Walk into the Lost Lamb Diner in Batesville, and you will no doubt hear discussions over Biblical scriptures along with fantastic recipes.
But soon, like in all gathering spots around the state of Arkansas in late August, the topic of conversation shifts to our most frustrating passion, Razorback Football.
As my good friends Keeling and Hunter and I were all finishing our breakfast, the question was raised, “What record will Sam Pittman and the boys have this season?”
Well, my friends, this season has the outlook of being either a moderate success or a complete collapse. And then we broke it down game-by-game.
Alabama A&M Bulldogs: The season opener in Fayetteville should be a cakewalk for any team coming off a bowl game winning season. This game will be the biggest point spread Arkansas will have all season. Mark this one down as win. (1-0, 0-0)
Arkansas State Red Wolves (in Little Rock): Roughly 287 miles separate these two in-state FBS campuses, and the first meeting ever between the two will be roughly in the middle, War Memorial Stadium in the state capital. The match-up Frank Broyles never wanted has finally come to fruition, and even though the Butch Jones led Red Wolves can pose problems for the flagship program, the safe pick is the Razorbacks. (2-0, 0-0)
at Ole Miss Rebels: When these two teams line up against one another, you can often throw the records and the rankings out the window. You can almost bet your bottom dollar the game will either be very close… or a complete blowout. Unfortunately for Arkansas, this SEC opener is on the road in Oxford. It is also very early for a match-up against a talented Ole Miss team. The Rebels will hand us our first defeat. (2-1, 0-1)
at the Memphis Tigers: Is it just me, or does any mention of the Memphis Tigers bring up some old, hidden anxiety? Perhaps it stems back to a time when Todd Day, Lee Mayberry, and the late Oliver Miller had nerve-wracking battles with the (then Memphis State) Tigers. Whatever the cause for my harbor of old feelings, the Hogs should hammer out their mistakes from their previous loss for a non-conference victory. (3-1, 0-1)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Why no one has dubbed the first ever meeting for these two historic programs the “Lou Holtz Bowl” I will never know. Well, perhaps I just did. Royalties if any trophies are made and shirt sold can be e-mailed to me at HitThatLine.com. As long as Arkansas is no worse than 3-1 at this point in the season, the fans will show up in Fayetteville. If that is the case, the Razorbacks actually stand a chance. You might want to ridicule me now, but I am calling the upset: Arkansas upends Notre Dame in Fayetteville. (4-1, 0-1)
at Tennessee Volunteers: Arkansas travels for its second SEC contest in 2025 following the bye week, and this time it is to Knoxville, Tennessee. The Vols have a good chance to come into the game with a 4-1 record, and if they do, Neyland Stadium will be the host of over 100,000 orange-clad fans. If that happens, then the Hogs’ chances drop significantly. I hope I am wrong, but Tennessee may win this one by double-digits. (4-2, 0-2)
Texas A&M Aggies: The old SWC rival makes their way back to Fayetteville for the first time since Johnny Manziel made his appearance in 2013. The Hogs lead this series 42-36-3; however, A&M has walked off the field with the Southwest Classic trophy far more often than not since 2012. If the Aggies are half as good as advertised, that tendency is probably going to continue. (4-3, 0-3)
Auburn Tigers: Arkansas will welcome Hugh Freeze’s Tigers back into Donald W Reynolds for the first time since his “If we play them nine more times, we’d beat them nine more times” comment. Karma bit Auburn in the tail for the remainder of 2024 for that one; however, the returning players from last year will no doubt use Freeze’s arrogance as bulletin board material to put their extra stamp on it. Arkansas gets their first SEC win. (5-3,1-3)
Mississippi State Bulldogs: Just past the three-quarters point of the season, Jeff Lebby (in his sophomore reign at the helms in Starkville) brings his Bulldogs into Fayetteville. It is doubtful they can do any worse than they did last season, and it is also highly unlikely they can win and SEC game on the road. Our Hogs take this one to become bowl eligible. (6-3,2-3)
at LSU Tigers: Some say Brian Kelly is coaching for his job this season. We all know Sam Pittman is. Chances are they are both on the sidelines for this game. That has little to do with my prediction, but what will have led up to it will. The Tigers are strong, and in Baton Rouge, they are even stronger. Arkansas, even at its peak in the season, will have a minimal chance of pulling the upset in Death Valley. The Golden Boot will stay with our neighbor to the south. (6-4, 2-4)
at Texas Longhorns: If I am short even one victory at this point in my predictions, this will be a night game. If I am correct, and the Razorbacks have 6 or less wins, this will be played in the early afternoon. Chances are the latter will be the case, and thus Texas will be the much stronger team at this point in the season. They will not, however, still be ranked No. 1 in the country. Unfortunately, we will not be able to outplay them on the field. (6-5, 2-5)
Missouri Tigers: Arkansas will close out the season at home battling the Tigers in the Battle Line Rivalry. I am going to be brief on this one out of my own superstition, but mark my words, the coaching of Arkansas’s two coordinators, Travis Williams on defense and Bobby Petrino on offense, will make the difference in this contest. The trophy returns home to Fayetteville. (7-5, 3-5)
There it is in all its glory. The prediction for 2025 for Arkansas is an overall record of 7-5, with an SEC performance of 3-5. Good enough for a bowl game, yet nowhere near making the 12-team College Football Playoff. Somehow, I do not suspect many were expecting the latter to happen, though. You never know.
Follow all the action on HitThatLine.com, and listed to the games on the air all season long at ESPN Arkansas 99.5 in Fayetteville, 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs, and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.
Go HOGS!!!
