Armed with faith and desperation, the Razorbacks triumph in Stillwater

Much of the positive image of the Arkansas football team was forged during the Broyles era, during which the Razorbacks won the 1964 national championship, played in four Cotton Bowls and four Sugar Bowls and won seven Southwest Conference titles.

Gundy’s OSU program has 18 consecutive bowl appearances. From 2010-23, while eight Cowboys teams finished with at least 10 wins, Arkansas had five head coaches and seven teams with at least seven losses. In the 32 seasons since joining the SEC, only seven Razorback teams have finished with a winning record.

In terms of recent developments, the OSU program is much more advanced.

In terms of all-time achievements, these programs are at about the same level.

For the first time since 1980, the Razorbacks and Cowboys meet in a college football game. The game is being televised on ABC at 11 a.m. from a sold-out Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, and it’s a beautiful matchup because the teams appear to have comparable talent.

The Cowboys are 7½-point favorites, but Arkansas is a 34-30 favorite as that elusive Razorback trait — desperation — overcomes OSU’s home-field advantage.

Check out any website that focuses on college football’s “hot seat coaches.” At or near the top of every “win now or get fired” head coaching list is Arkansas’ Sam Pittman, who is 11-14 since leading the Razorbacks to nine wins in 2021.

The Hogs are 4-8 in the 2023 season, but look how close Pittman’s team came to having a good season: They lost by seven points to BYU, three to LSU, seven to Ole Miss, three to Alabama and four to Mississippi State.

Arkansas had a successful offseason in terms of signings and interestingly, managed to bring Bobby Petrino back to Fayetteville as offensive coordinator.

Petrino, a successful coach at Arkansas from 2008 to 2011, was fired in 2012 after being at the center of a scandal involving a club employee and a crashed motorcycle.

Among the Hogs’ rookies is 6-foot-6 dual-threat QB Taylen Green, who played at Boise State. Landon Jackson is a 6-7, 290-pound edge rusher who will play in the NFL. A frequent target in Arkansas’ passing game is tight end Luke Hasz, a product of the Bixby dynasty.

Petrino is considered one of the best quarterbacks in college football. So is OSU defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo ready to win this coaching battle?

What about Oklahoma State’s offensive line, which struggled to block the run in last week’s opener against South Dakota State? OSU averaged just 3.3 yards per rush attempt, and Ollie Gordon had 13 attempts that totaled less than 3 yards.

Arkansas seems to believe it can have a truly special season, and a win in Stillwater would reinforce that belief among Razorback fans.

The three most striking statistics from the Razorbacks’ 70-0 season-opening victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff: Arkansas scored a touchdown on each of its 10 offensive possessions. Arkansas limited the Golden Lions to 7 yards rushing on 23 attempts. There were 14,000 empty seats at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

Empty seats – this is a common problem in programs where coaches work on a “hot seat” basis.

Arkansas had the financial resources to lure basketball coach John Calipari away from Kentucky and provide sufficient funds for an NIL situation in which Calipari would be needed.

Arkansas decision-makers and influencers are certainly tired of mediocre football, and Petrino has reopened his office in the Razorback Football Club building.

Nobody in college football has more job security than Gundy.

Pittman needs a win on Saturday more than Gundy.

This better-than-expected Arkansas team was predicted during the preseason to finish 14th in the 16-team SEC Conference.

Pittman desperately needs a win. To gain momentum in their SEC schedule, the Razorbacks desperately need a win and I expect to see one on Saturday.

In the first Arkansas-OSU football game since Jimmy Carter was president, the Razorbacks won 34-30.