Ranking Arkansas' 2026 Road Games Based on Winnability

Ryan Silverfield's first year as Arkansas' head coach will by no means be easy. A full nine-game SEC slate is on tap for the former Memphis head coach as he looks to give Razorback fans reasons to feel optimistic about the future of the program.

Silverfield and the Hogs will be away from the friendly confines of Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium five times in 2026. Here's where those road contests stack up from the most winnable to the least.

1. Auburn | Nov. 7

If Arkansas is going to win an SEC game on the road this year, its best shot to do so will be against the Tigers and first-year head coach Alex Golesh.

The bad news for Arkansas is that this game comes late enough in the year where Golesh will at least have his sea legs under him in his first year as an SEC head coach.

But like the Razorbacks, Auburn enters 2026 with little momentum. The Tigers haven't had a winning season since Gus Malzahn's last year at the helm in 2020, and the Razorbacks have won their last two games inside the supposedly cursed Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Auburn Tigers head coach Alex Golesh leads his team during Tiger Walk before Auburn Tigers A-Day spring game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. on Saturday, April 18, 2026. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This could very well be an 11:45 a.m. kick-off on SEC Network between two teams that are winless in conference play come the first week of November.

But it's still Arkansas' best chance at winning a road game this season and a crucial piece of the puzzle if Silverfield wants to take the Hogs to a bowl game.

2. Utah | Sept. 12

The Utes are coming off of an 11-win campaign in 2025 and will be on nine days rest when they host a late-night tussle with the Razorbacks in Week 2.

Traveling out west to play a fellow Power Four opponent in what will be a raucous Rice-Eccles Stadium will be an incredibly tall task.

What the Razorbacks have going for them, however, is that Utah will also have a first-year man on the sideline as well in Morgan Scalley.

This game feels similar to Arkansas' Week 2 matchup agains TCU in 2016: losing it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. L

Winning it could massively change the trajectory of UA's season. This game will likely come down to how grown up Arkansas' QB is, whether that be KJ Jackson or AJ Hill.

3. Vanderbilt | Oct. 17

No, the Commodores no longer have the uber-talented and equally boisterous Diego Pavia under center.

But what Vanderbilt will have come this Week 7 showdown in Nashville is something Arkansas is running short on at the moment: experience winning SEC football games as of late.

Clark Lea has turned Vandy from a perennial college football laughingstock to a legitimate fringe CFP contender.

He may not have as many pieces at his disposal this year as he did in 2025, but it'd be surprising to see the 'Dores fall off of a cliff.

Once a game that would've been a dogfight between two SEC cellar dwellers, this is now a game Vanderbilt should expect to win.

Whether or not Arkansas can pull off an upset in Music City depends on whether or not the Hogs have an extra win or two in their pocket by the time this one rolls around — and with it, more morale.

If the Razorbacks are a somewhat expected 2-4 when they take on Vandy, they could be in for a long afternoon ahead of what will be an anticipated Oct. 24 bye week.

If the Razorbacks are .500 or above, this is a much more winnable contest.

4. Texas A&M | Oct. 3

Welcome to the SEC, Coach Silverfield! How does a road trip to College Station to take on Texas A&M in front of 100,000 strong sound?

Arkansas will have at least gotten one tough SEC test out of the way against Georgia in Fayetteville by the time this Week 5 game comes around.

The Razorbacks play what should be a cupcake game against Tulsa in Fayetteville the week before.

But while Arkansas played the Aggies within just three points last season, this looks like a game that could look more like Arkansas' 2021 trip to Georgia than last year's game in Fayetteville.

Texas A&M is likely to be in the College Football Playoff conversation again this year, not that playing at Kyle Field will necessarily be any easier if they're not.

Combine a first-year head coach with what will be QB with limited starts under center in one of the most intimidating road environments in college football, and you have a game that Arkansas will have to play perfectly in to win.

5. Texas | Nov. 21

Razorback fans are likely still having nightmares about Arch Manning's field day against Arkansas last season, in which the Texas QB threw for 389 yards and four touchdowns while adding a rushing and receiving score in a 52-37 UT win.

If Arkansas' defense isn't elite when the Hogs roll into Austin, there's a chance Manning posts a similar stat line.

Arch Manning torched the UA defense last year in Austin. — Nov 22, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) keeps the ball and runs for a touchdown during the second half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Texas is expected to be a championship contender this season, and while Arkansas did put up a fight in Austin last year, it's hard to see a similar script playing out if Manning is as good as everyone says he'll be.

Arkansas will need everything to go right and then some — maybe even some reverse 1968 'Big Shootout' voodoo — to have a chance in this game. If the Razorbacks pull off this upset, there may not be a Dickson Street left to celebrate on.

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