Which team could be a surprise this year in the SEC? I like Arkansas to make a good push to become a steady player in the always competittive SEC West. Bobby Petrino left the Atlanta Falcons in the middle of the night to become Arkansas' head coach last year and the season turned into somewhat of a transition phase for the Hogs.
Yes, Bobby Petrino was a disaster with the Falcons, and that may be in part thanks to the now-free Michael Vick; but Petrino should have just stayed in college. He went 41-9 during his tenure with Louisville and nearly got the Cardinals into the BCS championship game. Petrino is a great college coach, and there isn't any reason why he shouldn't have the Razorbacks contending this year.
Ole Miss is already the hot pick by all the experts to challenge Alabama for the title, everyone expects LSU to have a huge resergence year, Auburn and Mississippi State are in the middle of coaching changes, and everyone wants to see how the Crimson Tide will rebound from the devastating loss to Utah in the Sugar Bowl.
Meanwhile, Arkansas will be in it's second year under one of the best college coaches over the last 10 seasons. Led by senior DT Malcolm Sheppard, the Hogs have the potential to have a huge year if they catch some breaks. One break they didn't catch was the schedule. Arkansas plays some cupcakes at home (Eastern Michigan, Troy) but must go on the road to Alabama, Ole Miss, Florida, and LSU. Four potential top 15 teams.
Arkansas didn't have alot of scoring power last year, with all five of their wins coming by a total of 16 points but the offense should have a little bit more fire power this year. With senior Michael Smith at tailback, wide receivers Joe Adams and Lucas Miller and with a more mature offensive line, the Hogs should be able to produce some points.
Throwing the ball to those big receivers will be sophomore QB Ryan Mallett. The 6-7 QB was originally signed by Michigan and was one of college football's top recruits. However, things didn't work out in Ann Arbor and now the Hogs could have one of the most vertical passing games in school history. I look for Mallett to play a big role in coming out party of the Arkansas offense.
Even with the Hogs' huge upside on offense, the schedule might just be too tough. Don't make the Hogs your pick to win the SEC West, but they could definately make some noise and spoil a team's season; such as Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss, or Florida. The season will be a success if the Hogs can get to eight wins, the mark set by Houston Nutt in his last season at Arkansas. A couple of huge upsets could help them get to that eight-win mark.
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