Stuck in a small Oklahoma town for a week working on a project we could have very easily done remotely was not the worst trip I ever had. It was also not the best.
There were two small restaurants in that town, which, for the sake of storytelling, I will refer to as Smallville.
This quiet community had no fast food, no quality grocery stores, and nothing decent within 50 miles. I do recall it having two restaurants, though they were more likely truck stops time forgot.
I will fabricate both names to avoid any potential libel lawsuit being thrown Tommy Craft’s way. The one on the east end of town we will dub Dan’s Diner.
And the other one, also on the east end of town (because, hey, why not?), we will refer to as Cathy’s Cafe.
Both places were awful. How bad, you ask? Cathy’s had chicken and dumplings, which, upon my seeing it listed upon the menu, filled me with such anticipation that I immediately forgot I was on a diet.
Have you ever eaten day-old bacon grease? I am pretty certain that is what was used to flavor those dumplings.
Dan’s Diner was no better. I ordered a grilled chicken salad against my better judgment. The lettuce was wilted, the chicken was cold, and the cheese was warm.
But none of that was the worst part. My salad came complete with six cherry tomatoes.
Were they farm fresh? No, I immediately noticed they tasted like they had been picked during the Eisenhower administration.
In fact, in examining the skin on the little fellas, they kind of looked like old Dwight D. himself.
What bad diners have to do with Hogs vs. Aggies?
What does all this have to do with football? In general, not a single thing, but when it comes to Arkansas playing Texas A&M this weekend, there is at least one similarity.
I had noticed in its entry, Dan’s had a Smallville Chamber of Commerce “Best Place to Eat” award from the previous year.
Less than a block away, Cathy’s proudly displayed where the same chamber had named it a “Top Five Places to Eat.”
Now, I do not remember seeing anywhere else to dine in this fair town, with the exception of a guy cleaning his barbecue grill in his front yard using only a water hose and a six-pack.
My point is that even in Smallville, when two terrible things are pitted against one another, one of them has to come out a victor. And that, my friends, is what we are going to have at Kyle Field on Saturday night.
The Razorbacks have been struggling to obtain sustenance at the bottom of the SEC for a few years.
The Aggies, on the other hand, have been striving and competing for championships. And they have a recent success rate of feasting on pork.
The lone Hogs victory since 2011 was during Sam Pittman’s bowling ball year in 2021.
Why this is year for Hogs to get Aggies
If Ryan Silverfield and Arkansas have any solid game plan, we might be able to pull this one off. In short, if there is a year to get A&M, this is it.
This game has been unofficially labeled as mundane, despite it getting the prime-time spot on television.
In fact, the biggest talk on the internet out of College Station is the new camouflage uniforms the Aggies will be donning. Maybe it is for recruiting. Maybe they are all John Cena fans.
I must admit it is weird looking at the SEC standings and seeing the Razorbacks not anchoring down the conference four weeks into the season. But seeing the Aggies locking down that bottom spot is sweet, sweet music.
The Hogs pull off what some may call an upset.
Arkansas 27, Texas A&M 24
Random thoughts
Does anyone outside of College Station even truly like the Aggies?
Trivia question: The series between these two longtime rivals began in 1903. In what year did the two first meet in a ranked matchup?
Kane North says we are stuck in between a John L. Smith and Chad Morris level of explosiveness. Given that take, he picks Arkansas to lose, 31-27.
Trivia answer: Granted, the AP poll did not debut until 1936, but the first ranked matchup between the two teams was 1975. No. 2 A&M (10-0) lost to No. 18 Arkansas in Little Rock, 31-6.
High school football is warming up in Arkansas. Get out on Friday nights and catch some great games.
Be sure to listen to all the action here on HitThatLine.com. You can also tune in to all the ESPN Radio stations in your area, including the new 100,000-watt 93.7 out of Fort Smith.
Condolences and prayers to Mason, Jordyn, John, Melissa, and all the family, friends, and loved ones of Linda Sue Robrahn.
Go Hogs!
