With first game only 100 days away, start predicting

Time flies when you’re having fun, doesn’t it?

With the season opener against Eastern Illinois now exactly 100 days away, we will start to see more and more about the opening of the college football season.

And more and more predictions about what Chad Morris’ first season on The Hill will be like.

Oh, I’ve read thousands of words from colleagues all across the landscape of the media. Most aren’t expecting a whole lot. Some are encouraging fans to not expect a whole lot.

The guess here is Morris’ expectations are higher than all but the most optimistic fans. Shoot, many in the media just flat say don’t expect much and making any bowl game is about as high as they can hope for.

Based on all the comments is the point that is being missed here. Yes, Bret Bielema recruited players FOR a different system than Morris runs.

But he recruited most FROM a system like Morris runs.

That was evident in the spring practice conversations with players. There may have been one or two that didn’t play it in high school, but every single offensive player I talked to was glad with the change because it was more like what they ran in high school.

No one seems to be noticing that.

Bielema’s recruiting landed players not necessarily FOR his system. He thought he could bulk ’em up, work ’em in the weight room and get ’em to play like his Wisconsin teams did.

What he failed to grasp is that teams in Arkansas had been playing Morris’ style of offense for over a decade. There are about four teams in the entire state that use a huddle, put the quarterback under center and play football the way it was played 30 years ago.

Also worth noting is Bielema’s recruits weren’t that bad. Don’t say they haven’t developed because they were bulked up, slowed down and working in a system most hadn’t played in high school.

Now they are leaned out, quicker, faster and playing in a system they understand more. Oh, they haven’t gotten used to the new terminology by the end of spring so the pace wasn’t where Morris wants it to be, but that will come.

While it’s popular sport right now to talk about how bad the Hogs were the last 14 games of Bielema’s tenure, to be completely honest last year’s team should have finished 8-4 … at worst.

Last year the Hogs had Texas A&M beaten … and blew it … twice. They were leading Mississippi State and Missouri late into the fourth quarter and blew those games. The TCU game fell apart late in the fourth quarter after the Hogs had done everything except score points.

The players coming back defensively (and there are quite a few) should be improved, being quicker, faster and in better shape after dropping weight and a spring of quickness drills favored over lifting heavy weights.

On offense, all of the players coming back have raved about the Hogs’ new offensive approach and outlook.

And don’t be surprised if there is a true freshman under quarterback a lot. Both Connor Noland and John Stephen Jones have more experience now in the offense than Cole Kelley and Ty Storey will have combined by the time they graduate.

Either of the freshman will be better than any of the options already on campus. In case you haven’t noticed, the current trend in college football is true freshmen playing — and starting — a lot.

Look at Georgia and Alabama in the national championship game this past January. The Bulldogs started a true freshman, who replaced a true sophomore that was hurt early after starting all last season as a true freshman.

The Tide went to the national championship game with a true freshman last year and replaced THAT guy with a true freshman in the second half against Georgia who led them to a win.

Getting the idea here?

Fans should have high expectations. It was Lou Holtz back in 1977 in Fayetteville that said players “live up to or down to expectations.”

Expecting 12-0 might be a little aggressive. Expecting 6-6 is too low.

And there will be enough predictions all in between over the next 100 days for you to probably be just totally confused.

Let the predictions begin.