Scott Freeman

I’ve been a fan. I’ve been a vocal supporter of Houston Nutt for years. Even in the midst of all of the turmoil and mess over the past year I’ve given him the benefit of the doubt.
I always try to avoid criticizing coaches because I’ve never done it.

But no more. It’s brutal watching the best player in the nation and the best player to ever wear an Arkansas uniform watch his Heisman chances go down the tubes because his coach doesn’t have a clue.

–Continual untimely penalties
–Horrid clock management
–The inability to make the right calls at the end of the game (I mean come on, three runs up the middle with our speed?)
–The befuddling lack of utilizing the best weapon you will ever have?
–Losing quality players
–Losing to Kentucky? I don’t care what they are ranked. It’s Kentucky!

If we want to continue to remain a middle of the pack SEC school who will go to the Liberty Bowl each year, then Nutt is our man.
But we don’t. And he isn’t.

I know it is still a full month before my hawgs kick off against the national powerhouse Troy (hold on while I look up their mascot…there it is) Trojans (duh). But the excitement around the Waco office is building to a fever pitch. At least my Steelers kick off the NFL pre-season this Sunday.
Anyway, McFadden is back for his Heisman campaign and likely last season. Jones is there to share carries. Hillis is healthy to create the most potent backfield in the country. Dick will have had all off-season to practice with the starting unit. The disgruntled are gone and the heat can abate off coach Nutt for awhile.

So, it’s time to make my yearly predictions of how the Pigs will fare. I know they have been rated as having the 3rd easiest schedule in the nation, but that’s not my fault. Anyway, here we go:

Sep. 1–Troy: If this isn’t a victory I will shave my head. Win

Sep. 15–@ Bama: Saban will have the home crowd fired up and no telling what his payroll is now for recruiting but Arkansas should take advantage of their open date and pull out a Win.

Sep. 22–Kentucky: Does that big dude still quarterback them? Win

Sep. 29–North Texas: A breather. Win

Oct. 6–UT-Chattanooga: A breather, the sequel. Win

Oct. 13–Auburn. So, I see the Hawgs being 5-0 when the Tigers, looking to bounce back from a disappointing ’05 season and a shellacking put on them at home last year by McFadden and crew, come to town. I think the home crowd delivers this one for us. Win

Oct. 20–@ Ole Miss. This could be a potential let-down game if the Auburn game is as dramatic as I anticipate. Should still be a Win.

Oct. 27–Florida International. I know, I know. But we did play USC the past two years. Win.

Nov. 3–South Carolina. I always dread playing this team. It’s at home though so Steve will be crying on the sidelines about something. Win.

Nov. 10–@ Tennessee. A potential 9-0 and a top 10 ranking going into Knoxville. Haven’t we been here before? I think the bubble bursts here against a vastly improved Vol unit. Loss

Nov. 17–Mississippi State. Shouldn’t be a problem. Win.

Nov. 23–@ LSU. This game should be for the SEC West crown. Unfortunately, it is in the Bayou. And LSU has pwned us in recent years. Loss.

My take: 10-2 with a nice little bowl to go along with it.

Joy Division never were able to realize the greatness they were destined for. Their lead singer, Ian Curtis, committed suicide about a month before this song was released.

This song, Love Will Tear Us Apart, is a hauntingly beautiful song that is wrought with heartbreak. The song is considered by many to be one of the greatest ever recorded.

Some have claimed that the song was written as a response to the Captain and Tennille’s Love Will Keep Us Together.
In the true spirit of our age, Malcolm Mclaren has done a mash-up of the two songs. Somehow, it fits.

And finally, for Final Four Weekend, the greatest One Shining Moment ever…

I was going to post my top 10 Christian books of the year, but losing most of the day to a vicious migraine has made that impossible. I’ll get to that but I still plan on doing my top 10 Albums of the year come Tuesday.

So, instead, please find a scattering of thoughts.

–I am glad that Mitch Mustain and Ben Cleveland have decided to stay at Arkansas. But two suggestions: get on board and tell your parents to stay off campus.

–Nicolas Cage says that he is going to slow down the movie making. Thank you, Nick.

–Perusing over the Golden Globe Noms this morning are putting me in the Oscar mood. In case you didn’t know I am a huge Academy Award guy. I have seen every best picture and best actor winner and for the last decade have seen almost all the major nominees. Some thoughts:

* I’m surprised to see “Bobby” in the Drama category. The only real buzz for this flick was on Oprah and seemed DOA. But it seems to have taken the nom from “Blood Diamond.”
* Oscar is noted for its backlash. If someone peaks too early they very well could lose (See Brokeback Mountain and Saving Private Ryan). However, I find it hard to believe that Helen Mirren has any competition in the Best Actress race.
* The biggest existing crime is that Scorsese has never won. You would think that he has a great shot this year with The Departed getting so much buzz. But look, there is Eastwood again. Twice.
* On the TV side, apart from “The Office,” that is one horrible list of comedy nominees.
* But look at the nominees for best male comedy actor. That is one stellar lineup with one exception: Jason Lee. I love “My Name is Earl” and I am a Jason Lee fan. But he is nothing more than a straight man who elicits no laughs.

–And finally, I have updated my podcast page by including my last four sermons. They include:
“Be Free” from Galatians
“Be One” from Ephesians
“Be Like Christ” from Philippians
“Be Mature” from Colossians (I apologize that this podcast is 8 hours long. It was not shut off after the morning sermon. Fast forward and you can hear my Sunday Night Class.)
I don’t plan on going so long without updating again.

Click here to get your own player.

A list of asides as I attempt to construct a sermon on Kenosis.

–If you are looking for a tremendous Christmas CD then look no farther than Sufjan Steven’s majestic box set Songs For Christmas. Since 2001 (with the exception of 2004, when he was recording Illinois) he has recorded a Christmas EP for family and friends. Now, he has boxed all five of those together and made them available to us. I’m no fan of Christmas music but this is enchanting and transcendent. If you are unfamiliar with the musical genius of Sufjan Stevens then pick this up. Get it on Amazon for 20 bucks and get all the extras it comes with.

–Seriously, how did Chris Leak get 13 years of college eligibility. Saturday is the big game. My boys have a great shot at winning, which is a first for us in the SEC championship game. Florida will be keying on McFadden and Jones and double-teaming Marcus Monk, so it will be tough. I would be surprised to see Mitch Mustain put in early if Casey Dick struggles. No matter what, Darren McFadden is the best running back to ever don a Razorback jersey.

–Tonight sees the debut of what will be one of the best comedy line-ups in TV history: My Name is Earl, The Office, Scrubs, and 30 Rock. That my friends in Must-See TV.

–Is it just me, or does this critically acclaimed female artist have the worst voice in the history of recorded music? This is a serious artist. People love her. Can anyone explain it to me?

–I guess that’s it. It’s Mitt Romney’s world. I’m just allowed to live in it.

–Oh, and to get that awful voice out of your head, here is a fun song that I defy you not to love:

It’s another college football season and tonight my beloved Arkansas Razorbacks take the field. We haven’t had much to brag about the past two seasons but I am hopeful that this season we will begin to right the ship.
We have a heralded freshman quarterback, the best running back in the SEC, and 19 returning starters. And most of our tough games are at home. We should return to a bowl this season.
As always, we have a tough schedule but I believe we will come out fairly strong. Here’s the way I see it shaping up:

Sept. 2–USC: They absolutely embarrased us last year and Pete Carroll showed less class than Steve Spurrier in running the score and throwing late in the game. Although we won’t forget their poor sportsmanship I’m afraid we won’t have the manpower to take this one, especially with Darren McFadden doubtful. I hope I’m wrong but this one looks like a loss.

Sept. 9–Utah State: I wish that this was game one on our schedule as we could use a game to shake off the jitters and get McFadden back before taking on USC but wherever this falls on the schedule it’s a win.

Sept. 16–@Vanderbilt: There is nothing more embarrasing than losing to a team that has no business in the SEC. Last year, that’s exactly what we did. We exact revenge here with another win in Music City.

Sep. 23–Alabama: This game is at home which tilts it in our favor. This should be a win unless Alabama has increased their payroll. And yes, I’m saying they cheat. A lot.

Oct. 7–@Auburn: We get a week off to prepare for this game. Auburn should be among the BCS contenders this year so it’ll be tough. I think the Hogs have the stuff to pull off some upsets this year. However, I don’t think that this is the week. Loss.

Oct. 14–SE Missouri State: A great way to heal up a little after what will surely be a tough game the week before. Win.

Oct. 21–Ole Miss: Not the class of the SEC. Win

Oct. 28–Louisiana-Monroe: Playing for bowl eligibility in our last non-conference tilt. Win.

Nov. 4–@South Carolina: I’m not buying in to the Spurrier hype. Barring a let-down, I think we go in here and pull out an important contest on the road. Win.

Nov. 11–Tennessee: Obviously, the Vols are looking to bounce back from last season’s aberration. This is a tough contest that, I believe, will pit two of the top teams in the SEC playing for major bowl positioning. This game could go either way. I’m taking my boys in a squeaker. Win.

Nov. 18–Mississippi State: Still fighting to return to days of glory this team will be luck to avoid the west cellar. Win.

Nov. 25–LSU: We are lucky to have them in Little Rock. But I am straining at the boundaries of logic by having them at 9-2 at this point in the season. Loss.

So, I have them finishing 9-3. A great return to form. At the worst I think they will struggle at SC and drop one to either Tennessee or Alabama. Even 7-5 will be an improvement.
But I’m banking on the 9-3.

My Hogs are back in the Big Dance after a 5 year absence. After being one of the most dominant b-ball teams of the ’90s, we fell off the map for the first half of this decade. But, we are back. Hopefully, this is a further sign of us heading in the right direction.
I have them picked to lose to Gonzaga in the Elite 8. (We play better in Dallas than anywhere else and we have already beaten Kansas. So, why not?)
My upset specials are Memphis losing to my boys and Tennessee falling to Seton Hall (Sorry Vol fans).
My Final Four is Gonzaga, Duke, UConn and Villanova.
Unfortunately, I have Duke beating Villanova in the finals.

Man, I hate Duke.

But I love that I have my team to root for again.