Monday Morning Bowl Breakdown, Part 1

by John Expat on Nov 16, 2009 10:44 AM CST in Football Comment 16 comments

With Saturday's shellacking of Troy, the Hogs moved into the realm of bowl eligibility for the first time in the Bobby Petrino era and now we get to start thinking about the fun part: where and who will the Razorbacks play?

Although my knee jerk reaction is that 1) bowls are silly; college football needs a playoff ASAP and 2) predicting them at this point is practically impossible, I'm excited that we'll be getting an extra game this year and am willing to jump in to the fray with both feet first.

As of this morning, here's what some of the leading prognosticators are saying (all predictions are based on the results of last weekend's games):

Chris Low, ESPN.com: Cotton Bowl (vs Big 12 TBD)

Stuart Mandel, SI.com: Chick-fil-a Bowl (vs Clemson)

Mark Schlabath, ESPN.com: Cotton Bowl (vs Oklahoma State)

Bruce Feldman, ESPN.com: Liberty Bowl (vs Houston)

CBSSports.com: Indpendence Bowl (vs Iowa State)

CollegeFootballNews.com: Independence Bowl (vs Missouri)

So there you have it: no consensus at this point. The fact is that the SEC has a bunch of teams - Arkansas, Ole Miss, Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee, South Carolina - all clustered up in the middle, so the way we finish the season is key. Should be interesting!

Let us know what you think in the comments section (and if there are bowl prediction sites you like that we've missed, please share them and we'll add them to the list for next week).

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Not another bowl game against Missouri.

Please.

by Stephen Expat on Nov 16, 2009 11:16 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

I agree!

We’ve had enough of Missouri in bowl games. How about a team that sounds beatable? Houston in the Liberty Bowl (though their passing attack scares me) or Iowa State in the Independence Bowl. However, it would be something if the Hogs were to face my employer, OSU, in the Cotton Bowl and most importantly won. But since everyone here knows I am a Hog fan, it could be hell in Cowboy Country if the Hogs lost, haha. Would my students talk smack to me? Would I talk smack to them? On second thought, maybe it is just best to avoid OSU.

by KevinHog on Nov 16, 2009 11:58 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

the Independence Bowl is a bit blah

I’d rather play a good team in the Cotton Bowl (although maybe not “Missouri ’07 pissed off b/c they got snubbed by the BCS” good) rather than anyone in the Independence Bowl. But, anything is certainly better than nothing.

Arkansas Expats: Calling the Hogs from points way yonder.

by John Expat on Nov 16, 2009 12:04 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Thinking Geography

The Independence and the Liberty bowl are both within driving distance from my parents’ place. We might could even avoid a hotel stay. So I have something of a selfish outlook in that regard. But a Cotton Bowl would be great for the team. John, would the papajohns.com bowl in Alabama be better than nothing? Haha. I would have said so last year. Would not be too excited about it this year. Surely we deserve a fate better than that, and at least nobody has us projected there yet.

by KevinHog on Nov 16, 2009 12:12 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I think we need to take baby-steps.

No need to hit a homerun on the first shot. I think Chik-Fil-A vs. Clemson is a good fit.

by dxf04 on Nov 16, 2009 12:24 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I just hate corporate bowl titles

It sounds so much better to say you’ve won the Cotton, Liberty, Independence than Outback, Chik-Fil-A, Capital One – yuk! I know the first three always have a sponsor in front of their names, which I don’t care for either, but can live with. The tradition and pageantry of college football are commercialized enough already to have bowl games with titles with corporate names.. Instead of a game, it is as if they invented a marketing plan and then, oh, by the way, decided to have a football game inside it. I am now going to go off and have lunch with Karl Marx, haha.

by KevinHog on Nov 16, 2009 12:56 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Cotton Bowl

It is a no-brainer, the Cotton Bowl wants the Razorbacks. The Hogs just have to do their part.

by bradodickey on Nov 16, 2009 12:59 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Think about what's best for the team-think cotton..

Another home game at Jerry’s place. Playing in front of the Dallas area recruits. The motivation factor working to inspire our Razorbacks. I think our guys would really work hard in preparation for the Cotton Bowl and the motivation would carry us into Spring Camp/off season. Just don’t think the others will generate must motivation or challenge.

by RAZORED on Nov 16, 2009 1:41 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

How about...

Cotton Bowl vs. Nebraska? I think that would be both regional for us and winnable but a good ball game. If no Nebraska, then an Okie State game would be good. They have a good offensive attack, but we do too! Bring it on!!!

"It's not by chance that I bleed Razorback Red, it's what God intended for us all!"

by rsnookjr on Nov 16, 2009 1:57 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Bad Mojo

We should be saying “take it one game at a time” and other conservative cliches because dreaming about wins against good teams in the Cotton Bowl is the quickest way to guarantee a two game slide and a ticket to Shreveport. So on that note – Man, MSU really hung tight for a while against Alabama on Saturday. Dixon is an incredible running back, Dan Mullen is a genious and the Bulldogs are due for a win right about now.

Doing my best to tip the hoodoo scale back in our favor. It was dangerously close to pointing to Soul Crushing Defeat. Now it’s back up to Like Our Chances.

by PossumJackson on Nov 16, 2009 2:22 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Agreed. It’s fun to daydream, but first we gotta take care of business!

by Dalla$ on Nov 16, 2009 2:41 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

agreed

This thread wasn’t in any way intended to overlook Miss St. We’ll be posting more about them later in the week, of course, but they are legit.

Arkansas Expats: Calling the Hogs from points way yonder.

by John Expat on Nov 16, 2009 3:06 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I like Neb too

For somewhat selfish reasons, I like the Cotton Bowl with Neberaska too but I think we have to win out for that to be an option. I live in Nebraska and would love to play them. On the other hand, I’d like to end the year with a romp so how about Iowa State or Mizzou.

by omahahog on Nov 16, 2009 3:40 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I heard

that we’re getting new uniforms some time within the next few weeks. I heard this on the Drive Time Sports station. They’re sponsored by Nike but I haven’t heard what they will look like. Anyone else heard about it?

by Razorback1477 on Nov 16, 2009 5:48 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

We still have a contract with adidas until July 2010. At that point, we’re officially a Nike school. They may be getting new uniforms, but I don’t think they can wear them for games, due to the adidas contract.

by dxf04 on Nov 16, 2009 5:56 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm a bit suprised...

we haven’t even mentioned OU as a very good possibility in the Cotton Bowl.
They’ve lost 4 games, just as we have, and they more than likely will win out, meaning they will give OSU another loss.
I’m not sure who the other opponent is their playing, but if they lose that game as well, I see Arkansas-OU in the Cotton.
The bowl reps would be salivating over that one. Both sides would bring in an enormous amount of fans.

Christopher Martin Gonzalez

by GonzoHog on Nov 16, 2009 5:57 PM CST reply actions 0 recs