Y'all oughta watch my Hogs

Go Razorbacks!

College football better get ready. Because the Arkansas Razorbacks are about to unleash untold amounts of porcine fury on unsuspecting opponents between now and early January.

It can be tough rooting for a middling team in the uber-powerful Southeastern Conference from year to year. But occasionally the stars align, the amount of talented players and coaches reaches critical mass, and the start of the football season holds out the possibility that this - yes, this - could be THE year.

As an Arkansas ex-pat who roots for my Razorbacks from the piedmont of North Cackalacky, I can get a little obsessed around el primero de Septiembre. And yes, I can be a little overly-optimistic about the upcoming season when the record is still at 0-0. But I'm here to tell you, there ain't been this much excitement in Hog Nation since our backfield featured names like McFadden, Jones, and Hillis.

The reason: We've got a QB with legitimate Heisman trophy potential (Ryan Mallet) and a corps of receivers that might be the best in the nation (Greg Childs, Jarius Wright, Joe Adams, D.J. Williams, et al.).

A Hog with his game face on

There are always "if's" and this year is no exception. Defense is a concern, as it has been for the past few years. But at least Coach Petrino and his staff have known that all year, which means they might have been able to plug some of the notable holes (especially in the secondary, which looked at times last year like it didn't know what it was doing).

But if certain things go the right way - and if the Hogs get their sea legs quickly - then the Good Ship Razorback could have a date in Atlanta for early December. Yes, I'm calling you out, Bama fans and Auburn fans. (LSU and Ole Miss, you don't merit taunting. Have fun in the Independence Bowl. Oh, wait - I just taunted. Sorry.)

I'll be making predictions on gameday each Saturday the Hogs have a game this fall. Today's sacrificial lamb is Tennessee Tech. Let's get the ball rolling...

Game: Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Tennesee Tech Eagles
Prediction: Hogs 49, Eagles 7
Season record: 0 - 0