Mixed Nutts

Tonight's lopsided win over the North Texas State Green Weenies or whatever they're called, takes a little pressure of Houston Nutt... for now. But in the long term, it doesn't mean much. This team lost to OU 79-10 earlier and gave up 45 to SMU last week. Rent-a-wins like this one define a teams' season only if it loses them.

Until the Hogs beat a real team of the SEC variety or at least a major conference team, of which there are none on the schedule with Tennessee/Chattanooga next on the menu and the Florida School For The Blind or some such tackling dummy later, this writer remains unconvinced. With Houston Nutt on the sidelines and Casey Dick under center, the 2 non-conference games are the only gimmes left.

The 2 Mississippi schools are certainly beatable and Auburn is a winnable game, but the Tigers' win in "the swamp" tonight proves they can win on the road. You know the Hogs will get outcoached against South Carolina and winning at Knoxville is something no Hog coach except Joe Kines has ever done, so 7 or 8 wins looks to be how the season will shake out.

You notice I didn't mention LSU, which will beat us like a drum in Red Stick like they usually do.

The question is: will 8 wins get the team in the Cotton Bowl vs. a Big 12 also-ran? Against this soft schedule, anything less than 8 wins is a bad year. If the Hogs do spend New Year's Day in "Big D", will history repeat itself? You know. Ken Hatfield coached the Hogs in the CB against Tennessee on Jan. 1, 1990, then split for Clemson without even bothering to visit the campus.

It is my belief that Nutt will not be fired. Broyles will leave any major moves like that to Jeff Long, surely. I mean, the Boss Hog has let Houston go this long without being accountable. Do you really think he would fire his boy on his way out the door? I don't. And I don't believe Jeff Long will want to make such a major move that soon in his reign. I believe HDN will take his ball and go to whatever team will have him. He wouldn't have to be that highly paid to make more than his settlement amount at UA.

What with Hillis, Monk, D-Mac and probably Felix leaving, the cupboard will be less than bare next season resulting in a subpar season which would surely make the Nuttcracker Suite a hit. So, why stick around another season to get fired when you could make a new start somewhere else? We can hope. In my opinion, such a parting would benefit both sides and allow a healing of the divisions in Hog Nation.