Will Hogs be grown-up or growing up?

Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema works with the Razorbacks during practice Thursday, April 21, 2016 in Fayetteville.

— Throughout my junior high years, our high school football team was just average.

In most years, we would beat the teams we were supposed to beat and lose to the ones which were always better. A .500 record was satisfying, but typically elusive.

But as the high school team struggled, the junior high started winning - a lot. It started beating some of those programs the high school never could. In some cases, it happened two seasons in a row.

We could see that once our junior high players grew up, the high school team was going to improve. Sure enough, the win total increased by one when the first class made it to varsity. It increased again the next year and we made the playoffs. My junior year was when it finally all came together and our team won its first conference title in 15 years, first playoff game in more than 50 years and set a school record for wins.

That was our grown-up season, but it took growing up to get there.

I think we're in the midst of seeing something similar at Arkansas. The recruiting continues to improve under Bret Bielema, including last year when the Razorbacks landed two players who were among the best at their position - running back Devwah Whaley and defensive end McTelvin Agim. Cornerback Montaric Brown was highly recruited before committing to the program's next class.

History would indicate Arkansas is close to having another a memorable season. The Razorbacks' success has been cyclical since joining the SEC, with their grown-up seasons coming about every four or five years.

Those are terms - grown-up and growing up - I like to use to analyze a season. Fans want to know your predicted win total and that's understandable, but I like to view it more broadly.

The grown-up years are the ones we remember most - years like 2002 and 2006 come to mind when the Razorbacks won SEC West titles, or 2011, when Arkansas tied a school record in wins and finished ranked No. 5.

The growing up years typically come just before. The 2006 SEC West champions were coming off back-to-back losing seasons, including 4-7 in '05.

The same players who won 21 games over Bobby Petrino's final two seasons only won three SEC games and barely beat East Carolina in 2009.

Both years can be rewarding. Those growing up years typically offer a glimpse of future success (think Arkansas' game at No. 1 Florida in '09 or at No. 4 Georgia in '05 - both were well-played 23-20 losses) and give an indication that you have passed by teams previously ahead of or equal to you.

We saw Matt Jones grow into a dazzling playmaker in 2001. Darren McFadden won back-to-back Doak Walker Awards, but he had to grow up in '05. Ryan Mallett and his talented group of receivers needed a growth year in '09.

Last year was a growing up year. So was the one before that.

So will this be a growing up year or a grown-up year? I think the difference lies in the answer to four preseason questions.

First, can Austin Allen stay healthy?

At 22 years old, Allen isn't your typical first-year starting quarterback, so the learning curve shouldn't be so sharp. Not only does he look comfortable in the offense, but the offense looks efficient with him in control. But there is a noticeable difference between Allen and his understudies. Arkansas needs him in the game to have its best chance to win. All bets are off if a freshman is under center.

Second, will the offensive line be good enough?

Bielema gets the benefit of the doubt here because his lines are typically top-notch. But there are some valid concerns this year, especially with the lack of consistency at right tackle. The Razorbacks have to replace three starters from a year ago and their two returning linemen changed positions during the offseason. There is reason to believe the run game will continue to be strong, but the line has struggled in pass protection during the preseason.

Third, will the secondary eliminate big plays?

Arkansas gave up 19 pass plays of 19 yards or longer during its 1-3 start last year, and long pass plays contributed to other losses to Alabama and Mississippi State. Paul Rhoads is a good a position coach and there is plenty of experience in the secondary. A better year should be the expectation, but the proof will be in how Arkansas defends the spread against the likes of TCU and Texas A&M in the first month.

Fourth, are special teams going to be beneficial or costly?

The Razorbacks likely would have been a nine-win team a year ago with better special teams. Two errors in the punting game cost Arkansas 14 points against Toledo and we all remember the blocking blunder on the field goal attempt in the final minute against Mississippi State. There were also blocked field goals in three other games and Tennessee returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. Bielema says the team has worked five times as much on special teams this preseason, so chances are it will be improved.

The schedule is as favorable as Arkansas could have hoped for a grown-up year. The Razorbacks get their toughest opponents - Alabama, Ole Miss, Florida and LSU - at home, play Texas A&M in a true neutral venue and have road games at Mississippi State and Missouri, which appear to be trending downward. With that kind of schedule, it would not surprise to see at least as many SEC wins (5) as a year ago.

Anything more would qualify as a grown-up year.