With Arkansas facing the Texas Longhorns in Omaha, it’s still fascinating to see the level of hatred some in this state have for the burnt orange.
As Dave Van Horn said in the pre-College World Series press conference Friday, it’s really more of a big deal for fans over the age of 50. It’s probably more like 40, but he’s not completely off base there.
Let’s face it, the two teams have met just five times since 1991 when the Razorbacks fled the Southwest Conference for the SEC. In that time frame, the Hogs are 3-2, winning both of the bowl games where they met.
In the interest of fairness, the Longhorns had zero interest in playing in both of those games.
The hatred in the old SWC days crossed into all sports. Yes, even baseball.
Growing up in Arkansas, the hatred for the Longhorns was always fascinating. Going to Texas for summers and holidays I learned early on that not everyone in that state was a Longhorns’ fan.
Living in the Dallas area in the 1980’s and 1990’s, it was pretty much understood Oklahoma State and Texas A&M graduates worked for Oklahoma and Texas graduates who borrowed money from SMU graduates. There were (and probably still are) more Arkansas alumni in Dallas-Fort Worth than Longhorns.
Even when the two teams met in every sport annually, it was always a bigger deal for the folks in Arkansas than Texas, even the Longhorns’ fans. In Austin, the Aggies and Sooners were always considerably bigger rivalries than the Hogs.
It became a rivalry because Texas was THE big dog in the old SWC in football. Actually, the fact was Longhorns’ football was only dominating in the 1960’s and pretty much just slightly better than average most of the time.
Texas had the second best winning percentage in college football in the 1960’s. Alabama was first. Arkansas was third.
During that 10-year period, Alabama beat Arkansas the only time they met and lost to Texas in the Orange Bowl, which allowed Hog fans to claim an off-brand version of the national championship for the 1964 season.
Over that decade, the Hogs were 4-6 against Texas on the football field.
Of course, many in Arkansas think they were hosed by officials’ calls in the 1962 loss (7-3) and in 1969 (yeah, that 15-14 haunting loss).
There were other big games in other sports, but in both Arkansas and Texas, football is the biggest sport. It’s also the only sport for many fans.
All of that’s why it’s still a big deal.
Hogs offer Morris’ son
With over 130 campers at the Razorbacks’ Elite QB/WR camp this week, there were offers made to Highland Park quarterback Chandler Morris and Morrilton quarterback Jacolby Criswell.
Both are 2020 recruits that had strong showings at the camp.
After Morris posted on Twitter about receiving an offer, it didn’t take long for some fans to start talking about a bad idea, considering he is the son of Arkansas coach Chad Morris.
Relax, folks. It’s just an offer to a 2020 prospect.
And they have over 100 offers out to those prospects. Even if every one of them wants to sign, they can only take a maximum of 25. It’s all in the numbers and that’s what Chad Morris knows.
They aren’t going to get every offer and over the next two years some players may not develop and that offer will quietly be pulled back.
But it’s all part of the game in college football these days.
