Which Games Are a Must-Win For Arkansas Football in 2026?

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — There are football games, and then there are football games. The latter are more important.

Every team circles games on their schedule when it is released as must-wins, and every fan will have their own subjective list of games they deem as must-wins — even if Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy disagrees ("This is not a must-win. World War II was a must-win.")

Here are Arkansas' 12 games this season ranked by how much of a "must-win" they are in the grand scheme of the campaign.

Already on the Books

North Alabama | Sept. 5; Tulsa | Sept. 26

No matter how pessimistic some Razorback fans are, these are the two games most everyone agrees that Arkansas will win this season. An FCS school shouldn't provide any challenge to Arkansas to begin the season, and while Tulsa is a step-up from North Alabama, even Chad Morris beat Tulsa during his tenure at Arkansas. These two contests should each be a walk in the park for the Hogs in front of their home crowd.

When Pigs Fly

Georgia | Sept. 19

There may not be a worse conference-opening draw in college football this season than Silverfield's first SEC game at Arkansas being against a national title threat in the Bulldogs. The game is at least being played in front of what should be a raucous Fayetteville crowd, but a win for Arkansas would rank among the biggest upsets of the entire 2026 college football season.

At Texas | Nov. 21

If this game were in Fayetteville, it might be slightly more winnable for the Razorbacks. But a road trip to Austin to face Arch Manning and a Longhorn squad that could be No. 1 in the country sounds like a potential recipe for disaster. It'd be nice if the Hogs could just keep this game close.

Nice To Have, but Not a Necessity

At Texas A&M | Oct. 3

After years of losing to the Aggies at AT&T Stadium and a home loss to Texas A&M last year, Arkansas would love nothing more than to hand the Ags a gut-punch of a home loss in front of 100,000 strong at Kyle Field.

This series has featured wonky games in the past where Arkansas has somehow kept up with much more talented A&M teams, which is why this game doesn't fall into the "when pigs fly" category. As monumental of a win as this would be, beating Texas A&M on the road seems like a tall order.

Tennessee | Oct. 10

Nobody knows where exactly Tennessee will shake out by the team it comes to Fayetteville in Week 6. The Razorbacks stunned the Vols in Fayetteville in 2024, but this seems like a game that would favor Arkansas if it were played three or four weeks later. With that said, don't be surprised if Silverfield pulls off what would be a memorable debut SEC win at Razorback Stadium.

At Vanderbilt | Oct. 17

Like Tennessee, no one's quite sure where the Commodores will fall once the season reaches its halfway point. Regardless, it would be a statement if Arkansas were to go into Nashville and beat a team that was in the College Football Playoff conversation a season ago.

LSU | Nov. 28

Lane Kiffin's first LSU team is likely to be in the mix for a playoff berth or even an SEC title when Thanksgiving weekend rolls around. Barring a series of miracles, Arkansas will not be. But this is a rilvary game and one that is back on its traditional weekend again.

There are few ways for a first-year head coach at Arkansas to make a better impression than beating LSU, and doing so in Fayetteville for the first time in 12 years would certainly breath some life into the program at the end of Silverfield's first season.

Must Win Games

Utah | Sept. 12

Like Arkansas' Week 2 trip to Ole Miss last year, this is a huge early-season litmus test for the Razorbacks. A win sets them on the path to bowl eligibility. A loss is frustrating but not season-ending. A blowout loss would be demoralizing in Silverfield's first real test.

Given Arkansas' tough SEC slate, finding a way to go 3-0 in non-conference play is a must. Beating a strong Utah team on the road certainly isn't an easy path to that 3-0 mark, but it seems like a necessity if a bowl game is to be in the cards.

Missouri | Oct. 31

To put it bluntly, Arkansas fans are tired of losing to Missouri. The Tigers are once again expected to be a solid team under head coach Eli Drinkwitz and could even be a fringe CFP contender. But this seems like it could be a sneaky-good game on Halloween and one that Arkansas must win to keep a path to bowl eligibility alive. Winning a trophy game against a program that has become a legit rival would be huge for Silverfield in Year 1 regardless of what happens over the month of November.

At Auburn | Nov. 7

This is arguably Arkansas' best shot at both a road win this season and Silverfield's first victory in the SEC. Auburn also has a first-year head coach in Alex Golesh, and the Razorbacks have won their last two wt Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2022 and 2024. It could also be a matchup of two desperate teams who are winless in SEC play come November, in which case there'd be even more of a sense of urgency to win it.

South Carolina | Nov. 14

This game is Arkansas' best shot to beat an SEC opponent inside the confines of Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium this season. Shane Beamer could be out the door at South Carolina by the time November rolls around. He could also be hanging onto his job by a thread and dragging a desperate Gamecock team into Fayetteville.

But if Arkansas is at five wins when this game rolls around with Texas and LSU staring it down over the final two weeks of the season, this game will be a must-win for the Hogs to clinch bowl eligibility.

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