Well, THAT was fun

Arkansas 47, aTm 19 has a nice ring to it!  Congrats, Hogs, on the victory.

See, kiddies, this is what the old SWC USED to be like---we’d win 1 of 4 from Texas, then pretty much beat the rest of the conference most years. 

aTm faced a Southeastern Conference team out there tonight.  Both teams are young; both programs trying to rise from the middle of the pack in their respective conferences.  aTm can complain because they have to play texass u (spit) and Chokelahoma every year.  We have to “get by” Alabama, LSU, and Auburn every year in our division.  Oh, and this year, on our SEC East rotation, we’ve got the #1 Florida Gators on the schedule; no biggie.

But hey, tonight the team won in the Taj MaJerry (thanks, fren, for that one!) and won convincingly.  The Defense seemed to find its way tonight after the Alabama defeat.  Mallett seemed to get his groove back, and even Broderick Green (for whom I’d given up all hope) played the best football he’s played at Arkansas.  Our offensive line is going to have to try to figure out how to open the kind of holes for the running game that they opened tonight for the rest of the season, not just against a Big 12 opponent. 

Once we get past Florida and Auburn, it looks a little easier.  I’m not convinced of some of the SEC teams.

Alabama looks pretty good to go all the way; that Alabama-LSU game in Baton Rouge this November ought to be a pretty watchable game.

LSU has been getting by on a wing and a prayer.  They aren’t all that and a bag of chips. 

Auburn is the real deal.  If they’re not ranked when the rankings come out, there is no justice.

(Tennessee sucks this year).

We get Ole Miss in Oxford (can’t wait to hand the Kernel the bitter pill of being beaten by his old team in his new home).  I feel pretty good about both Ole Miss and Mississippi State this year. 

South Carolina looks to be pretty even with us, imho.  That’s a tossup, but we do get them at home.

>>o<<

It’s hard to explain to non-football fans what the shouting’s about.  Nathan and Pam got a new 52 inch High Def LCD and went to AT&T Uverse.  They just got the thing set up, and it went out for a while this afternoon.  Pam opined that they’d have to bury Nathan and me if it didn’t get going in time for the game; I told her it wasn’t a problem for me:  their house is 15 minutes from mine, and I wasn’t going to miss the game.

Nathan (after a furious few minutes on the phone with AT&T) got the thing going again, and we enjoyed the game that way.  Pam was in her bedroom playing on her computer.  The dogs ran under the bed and hid when Mallett hit Joe Adams with 5:44 left to play in the first quarter; Nathan and I were shrieking and hollering and high-fiving, and again about a minute later when Green scored.  Pam came out and told us she was laughing at us.  We told her we didn’t care. ;-)

>>o<<

This “Southwest Classic” is good for both Arkansas and aTm.  Aside from that nice fat paycheck (and you’ve gotta love that), it gives both teams exposure in the DFW Metroplex, and indeed on national television.  It is a great showcase for both programs (see, kids, there ARE other SEC programs besides Alabama and LSU; there ARE other Big 12 programs besides Texas and Oklahoma.).  Dallas is the largest concentration of Razorback fans outside of the state of Arkansas, while it is the #2 market (after Houston) for aTm; both fanbases can enjoy the hoopla.  I understand from those who were there that the atmosphere was much like a bowl game.  That’s great for everybody involved.  From the television shots, it looked like Jerry enjoyed it too.

This game did what it is supposed to do for me:  it entertained.  This is all entertainment, right?

I had the opportunity to go today, but couldn’t make myself.  Too much money and too much windshield time.  5 years ago, neither would have made a difference.  Now, both do.

I’m truly getting old….

Good job, boys.  Good job, coaches.  Good job fans who went and cheered (we heard the Hog Call loud and clear, as well as the “SEC, SEC” chant.  Aggies, see ya next year, same bat-time, same bat-channel.  I’m going to be there next year.

But for now…

GO HOGS!!!  BEAT THE TIGERS!!!!