To quote from “Another Park, Another Sunday,” a song by those bards of the 1970s known as The Doobie Brothers, “Just when you think you got a good thing, it seems to slip away.” That line should become the official slogan of the Razorbacks.

Think about it: Last season, the Hogs raced out to a 10-1 record, put themselves in the national championship picture and then lost their final three games in heartbreaking fashion. Against Alabama this year, they stormed back from deficits of 21-0 and 31-10 to take a 38-31 lead. Just when you thought they were going to pull the game out, the Crimson Tide scored 10 unanswered points to snatch away a victory.

One week later against Kentucky, Arkansas used a safety and an 82-yard kickoff return by Felix Jones to take a 29-21 fourth-quarter lead. The Wildcats then proceeded to peel off 13 straight points to leave Fayetteville with 42-29 win. And last night, after the Razorbacks had finally put together a halfway decent drive to take a 7-6 lead with 1:36 remaining, many Hog fans, knowing that LSU had lost just hours earlier, undoubtedly were beginning to think that maybe, possibly this season still had some daylight. No one needs to be reminded what happened next.

And speaking of things slipping away, one has to believe that last night’s loss assured that Houston Nutt will not be returning to Fayetteville next season. I’ve never been wildly pro- or anti-Houston, but it’s pretty clear that a divorce would be best for all at this point.

Listening yesterday to Atlanta sports talk radio and to last night’s telecast of the game, I was struck by how some broadcasters are painting Nutt’s spot on the hot seat as unreasonable and unjustified, the result of a bunch of ungrateful yahoos. Certainly, the FOI request and the banners have given people ammunition to paint Hog fans as crazed and over-the-top, and there is an uncomfortable venom in the air when many of them talk about Nutt and the team.

But the facts are the facts: Before last year, Arkansas had two straight losing seasons, and the Hogs appear well on their way to another one. At almost any SEC school not named Vanderbilt, that puts the head coach in serious jeopardy.

There are many things about the Houston Nutt era that I will remember fondly, but to quote another (and much better) rock musician, “All things must pass, all things must pass away.”

You might think that, having lost three consecutive SEC heartbreakers, the Hogs would be running out of ways to lose the game at the last minute. However, you would be wrong. I peered into my crystal ball after the 7-point offensive explosion against Auburn and have learned the outcomes of the Razorbacks’ remaining games.

Warning: knowing the future is not for the faint of heart, so proceed with caution.

Ole Miss: Hogs lose 4-3…the Rebs score two consecutive safeties in the 4th quarter, the last one coming with 3 seconds left.

Florida International: After leading the entire game, the Hogs let victory slip away when a brawl breaks out and Ned sneaks into the endzone for the winning TD with 28 seconds left.

South Carolina: The game seems well in hand when a banner-carrying plane crashes on the field with 1:02 remaining in the 4th quarter. D-Mac brushes the plane aside with a mighty stiffarm, but in the confusion the ball is jarred loose and the Cocks recover. They score the winning touchdown on a 4th and 37 as time expires.

Tennessee: D-Mac and Felix each run for three TDs and our defense holds the Vols’ attack scoreless. However, Tennessee wins by scoring on four kickoff returns and three punt returns, including one with 11 seconds remaining.

Mississippi State: You might not believe me if I told you that MSU wins this game on a 99-yard run with 1 second to go in the game. But you would be wrong…just wait and see.

LSU: After a season of increasingly painful losses, the Hogs threaten to go out on a good note, with Casey Dick throwing for 289 yards and three TDs. However, in the final minutes the Tigers nail a 68-yard field goal, return a fumble recovery for a touchdown, return an interception for a touchdown, recover an onside kick and complete an 81-yard bomb to pull out a 38-35 win in the Bayou.

My crystal ball has been wrong before, but it feels pretty accurate in this case.

Some stuff to read over while you wait for the kickoff of tonight’s SEC West showdown:

* Like moths to a flame: Freedom of Information requests can’t stay away from the Nutt brothers.

* The Hog Blogger has the latest installment of “As the Banner Turns.” Oh brother.

* God Blame the Queen: Still looking for someone to scapegoat for the Razorbacks’ 31-21 loss to Auburn in 1993? Former Auburn defensive end Ace Atkins has your answer: the Arkansas homecoming queen. (Note: You will need to scroll down about halfway down the post.)

* Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp is sick and tired of hearing that the Hogs overpowered his defense last year.

* In a recent column on ESPN.com, Ron Higgins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal labels the Hogs the SEC’s biggest disappointment but also says Felix Jones is the league’s MVP so far.

* Wally summarizes the first Houston-Tuberville battle.

* In its midseason report, Rivals.com places Nutt at No. 2 on its “Five Coaches on the Hot Seat” list. Says Rivals: “You wonder if, deep down, Nutt wants out of Fayetteville. The guy led his team to the SEC West title last season and still endured an offseason of turmoil. But given the fickle nature of fan bases in the SEC, if the Hogs beat Auburn on Saturday, Nutt may be back in good graces Sunday.” Actually, we kinda doubt that.

Also, the knee injury to Marcus Monk comes in at No. 1 on the report’s “Five Biggest Injuries” list.

* Speaking yet again of Rivals.com, of the four gents making predictions on the site’s “Expert Picks” page, two are forecasting a Razorback victory tonight.

After re-reading my interview with Jerry over at the Joe Cribbs Car Wash, I realized that I came across as fairly negative (Jerry described my comments as “dark”). While I stand by what I wrote in that post (it’s been a long season, as we all know), I’m starting to feel some rays of optimism cautiously poking through the dark clouds.

It’s probably just the usual cycle of feeling more positive as the excitement of game time gets closer, but I really believe we can beat these guys. For one, the Hogs’ backs are against the wall. They all know how much this game means to their season and to Houston Nutt, so if there was ever a time for them to come out with guns a-blazin’ (I can’t believe I just wrote “guns a-blazin’”) this is it. Secondly, Darren McFadden. And thirdly, Felix Jones. You know those guys are going to bring it, especially given that D-Mac needs a huge game to keep his flickering Heisman hopes alive. I think he’ll have one.

With all that in mind, here are a couple of fun clips of Auburn coaches and players being interviewed after last year’s rout (that’s right: rout) to get us all in the right frame of mind:

In case you need any extra help getting fired up, we’ll be providing a handy pre-game cheat sheet detailing why you should hate each one of the Razorbacks’ opponents this fall. Some weeks will be easier than others…

1. They Aren’t Very Good Guests. The Hogs have a losing record (3-4, to be exact) in home games against Auburn. That’s pretty rude of the Tigers, if you ask us. We can only assume that Auburn coaches and players talk loudly on their cell phones during movies, don’t clean up after their dogs and treat service workers shabbily. Of course, one might say that Arkansas treated Auburn pretty rudely last fall, when the Hogs waltzed into Jordan-Hare Stadium and trounced the then-No. 2 Tigers by a score of 27-10. One would be wrong. During one of our weekly “tequila and poker nights” with Miss Manners, she assured us this was perfectly acceptable behavior.

2. They Cursed Us. Before meeting Auburn in the 1984 Liberty Bowl, the Hogs sported a not-terrible bowl record of 8-9-3. However, Arkansas lost to the Tigers 21-15 that fateful night of Dec. 27, 1984, and have gone 3-11 in bowl games since, often looking like a junior college - or a junior high - team in the process. Clearly, something strange and supernatural happened that evening in Memphis. We’re tired of hearing about the curses of the Bambino, the Billy Goat and Steve Bartman - it’s time the sports media recognized the Curse of Bo Jackson.

3. Tenille Went There. That’s right: Toni Tenille of the hideous 1970s pop duo The Captain & Tenille is a member of Auburn’s Class of 1962. Damn you, Auburn, damn you.

4. We Would Never Do Something Like That. Auburn’s fans are so unhinged and so obsessed that they booed their very own quarterback after he endured a particularly bad outing against Mississippi State. Thankfully, Arkansas fans are able to handle the struggles of their football team with balance and perspective.

5. The Hogs’ Destiny Runs Through Them. We said it before Alabama. We said it before Kentucky. And now we’re saying it for the last time before Auburn: this game is going to determine the rest of our season. Pull off a big win like we’ve been known to do against the Tigers, and we could get a nice winning streak going that makes everyone feel better. Pull off another agonizing loss and a goofy banner would be the least of Houston Nutt’s worries. But no second chances after this one…if that doesn’t get you fired up at least a little bit then we don’t know what will.

After two weeks of the JV schedule, it’s back to the SEC and yet another OMG-this-game-will-determine-the-rest-of-the-season matchup for our Hogs. Since Auburn has been a bit of an enigma this year, we were wondering things like: How will Brandon Cox play? Do memories of last year’s rout linger for the Tigers? And what’s up with that whole ‘War Eagle’ thing?? (apparently that last one is a touchy subject) For answers, we turned to Jerry at the extremely witty and consistently entertaining Auburn blog, the Joe Cribbs Car Wash. See what he had to say below…

Also, Jerry naturally had a few questions of his own…explaining the somewhat insane state of Razorback football to an outsider is a tall task but we did our best. You can check out our efforts over at the JCCW.

Big thanks to Jerry for participating in the Q&A, and for supplying answers that educated us and made us laugh on more than one occasion. Read on:

1. Which is the real Auburn team, the one that lost to Miss St or the one that beat Florida? And which one is going to show up in Fayetteville?

Funny you mention this, this has been a popular question to ask of Auburn of late (probably because Auburn has done things like, well, get Croomed at home and beat WunderTim and his WunderFriends in the space of three weeks) and I took a stab at it to kick this week off. My answer is that both Auburns are the real Auburn. Tubby’s Auburn has been defined by the crush-the-skull-crushers / wilt-against-the-wilters dichotomy for so long it’s silly to pretend either one is more representative of what Auburn is than the other. Yin and Yang and all that crazy Matrix-Neo spoon-crap, man.

So to answer your question: I have no doubt that you will see the real Auburn on Saturday. I don’t make the slightest claim, however, to know how that team will perform. (Though so I’m not dodging the question entirely, I do think it’s unrealistic to expect Auburn’s offense to continue performing with the ruthless efficiency it’s shown the last two weeks and the tons of injuries on the defense have to start hurting some time. I think it’s better to catch Auburn now than later.)

2. Seems like Tommy Tuberville’s coaching seat was getting pretty hot before the Florida game. What’s the general perception of him among Auburn fans now? If you had to guess, where will he be coaching next year?

The reports of Tubby’s death were always greatly, greatly exaggerated. Yes, we were all in need of a hug and a cup of hot chocolate with a couple of marshmallows where one of the marshmallows was one of those awesome purple horseshoes from Lucky Charms after the Miss. St. debacle. But only the Auburn fans on the furthest end of the rationality spectrum were actually calling for Tubby’s head. After 2004, most of us signed up for the long haul. I would say the silent majority of Tiger fans wouldn’t have even argued then to jettison any assistants in the Crooming’s wake, though if the season had continued (or reverts to) that previous vein, it’s likely Borges and possibly a few position assistants wouldn’t have survived. In any case, winning at Florida takes care of all that for the time being, thankfully. Suffice it to say I don’t think there’s going to be a Century 21 sign outside Tubby’s new 9,000 square-foot home* any time soon.

*Note that Auburn bloggers are required by federal law to mention the square footage of Tubby’s home every time they mention the possibility of his departure.

(Read on …)

The football season isn’t even halfway over, but I’ve already about had my fill of it. The lackluster play, the increasing anger and frustrations of the fans…it’s been one long drag. Thank God that basketball is right around the corner.

On Friday night, the Hogs begin preparations for the upcoming season with a shindig at Bud Walton Arena that will feature an autograph session followed by a practice and a scrimmage. With a considerable amount of veteran talent and new coach John Pelphrey’s uptempo style, the basketball Razorbacks promise to provide the fun and excitement that has been so noticeably absent from the gridiron in 2007.

To help you get fired up for the upcoming season (and to take your mind off the football situation), we offer this hodge-podge of Arkansas basketball-related items:

* You can check out the schedule by visiting hogwired.com. Falling into the “don’t-miss” category is the Hogs’ Feb. 23 visit to Rupp Arena, where Pelphrey will try to coach Arkansas to victory against his alma mater in a building in which his retired jersey hangs. We already can’t wait to read Wally’s column about this.

* Terry Wood of the Northwest Arkansas Times has penned a nice overview of this year’s squad.

* Bob McClellan of Rivals.com says Patrick Beverley is the nation’s best sophomore. (Thanks to CharlieHog for providing the link.)

* Gary Parrish of cbssportsline.com ranks the Hogs No. 19th in the nation. Topping his list: our neighbors to the east, the Memphis Tigers. The only other SEC teams in his Top 26 ranking: Tennessee at No. 6 and Alabama at No. 16. In a related development, Kentucky fans already are demanding that Billy Gillespie be fired.

* Speaking of Kentucky fans, visit our friends at A Sea of Blue to read about how Pelphrey already has beaten Gillespie (the Hog Blogger also has a good report on this) and to see where the Hogs fall in the preseason Blogpoll.

* Finally, the following doesn’t pertain to this year’s squad, but Razorback fans are in dire need of a mood uplifter. Click here and let the good memories roll.

What a bummer of a weekend it was for Houston Nutt: The Hogs looked awful against the powerhouse that is UT-Chattanooga, an anti-Houston banner flew over War Memorial before Saturday’s game … and, unsurprisingly, he has reclaimed the top spot in coacheshotseat.com’s weekly ranking of the coaches whose jobs are in the most jeopardy.

Here’s what the site’s blog page had to say about HDN: “When a banner is flying over the stadium you are coaching in that says “There’s Nuttin like being 0-2 in the SEC” you know you are in trouble, and Houston Nutt you are in trouble! The season, and in fact, the career of Houston Nutt rides on the next two football games. Auburn at home and Mississippi on the road. Lose both, and it will be time for Houston to get the movers on the phone. Destination: Ft Smith, Arkansas?”

Believe it or not, the UT-Chattanooga game wasn’t televised in California. So, I asked my dad - Little Rock resident, Razorback fan and former Little League football sensation - to share his observations from having attended the game. Here’s his report:

The Hawgs looked awful Saturday night in their game with the mighty Univ of Tenn at Chattanooga Moccasins. The game was played in summer heat and the wave seemed to be the most exciting thing happening in usually-rocking soldout War Memorial Stadium. The tone was set when we inflicted a safety on ourselves and were behind 2-0 seven seconds into the game. The Mocs are in the same caliber league with UCA and Univ Ark at Pine Bluff but stopped Heisman Trophy candidate D-Mac again and again and again for only short gains. This is the team with the feared running attack and the two best backs in the nation?

D-Mac looked lackluster excepting one play when he ran over a UTC cornerback coming up to make the tackle. He even got stopped for no gain on a 4th and one from midfield in the third qtr when the Hogs badly needed a score. D-Mac lost fumbles twice as well. Jones, on the other hand, looked pretty good, breaking a long run in the 3rd qtr which finally at l o n g last gave the Hogs some breathing room with a two td lead. Until then, the Mocs stayed within one td of the Hogs.

One bright spot is Alex Tejada, our kicker…he nailed a 47 yarder and has been consistent. Casey Dick, bless his heart, keeps missing open receivers and throwing into double coverage for picks or near picks and taking sacks when he/we might be better off if he’d throw the ball away; he did hit get some completions on short routes but not enough to worry UTC and keep them from loading up in the box. All and all, the fans left feeling pretty frustrated with the state of Arkansas football.

Just ask a USC fan. But nothing about this game is going to shake the increasingly bad feeling I have about the rest of the reason.