This article is part of our Summer Stock series, a three-week look at the programs generating the most buzz coming out of spring practice.
Arkansas Razorbacks
Razorbacks offensive coordinator Garrick McGee has a simple request.
"I just wanna see every game go down to the wire," McGee says. "I just want close games."
He's referring to the NBA playoffs, mind you, but it'd be hard to blame the coach if he was talking about his Razorbacks squad heading into the 2011 season, given the grueling gauntlet of a schedule laid out before them. Arkansas has a "home" game against the Texas A&M Aggies, which will actually be played in Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, plus roadies against the Alabama Crimson Tide and the LSU Tigers and a handful of other SEC contests against the likes of Auburn and South Carolina that could cause Bobby Petrino's team trouble throughout the year.
Plus, the team knows a thing or two about close calls. Prior to their Sugar Bowl loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Razorbacks were leading in the fourth quarter of every one of their games, including their two SEC losses to Alabama and Auburn.
In other words: "If we play better in two quarters," says McGee, "then we're in the national title."
While this could at first seem discouraging to Arkansas fans, it's actually very encouraging in other ways, namely in that it proves the Razorbacks have built their program up to the level where they're able to hang with any team in the country.
And if that anecdotal evidence isn't enough for you, there's this: The numbers show that the Razorbacks have the makings of a legit national title contender heading into the 2011 season.
For starters, the Razorbacks rank favorably in Football Outsiders' Program FEI ratings (a five-year assessment of possession efficiency that correlates strongly to success in college football), coming in at No. 16. This is important, because of the past 10 national championship game participants, all have been ranked in the top 20 of PFEI coming into the season.
Their defense provides plenty of reason for promise, as well. Arkansas had a good -- but not great -- defense in 2010, giving up more than 23 points per game and struggling in the key areas of rushing yards allowed and pass efficiency defense.
Their stellar performance in other key categories is the real reason for optimism, however. Not only did the Razorbacks rank eighth in the country in third-down defense (another critical Eliminator category), but they showcased their playmaking ability in sacks per game and tackles for loss, ranking ninth and 13th nationally, respectively.
"[Those stats] show that it was feast or famine with us," says defensive coordinator Willy Robinson. "We made big plays, but we weren't where we needed to be as a defense because we were giving up too many big plays."
If as a unit the defense can cut down on the big plays, the Razorbacks figure to continue to have a presence in opponents' backfields, as Robinson says he was generally impressed by the play of his defensive line this spring. Things are less settled in the linebacker corps and secondary, but there are senior impact performers at each level in middle linebacker Jerry Franklin and safety Tramain Thomas (the team's 2010 leaders in tackles and interceptions, respectively).
On offense, Arkansas was outstanding last season, and returns a group of skill position players as impressive as any in the country, with 1,300-yard rusher Knile Davis and a receiving corps headlined by Greg Childs, Joe Adams and Jarius Wright. "We need them to take charge and step forward," McGee says of his receiving corps. "We need more leadership. They're all really fast and can catch, but we need them to make the plays that keep the crowd going. They have the ability to keep us in any game."
The offensive line still needs to come together, as it is a talented but inexperienced group that could feature a true freshman starting tackle in Brey Cook. But perhaps the coaches' biggest challenge on offense will be replacing quarterback Ryan Mallett. Not only did Mallett post an exceptional QB rating (the passing category that most closely correlates to winning in college football) and rack up nearly 3,900 yards passing, but he also proved that as he went, so did Arkansas (he was knocked out with a concussion in one Razorbacks loss and committed critical turnovers in the other two). And perhaps most importantly, he was a strong-voiced leader in a locker room that now, according to coaches, is lacking leadership. (Says Robinson: "You would like to think that our leaders would be established by now. It seems like they're all waiting for somebody else to step up.")
Tyler Wilson and Brandon Mitchell are both still in the running to be the Razorbacks' starting QB, and while Wilson has the clear edge in experience (he performed well in relief of an injured Mallett against Auburn), Mitchell possesses more ability as a runner, and it is not without precedent for a young challenger to overtake an established veteran in a quarterback battle; see Darron Thomas and the 2010 Oregon Ducks.
In fact, upon further review, this year's Arkansas squad bears some serious resemblance to the Ducks of a year ago. Their points scored and points allowed numbers are eerily similar (Arkansas in 2010: 36.5 scored, 23.4 allowed; Oregon in 2009: 36.1 scored, 23.8 allowed), and in both cases the teams were coming off a breakthrough BCS bowl appearance that ended with a loss to Ohio State.
The Razorbacks are now faced with taking the next step that the Ducks took last season in making it to the BCS title game. A lot will have to go right for that to happen, but if the numbers tell us anything, it's this: Arkansas is a bona fide contender in the SEC and national championship races, and has the talent and performance level to compete with any team in its league and in the country.
"We've improved our talent level tremendously," Robinson says. "Our kids don't fear anybody." Adds McGee: "We have to appreciate the process of becoming a championship ball club. We have to have an appreciation for what it's gonna take."
With a schedule like theirs, chances are it's going to take winning a few close games.
Jeff Dooley is an Associate Editor for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN Insider. He coordinates college football coverage for Insider, and previously he wrote about college football, the NFL and college hoops for Insider and Rumor Central. You can find his ESPN archives here, and follow him on Twitter here.