Lack of Leadership, Accountability Starting to Show Now

Razorbacks better get somebody to step up sooner rather than later

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Somewhere, somehow, Arkansas has to find a consistent No. 2 quarterback.

Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman probably knows this. Offensive coordinator Kendal Briles does, too.

If nothing else, we have a trend across the SEC the last several years that winning teams generally don't have their No. 1 guy start and finish 12 games.

Certainly not staying 100% healthy.

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Cade Fortin (10) is hit while attempting a pass in the fourth quarter against the LSU Tigers at Razorback Stadium. LSU won 13-10. (Nelson Chenault / USA TODAY Sports)

The Hogs put LSU in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday mainly because the offense everybody took for granted in August hasn't played up to last season's levels.

"For the second week in a row we couldn’t get anything going offensively," Pittman said in the post-mortem after a 13-10 loss to the Tigers. That came a week after losing to Liberty, 21-19.

Part of it is a lack of depth in the offensive line, which is now appearing to show up in several areas. No one has emerged as a real go-to threat at receiver.

In just a few weeks, the Hogs' offense went from being a scoring and yardage factor to looking like the Keystone Kops at times. No matter how much anyone wants to do it, this isn't all on coaching.

They weren't struck stupid in the last month.

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman displays his frustration over an officials' ruling Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, against LSU at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. (Ted McClenning / allHOGS Images)

Pittman takes all the blame. It's what coaches do. This Razorback teams haven't had leaders emerge that will get in somebody's face.

Publicly, they say the correct things like going back to work, etc., etc. By the time you've played game 10 there's not going to be a lot more development this season. You're running out of games quickly.

Now the Hogs find themselves in a position nobody wanted to hear was possible in August. Last year's team got a lot of breaks that went the other way this season.

It always does. That's why leadership is so important to a team's success. Alabama has dropped off a level with that and it's why they won't be representing the West in Atlanta in December.

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman yells on the sidelines Saturday at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. (Ted McClenning / allHOGS)

It's not a knock on the character or integrity of a single player. There's the occasional goofball that makes a mistake off the field and they aren't trying to mess things up.

But they are just as much at fault as any coach. It's the guys with the whistle that take most of the heat, though, because you have a bigger problem if you start firing the players.

Criticism is part of accountability.

And it's time a few start taking that and do something about it.

"My bad" only goes so far as an answer for so long.

HOGS FEED:

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RAZORBACKS, LSU AT TIMES LOOKED LIKE TWO MULES FIGHTING OVER A TURNIP

LIKE IT OR NOT THIS ONE'S ON SAM

ANDY'S RECAP: ALLHOGS EDITOR BREAKS DOWN 13-10 LOSS TO LSU

POTENTIALLY DEPLETED HOGS FACE DEEP VETERAN TEAM IN FORDHAM

EARLY SIGNING DAY PASSES HOGS QUIETLY, BUT MOVEMENT HAS BEGUN IN 2023 CLASS

SEC SHORTS CREW SENDS ALABAMA TO FANTASY PLAYOFF CAMP

SEC ROUND-UP: AUBURN PLAYERS MUST GO TO CLASS WITH HARSIN GONE

WWE LOOKING TO BRING MORE RAZORBACKS INTO THE FOLD

RAZORBACKS HAVE CLEAR PLAN FOR FOCUS HEADING INTO FRIDAY NIGHT'S GAME WITH FORDHAM

SEC ROLL CALL ON A CRAZY WEEKEND ACROSS THE SEC WITH MATT MITCHELL.

HOGS CALL ON NBA PLAYER IN NEW RECRUITING VIDEO AFTER MISSING ON TARGETED RECRUIT

RAZORBACK WOMEN WIN SEASON OPENER OVER UAPB

RICKY COUNCIL, TREVON BRAZILE PACE STRONG SECOND HALF AS RAZORBACKS WIN SEASON OPENER

NICK SMITH WILL BE HELD OUT OF ND STATE GAME WITH INJURY

SEC SHORTS DOES WELLNESS CHECK ON RAZORBACK FANS AND OTHER TEAMS FROM THE WEEKEND.

WELL, KJ JEFFERSON SAID HE WAS OKAY, SO RAZORBACKS COACH SAM PITTMAN ROLLED WITH HIM

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