Sam Pittman-Eli Drinkwitz-Missouri — Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman, left, talks with Missouri Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz prior to a game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. (Denny Medley / USA TODAY Sports)

Razorbacks Don't Make ESPN List for Future Top 25 Projection

Interesting to note impact of Oklahoma, Texas on where Hogs predicted

Author:
Andy Hodges
Updated:
Jun 26, 2023 9:42 AM EDT
Original:
Jun 25, 2023

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Since Arkansas football seldom gets much respect for the future from the national media, it wasn't particularly surprising not to see them in ESPN's latest projections for the Top 25 for the next three seasons. But it's easy to see what folks think the impact of Oklahoma and Texas joining the league will do for the reputation of the entire SEC.

Half of the SEC was included on Adam Rittenburg's prediction for the future over the next three seasons. That's a little over 25%, which really is a staggering number for one league to have that sort of respect. That's likely to grow with the newcomers in the league. At least in football these days, 6-6 records aren''t going to make that come up a whole lot.

Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman knows the challenge he took on back in 2019, getting the job at one of the lowest points in program history. The list of problems he's faced since then are too long to list, but none are of his creation and there wasn't a single thing he could do about it. Most fans don't pay attention to all that. They just want wins and to be back on these national lists of projections.

Getting better players is a huge part of that. Developing them once they arrive is another. While fans can be as confident as you want about what MIGHT happen from both of those areas going forward, there's not a shred of evidence to say there's any reason for the Hogs to be on those lists right now. Pittman probably likes it that way. He seems to relish the underdog role. There are advantages to it.

To probably no one's surprise, Georgia is on the top of the list and Alabama is second. With 12 teams going into the College Football Playoff after this year, who knows how many league teams the selection committee will have the stomach to put in there. It doesn't matter what they should do. You can forget "fair," too. That word and college athletics left the conversation 100 years ago and isn't coming back. Two more teams were in there, and they at least raise an eyebrow.

South Carolina at No. 22 and Ole Miss at No. 25 caught some people off guard. The Gamecocks haven't exactly had a program that far ahead of the Hogs and it's a coin toss if the Rebels are even an equal. Including them in there was definitely a surprise.

What the list shows, however, is what kind of hill faces the Hogs in the SEC. They've had three seasons with double-digit wins since joining the league in 1992. Frank Broyles probably saw this coming and Orville Henry in the Arkansas Gazette predicted it. There's an entire generation of people 33-and-under who have seen just three double-digit wins in their lifetime and can only read about a reasonable goal of a national championship every year.

Most of the projections by fans and media in Arkansas put the Hogs between 7-8 wins this year. Maybe that's realistic. Maybe not. Until the final roster settles out and people can see how it functions together as a whole, it's all simply wild guesses. Because of the transfer portal, that goes for the teams on their schedule, also. No one knows right now.