NFL
By: Randall Slifer
We are almost one week away from the Arkansas Razorbacks starting their season in Fayetteville with what may be Sam Pittman’s most pivotal year. He needs to have a successful season in multiple ways to keep his job, and one easy way to prove that is Arkansas’ record this year. A record of 7-5 will not suffice for Sam, and an 8-4 record would likely still prompt a discussion about his future with Arkansas. Arkansas Razorbacks have been at the bottom of the SEC, and something needs to improve to bring back good football in an area that covets college football. So, how does Sam Pittman keep his job? A record of 9-3 would likely lock in his job, because that would mean he pulled some upsets, and Taylen Green is having a good year. Let’s take a look at how the Razorbacks can get to 9-3:
Arkansas needs to win all 5:
Alabama A&M, Arkansas State, Memphis, Mississippi State, Missouri
This group of games includes many hand-picked, non-conference games that Arkansas should be able to win, except for the tough matchup against Missouri. Arkansas has not proved that they can beat Missouri in recent years, as they have lost the last three matchups. Last year, it was a snow game and allowed Missouri to score 18 points in the fourth quarter to win by seven. This year, I believe Arkansas matches up similarly to Missouri, with a couple of positives on the Arkansas side. On the defensive side, Arkansas matches up similarly in their defensive line and linebackers, while the edge slightly goes to Arkansas in the defensive back rooms. Missouri will struggle to handle Arkansas’s bigger defensive backs. Safeties Miguel Mitchell and Larry Worth III are both over 220 pounds, while Larry Worth stands tall at 6’4. It will come down to who can run the ball the best, and with the combination of Green, Washington, and Russell, Arkansas can pull out an important win.
Arkansas needs to win three out of these four:
Tennessee, Auburn, Texas A&M, Ole Miss
If you were concerned about the Missouri game, you may want to gear up for the next couple of segments. Remember, this is to save Sam Pittman’s job, but more importantly, to get Arkansas back into relevancy. The two teams that Arkansas needs to handle in business are Tennessee and Auburn. Tennessee and Auburn are good teams, but they have flaws that can be exploited. Tennessee lost a lot of players through the portal and the draft, including one of their most dynamic pass rushers. Tennessee also had the debacle with Nico Iamaleava and NIL, which led to the five-star prospect transferring to UCLA.
Auburn boasts a roster with some excellent players, including one of the top pass rushers for the 2026 draft in Keldric Faulk. Auburn’s offensive line is excellent as well, but Taylen Green is a much better quarterback than Jackson Arnold. Arkansas will need to win some games, one because of Taylen Green, not just winning with Taylen Green. Keeping score, Arkansas has now won seven games, and they will need to beat Texas A&M or Ole Miss. Both teams are tough and boast incredible rosters, earning them prestige in the SEC and college football in general. Arkansas keeps it close year over year, despite the programs being far apart in terms of success. Arkansas Razorbacks’ closest chance to a recent upset came when Cam Little hit the top of the goal post on a game-winning field goal in 2022. Just like divisional matchups in the NFL, this game always holds close when you’re so familiar with your opponent.
Arkansas needs to win one of these three:
LSU, Texas, Notre Dame
These three teams all have realistic expectations of making it to the college football playoff, and their eyes are set on the national championship. This is where Sam Pittman will need to control the game and get his team ready to pull off an upset. Last year, Arkansas pulled off an incredible upset against Tennessee, where they stunted Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava to zero touchdowns and won the game 19-14. Arkansas switched from their 4-2-5 defensive base to dime packages, aiming to confuse Nico, and it worked to pull off the upset. Arkansas was able to pressure Nico with four sacks on the day and only 158 yards passing.
Sam Pittman will need to install different looks, find each team’s weaknesses, and see who cannot respond. Texas and LSU are away games, while Notre Dame is at home in Fayetteville. Home field is best to pick a heavy upset, but there is a chance we could take home the golden boot against LSU this year. Garrett Nussmeier is one of the top quarterbacks in the country, but he can be erratic at times, and different defensive looks can get him into quicksand. Last year, Texas A&M beat LSU by switching their defensive look at halftime, leading to Nussmeier throwing two second-half picks and only scoring six second-half points when LSU was up 17-7 at the end of the first half. Texas A&M switched to a more cover-2 defense in the second half from their cover-1, leading to a poor second-half performance. LSU also had four offensive linemen drafted in the 2025 draft, which could present some issues with a new offensive line.
Arkansas and Notre Dame will be playing for the first time in Fayetteville this year. This could be a marquee upset on the docket this year, if we can catch Notre Dame on their heels early, and sustain the lead without falling short. The game is at 11 am, and the environment will be fierce enough to get Notre Dame rattled enough to start the game cold. If Sam Pittman wants to keep his job, one win out of these three games is necessary, as it would still seem like a net neutral year instead of positive growth.
This all might look like a tall task for Sam Pittman and the Arkansas Razorbacks, but it is necessary to get Arkansas back into college football relevancy. If Taylen Green has a fantastic year and gets drafted high in next year’s draft, this will help more four-star and five-star quarterback recruits come to Fayetteville and continue to grow on a hopeful 2025 season. The season begins September 30th versus Alabama A&M in Fayetteville. Sam Pittman and the Arkansas Razorbacks will need to focus on one game at a time, aiming for a 9-3 record, or dare I say, better? As always, Go ‘Backs!
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