Arkansas Football: 5 Takeaways from 2017 season

4. Expectations have to be reset

In 2011 Arkansas finished 11-2, third place in the SEC West and No. 5 in the nation. That was Bobby Petrino’s final turn at the helm before scandal drove him our of Fayetteville for good. Petrino would reemerged at Louisville. Arkansas fans would watch from a distance his quarterback Lamar Jackson took home the Heisman Trophy a year ago.

That was a magic season for Razorback fans, but it’s time to admit it was the exception rather than the rule. Even 11 wins were not enough to vault the Hogs higher than third place in their own division.

The Razorbacks weren’t competitive this season under Bret Bielema. A one-win SEC season is too low of a mark for such a proud program and also a driving force behind why Bielema was let go as quickly as he was. However, there’s a balance that this program needs to find – and it’s not quite there.

Arkansas isn’t going to be an 11-win team in most years. They won’t often be a 4-win team either. No they’ll finish somewhere near the middle of the pack, and that’s something fans need to come to terms with.