Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman on main stage at SEC Media Days — (Jimmie Mitchell / SEC)

Hogs' Sam Pittman May Have Gotten What He Wanted at SEC Media Days

Just 10 days away from fall camp opening, all he has to do now if find answers

Author:
Andy Hodges
Updated:
Jul 22, 2023 9:50 PM EDT
Original:
Jul 22, 2023

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — This may be the last quiet weekend for awhile. SEC Media Days wrapped up Thursday and just about everything has been covered. Now all Sam Pittman has to do is finish planning to answer some of the many questions, starting in 10 days.

The only problem with that theory is we'll have more questions once the season starts. Even Pittman has admitted he won't really know about these newcomers until they actually start playing SEC games. Coaches will always quietly admit they don't really know for sure until then.

Running back Raheim "Rocket" Sanders was pretty low key at the weekly hoopla of interviews in Nashville, saying he was focused. The hope is the rest of the team feels the same way. There's about to be a feeding frenzy of stuff flying around in less than two weeks, and it can get a little overwhelming to newcomers who haven't experienced it all before.

Pittman got what he probably secretly wanted at Media Days with nobody having any really high expectations for this team. Fans and even the media fans like to speculate and find "a way" to eight, nine or even 10 wins for for the Razorbacks. That would take hugely positive answers to all those questions around this team.

The truth will, as usual, probably be found somewhere in the middle. The problem is there are a ton of questions around every team in the SEC at this point (even Georgia, although that's an issue on Kirby Smart because he's got the players). And nobody in the history of the game has been able to make an accurate guess at injuries, officials' calls or any other things that make a game go sideways. Those are either excuses or explanations, depending on how you look at it.

About the best projection I can make right now for the season is 6-6, winning all four non-conference games and don't ask me what two SEC games they'll win because Vanderbilt isn't on the schedule. Missouri would get that spot, but there are 11 games to play and we never even know how this roster will look by the end of November.

Questions are all over the field for various reasons, although a lot of "experts" are slinging numbers against the wall so they have proof they knew what was going to happen all along. The Hogs were picked to finish fifth in the SEC West, which means no matter what at the end, it will be hard to say they didn't meet expectations or were a surprise team.

Pittman likes the underdog role when we get around to the season. He knows they will likely be the favorites in a rather underwhelming non-conference slate this year. He also knows once they finish with BYU the third week of the season, he faces a gauntlet that could impact this team for the rest of the year, a lot of it out of Fayetteville, which makes it tougher.

Just hope they make it to November with some sort of goal left. Of course if they run though LSU, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Alabama without a scratch, they'll either be completely out of gas or set up for a big finish. It all depends on the answers to the questions.