Ask Mike: Melt Down Over Turnovers, A Fan Transfer Portal & Mike Explains Why Players Do Dumb Stuff

Q. Our first question is from KY Hog who wants to know: Am I delusional for finding a lot of good in Arkansas close loss to Oklahoma State? There was a lot of bad too but if the players can learn from what happened I think we can be pretty good.

A. I think you come across like a reasonable, well informed fan who understand what this team looked like in those lopsided home losses to Auburn and Missouri at the end of last season. Sam Pittman largely rebuilt this team with a bunch of new starters, two new coaches and a new offensive system. I expected to see mistakes this early in the season, especially on the road against maybe the most experienced team in college football.

Losing that game on three turnovers, two missed field goal and a crucial tackling-after-the- whistle call really hurts. I can’t blame fans for being mad but is obvious that this team is much much more competitive than it was at the end of 2023. Those Razorbacks lost a bunch of close games early but never really got over the hump and went slowly downhill until the least four games and then went into the tank.

Which way will these guy go? Hopefully they will learn from their early mistakes and get better each week.

Q. WV Hogfan says: A member of thee Okla St. Radio broadcast team mentioned that it would be good for their team if they beat a mid to lower tier SEC team. I find it disturbing that our opponent thinks so lowly of us.

A. I’m not sure why its disturbing when a good part of Arkansas fan base felt the same way about that game. I also think it says a lot of about those fans, who went from saying Arkansas had no chance against OSU to complaining that they should have won. There were a bunch of people sleeping on this team including a good part of the SEC and national media. Some of Arkansas fans are still sleeping but the SEC & national media are starting to notice.

Q. mousetown wants to know: Okay so Arkansas almost beat OK State in Stillwater but has anybody asked this question? How good are the Cowboys? If I’m their fans I’d be worried. They didn’t look like a team that’s going to win the Big 12.

A. Some of their fans may be thinking that but I think most them came away with a respect for Arkansas. They now realize that the Hogs are better than most thought they were. They know their team dodged a bullet and they probably figure they learned a lesson and will be fine. I would not worry about Okie State or their fans but if they dominate the Big 12 that’s good for Arkansas.

The issue for Arkansas fans is, so many of them have Pittman derangement syndrome that they believe that Oklahoma State is not that good. They’re wrong.

Q. Theotis Williams says: I saw a much improved Razorback Football Team. We’re getting there. Proud of the coaches and the boys! WPS!!!

A. Believe me there are plenty of these type fans out there. They get called a lot names. Kool Aid drinkers. Clueless. Suck ups. Hopefully they pay no attention to that. I hope fans like Theotis Williams are rewarded as we move through this season.

Q. I’m Moving On wants to know: When’s that exhibition basketball game with Kansas? Football is over for me.

A. We don’t have a date yet. It will be played in Bud Walton arena. We assume it will be sometime in October. I do wish that there was a way to hold fans who make statements like this to what they post. They can’t watch football games for the rest of the season. It’s basketball only for them.

Q. DarkHogman asks: What’s the big deal with Petrino? His play calling was pretty bad plus Okie St. could not win in the SEC and they beat us.

A. Looks like DarkHogman has been hanging out in the dark. Oklahoma St. has beaten four of the last five SEC teams they’ve played. Some think the Cowboys will be a playoff team this season. I’m not saying that they would win the SEC but if you think Auburn is better, if you think that Mississippi State is better, if you think that Texas A&M is better, you’re wrong. Right now I’d say there are four SEC teams that would likely beat Oklahoma St: Georgia, Texas, Ole Miss & Tennessee. I’d take Okahoma State against the rest.

Your Petrino comment, sorry but that’s ignorant.

Q.Hotdogger says: I’m pretty positive about the football future. We lost I know. Sounds like some fans need a transfer portal.

A. What an interesting concept. Go on social media, declare yourself in the fan transfer portal and check out other teams. Pick the one you like the best and ask if they will take you.

This reminds me of a story. I had two friends a couple of years younger than me growing up. Both were Texas Tech fans and they were close friends. They liked, horses, cars and football. After high school one became a horse trainer in the Abilene area and the other one ended up building custom homes in Lubbock. They didn’t see each other for decades but they both ended up in a private Facebook group with a lot of other people I grew up with. Everything went great for a while until the horse trainer admitted that he had become a Longhorn fan. The home builder was still a huge Texas Tech fan and demanded an explanation. The explanation was that he got tired of Texas beating Texas Tech so he switched.

The Tech fan went bonkers claiming that switching teams was like dumping your family. You can’t get a new mom and dad just because you don’t like something your parents did or the fact another mom and dad you could select would have more money and is more successful.

Anyway those two guys don’t like each other these days.

Q. sgiles wants to know: Am I allowed to make fun of Razorback fans if I’m a Razorback fan? I mean we’re family but some member of the family are morons.

A. I would say that you are on a different side of the family, the side that understands this coaching staff is trying to reconstruct the team from last season’s disaster and constant “fire the coach” comments are almost as annoying as losing a game. Yes you are allowed to make fun of them because I’m pretty sure that they make fun of you.

Q. Armon Abbe says: Self control is good habit. After the game I wanted to trash the whole football program but I watched a few other games and after my blood pressure went back to normal I concluded that the team really has gotten better. Just got to cut down on the mistakes.

A. Again, the other part of the fan base. Imagine being really mad but staying away from social media for a few hours. Unless you are part of the crowd that blames everything on Pittman it’s really interesting to see how you start see things in perspective after a few hours. Here’s some perspective: Arkansas is second nationally in total offense and 9th in the nation in scoring. Taylen Green is 11th nationally in passing. Ja’Quniden Jackson is 13th in rushing.

Q.RazorAlex88 says: Turnovers are fixable and penalties are definitely fixable but the same issues pop up every year it seems. I do feel pretty good going into UAB and Auburn however!

A. By the same issues I assume you mean turnovers and penalties since that’s what hurt Arkansas in this game. I don’t think that’s popped up every year. Sam Pittman’s second Arkansas team had a really good season. Injuries hurt the 2022 Razorbacks. KJ Jefferson got hurt and missed three games. He played in a fourth game without practicing. Arkansas lost all four of those games because it did not have a backup QB who could move the chains. Since you believe that the turnovers and penalties Arkansas had in this game are correctable, and I agree with that, the fact that this is a better team than last year should produce more wins.

Q. megandduplis asks: Which of the current ranked SEC teams do you think Arkansas has the best chance to beat?

A. I’d go with LSU. Depending on how things progress and how healthy this team stays, maybe Missouri. That mean they will win both those games but to me, they are winnable games. Ole Miss, Tennessee & Texas. Probably not.

Q. Inhogswetrust says: Sam’s record in one score games is really bad. I read it was 6-15. Why? I don’t believe in being so-called snake bit or cursed. It seems as if there is always something.

A. The complaint in a lot of those previous one possession losses was that Pittman got conservative with the offense in the second half allowing the opponent to come from behind and win. That’s not what happened in this game. Oklahoma State made some adjustments in their defensive line that worked better. But the real issue were second half turnovers. That’s how Arkansas almost doubled OSU in total offense but lost. Turnovers that took away scoring opportunities. However, Arkansas twice came from behind in the 4th quarter to tie the game up. They were still generating offense. Also if you look at a lot of those previous one possession losses you’re not gonna see 650 yards total offense from Arkansas. This was loss was different.

Q. This is a question from last week. We had to do some research to come up with an answer.

Swine American says: It seems every year we used to hear about players who were deemed academically ineligible and had to take care of classroom issues before participating again. With the transfer portal I have not heard of one player anywhere being held out in order to address academic issues. Has academic progress gone by the wayside or is it just not reported on like it used to be?

A. The short answer is academic progress is still in place but the NCAA has adjusted the rules making it harder for a player to be declared ineligible. Courtney’s dad, who is a college basketball coach explained it to her. Also you might not hear about a football player being ineligible if he transfers after the end of the season. When the spring semester starts he’s gone.

You can’t do that in basketball because the season extends from the fall to the spring semester. If you are ineligible in January you’d have to sit out until your grades went back up.

Q. Pigsfeat says: 10 Homeruns in the first fall scrimmage! I’m not going to ask about our pitching because…I know it is only fall ball. However, that sure sounds pretty good for the offensive side!

A. That’s funny because after Dave Van Horn made a big deal out of signing players that would hit singles and doubles and play more small ball style, the first scrimmage with those players becomes a home run derby. Maybe with Nate Thompson as your hitting coach, that’s what you’re gonna do. I don’t mind that as long as they win games. It will be interesting to see if there’s a different hitting philosophy come February. Maybe they’ll do both. The best of both worlds.

Q.Hammerhed28 wants to know: Wondering why the soccer, softball and baseball teams don’t schedule a few more road games? You learn more about your team on the road than at home, especially before conference starts.

A. Well they do play on the road in nonconference games. Soccer is 5-0-1. They’ve played at Kansas State and at number 8 Michigan State already.

Softball doesn’t play their regular season until the spring semester but last season they played 5 nonconference road games.

Baseball will occasionally play a non conference road series but mostly they play neutral site games. The AD wants them to play as many home games as possible for revenue purposes.

Q. whippersnapper asks: Is it not a conflict of interest for a coach to hire his wife to his staff? For example Mike Neighbors.

A. No. He had the approval of his AD. Neighbors’ wife is an experienced assistant coach at the college level. She’s not somebody he just put on the staff because she was his wife. Plus Eric Musselman had a son on his staff as does John Calipari.

If you’re trying to compare it to the situation that got Bobby Petrino fired in 2012, he did not explain the nature of the relationship he had with the woman he hired to his boss and her qualifications were questionable. This is a completely different situation with Mike Neighbors hiring his wife.

Q. Eddylynn says: A lot of our fans are blaming poor coaching on the tackling-after-the-whistle call Xavian Sory got. Clearly they never played the game. In football sometimes emotions take over and coaching is not going to stop it.

A. I agree. Football is not played in a classroom. Things happen during the heat of the moment in a game that can cause players to use really bad judgement. It happens all the time. Sory and the entire team will learn from this but I can’t say that will be the last time an Arkansas player gets a dumb penalty. It happens all the time, even in the NFL. It’s a constant headache for coaches.