Arkansas Football is looking to do something it has only done a handful of times in the last decade: make a bowl game. To do that, it is going to need to improve quite a bit on both sides of the ball, but more than anything, it will need to finish out games.
Arkansas May Have Been the Best 4-8 Team in the Country
Last year, the Razorbacks were 4-8, which, no matter how you spin it, is not a good record. However, when you look at the actual results, they were within one score of beating Alabama, LSU, and Ole Miss. In fact, they had six games that came down to one possession. In those games, they went 1-5.
Had Arkansas found a way to even go 3-3 in those games, the narrative around the team would be much different than where it is now?
With a more experienced team (although a new QB – more on that later), and a revamped coaching staff, if the Razorbacks can find a way to go .500 in one-score games, there is a very good chance that the Hogs will play in the postseason.
The KJ Jefferson Era is Over…Finally
KJ Jefferson was a good quarterback, but he was with Arkansas too long. That may sound super odd to say, but in today’s era of college football, if a quarterback is great, they normally will leave early for the NFL Draft. If they aren’t good, they get replaced.
Jefferson was in the middle of those two scenarios.
Jefferson started his playing in 2019, starting in 2021-2023. In total, he had five years as a Razorback, and again, he was solid but never good enough to really get Arkansas over the top. The other issue was that, with six years of playing experience, teams learned how to scheme against him. After throwing only 10 interceptions in his first four years with the team, he threw eight just last year while also seeing his average yards per pass drop and his completion percentage.
It was time for a change in Fayetteville, and this season the Razorbacks will finally get that.
Bobby Petrino is Back
If you were watching the Arkansas program back in the early 2010s, the Razorbacks were actually one of the top teams in college football, with Bobby Petrino as the head coach. Following the 2011 season, however, he was involved in a scandal that immediately got him fired. Fast-forward 12 years, and Petrino is back on the sidelines, this time as the offensive coordinator.
There is no question that Petrino is a better play-caller than anyone they’ve had since he left, but some have wondered whether he will be fully invested this time around. Petrino is 63 years old, and some wonder how much longer he wants to coach.
What isn’t a question however, is the excitement around the program to have Petrino back. The last time Petrino was on the Arkansas sideline, the Hogs were holding up a Sugar Bowl trophy and ranked as a Top 5 team.
Favorable Schedule
In today’s SEC, now with Texas and Oklahoma, opponents have more games to get up for. For example, Florida plays Ole Miss, Georgia, Texas, LSU, Miami, Florida State, and UCF. There are schedules like that all over the SEC, so it is possible that when Texas plays the Hogs, they overlook the Hogs, looking towards a huge game the next week.
It also helps that the Razorbacks don’t face many elite teams. While they may not be favored in any SEC games this year, playing teams like Auburn, Mississippi State, and Texas A&M is at least a bit more manageable than other teams. The Hogs also avoid having to play Alabama and Georgia.
Finally, their nonconference is very manageable. Oklahoma State will be challenging, but UA Pine Bluff, UAB, and LA Tech shouldn’t pose any issues.
