It is amazing, but apparently there is now an entire generation of people who were born and raised in Arkansas who don’t hate the Texas Longhorns.

To them, this is just another nonconference game. Nothing more.

Those poor, dysfunctional folks don’t know the pure joy of flashing the Hook ’em Horns sign upside down.

Of not just refusing to wear something with the color orange in it, but not allowing the color in their home.

Burnt orange became burned orange on sight.

The passion had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that the University of Texas is an outstanding academic institution.

That for Texas’ young people, it is one of the best educational values in the country.

It was about football, and a little basketball when Eddie Sutton and Abe Lemmons were going at it, as well as Nolan Richardson and Tom Penders.

It was about Texas winning three national championships to Arkansas’ one, and, yes, the NCAA has and always will recognize the Football Writers Association of America’s national championship.

In fact, until media guides were reduced to 208 pages (not counting covers ), the Ohio State media guide showed Jim Tressel receiving the FWAA trophy for its 2002 championship.

It was about 1969, and we don’t even need to go into the importance of The Big Shootout. It should be part of the curriculum for every junior high in Arkansas.

That game was so emotional at least one Arkansan claims he went out and laid in the street and prayed to be run over and another volunteered for the Air Force on the Monday after the game.

It wasn’t just because Texas dominated the series. Back then, the Longhorns dominated every series.

It was also about Ken Hatfield’s punt return for a touchdown in 1964 that helped the Hogs win in Austin, 14-13, en route to that national championship.

It was about knocking off No. 1 Texas the next season on NBC, beating the No. 2 Longhorns in 1979 and the No. 1 ’Horns in 1981.

It was about being at the Southwest Conference basketball tournament and, as the legend goes, former Arkansas band director Jim Robken warning his pep band that he would be in deep trouble if while he was standing there they sang their own version of the Texas fight song, and then excusing himself for five minutes to go to the restroom.

He had barely cleared the exit when the band sang in unison: “Texas Bites, Texas Bites, Texas jump up and bite my butt.” Never did it have anything to do with the state of Texas. Razorbacks fans owned Dallas during the SWC basketball tournament.

It really had nothing to do with Austin, which is a beautiful city that has now outgrown its infrastructure.

The games were all that mattered.

Yes — definitely yes — the Razorbacks were not the Longhorns’ biggest rival. They hate Texas A&M first, and Oklahoma is a close second.

However, as the only SWC member outside of the state of Texas, it only made sense to us to want to beat the biggest and richest school in the Lone Star State.

Since Arkansas joined the SEC, no opponent has come close to creating the same burning desire in Razorbackers.

A few games have been close to having the intensity and excitement, like the Miracle on Markham victory over LSU, the 1999 victory over No. 3 Tennessee and the seven-overtime victory against Ole Miss, which now, all things considered, might get close to Texas as a rival.

Until the time Arkansas left for the SEC, the majority of the Razorbacks nation circled the Texas game as soon as the schedules were printed.

Now, an entire generation has been deprived of the pure joy of hating the Longhorns, whose fan base generally bordered on arrogant.

Maybe, though, this new generation feels like the Razorbacks have so many great SEC games that stepping out to play a Big 12 opponent just isn’t that important.

Yet, for the majority, Saturday is huge.