Bobby Petrino win 41 of his 50 games in Louisville, elevating that program to national-title contender before he left after the 2007 Orange Bowl. He lasted less than a year with the NFL Falcons before landing on his feet in Fayetteville. Now Petrino is at it again, as last year's Hogs went 5-7 but underwent a major facelift in his first season. After blowout losses to Alabama, Texas and Florida (and narrow wins against Western Illinois and UL-Monroe before that), Arkansas was much more competitive. The Hogs won in Auburn, knocked off unbeaten Tulsa and also beat LSU in Little Rock. Three of the last four losses (to Kentucky, Ole Miss and Mississippi State) were by a combined six points.

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QB Ryan Mallett (a 21-year old Texarkana native who started as a freshman at Michigan before the coaching change) has three years of eligibility under Petrino when he goes under center this fall. His performance will likely affect how the offense does, as there is plenty of firepower at the skill positions. The top five RBs and top six receivers all return. The O-line, a weakness after allowing 46 sacks last fall, gets a bit of restructuring after two players depart. On the other side, the Razorbacks yielded an SEC-worst 22 touchdowns allowed through the air, as well as 32 points and 4.6 ypc. But nine starters and the top 10 tacklers are all back. The secondary gave up a lot of big plays last season but is more experienced this time around. John L. Smith, a former head coach at three schools, takes over the special teams, which can only help.

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