Ranking SEC Coaching Jobs: How Appealing Is Arkansas If Bobby Petrino Is Fired?

We've already discussed some of the possible head coaches who could replace Bobby Petrino if he ends up getting fired.

Now the question is, just how appealing is the Arkansas job?

If you happen to be just waking up from about a 24-hour nap, head coach Bobby Petrino was involved in a motorcycle accident that included passenger Jessica Dorell, who is a member of the Arkansas football staff.

The problem with the whole thing is that he lied about Dorell being on the bike and has now been placed on administrative leave for trying to cover up the whole incident.

So let's say Petrino ends up getting fired within the next month or so; would this job become another Penn State after their recent scandal?

I don't think so.

Regardless of what happens with the outcome of this ongoing investigation, this is still one of the better programs in the top college football conference. Just being in the SEC alone will continue to land some of the top recruits in the country and continue to make this a competitive football team.

Not to mention, if somebody is hired this season, they'll have one of the top offenses in college football that averaged nearly 37 points per game last year to work with.

They also happen to be the only BCS program in their state, which last time I checked gave the Razorbacks some type of advantage in recruiting Arkansas talent.

The downside to coaching Arkansas is that they're in the same division as SEC powerhouses Alabama, LSU and Auburn. Those aren't exactly three programs you want on your schedule every season if your goal is to win a national championship.

This is an incident that will likely be handled by the university without the NCAA getting involved, so losing scholarships or a bowl ban is likely out of the question here.

Arkansas remains a solid program that brings in tons of talent and should continue to do so with a new head coach. There are several hurdles to get over in order to win a national championship, but at this point that would likely be the last thing on a potential new head coach's mind.

If Petrino is in fact fired, there should be little to no problem finding a young head coach who is looking for a new challenge in college football's toughest conference.