Hicks is good enough to hold job … if supporting cast develops

When Chad Morris was hired in December 2017 to take over a moribund Arkansas program, he asked the fans to give him a chance and they wouldn’t regret it.

For most, he had that chance during a season that became a nightmare for just about anybody.

Now he’s got to show some significant improvement or he’s going to find himself putting out the flames of discontent all across the state.

To be fair, everything that symbolized what he had to deal with last season is reflected in the fact that he used three different players starting at quarterback … and none of them are on the team now.

One decided to focus on baseball, so he’ll have his name out there plenty in a few months. The other two can’t even start for the teams they transferred to that are far below the SEC level.

Others can mention their names, but it’s a cop-out to talk about those that aren’t here more than you talk about the ones that are.

Let’s face it, Ben Hicks, Nick Starkel, John Stephen Jones and K.J. Jefferson are ALL an upgrade. It doesn’t matter which one plays the most, it’s an upgrade.

Hicks will start the season behind center and there are a lot of people that have found just about every reason in the world to knock him.

His arm is very good. Ben doesn’t have a cannon like Starkel, but it’s more than adequate. Arm strength is seriously over-rated, in my opinion, at the college level. You can’t have a rag arm, but you don’t need to be firing rockets on every pass, especially the short and medium-range throws.

It’s far more important to have talented receivers who can make the catch, turn and run, preferably all of that as fast as possible.

They have that now in Mike Woods, Treylon Burks, Trey Knox, TQ Jackson and Shamar Nash. Don’t forget the tight ends. Even if C.J. O’Grady can’t go that many plays in the opener, Chase Harrell and Hudson Henry look the part along with Gunter Grayson, who has made some plays.

It’s also an insanely ridiculous argument to throw out Hicks’ record against Power 5 teams while he was starting at SMU. He wasn’t quarterbacking a Power 5 team so you can’t compare the Mustangs’ record against bigger, deeper, better teams.

No quarterback has won a game playing 1-on-11. Too often it’s a position that gets too much credit or too much blame.

Hicks will go as far as these young receivers develop and know what they’re doing. I don’t think last year’s bunch ever got on the same page with the quarterback and it really doesn’t matter who’s at fault if they’re not together.

Against Portland State, it probably won’t matter a whole lot either way.

Arkansas 72, Portland State 7

Peter Morgan and I are going to have another competition this year to see who can pick the most winners. Lines don’t matter, it only matters who wins and who loses.

Last year I finished 83-19 while Peter limped home with a 77-26 mark.

Easy Pickings

It’s tempting here to put every single SEC team up big win, but that kinda defeats the purpose.

Peter and I both picked Florida to down Miami and Texas A&M to handle Texas State. The first came close to being a disaster, but the second was never in doubt.

Kentucky will beat Toledo handily, Tennessee will pound Georgia State, LSU will cakewalk over Georgia Southern and Missouri will take Wyoming.

• Ole Miss at Memphis (-4)

Don’t be surprised the Rebels are getting four points playing the Tigers in the Liberty Bowl because, yes, there are maybe as many questions surrounding that time as the Razorbacks.

Ole Miss still have a 51.6% chance of winning, according to the ESPN Power Index, but the money is favoring Memphis, which is what creates the betting line in the first place.

New coordinators on both sides of the ball, a redshirt freshman quarterback and new faces all over the place is the reason for the questions concerning the Rebels.

And that’s not even taking into account the history in this series. The Tigers usually keep it down to the last possession.

But I’m not going against an SEC team against a non-Power 5 team … yet.

Ole Miss 42, Memphis 41

• Mississippi State (-19.5) at Louisiana

Why are the Bulldogs going on the road for this one?

That’s a bigger question than the outcome of the game because even with a new quarterback and a defense that may have to show ID to get on the bus, they should pull out a win.

But don’t be surprised if it’s a lot closer than anyone suspects. We don’t know yet which (or how many of the 10 players) that Mississippi State will hold out in this game in the NCAA punishment handed down last week.

In case you missed it, there are 10 players that have to sit out eight games on the academic thing … but MSU gets to pick which players in which games.

Does Joe Moorhead risk a slow start sitting very many?

Mississippi State 28, Louisiana 21

• Alabama (32.5) vs. Duke (in Atlanta)

Okay, this should probably be in the Easy Pickings part, but I just keep thinking with the Crimson Tide’s loss of the best defensive player and David Cutcliffe’s uncanny ability to over-achieve, it might be a little closer.

Make no mistake about it, Alabama’s going to win the game, but don’t be surprised if the score doesn’t cover the spread.

Alabama 35, Duke 14

• South Carolina (11) vs. North Carolina (in Charlotte)

The Fightin’ Muschamps will be the opponent as Mack Brown tries for a second act with the Tar Heels after being out of the game for a few years.

It’s a neutral site game and there likely won’t be a home-field advantage for either team. I’m not sure North Carolina ever gets that fired up over a football game, but South Carolina fans will go to a game in a parking lot.

South Carolina 38, North Carolina 24

• Georgia (22) at Vanderbilt

Some folks keep trying to convince me the Commodores are going to be a force to be reckoned with in the SEC East this year, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

It’s still Vandy.

Last year likely was one of Vanderbilt’s usual good season every six or seven years. It’s simply a matter of talent and even Derek Mason isn’t going to be able to round up enough every year to consistently compete for a top-level spot in the league.

Especially with Florida and Tennessee on the upswing.

They may want to question how in the world this game got scheduled for an opener.

Georgia 35, Vanderbilt 10

• Oregon vs. Auburn (3.5) (in Arlington)

Yes, I’ve listened to doomsday predictions about the collapse of the Tigers being imminent, Gus Malzahn’s departure this year and all that.

Which is why I’m figuring Auburn will probably win the game, but it may not be a picture-perfect win.

Mostly, that’s because I’m not picking a Pac 12 team over an SEC team and I just refuse to pick any time that has a Duck for a mascot on general principle.

If that allows Peter to pick up a game, consider it my helping the lad along here early.

Auburn 28, Oregon 24