Which Razorback Team is Most Likely to Bring Arkansas Another National Championship?

Hunter Yurachek has built such a strong overall athletics program that it's hard to decide which Hogs team is best positioned to bring home the title

Author:
Kent Smith
Publish date:
Feb 22, 2023 10:14 PM EST

In this story:

Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Before we even get started, let's go ahead and get this out of the way.

Yes, I am aware that Arkansas recently won a national championship in cornhole and that the number of national championships involving track and field and cross country are about a numerous as Sonics along two-lane highways.

However, this is a discussion about which major sport, meaning the big three, is most likely to bring Arkansas a national championship in the near future.

To date, the Razorbacks only have one national championship recognized by sports almanacs and that is the 1994 title in men's basketball.

Before anyone gets in a tizzy, yes, Arkansas recognizes a national championship in football from 1964. However, the record books do not reflect that and not old enough to speak to what happened with any authority.

The formal national championship for that year from the organizations officially recognized for sports almanacs show Alabama. For the story behind why that's the case, listen to allHogs.com executive editor Andy Hodges tell the story of how Arkansas reporter Orville Henry got the Razorbacks at least some representation in the national title picture back before bowl games were figured into the equation.

The story begins at the 10-minute mark. I'll leave it for everyone else to determine whether it should be an officially recognized championship.

This is about the future and, if Arkansas wins one, there will be no debate to be had.

If you disagree with the rankings, there will be a chance for you to vote on who you think should be No. 1 at the bottom of the story.

#5
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Erynn Barnum-Missouri — Arkansas Razorbacks forward Erynn Barnum in the win over Missouri on Saturday at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. (Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images)

This isn't a slight on Mike Neighbors nor the team itself. Neighbors has done a good job of bringing in a solid sprinkling of elite talent and his teams have been able to win games here or there against powerhouses since he took over.

This is more about an overarching problem with women's college basketball.

Each season there are only two, maybe three teams legitimately in the national championship conversation. Everyone else is just there for the scholarships and the memories because a national championship isn't an option.

The Razorbacks are typically a quality team. However, a quality team is good for a Sweet 16, perhaps Elite 8 run at best. The talent gap between the Top 1% and everyone else is just too big to overcome in a tournament setting.

#4
FOOTBALL

KJ Jefferson-BYU — Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jefferson (1) takes a snap from center in the second half as the Razorbacks face the Brigham Young University Cougars at LaVell Edwards Stadium. (Gabriel Mayberry / USA TODAY Sports)

It's hard to say never, but the odds of Arkansas winning a national championship in football are pretty slim. The 12-team college playoff at least means there's a chance, but it's not overwhelming and no evidence suggest that it will be anytime soon if it does happen.

The football team lands here because about once every 10-15 years, the Razorbacks are inexplicably good and find themselves a fumble or an interception away from getting a shot at the national title. The most recent examples are Houston Nutt's 1998 team and Bobby Petrino's 2010 and 2011 teams.

Arkansas has it in them to knock off teams from other conferences, but once you get down to the final four in a 12-team playoff, you're probably looking at three, perhaps even four SEC teams and it's just had to imagine the Razorbacks beating an Alabama in the semis and whatever the equivalent to Georgia will be at the time in the finals.

#3
MEN'S BASKETBALL

Trevon Brazile-San Jose State — Arkansas Razorbacks forward Trevon Brazile (2) celebrates after a play in the second half against the San Jose State Spartans at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas won 99-58. (Nelson Chenault / USA TODAY Sports)

It says a lot about the job that Hunter Yurachek has done with the athletic programs at Arkansas since he arrived that Eric Musselman's basketball team is No. 3 on this list.

The back-to-back Elite 8 finishes and high success in recruiting has put this program in the spotlight, but this just doesn't feel like it's going to be the year. If Musselman can avoid his temptation to flip the entire roster once again heading into next season, there's a very real chance that team makes a lot of noise considering the development of all of the players considering returning for another season.

However, when it comes to this list, making the top two spots requires legitimate belief that a national championship can be won this year and with the Razorbacks fighting to even make the tournament and how disruptive it appears to have been to add a player this late in the season when the Hogs are usually building momentum, No. 3 feels about right.

#2
BASEBALL

Jalen Battles-Robert Moore-Peyton Stovall-Ole Miss CWS 6 — Razorbacks Jalen Battles, Robert Moore and Peyton Stovall in the dugout before Thursday's game against Ole Miss in the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. (Crant Osborne / allHOGS Images)

If there were just a few days ago, there would be serious consideration as to the ethics of doing these rankings and creating a 1A and 1B.

However, after Razorback skipper Dave Van Horn announced that ace Jaxon Wiggins will be down for the season to recover from Tommy John surgery, a team that was projected to have an unstoppable pitching roster now has a chink in the armor.

If we're being honest with ourselves, it feels like the baseball team already won a national championship. If it were possible to vote Arkansas the national champion anyway after the fact despite the 2018 College World Series loss to Oregon State, then I would have summoned my inner-most Orville Henry and cast the vote.

That trophy may be in Corvallis, but the championship team resided in Fayetteville. Play it 1,000 more times and that pop-up never drops.

Still, even without Wiggins, the Razorbacks are once again loaded and there's just no way this team can keep falling short of the national championship. Somewhere there must be a full army of shadow men casting curses on this team because that's the only explanation for how Arkansas hasn't taken home a title in three of the last four College World Series.

How those trophies are at Oregon State, Mississippi State and Ole Miss instead of Fayetteville makes no sense and it has to end sooner than later.

If Van Horn retires without a championship ring, it will be one of the great baseball travesties.

#1
SOFTBALL

Arkansas Razorback softball coach Courtney Deifel gets bathed in Gatorade during her postgame interview with ESPN following the team's 4-0 shutout of Missouri in the SEC tournament championship game at Florida. It was the Razorbacks' first appearance in the championship this century and the team's first ever tournament title. (Leslie White / Razorback Communications)

In seven seasons, Courtney Deifel has managed to build the best program in the best softball conference in the country.

The Razorbacks looked like they were going to make quick work of eventual national runner-up Texas with back-to-back SEC Pitchers of the Year in Mary Haff and Chenise Delce and one of the most powerful hitting line-ups in the country for the nation's No. 4 team on their home field in the 2022 super regionals.

However, Texas pitcher Hailey Dolcini put forth a Herculean effort on the mound in that series and second baseman Janae Jefferson recorded multiple SportsCenter Top 10 plays up the middle to stun the Razorbacks on their way to a title game against Oklahoma.

Nearly that entire team is back from that 2022 squad that claimed a second consecutive SEC championship and the players who were lost were replaced with what may be the most elite freshman class Arkansas has ever had. Pitching is going to be deep, the hits are going to come often and the home runs are going to be plentiful.

For those who haven't been keeping up, the Razorbacks hit 11 this past weekend.

Arkansas has already swept its first five games of the season, outscoring opponents 51-9, including three consecutive shutouts to start the season and scoring 31 runs before an opponent ever put got the bagel off the score board at the Rebel Kickoff.

If the Razorbacks can come out of this weekend's tournament in Clearwater, Florida unscathed after facing a perennial national championship threat in No. 4 Florida State, No. 19 Duke and No. 24 Louisiana in addition to Nebraska and Indiana, then this team will be well on its way to putting together a potential title run late this spring in Oklahoma City.

Now's your chance to have your voice heard. Which team do you think will bring Arkansas its next national championship?

Vote on our Twitter poll to support whichever team you think deserves to nod.