FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas is about to run a gauntlet that will be tough enough in the SEC assuming they can make it out of September with any hope left.
With a gimme opener against Alabama A&M, the first meeting with Arkansas State probably has more attention in Jonesboro than around here.
Razorback fans might not get the blowout they expect from the opening kickoff. The Red Wolves will likely have a bigger emotional investment.
Hogs coach Sam Pittman knows what’s coming the next three weeks will be more defining and critical.
With road games against Ole Miss and Memphis followed by the first-ever meeting with Notre Dame that’s a five-game stretch with only one SEC game.
A 3-2 start would be okay, 4-1 is difficult and a 1-4 record might throw a wet blanket over everything before we even get to September and the Razorbacks have fired the head coach in that month before.
Don’t look for that to happen, regardless how things work out. There’s still SEC games to play and the Hogs usually always win one nobody expects and manage to lose one they are expected to win.
“We don’t shy away from a challenge,” Pittman said in spring practice. “You work hard and you see what you’re made of, that’s all you can do.”
This year, the SEC’s expansion and scheduling quirks have created an uneven playing field. Some teams, like Texas and Missouri, catch a break by dodging most of the conference’s giants. Arkansas isn’t so lucky.
According to veteran analyst Phil Steele’s annual breakdown, the Razorbacks face one of the most grueling conference slates, drawing six matchups against teams in the “superpower” or “pink” categories.
That’s his color code of red or pink meaning programs projected to finish in the SEC’s top half.
Roster turnover is another storyline. After a season that saw flashes of promise but plenty of inconsistency, Arkansas enters 2025 with a revamped lineup.
Quarterback Taylen Green, coming off a solid debut, returns with hopes that a better offensive line and a new cast of skill players can improve the Razorbacks’ offense over the low bar set last season.
“Taylen’s got the right mentality,” said offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, back in Fayetteville for his second stint. “We need to put him in a position to succeed, and that starts up front.”
The backfield is anchored by senior Mike Washington Jr., with support from Braylen Russell and Rodney Hill. O’Mega Blake, a senior transfer, brings big-play potential to a wide receiver group with a ton of new faces.
The defense has Xavian Sorey Jr. and Stephen Dix Jr. and a lot of questions waiting on answers for a group that struggled at times last year.
All told, the Razorbacks’ two-deep is a blend of transfers, returning contributors, and underclassmen looking to make a name in the SEC’s most demanding year yet.
Expectations aren’t sky-high. Betting lines have set Arkansas’s win total at 5.5, matching the uncertainty swirling around the program and the schedule that awaits.
National previews predict a finish in the bottom half of the conference, but inside the program, there’s a sense that the Razorbacks can surpass those projections if everything clicks.
“We’re not here to be average,” Pittman said. “You work hard and not be very good, or you work hard and surprise some folks. That’s why we play the games.”
It’s been a decade since Arkansas last truly threatened the SEC’s upper echelon and the pressure is mounting. Pittman, who signed an extension through 2027, knows the stakes.
“If you want to be patted on the back, you’re going to get punched in the gut. And what’s fair is fair,” he told reporters last fall.
The fan base’s patience is wearing thin and is close to apathetic. There hasn’t been a big buzz, but that will pick up over the next week and a half leading into SEC Media Days in Atlanta.
