Hog Wild!

Brace yourself.

Seriously. Take a seat. Grab hold of something stable. What I'm about to tell you is truly stunning.

Deep breath. OK, here goes. Arkansas stud running back Darren McFadden is going pro.

...

What? You already knew that?

Oh. While all of college football fully expected this from the Heisman runner-up (heck, his mother admitted as much before the 2007 season even started), the announcement caps off a drama-filled seven-week stretch for McFadden complete with scenarios that many star athletes never experience in their entire career. Let's briefly examine this timeline, shall we?

Nov. 23 - McFadden and the Arkansas Razorbacks were walking bowl season's tight rope with a precarious 7-4 record when they waltzed into Tiger Stadium to tangle with top-ranked LSU on the day after Thanksgiving. Thanks in large part to McFadden's 206 yard, three touchdown rushing performance (He also threw a TD pass for good measure) the Hogs escaped Baton Rouge with a triple-overtime victory and solidified their bowl standing. After the game, McFadden appeared on national television pounding his chest with a small wooden baseball bat shouting, "We got that wood!"

Nov. 26 - Three days after the emotional toppling of the nation's top-ranked team, the man who recruited and coached McFadden for three years, Houston Nutt, announced his resignation as Head Hog.

Dec. 2 - Thanks in large part to it's impressive upset of then-No. 1 LSU to wrap up the season, Arkansas accepts an invite to play in the Cotton Bowl against Missouri New Year's Day, despite losing its coach.

Dec. 8 - For the second time a bridesmaid and still not the bride. McFadden finishes second in the Heisman Trophy voting to Florida sophomore Tim Tebow. The win made Tebow the first underclassman to ever win the award. The runner-up finish made McFadden the first back-to-back silver medalist since the late '40s.

Dec. 27 - An Arkansas television station breaks a story alleging that McFadden might have obtained his new vehicle (A shiny Cadillac Escalade) improperly from an agent, calling into question his status with the Razorbacks. McFadden asserts he purchased the vehicle on his own based on a delayed payment plan.

Jan. 1 - McFadden could only muster a modest 105 yards rushing, while his Missouri Counterpart Tony Temple set a Cotton Bowl record with 281 yards on only 24 carries, pacing the Tigers to a 38-7 rout of the Razorbacks.

Jan. 10 - Described by police as a "pretty rowdy scene", McFadden is the only person handcuffed outside Ernie Biggs Piano Bar in Little Rock. Yes, you read that correctly -- Ernie Biggs PIANO BAR. According to police, bar employee Brant Hankins was hit in the head by a patron when a scuffle ensued inside the club before spilling into the parking lot. McFadden was handcuffed, "because he was agitated and was provoking aggressive behavior inciting the incident," according to the police report. Arkansas law prohibits any person under the age of 21 from entering a bar where smoking is allowed and no food is served, like Ernie Biggs. McFadden is 20. No charges have been filed.

Note: Is there any less likely place where you might expect to find a "pretty rowdy scene" than a piano bar? Maybe a Lunesta testing facility? The annual board meeting for the AARP? Canada? Just a thought.

Which brings us to the present where Darren McFadden's father has reportedly submitted the necessary paperwork for his son to enter the 2008 NFL Draft. McFadden is an exceptional talent. It would be difficult to argue against McFadden and his nearly 4,600 career rushing yards as the most dominant of any SEC back since Bo Jackson. As a general rule, I hate to see talented college players forgo their final year of eligibility to accept a quick check, but this is the exception. It's time Darren McFadden packs up his Escalade and brings his wood to the NFL. There is no doubt he can be just as dominant at the next level as he was in college, assuming he stays healthy. And there is also no doubt that McFadden has gotten too big for the college game.

So, please go. No more driving luxury cars to practice. No more "rowdy" scuffles at piano bars. No more obnoxious interviews with props on national television.

Take those tricks and all of your talent to the NFL. You'll fit in just fine with that crowd.