Back in Top 10: Hogs' Win Over Aggies Boosts Arkansas to No. 8
All of these power polls and rankings really don't mean a lot for another couple of months but Arkansas is getting back in the mix.
They are higher than at any point since 2012. Of course that was a rather forgettable year when they started high and finished nowhere.
The 20-10 win over Texas A&M added some legitimacy to a 4-0 start. Taking ownership over the biggest teams in Texas doing it is just a bonus.
Right or wrong a large number of folks in Arkansas would rather beat the Longhorns and Aggies than the Crimson Tide or Tigers.
Sunday, the Hogs moved seven spots in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll to No. 11, which has kept them a couple of spots behind the media poll.
They leaped all the way to No. 8 in the Associated Press poll.
READ MORE: Kings of Texas After Beating Aggies, Longhorns in Same Year
Sports Illustrated's Richard Johnson put the Razorbacks at No. 10 in his Top 10 ranking Sunday morning. He also moved Georgia, this week's opponent, to No. 1 ahead of Alabama.
Thanks, Richard. The Bulldogs aren't better than the Crimson Tide but motivation seems to help this Arkansas team. It's part of what Johnson called "proof of concept" that's paying off in record time.
In the win over the Aggies, Sam Pittman got Hogs coaches Eric Musselman (men's basketball) and Dave Van Horn (baseball) to be on the sidelines. Those are the two most visible coaches right now.
READ MORE: What Exactly Was Barry Odom's Defensive Plan Against A&M
That's not a knock on other coaches but there are some limits on the number of folks just standing and watching from the sidelines during games.
He called both early last week.
"I just told 'em I think we'll be more powerful if you guys come on the sidelines and stand there," Pittman said Saturday after the win. "It was a special moment for me. I mean, it was Dave Van Horn and Eric Musselman. I mean my god."
He almost sounded in awe of Van Horn's regular trips to Omaha and what Musselman has accomplished in a short time at Fayetteville.
Pittman is getting the enthusiasm. The Hogs are getting respect.
The stage gets bigger this week and the spotlight brighter. No. 2 Georgia is next, the game is on the road, ESPN GameDay is going to be in Athens.
Now they have to keep winning.
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