Arkansas vs. Ohio State: Razorbacks get back to work

Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino and the Razorbacks are set to return to the practice field today to begin preparations for their Sugar Bowl game against Ohio State.
Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino and the Razorbacks are set to return to the practice field today to begin preparations for their Sugar Bowl game against Ohio State.

— The No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks finished the last of their final exams in the classroom Wednesday and return to the practice field today, hoping they pass their football final against No. 6 Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4.

The Razorbacks will be led on the field by Coach Bobby Petrino, who was named Wednesday as one of nine finalists for the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award as the top coach in the country. Since the Razorbacks last practiced, Petrino also reached an agreement with the university on a new seven-year deal that is worth an average of $3.56 million starting Jan. 1.

The Hogs’ first few practices after beating then-No. 5 LSU 31-23 on Nov. 27 focused on conditioning and technique for the veterans, with extra practice time allotted for the inexperienced players and scout-teamers.

Now the serious business of plotting against the Buckeyes begins.

“Obviously we were just working on a lot of technique, fundamentals and working the ones a little bit,” Petrino said last week. “You go back to some of the drills you do in two-a-days.”

Arkansas offensive coordinator Garrick McGee said Ohio State’s athleticism is reminiscent of upper-tier SEC teams like Alabama and LSU.

“The schemes are different but the athletes are there,” McGee said. “This is an SEC-level ball club, there’s no doubt about it.”

The Razorbacks began working their first team offense against their first defense again in some practices last week.

“It’s some goods vs. goods,” defensive tackle Alfred Davis said. “You want to keep the competitiveness going on, because you don’t want to slack off then go off and play a team like Ohio State, and get creamed because you practiced against the scouts the whole time.”

Defensive end Jake Bequette said the first 90 minutes of the practices last week were “normal” before correcting himself.

“It’s actually more intense than normal,” he said. “It’s ones on ones. We’re getting a lot of competitive work done. Then after that, it’s all young guys.”

When the young players, many of whom have been scout-team performers all season, start their work, the veterans get in conditioning work.

Petrino’s work ethic has been instilled in the Razorbacks, so the physical nature of the work and the running have not been a surprise.

“The coaches love bowl practice,” defensive end Damario Ambrose said. “They get to work those young guys.”

The extended wait to play the Buckeyes, with the game still 19 days away, can be exasperating.

“It’s definitely hard to wait,” Ambrose said. “I’m not going to lie to you. It’s fun to know we’re working toward a big game. People are excited to seethe SEC vs. the Big Ten. We’re all excited to get there.”

Arkansas players were still trying to gauge the impact of qualifying for the first BCS bowl in school history last week.

“It really hasn’t hit me yet,” receiver Joe Adams said. “It seems like a dream still to me, to play Ohio State in New Orleans in a BCS game.”

The dream is real, and Petrino’s practice pace will probably drive that point home to the Razorbacks.

Sports, Pages 19 on 12/16/2010

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