Hogs will finish 9-4 with a bowl win over Wisconsin

I recently finished reading about Arkansas and the high expectations for the Razorbacks in the special football section of this newspaper. Re-reading, actually. It was from the 2012 edition with quarterback Tyler Wilson and offensive coordinator Paul Petrino on the cover. Arkansas was ranked No. 10 in the preseason by the Associated Press, and a writer who closely follows Arkansas predicted the Razorbacks would go 10-3 with a win over Texas in the Cotton Bowl.

Didn’t happen. Not even close.

Arkansas rose to No. 8 in the poll before an overtime loss to Louisiana- Monroe sent the Razorbacks spiraling to a 4-8 season, including 2-6 in the SEC. Arkansas showed interim head coach John L. Smith the stadium gate and, basically, started over with the surprise hiring of Brett Bielema from Wisconsin.

High expectations have returned for Arkansas, which is coming off a 7-6 season with a win over the Longhorns in the Texas Bowl. So, how will the Razorbacks do in year three under Bielema?

Keep reading to find out. If my predictions are close, great. If not, I’ll pull a (Steve) Sarkisian and blame a mixture of alcohol and medications for my behavior. That excuse seemed to work well for the Southern California coach.

FINAL RECORD: The Razorbacks will go 9-4 this year, capped by a win over Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl. So, how do they get there? Arkansas will go 4- 0 in nonconference and 4- 4 in SEC play. That’s eight wins with a lot of momentum heading into the bowl season after beating Missouri in the regular-season finale.

KEY GAME: Oct. 24 vs. Auburn. Arkansas should be 5-1 at least heading into an SEC West showdown with the highly- ranked Tigers. Win this game and Arkansas heads into November 7-1 after a win over Tennessee-Martin the following weekend. If Arkansas falls to the Tigers at home, the Razorbacks could slide back into 8-5 or even 7-6 territory.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Brandon Allen. At least, I hope he is.

Just wait until Arkansas loses its first game. Some yahoo will call a radio station again claiming Allen is not an SEC (caliber) quarterback.

We’ve heard this before, but I’m confident Allen is positioned for a big season as a fifth-year senior. Sure, he’s made mistakes and been inaccurate at times with his passes. But part of the problem has been a receiving corps that gets about as much separation as the line of cars outside the new Whataburger in Fayetteville.

BREAKOUT PLAYER:

How about Drew Morgan, who caught 10 passes for 181 yards last season as a sophomore?

Morgan should triple his production as a reliable midrange receiver for Allen. Morgan is not fast by SEC standards, but I like the feistiness and competitive spirit of the former Bulldog who played championship football for coach Rick Jones at Greenwood.

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Arkansas players talk about safety Santos Ramirez like he’s the second coming of former Razorback Steve Atwater.

“Santos Ramirez is only a redshirt freshman, and that’s scary,” senior Rohan Gaines said. “I don’t think people realize how scary that is.”

Scary good will be a welcomed addition to a defensive secondary that’s been mostly scary bad in recent years. Atwater could cover receivers in addition to being a heavy-hitter for the Razorbacks.

Can Ramirez do the same? We’ll see.

MOST INSPIRATIONAL PLAYER: Can a guy who doesn’t play a down all year make a difference for the Razorbacks?

Absolutely, when his name is Jonathan Williams.

Williams is unlikely to play this year after he injured his left foot in a preseason scrimmage. That’s a tough blow for the Razorbacks and Williams, a projected All-SEC running back who rushed for nearly 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.

Just don’t expect Williams to sulk and retreat from the scene. He’ll show up on the sidelines with a positive attitude and serve as a mentor to his younger teammates.

Williams’ payoff will come in 2016 when he heads to the NFL with a glowing endorsement from Bielema, who’s helped put several players into the league.