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Arkansas, LSU Fans Combine to Voice Frustration with SEC

Razorbacks, Tigers supporters voice frustration with Boot not ending season in favor of forced 'rivalry' games against Missouri, Oklahoma

Kent Smith

Arkansas Razorbacks wide receiver Tyrone Broken (5) attempts a catch as LSU Tigers cornerback Zy Alexander (14) and safety Sage Ryan (3) defend at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Arkansas Razorbacks wide receiver Tyrone Broken (5) attempts a catch as LSU Tigers cornerback Zy Alexander (14) and safety Sage Ryan (3) defend at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. / Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Even before rivalry Saturday kicked off, Arkansas and LSU fans came together to fret over a legitimate rivalry weekend that was unnecessarily stripped from them once Texas A&M and Missouri came into the league.

Tigers fans aren't happy with having Oklahoma forced upon them and Arkansas has never fully taken to caring about Missouri despite the best efforts of Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz to do all he can to get under the skin of Hogs fans and players.

The sensible move with the addition of Oklahoma would have been to put the Sooners and Mizzou in a season-ending game while restoring the Golden Boot back to its proper Friday after Thanksgiving slot. The two former Big 12 schools have a long history of playing one another and there was rarely a more entertaining game to fill the void on Black Friday than Arkansas vs. LSU.

The social media push is deep in favor of pressuring the SEC to come to its senses to restore Arkansas-LSU as a permanent season-ending rivalry game. It's possibly the only time in forever that opposing sides of Americans have come together to agree on something.

Perhaps there are the beginnings of a big enough upswell of support for Arkansas-LSU moving back to the final week of the season to gain a little bit of attention within the SEC offices. That doesn't mean the forced rivalry games between Arkansas and Missouri and LSU and Oklahoma can't take place.

However, play them as the SEC opener so there will be a legitimate reason to care about the games. Most years, fans aren't going to invest in a season-ending game against an opponent for which there is no true emotion unless a spot in the playoffs is on the line.

Sure, for the first time ever, Arkansas fans are somewhat interested in the game against Missouri, but that is because they want to see the Hogs punch Eli Drinkwitz in the face, not because they care about the Battle Line trophy. If Drinkwitz wins or the Razorbacks start winning several in a row, which should have been the case to begin with, the game goes back to ranking just below whatever the second best non-conference game is on the schedule.

The same will be the case for LSU. Facing Oklahoma to start SEC play each season has a possibility of building something. However, it's never going to be a thing on Thanksgiving because the Tigers will just think about all those nail-biter games against Arkansas, often with much on the line, and Oklahoma will drift into dreams of Bedlam against Oklahoma State.

Commissioner Greg Sankey has a chance to right a terrible wrong with the next round of scheduling. However, the SEC doesn't have a history of taking care of teams on the western edge of its footprint not named Texas, so no need for anyone to hold their breath no matter how loudly fans complain.

HOGS FEED:

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• What positions will Razorbacks target once transfer portal opens?

• Trio of Illini freshman take down Hogs, providing blueprint

• ESPN Analytics predicts outcome of Battle Line Rivalry game

• Mizzou quarterback carries numerous characters that made NFL QB star legend

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Kent Smith
KENT SMITH

Kent Smith has been in the world of media and film for nearly 30 years. From Nolan Richardson's final seasons, former Razorback quarterback Clint Stoerner trying to throw to anyone and anything in the blazing heat of Cowboys training camp in Wichita Falls, the first high school and college games after 9/11, to Troy Aikman's retirement and Alex Rodriguez's signing of his quarter billion dollar contract, Smith has been there to report on some of the region's biggest moments. 

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