In recent weeks, I've been a less-frequent-than-usual presence on the blog, but that doesn't mean that I'm not super-excited about the new Razorback football season. It just means that my job and my other hobby (touring state fairs as a soul-stirring vocalist in a Boyz II Men cover band) have been consuming nearly all of my waking hours.
In fact, I'm more excited about this weekend's contest against Georgia than any Hog football game since the 2006 SEC championship match-up against Florida. For various reasons - the Hogs' road futility in recent years being chief among them - I'm far from confident that Arkansas will win. In fact, if forced to predict a winner right now, I would have to choose Georgia. But there also are undeniable causes for optimism.
Last year's Georgia game had a similar level of hype surrounding it, but I didn't feel as good about the Hogs as I do now. And maybe because the contest was in Fayetteville, it just felt like less of a statement game than this year's match-up in Athens.
All will not be lost if Arkansas loses on Saturday. Far from it. But a road win against one of the SEC's signature programs would send a powerful message that these Hogs just might live up to the hype, that they are serious contenders for a trip to Atlanta. If the Hogs win on Saturday, then I think we're in store for a very special season.
What about you? How excited are you about Saturday?