Undoubtedly, every problem stems from Bill Montgomery’s 4th quarter errant pass intercepted in the Texas end zone. Since then not only has the team gone through eternal suffering, but so has the entire state.

10 and 16 is a fine record in close games for a team under a curse.

I’ve felt that very same thing! Looking at your recent list, a good number of those close losses came in Fayetteville, the very turf of the ’69 game! Though I doubt it would have a reading interest outside of the state of Arkansas, I can imagine a novel where characters (Hog fans) manage to get themselves sent back in time just to reverse the outcome of the Game of the Century. haha. Not only does Arkansas win, but the mood of the entire state turns and Arkansas suddenly becomes a center of innovation, progress, social justice, and is admired throughout the country for its forward thinking contributions to American civilization. Bill Clinton, not Al Gore, haha, invents the internet in Little Rock. And all because we beat Texas in ’69 and thus could move on to other things to obess over and apply ourselves towards. Of course, this is just fantasy. If we had won, I imagine we would have all been just as crazy about trying to win it all again. (Look at Texas!) Such is the nature of fandom.

Guys, I think you are on to something but, I would like to look at it from a different angle.

Frank Broyles.

Mr.TheSpreadWontWorkintheSEC, fired Lou Holtz, hired Kenny Hatfield, Jack Crowe, Danny Ford, not completely responsible but did not stop the hiring of Houston Nutt. Has never watched a replay of the 69 shootout. Once the 69 team graduated he went out with a whimper. Has made millions off of his involvement with the Razorback Foundation and his other Razorback connections.

There is a mindset for a winning program and football team. It starts at the top. After the loss Frank went political and never again set out to build a great program. He loves the story about Barnhill telling him he screwed up the best job in America. You have to know that is the same thing he said to Dale in 98.

This new bunch is not afraid of high expectations. They are going to spend the money on the program and build a winner. Tough losses are part of football but, great recruiting and great coaching will prevail. These next two years of recruiting and putting in the new system are the true last years of Broyles era. We worshipped at the altar of his ego and 1964 too long. It’s time to rejoin college football.

Thanks for the great shot of the EPICALLY bad call on London Crawford. That was NOT pass interference. The DB turned completely around, for Christ’s sake! Houston said he was convinced London pushed off. He’s a liar pure and simple.

It looks like the Ole Miss player did his own part in putting his arm out in front of London to keep him from running past him. The Ole Miss player wasn’t anticipating that the ball would be so underthrown, which it was. London’s touching him on the back as he was continuing down the field didn’t put the Ole Miss player at any disadvantage as far as I can tell. It wasn’t like he was pushed to the ground. Not knowing where the ball was going, that Reb was lost on the play to begin with. I just wish London would have recognized that and had not even touched him, for it was an amazing catch on London’s part. And I think a quick toss to Michael Smith would have resulted in a TD or a first in goal on the next play. Too bad we’ll never see that play. I just wonder how ticked off those refs were that their on-side kick ruling, when they were standing right there, was over turned by the replay booth. Maybe some payback in the form of a discretionary call that can’t be reviewed? Hmm.

Or,

If you guys want to work the karma angle, how about this? In 2006, on our way to Atlanta, we got all kinds of breaks,our path was paved. The next year we were on the wrong side of the breaks and went nowhere.

Next year, maybe, we will arrive a year ahead of schedule when the calls and the bounces go our way.

Yeah, in 2006 we sure did. But they ended with Trinton Holiday’s run back for touchdown in that game vs. LSU. The Special Teams monster started to raise its ugly head that day, and it would gobble us up in Atlanta and in Orlando.

@BlindHog – I like your theory about karma…let’s hope it applies next year (and maybe we have enough built up by now that we’ll have good luck for a few years in a row?).

@KevinHog – love the alternate universe scenario based on Arkansas winning the Big Shootout. Who knew that game was so significant to the way the world has turned since then? I’d read that book, for sure.

-John