If Hogs Can't Knock Off Florida, Pittman's Hardest Question Won't Be About His Job

No-win scenario unfolds if Razorbacks lose to Gators, but will it be Arkansas coach's line in the sand?

Author:
Kent Smith
Publish date:
Nov 3, 2023 2:18 AM EDT

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas head football coach Sam Pittman has had to answer some tough questions the past several weeks. However, the one question he is hoping to dodge Saturday may be the most difficult he will ever have to address as a head coach.

When the season began, there was a reasonable acceptance this would be quarterback KJ Jefferson's last season as a Razorback. The overriding hope among Arkansas fans was he would develop his footwork further, gain experience under center and further improve his ability to read defenses en route to a future as an NFL draft pick. However, after a season where the past month has been filled with images of Jefferson looking more miserable than he probably has on a football field his entire life while the Hogs' offense crumbled around him, that fairy tale ending has long set sail.

What's left behind is a probable reality that has set in with a level of acceptance for a large number of those who follow the Arkansas football team. The odds of Jefferson wearing a different college football uniform next season are increasingly high. However, there appears to be a certain amount of understanding from Razorback fans. They seem to get the need for a fresh start to gain a different perspective in a final bid to become worthy of the NFL draft much the same way long-time North Carolina State quarterback Russel Wilson and Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts did at the end of extended stays to close out their college careers.

There's little doubt, regardless of the outcome the final few games, that Pittman already has an idea how Jefferson's future will play out, especially if Arkansas loses to Florida, ending all hopes of a bowl game. However, a loss Saturday would require a question to be asked that no Razorback fan thought would ever have to be spoken.

If Arkansas is out of bowl contention and there's only three games left to see what he has heading into next season, where does Pittman stand on playing either Jacolby Criswell or Malachi Singleton, if not both, the final three games over Jefferson? The answer probably lies in how Pittman views his job situation with another loss added on.

He has to evaluate whether its best to show a glimmer of what can be if given an offseason to work with the up and coming talent, especially behind center, or if his best bet lies with Jefferson's veteran experience perhaps being the difference in three wins to close the season. Of course, the answer to that probably has more to do with what athletics director Hunter Yurachek and key boosters value more – seeing promise of a bright future, or a bright end to the season.

If the answer is wanting to see if the younger guys can make a bit of noise, then Pittman will be faced with his toughest decision as a coach. He and Jefferson owe a lot to each other, so it will be hard to sit him if it turns out that's deemed by the higher ups as what's best for the program. It will be interesting to see if that's Pittman's line in the sand if it comes to it.

However, there's one way for both to avoid the awkwardness of the possibility all together. Simply do the one thing no other Razorback coach or player has ever done. Win in Gainesville, Florida. At that point, the question goes away altogether.