TAT: 10 Sporting Events to Watch During Break

This article originally appeared in the December 6, 2012 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

     During winter break, students will have certain freedoms they did not have during the semester. Instead of worrying about studying for tests or doing homework, they can relax and enjoy a full month of free time.

     How they choose to spend their time will vary from student to student, but there will be many great sporting events over the next month that will definitely keep the sports-loving students busy.

     Here’s a look at just some of the great games coming up.

1. Dec. 8, 2012 – Army vs. Navy

Start finals week by watching one of the most storied college football rivalries. Back in the day, this game had National championship implications, but today it is just a matchup between a 2-9 team, Army, and a 7-4 team, Navy. Navy has already clinched a spot in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, while Army’s season will be over after this Saturday. If you like passes thrown all over the field, this game isn’t for you. Army and Navy are last and fourth-to-last in passing yards per game in the country, respectively. However, they are dominant in the running game, ranking first and sixth in the country, respectively. The two military academies square off at 2 p.m. on CBS.

2. Dec. 9-30, 2012 – Late Season NFL Games

Thirteen NFL weeks are in the books, but several playoff spots are still up for grabs. The last four weeks of the regular season will help determine which teams make the playoffs, as well as where they will be seeded. The Texans and Patriots face each other on Dec. 10 for ESPN’s Monday Night Football. The Texans have the best record in the AFC, but Tom Brady and the Patriots have played very well this season. This could be a preview of the AFC Championship game. The Packers at Bears game on Dec. 16 (noon, FOX) and Cowboys at Redskins game on Dec. 30 (noon, FOX) will also be key games in divisional races.

3. Dec. 8-29, 2012 – Top Ranked Nonconference Showdowns

The first part of the college basketball season provides fans with many great nonconference games that they otherwise wouldn’t see until March. These include non-traditional ranked teams playing teams from bigger conferences, such as No. 24 Wichita State at Tennessee (Dec. 13, 6 p.m.) and No. 18 New Mexico at No. 11 Cincinnati (Dec. 27, 8 p.m., ESPN2). It also gives us games between traditional basketball powers, such as No. 9 Kansas at No. 7 Ohio St. (Dec. 22, 3 p.m., CBS), No. 13 Illinois at No 12 Missouri (Dec. 22, 5 p.m., ESPN2), and Kentucky at No. 5 Louisville (Dec. 29, 3 p.m., CBS).

4. Dec. 15, 2012-Jan. 6, 2013 – Non-BCS Bowl Games

The 35-game college football bowl season kicks off with the New Mexico Bowl between Nevada and Arizona at noon on Dec. 15. Just because 30 of them are not BCS games, doesn’t mean they don’t have great matchups. If you like scoring, the Holiday Bowl between Baylor and No. 17 UCLA (Dec. 27, 8:45 p.m., ESPN) appears to be a good choice. For a more local flavor, tune in to the GoDaddy.com Bowl between No. 25 Kent St. and Arkansas St. (Jan. 6, 8 p.m., ESPN).

5. Dec. 25, 2012 – Christmas Day NBA Games

Every year, the NBA comes out with a great slate of games for Christmas Day. There are five games this year, with two on ABC and three on ESPN. ESPN starts things off at 11 a.m. with the Celtics at the Nets, and then ABC’s doubleheader begins at 2 p.m. with the Knicks at the Lakers and continues at 4:30 p.m., before it switches back to ESPN with the Rockets at the Bulls at 7 p.m. and concludes with the Nuggets at the Clippers.

6. Jan. 1-7, 2013 – BCS Bowl Games

The Rose Bowl features the 8-5 Big Ten champions, Wisconsin, and No. 6 Stanford (Jan. 1, 4  p.m.). No. 15 Northern Illinois crashed the BCS by finishing in the Top 16 and winning the MAC and will face No. 12 Florida St. in the Orange Bowl (Jan. 1, 7:30 p.m.). The Southeastern Conference will be represented by No. 3 Florida in the Sugar Bowl, facing No. 21 Louisville (Jan. 2, 7:30 p.m.). The Fiesta Bowl features two one-loss teams, with No. 4 Oregon and No. 5 Kansas St. (Jan. 3, 7:30 p.m.). Finally, the SEC will go for its seventh consecutive National Championship on Jan. 7 at 7:30 p.m. when No. 2 Alabama squares off with undefeated No. 1 Notre Dame. All five games will air on ESPN.

7. Jan. 5-6, 2013 – NFL Wild-card Games

The NFL playoffs begin with two games on Saturday, Jan. 5 and two games on Sunday, Jan. 6. These games will be played between the wildcard teams from each conference, as well as the third and fourth seeds from each conference, while the top two seeds receive byes. The last two seasons, the eventual Super Bowl champion played on this opening round weekend.

8. Jan. 7-13, 2013 – Top Ranked Conference Basketball Games

At the beginning of January, college basketball teams across the country begin conference play. The most interesting early games right now appear to be No. 22 Notre Dame at No. 11 Cincinnati in the Big East (Jan. 7, 6 p.m., ESPN2), a potential bracket-buster game in No. 21 UNLV at No. 18 New Mexico in the Mountain West (Jan. 9, 9 p.m., CBS Sports Network), and No. 3 Michigan at No. 7 Ohio St. in the Big Ten (Jan. 13, TBA, CBS).

9. Jan. 11, 2013 – ESPN NBA Doubleheader

ESPN’s NBA doubleheader features four teams that could make deep playoff runs this season. It starts at 7 p.m., with the Bulls at the Knicks, and continues at 9:30p.m., with the Thunder at the Lakers.

10. Jan. 12-13, 2013 – NFL Divisional Round Games

The NFL playoffs continue this weekend, as the top two seeds in each conference will face the winners of the previous weekend’s wild-card games. Again, two games will be played on Saturday, Jan. 12, and two will be played on Sunday, Jan. 13. After these four games, both of the conference championship games will be set.

TAT: Long Concludes Eight-Month Search

This article originally appeared in the December 6, 2012 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

     For nearly eight months, UA athletic director Jeff Long searched for a new head coach at Arkansas.

     He found his man in Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema. Although rumors of everything from ESPN’s Jon Gruden, to Boise State’s Chris Petersen, to LSU’s Les Miles were swirling, Long kept his search quiet.

     Long credits Chancellor David Gearhart, President Donald Bobbitt and the members of the Board of Trustees for allowing him to do so.

     “The thing that meant the most to me was that they entrusted me to carry out this process, and that trust meant everything to me,” Long said. “I kept them informed, but they allowed me to do my job. That’s all an athletic director can ask of those above him.”

     Senior Associate Athletic Director Jon Fagg, CFO Clayton Hamilton and Associate Athletic Director for Academics Eric Wood were also “critical” to the search, Long said.

     While looking for a new coach to lead the Razorbacks, he wanted whoever it was to have certain characteristics.

     The new coach needed to have a “passion for success and be able to embrace the passion of (the Arkansas) fan base,” Long said.

     Long also wanted a coach with “honesty, integrity and class.”

     “There is no question that our new head football coach embodies all of these characteristics,” Long said. “He also brings a commitment to impacting the lives of the student-athletes he works with.”

     For Bielema, the ball started rolling last Sunday, the day following him leading Wisconsin to a 70-31 victory over No. 14 Nebraska in the Big Ten Championship Game.

     After not getting back to his hotel room until 1:30 in the morning, he had a conversation with Fagg Sunday morning. Bielema agreed to meet with Fagg and Long in New York City while he was there for the College Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

     “Late Sunday night I went back to the hotel, thought about it, processed it, and met with Jeff (Long) again on Monday morning,” Bielema said. “I saw (Wisconsin athletic director) coach Barry Alvarez about 11:30, then at 2:30 I was in the air flying to Madison. It happened very quickly.”

     Rumors of other coaching prospects were still circulating until late Tuesday afternoon, when news of Bielema being hired leaked out.

     Both Long and Bielema are happy with the way everything turned out.

     “This (search) was pretty interesting because it’s lasted almost eight months,” Long said. “We’ve had quite a process.”

TAT: Students Respond to Hire Out of Left Field

This article originally appeared in the December 5, 2012 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

     Yesterday afternoon, UA students learned of the hire of Wisconsin head coach as the new Razorback head coach.

     Students, though surprised, were pleased with the idea of Bret Bielema becoming the next coach at Arkansas.

     “It’s as good of a hire as we could get,” sophomore Forest Holmes said.

     Several students pointed to Bielema’s success in the Big Ten and believe that it will carry over to the Southeastern Conference.

     After a season full of rumors, Boise State’s Chris Petersen and Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy seemingly emerged as frontrunners for the job, so Bielema’s hiring came as a surprise to students.

     “We had Petersen, Gundy, and at one point Les Miles was a potential contender,” junior Samuel McLelland. “It was a surprise, but that’s Jeff Long’s style, to keep everything hushed up.”

     With a new coach inevitably comes a new offensive system. Bielema had a run-oriented offense at Wisconsin, and UA students are torn as to how it will work at Arkansas. McLelland believes it will revive memories of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones.

     “It’s our traditional run game that we’re looking for and that we’ve seen at Arkansas before,” McLelland said. “It will bring back a familiar style of Arkansas football.”

     However, senior Joey Taylor is concerned.

     “It’s kind of like what LSU and Alabama have been doing, but I think that’s a lot harder to do at Arkansas with the type of players we get here,” Taylor said.

     Students are also excited about the fact that he taken Wisconsin to three consecutive Rose Bowls.

     “(Fans) overthink it sometimes,” junior Daniel Sultemeier said. “The guy is a winner.”

     McLelland is not convinced that the BCS appearances are a sure sign that success will follow at Arkansas, because each conference is limited to only two teams, sometimes meaning the best teams don’t get in the BCS games.

     “A lot of people are throwing around the fact that he’s been to three Rose Bowls, and that’s something I just don’t know about,” McLelland said. “The SEC usually knocks each other out of potential BCS bowls.”

     A history of coaches starting in the Big Ten before coming to SEC also excites Sultemeier.

     “I see (Alabama’s Nick) Saban came from the Big Ten. Les Miles came from the Big Ten originally,” Sultemeir said. “People say we need a high-octane offensive guy; Bobby (Petrino) could do that, but we weren’t going to find a Bobby.”

     Ultimately, fans are glad the search is over and that Arkansas hired a coach with a winning record.

     “I think we got a winner,” Sultemeier said. “I think he’s going to be an awesome coach and he’s going to be here a long time.”

TAT: Razorbacks with a Chance in the Draft

This article originally appeared in the December 5, 2012 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

     Although Arkansas’ season did not go as expected, several players had standout seasons. A few of these players will likely have the opportunity to be drafted by an NFL team next April and several will probably have a chance to sign with a team as an undrafted free agent.

Tyler Wilson

     Wilson raised some eyebrows when he announced that he would return for his senior season after an impressive junior season. He was projected to be drafted in the first round after Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, but he decided to come back to Arkansas and try to win a National Championship and the Heisman Trophy.

     However, early in the season Wilson dropped off the radar for the Heisman after he was knocked out of the ULM game with a concussion and missed the Alabama game. His statistics also took a slight hit this season. Wilson passed for 3,387 yards and completed 62.1 percent of his passes, down from 3,638 and 63.2 last year.

     He threw over twice as many interceptions, 13, as he did last year, six. Despite these factors, I do not believe Wilson will slip that far in the draft. He has shown a lot of toughness by standing in the pocket and delivering perfect passes, while knowing he is going to be hit. He could have just called it a season after the Alabama game and focused on staying healthy for the draft, but he didn’t. NFL coaches and general managers value these characteristics in a quarterback, so I expect Wilson to be drafted as high as late in the first round, but definitely no later than the second round.

Cobi Hamilton

     For three years, Hamilton had to wait his turn behind three future NFL wide receivers: Joe Adams, Greg Childs and Jarius Wright. He finally got the opportunity to be the No. 1 target his senior season, and he made the most of it.

     Named as one of the 10 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award, he hauled in a UA single-season record 90 passes. Against Rutgers, he shattered the UA and Southeastern Conference single-game record by gaining 303 yards through the air. His 1,335 receiving yards are the fifth most by an FBS receiver this season.

     Hamilton has certainly caught the eye of NFL scouts and I expect him to be drafted around the same time Adams, Childs and Wright were picked last year, either the third or fourth round.

Knile Davis

     Like Wilson, Davis came into the season with Heisman hopes, but quickly realized that wouldn’t happen. Davis rushed for 1,322 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2010; however, he missed the entire 2011 season with an injury.

     With him healthy this season, Razorback fans expected him to return to his 2010 form. Instead, he struggled with fumbles early in the season and finished the season with only 377 yards.

     Only a junior, Davis has one year of eligibility left. He has not announced whether he is coming back next year or not, but if he declares for the draft, I don’t expect him to be picked. I think he should come back and participate in a full-contact spring and fall practice, which he didn’t last year. If he gets these early reps, he will get in a groove early and put up bigger numbers during the season, greatly improving his draft stock.

Possible Late Round Picks

     Running back Dennis Johnson and punter Dylan Breeding have had solid careers as Razorbacks. Johnson is the all-time kickoff return yards leader for the SEC and carried the load at running back when Davis struggled this season. He gained 757 yards on 137 carries, for an average of 5.5 yards per rush. Breeding averaged 45.6 yards per punt this season, which ranks ninth in the FBS. He also pinned 18 punts inside the 20-yard line.

     If Johnson or Breeding get drafted, it will be very late in the draft. Johnson showed glimpses of greatness, but he never had the opportunity to be the featured back. Breeding is definitely one of the best punters in the nation, but very few punters get drafted. I expect them both to at least get a free agent contract if they are not drafted.

     Tight end Chris Gragg is in a similar position. He had a good season, but he only played in five games. His leg injury has been a recurring problem and I think it will scare some teams away from him. I expect him to be picked up late in the draft or most likely signed as an undrafted free agent.

Undrafted Free Agents

     A few members of Arkansas’ defense will likely have the chance to try out with an NFL team as undrafted free agents. I believe linebacker Alonzo Highsmith and defensive tackle DeQuinta Jones will have the best opportunities to try out and make an NFL roster.