We'll Find Out Some Answers on Razorbacks Against Rebels

Whether the questions come out positive or negative we'll have idea of season

Author:
Andy Hodges
Publish date:
Oct 7, 2023 12:28 AM EDT

In this story:

Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — These days, I don't do a lot of road trips. With the coverage on television these days, unless you're doing a story on the crowd, it's not that big of a deal to actually be there unless you want to ask questions in the group press conference later, which is all we get these days. There's a feeling Saturday's game against Ole Miss may offer a better perspective from a distance anyway.

For Arkansas' game in Oxford, Miss., it will give us a chance for a much better evaluation. While a lot of people have been worried more about offensive coordinator Dan Enos' e-mails, the coaches have other things requiring more attention. Sam Pittman probably isn't complaining about fans and media spending so much time on something other than critiquing his team.

There was plenty to analyze against Texas A&M last week. Maybe the most defining part of that is these Razorbacks aren't ready to compete for any championships. Right now, just making a bowl game seems like something far away for many folks.

The Hogs are sitting at 2-3. The good news is seven games are left on the schedule. Ole Miss on Saturday is tough enough. The worse news is Alabama is coming up next week. While they are, obviously, struggling still trying to answer some questions on offense, their defense is still really good. Don't pay much attention to the Texas game because it really has nothing to do with games these days.

Pittman can't worry about that, yet. The Hogs have more questions on offense, anyway, just in different spots. Quarterback is fine if Enos would become a good coach and adjust his system to what KJ Jefferson can do well and just let the players win the games. The world is full of offensive coordinators that are so smart they can even out-think themselves at times.

When the hopes in August turns to near-desperation by October, there's some problems. Obviously whatever the evaluation process throughout spring and fall practices either couldn't find the players to fill the spots or nobody can figure out how to get them in places they need to be to win games.

At this point, getting a win is probably the goal. However that looks, Pittman doesn't care. He'll take the ugliest win involving luck bigger than the 2015 win in Oxford with the "Henry Heave." In case you're wondering, that team would have been 6-6 without that prayer answered and we'd have a different view of what Enos accomplished his first time with the Hogs.

So far, we only have a couple of answers to the many questions. We've found out the Hogs' offense is balanced. They seem to running or passing consistently. The defense lacks the depth in the secondary that seems to be dwindling a little every week with more people getting hurt. It's a problem everywhere.

A win stops the bleeding and puts the Hogs back to .500. A loss and you can see the possibility of a 3-5 record after next week and a more likely result and nobody saw that coming back in the summer. Forget championships. This team isn't ready to play at that level, based on what they've done this year.

The game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. at Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium in Oxford Miss.The game be on on the SEC Network and fuboTV.