The Associated Press preseason poll was released on Monday, and Arkansas slotted in at No. 19. Last season, the Hogs ended at No. 21 in the poll after defeating Penn State in the Outback Bowl. Last week, the preseason coaches poll was released and had Arkansas ranked at No. 23.
SEC Dominance
Five other SEC teams were ranked in the preseason AP Poll. These include No. 1 Alabama, No. 3 Georgia, No. 6 Texas A&M, No. 20 Kentucky, and No. 21 Ole Miss. The poll doesn’t even include a team like Tennessee, who showed marked improvement last season and brings back star QB Hendon Hooker.
With six teams in the AP Poll, the SEC was the most represented conference in college football once again. The next best conference was the ACC, with five teams.
What this means for Arkansas
The ranking shows the national media is paying close attention to the Hogs this year. However, Arkansas still has to play against a gauntlet schedule. Currently, five teams on Arkansas’ schedule are ranked within the preseason AP Poll. These teams are Alabama, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Cincinnati, and BYU. This doesn’t include other teams who received votes like LSU, Auburn, Mississippi State, and South Carolina.
In order to live up to or even surpass their preseason ranking, the Razorbacks cannot take any games off, and must play their best week-in and week-out.
With the most anticipation for a season in a long time, can the Hogs tune out the noise and focus on playing ball?