 The 2008 season was expected to be a transition year for the team and Petrino.Though eliminated from bowl contention, Petrino led the Razorbacks to a last-second victory over rival and defending national champions LSU (nicknamed the Miracle on Markham II) to finish the season 5–7 and a conference mark of 2–6.Petrino's 2009 Razorbacks made dramatic improvement.