking for. My friends and I woke up in the single hotel room we were all sharing still hammered from New Year's Eve the night before in order to prep for the noon kickoff. A few just powered through the whole night and didn't go to bed, amazingly. Before we left our hotel, we attempted to spell out some sort of message across our chests in paint (I believe we were going for "On Wisconsin" but the whole day is hazy). However, some were too drunk to properly write letters, so the whole idea was scrapped and a few of us headed out with big red blotches on their bodies and faces. We looked like a retarded version of one of the clans from Braveheart.
Having never been to Orlando before, we weren't sure where the best place to tailgate would be. The least-drunk among us took charge and commandeered a few taxis with the instructions to a) find the nearest liquor store so we could stock up and then b) drop us off by the stadium. Once we secured booze, we arrived at the Citrus Bowl and started looking for a good place to set up shop. Again, we were all still hammered from the night before, so instead of doing the sensible thing and joining up with other Badger fans, we spotted a children's playground directly across from the stadium. The swings and jungle gym and slides seemed like the ideal spot to set up a base. The best part about the location was that it was right in the middle of the path that everyone going to the game had to take in order to walk into the stadium. I will never forget the looks on some of the moms' and dads' faces as they walked by us: 15 young men who failed at body painting, swinging around on a children's playground while chugging openly from plastic handles of Fleischmann's vodka.
I believe the attached picture sums up the day nicely. Notice the confused/terrified expressions on the kids faces.
FAILgate Stories
4. Recurring Items
The SportsJournalists.com poll is located here.
Your Week 3 Pammy nominees are here and your Week 4 TV announcer assignments are here.
5. M8B Prediction
Will Arkansas cover the spread (currently +15.5) at Alabama?
(Views expressed by the Magic 8 Ball do not necessarily reflect the views of this blog, the blog owner nor this post's author. Advice from the M8B is for entertainment purposes only and not for actual wagering ... especially since Magic 8 Ball is 3-2 this season - since Shields did bring up the GSD before the end of the month.)
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