Razorbacks Not in SEC-Big 10 Heavy Post-Spring Rankings

None of it should be surprising but there were some teams ranked that was

Author:
Andy Hodges
Updated:
May 5, 2023 12:35 PM EDT
Original:
May 4, 2023

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — We'll just remove any surprise ending at the jump because Arkansas is not listed in the ESPN post-spring power rankings. If I did one of those things, this team wouldn't be in the Top 25, either. There are simply questions about what questions we should have.

The team at the top isn't exactly a shock, either. That's kind of the way these things go and, admittedly, at one time I was a voter in some of these. You simply start where last season ended, make a few adjustments and go from there. The two-time defending champion Georgia Bulldogs are on top.

That's exactly why the SEC and Big 10 dominate the rankings with six teams each. Michigan is right behind the Bulldogs, which really doesn't come as much of a surprise, either. The Big 12 and Pac 12 have five teams each.

If there was a surprising entry into the rankings this early it was the Texas Longhorns coming in at No. 10. Talk about the usual path to under-achieving. It's really pretty easy when the expectations are set to a post-spring Top 10. They may not be there by the time fall camp gets underway in August, but they are there now, so it may be another same song, different verse situation. They will probably get a reality check next season when they play a full SEC schedule.

The Razorbacks aren't in all of that conversation and coach Sam Pittman probably likes that. He probably enjoys the low expectations because he may have as many questions about this team as some of us in the media.

This team has so many new faces that any projection of this team is a little ridiculous. They may win 10 games or they may win five. At this point, it will be the ultimate in guessing since a huge chunk of the starting line-up has never played in a game.

Yes, the Hogs have one of the top quarterbacks with KJ Jefferson, but right now they don't have a No. 1 receiver. He can't hand off to Raheim Sanders and AJ Green every play because SEC defenses will catch onto that if it's the only thing the Hogs can do consistently.

Interestingly enough, their schedule comes in as the sixth-toughest schedule in all of a college football, despite a non-conference list of games that includes BYU as its heavy hitter. With that being at Razorback Stadium, they should win those four games without question.

It's somehow finding a couple of wins in the SEC schedule that's a head-scratcher. Every other team in the league tries to get better in the off-season, too. Don't expect anybody to be the same they were last season. They either get better or worse, but nothing stays the same.

Things won't here either. But don't try and pin me down on which teams they will definitely be able to beat. Playing Alabama, LSU and Ole Miss on the road is going to be difficult, especially that road trip to AT&T Stadium for the likely next-to-last game with Texas A&M there.

While there are teams a lot of fans automatically assume they will beat (Missouri and Mississippi State leap to mind immediately), this Hog team hasn't proven they can play together as a team on offense or defense.

Guess all you want. I didn't see enough in spring practice to make me confident of anything right now.