Where Does Razorbacks Next Opponent Rank in CFP Poll?

Hogs have chance to knock off second top-four team of season but it comes with team struggling and talented Texas in town

Texas Longhorns center Jake Majors (65) celebrates a touchdown my receiver Isaiah Bond (7) during the game against Mississippi State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. | Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Sam Pittman will now have the opportunity to lead Arkansas to a victory over its second top-four opponent of the season. The hill at the end of this season has turned out to be a big one.

Texas will enter Saturday's game against Arkansas as the No. 3 team in the latest College Football Playoff rankings which were released Tuesday night. That's a two spot rise compared to last week when the Longhorns were ranked No. 5 but projected as the No. 6 seed for the playoff.

Arkansas is looking for a bounce back after a frustrating 63-31 loss to Ole MIss before going into a bye week. The Razorbacks were able to watch Texas throttle past a lowly Florida team 49-17 during its off week.

Coach Steve Sarkisian was tasked to prepare his Texas program for a move to the SEC which was a monumental moment in conference realignment four summers ago. In the Longhorn's first season in the league, it has an 8-1 overall record with a lone loss to then No. 2 Georgia at home 30-15.

The Longhorns have a strong shot at getting to the College Football Playoff with a potential auto-bid due to a SEC Championship or an at-large bid due to its body of work. Texas only has one ranked opponent left on the schedule in Texas A&M in the season finale with Arkansas this weekend and Kentucky sandwiched between.

Arkansas will have an opportunity to play spoiler of Texas' season as the Razorbacks have already defeated a top-five team Oct. 5 against then No. 4 Tennessee which resulted in a field storm. Pittman has educated his current team on the importance of the Hogs' rivalry with the Longhorns that dates back to 1894.

An unranked Razorbacks team has played a ranked Texas 17 times over the years. The Longhorns are 4-13 in such games and are 16-5 all-time in games played between the two rivals in Fayetteville.

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