For Few Hours, SEC Permanent Opponent Discussion Felt Fun

Razorbacks in line for more traditional pod, but one bandied about would have been blast

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Some of you may have caught a glimpse of a story originally posted for a few short minutes this morning in reaction to a report that the SEC had settled on a discussing a combination of Texas, Missouri and Kentucky as the final permanent opponents for the Razorbacks starting in 2024. 

Unfortunately, not long after posting the reaction, the writer being cited sent over a quick text saying there had been a mistake. It wasn't Kentucky being discussed as the third team as reported. It was Ole Miss. He apologized for the inconvenience, which was admirable. I wasn't upset about the mistake and appreciated the heads up. When you write as many stories as sports reporters do these days, especially in the early morning hours, sometimes things happen. I was just disappointed that those weren't going to potentially be the set opponents. 

You see, had the list initially come out with Ole Miss instead of Kentucky, it would have been good news. The Rebels are a great opponent for Arkansas. Despite only being in the same conference for just over 30 years, they fall just short of Texas A&M and Texas for how many times Arkansas has played them. Ole Miss is also responsible for some of the most memorable Razorback games of the past 20 years. I even wrote a story about how Arkansas fans under 50 see way more value in the Ole Miss series than Texas because of those moments. 

However, there was something a little magical in those few hours where Kentucky was on the permanent docket. Maybe it was how similar both schools are in both football and basketball. Maybe it was the idea of what David Bazzel might do if he got the chance to brand a rivalry between the two. It could have been the dreams of covering what might have been turned into one of the best basketball pods to ever possibly exist. 
Here's how it originally read:

According to a recent Sports Illustrated article (link removed for obvious reasons),  the SEC appears to be leaning toward three permanent opponents, including Texas, Missouri and Kentucky, beginning with the conference expansion of 2024. 

If this is the case, not only is it an excellent decision, it's one that should extend into basketball season when determining who Arkansas plays twice on the schedule. Texas and Missouri are no surprise. Texas takes care of the older crowd that handles a lot of the donations at Arkansas, and Missouri takes care of a handful of people who are dead set on trying to make this a football rivalry if it's the last thing they do. 

As for Kentucky, no football program has been a mirror image of Arkansas more than the Wildcats. It was always disappointing that these two didn't lock horns more often.  Kentucky was the reason the Razorbacks were brought to the SEC in the first place. The league needed a 1A in basketball and there was no bigger 1A in the 1990s than Arkansas. If Ole Miss were to roll off the schedule, the Wildcats would serve as a more than suitable replacement.

However, if it comes to fruition, there has to be something in writing that David Bazzel won't come up with some sort of retail store related trophy to be fought over with one school closely associated with Wal-Mart and the other with Kroger. There's no need for a 300-pound golden self-checkout sitting in the end zone to be carried off each year. This whole Battle Line thing is already hard enough to swallow without discount prices being thrown into the mix.

If this somehow turns into a pod, then seeing this carried into basketball is a must. It would be a ratings bonanza. Four basketball schools all in the same group, guaranteeing they square off at least twice per year. That's reason alone to request a little more money from ESPN to keep that network afloat each winter. That would be an old school ACC level pod that would pack more winning and drawing power than some entire conferences combined. 

Sure, Texas is a little new to being viewed as a basketball school as opposed to a football school having only made the switch in perception over the past decade or so, but with the new Moody Center and recent success, the Longhorns should fit right in. If for some reason Texas can't pack out the place in Austin, at least two of the three schools definitely will help sell out the place with their own fans. 

As for Missouri, this is a traditional basketball program that fell off a little bit in the early 2020s, but looks poised to be in a full renaissance with the arrival of Dennis Gates. The trajectory he has the Tigers on has not only made playing Mizzou a lot more fun, it makes it very likely that if this becomes a pod in basketball also, it could be made up entirely of Top 10 teams. 

Even if these permanent opponents only apply to the football side of things, this is truly a win-win for the Razorbacks. It's a yearly guarantee of three winnable games that would end a trend of drawing the short straw every time the SEC needs to make some sort of big decision. 

If this is Greg Sankey throwing the Razorbacks a bone for taking it in the shorts with the uneven scheduling that took place in 2020, then getting punched in the face by No. 1 Georgia in Athens was well worth it. It might even make up a little for that fumble call at Auburn. If this is the real apology, since the one offered after the game couldn't change the loss to a win, then apology accepted. 

Now, let's just hope no one takes in a few too many colorful drinks down in Destin and does something that causes this possible alignment to fall through. Given the history of the past 30+ years, Arkansas could come out of here with Alabama, Georgia and somehow Ohio State every year for the foreseeable future if that happens.

As you can see, there was a lot of excitement and energy around the idea. There's nothing wrong with Ole Miss. As stated before, it's a great football series. It just felt nice to come across something unexpected that just happened to make sense. The Rebels are your favorite pizza from your favorite pizza place. It's going to always be great and sometimes it's the one thing that really hits the spot.

Arkansas truly could do far worse than what is being discussed,so possibly drawing them as a permanent opponent is a great thing. But, boy wouldn't Texas, Missouri and Kentucky have been fun. 

HOGS FEED:

1970s MAGAZINE SPREAD FEATURING FORMER RAZORBACK MARVIN DELPH, LARRY BIRD CHANGES PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

BEING DECISIVE IN FACE OF ANGER SHOW WHY VAN HORN IS SEC COACH OF THE YEAR

WHETHER POTENTIAL PERMANENT OPPONENTS TRUE MOST LIKELY REVEALED NEXT WEEK

RAZORBACK FANS ALREADY LINED UP ON RAZORBACK ROAD FOR HOGPEN TICKETS TO NCAA REGIONAL

RAZORBACKS COACH DAVE VAN HORN STICKING WITH PITCHING PLAN THROUGH SEC TOURNAMENT

WITH FLORIDA HAVING A "BLACKOUT," HOG FANS STILL WON'T GET TO EXPERIENCE THE FULL "SWAMP" EXPERIENCE IN GAINESVILLE

ACCUSATIONS ON INSTAGRAM LEAD TO ARKANSAS QUARTERBACK'S DISMISSAL

TOO MANY QUESTIONS HANG OVER RAZORBACKS TO PROJECT HOW THINGS MAY GO IN FALL

DO HOGS HAVE THE EDGE NEEDED TO MAKE A BIG POSTSEASON RUN?

LONGHORNS FINALLY RELEASE RON HOLLAND AND COULD HOGS BE THE NEXT DESTINATION FOR HIM?

TEXAS HOLDING HOLLAND HOSTAGE WORKS OUT IN RAZORBACKS' FAVOR NO MATTER HOW IT COMES OUT

HOW DID RAZORBACK BASEBALL DO IN SEC POSTSEASON AWARDS?

FILING MAY BRING END TO MUSSELMAN BEING KNOWN AS KING OF THE TRANSFER PORTAL

RAZORBACKS FALL AGAIN, BUT STILL CLAIM SHARE OF SEC CHAMPIONSHIP

HOG FANS CAN SIT BACK, GET SOME PERSPECTIVE AFTER FRIDAY NIGHT LOSS TO VANDERBILT

RAZORBACKS GIVE UP HUGE LEAD IN STINGING LOSS TO VANDERBILT

DERRIAN FORD MAKES SURPRISING CHOICE FOR TRANSFER DESTINATION, STAYING IN ARKANSAS

RAZORBACKS' JORDAN WALSH, RICKY COUNCIL IV MAKING NOISE AT NBA COMBINE IN CHICAGO

MCADOO RECOVERY EXPECTED TO BE VERY SLOW PROCESS

ESPN'S NBA DRAFT COMBINE COVERAGE ENDED UP BEING WALL TO WALL RAZORBACK COVERAGE

RAZORBACKS ERIC MUSSELMAN TALKING AT NBA COMBINE A BIG POSITIVE FOR PROGRAM IN LOT OF WAYS

CALLER GETS FORMER HOGS QB MATT JONES TO REVEAL HIS CONNECTION TO OLE MISS STREAKER

MASSIVE MOVE BY ACC COULD TRIGGER LOT OF THINGS THAT COULD AFFECT RAZORBACKS, SEC SCHEDULES

ARKANSAS BASEBALL SCHEDULE

FAYETTEVILLE WEATHER UPDATE

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