Let's assume just for a sec that Razorback athletic director Jeff Long does indeed do what he seems overwhelmingly likely to do: make a current assistant the Razorback interim football coach in 2012. Whom do you want him to pick?

Vote early, vote often - and then pipe up in the comments thread:

I am sure you have probably read or heard by now that Jessica Dorrell and the University of Arkansas came to an agreement that she would resign her position and be paid $14,000 dollars in severance pay. She also agreed not to profit off the recent scandal, which is a big coup for the university in this day and age of tell all books and interviews. A Woo Pig Sooie! to the UofA's legal team, possibly already the true MVPs of the upcoming season.

Something that I wanted to know from early on is just where in Arkansas was Jessica Dorrell from? Which town in the state would forever be known as the hometown of the woman who did her part to bring about Bobby Petrino's downfall and possibly cost the Razorbacks a legit chance at a national title? Well, the answer is no Arkansas town has the shame of being Ms. Dorrell's hometown. It turns out, she is from TEXAS! Well, of course, it had to be Texas! haha.

I say this only in jest, for I am not truly a believer in grand conspiracies. Maybe it came from having just finished reading a John Le Carre spy novel, but I got a good laugh at my imagination's creation of a grand Texas conspiracy to send Jessica Dorrell to the University of Arkansas to play on the volleyball team, fake a potential marriage, seduce the head coach, have him hire her, and then cause Bobby Petrino to somehow have a motorcycle accident and manage not to get hurt herself. Jessica Dorrell, a secret agent, backed by the Longhorns or possibly even the Aggies.

But where the theory certainly falls apart is assuming either Austin or College Station would be smart enough to pull something off this grand, haha. They would probably respond by saying, 'As if we cared about you Pigs enough to send such an agent to Fayetteville." If there are any creative writing types out there needing a ridiculous plot for a college football novel that for once the fiction would be stranger than the reality, here's your title - "The Spy Who Came In From Fayetteville."

It makes perfect sense why anyone would be hesitant to replace Bobby Petrino with his brother Paul. There's no getting around that last name. They do have a brotherly resemblance. You can even find similarities in the way they speak. Would people ask Paul about Bobby at SEC Media Days and every other press conference thereafter? Yes. Would television announcers talk about Bobby anytime the cameras found Paul calling plays on the sideline? Pretty much. Arkansas obviously wants to distance itself from Bobby Petrino. He was only referred to as "the former coach" in the press release announcing Jessica Dorrell's resignation.

As we all know, Long was labeled with terms like integrity and dignity because he made what was obviously the correct decision despite the possibility of harsh public backlash. Not hiring Paul Petrino strictly because of the worry of awkwardness goes against the same principles that made Long bravely make the decision to fire Bobby in the first place.

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Despite the message board prophets declaring the contrary, no one knows what Jeff Long plans to do regarding the coaching search for the Razorback football team. The only thing we know, is that Long could hire an interim for season from within the current coaching staff, hire a permanent coach who might bring in his own staff, or hire a coach who'd basically be the face of the program for a year while allowing the current staff to run the team.

I have an idea I'd like to throw out there. I can think of a coach who is currently unemployed. He has strong ties to Arkansas. He's charismatic. Energetic. Commands the attention of the room when he speaks. His players love him and played hard for him. His locker room speeches, press conferences, and sideline ref trolling from are the stuff of legend. Aggressive play is key to his philosophy on both sides of the ball, and that style created a devout following from the Razorback fan base. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you:

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The last two weeks have been pretty tough on Razorback football fans, and we here at Arkansas Expats Inc. decided it was time to indulge in a little group therapy. In today's edition of the Hog Call Podcast, Expat staffers Beau Wilcox and Doc Harper join me to discuss the sorry Bobby Petrino saga and its aftermath.

We talk about the cell phone records (a little), the impending coaching search, Jeff Long's performance throughout this sordid mess and our (admittedly very early) predictions for the 2012 season. All this and a whole lot more. Many thanks to Beau and Doc for their time.

To listen right now, hit the play button on the widget below. Download the episode and subscribe to the podcast by visiting TalkShoe or iTunes.

I'm as fatigued as everybody else regarding the entire motorcycle escapade, but there is one issue that's just come up in the last few days that I have a problem with. Yesterday, Sports Illustrated published this piece about how Bobby Petrino used the athletic department administration to circumvent the usual hiring policies and "game the system" to make Jessica Dorrell the ill-fated Student Athlete Development Coordinator.

Sports Illustrated was able to analyze all 159 applications and determined that Dorrell was not the most qualified candidate for the position. Based on the job qualifications listed in the job advertisement and the experiences listed on the resumes, other people were more qualified (they stopped short of saying someone else should have gotten the job) for the position.

My response: so? Are we really going to pretend that every job in America is filled by the most qualified applicant?

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Razorbacks can Survive.wmv (via herefordguy91)

I come from the Southern Arkansas pines, and I am here to say that the Razorbacks can and WILL survive. Let me spit some pretend beech nut here and go on and say that I think recent events have only increased the will and desire amongst fans, assistant coaches, and the players to win it all in 2012. Enjoy the video. WPS! - PS: Ignore the sign at the 1:35 mark.

Like you I am sure, I've been moving around the different college football websites, blogs, and message boards trying to get a sense of where everybody thinks Jeff Long will go with his next hire and what rumors that exist about such a hire. Earlier I did a poll here where the majority voted that they would be happy if Long brought back Garrick McGee. Today's poll takes a different approach, for this seems to be the more fundamental question at hand - Do you hire somebody on a permanent basis, or do you go with an interim head coach from the staff that is already at hand? I think if John L. Smith were still here, it would be easier for Long to point to Smith as interim, what with his previous head coaching experiences at Louisville and Michigan State. Though I like the interim approach myself, for it would keep the staff at hand in place and working together, I just don't know which member of the current staff you select. Maybe they could vote amongst themselves? Hmm? Some democracy, possibly, in the autocratic world of college football. But certainly some democracy right here. Vox Populi, make yourself heard. Place your vote below.