By: Sydney Mulvenon
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. —
Two and Ten in 2018. Two and Ten in 2019. Three coaches in the last five years. Last in the Southern Eastern Conference. No doubt the Arkansas Razorbacks have a lot to prove and even a worldwide pandemic can’t stand in their way from achieving success in the 2020 season.
Because of the pandemic several conferences have postponed their seasons to the spring. The thought of no SEC college football in the fall is unheard of.
Here are the facts, the SEC has produced the best teams, players, and coaches in college football. Arkansas may have been last in the SEC for two years and nowhere close to the top 25 college football rankings, but over the last 20 years has produced several dominating players.
Do the names Darren McFadden, Joe Adams, Ryan Mallet, Hunter Henry, and Knile Davis (and the list goes on) bring a smile to your face?
In the last 20 years Arkansas went to top named bowl games including the Sugar Bowl (2011) and Cotton Bowl (2012).
The 2012 season was the last time the Hogs went to a major bowl game. The team has been in an eight year drought.
Yes, they played in three bowls, Texas Slayer, Liberty and Belk Bowls but nowhere close to the success of the Bobby Patrino era.
It’s 2020 and a new era begins in less than a month. The Sam Pittman era.
Before I go into my picks for this season I asked students for their thoughts about the upcoming season.
“I think that we’re actually gonna do pretty well this season because the new coaching staff is a step up for sure.” Said sophomore Mallory Royal, “I predict that we will beat Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Florida, and Missouri. As for the other games, I don’t think we will lose as bad as everyone thinks we will.”
Sophomore Ross Shackelford
“I just hope we get to play a full season. I haven’t given it a ton of thought because I don’t want to get my hopes up. The 10 game schedule is one of the hardest of all times, but there’s at least 4 to 5 winnable games. Missou, Ole Miss, Miss St all have first year head coaches.” Sophomore Ross Shackelford said.
What is encouraging with each of those responses is the passion for Razorback football you can feel from each comment. I hope my selections share the same enthusiasm.
Our first game of the season will be against none other than Head Coach Sam Pittmans former team the Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia is a powerhouse and has played some major bowl games the last few years, including a National Championship against Alabama in 2018.
Considering the average of nine or more wins and being ranked 4th in the preseason ESPN rankings, it looks like a loss. But, I’m going to say it’s a win. Georgia has had a lot of changes in the past few weeks. They continue to have a Quarterback batter after senior Jamie Newman opted out due to the Covid concerns.
Georgia is having to recharge and are in the midst of a new QB battle just two weeks before playing the Hogs. I can see this being an advantage for the Razorbacks knowing the Bulldogs pressure point will be the QB position.
The last time we beat Auburn was in 2015 in a 4 overtime game. They may be ranked number 11 in the poll, but if you wanna talk about grudges against the Hogs, Auburn is ranked number one in that category.
Back in the day, Auburn Head Coach Gus Malzahn could have been hired as the Arkansas Head Coach and now our former head coach Chad Morris is the offensive coordinater. Two coaches who most likely are not fans at all of the program. And I am sure there are some hard feelings toward the Arkansas program by both coaches.
I think because of this animus they are going to prove they are elite in this game and make all efforts to dominate the Razorbacks. Since that 2015 game, Auburn has not once slipped up against us and so this game is a loss.
Ole Miss I’m gonna say is a win and Mississippi State is a loss. In 2019 we were close in scoring with the Rebels, but Mississippi State we have allowed to score over 50 points in the 18’ and 19’ seasons.
Usually we play State towards the end of our season and this year we play them 2rd. Starting the season strong in the opener against Georgia will show how the Hogs maintain their competitiveness throughout the game.
Ok five games in five years and five losses. Texas A&M ranked number 13 is a team the Hogs come so close to beating. Also out of any other games in the season, the A&M game is one where Arkansas seems to get dominated by calls from the officials.
As someone who has never missed watching a razorback football game it is hard to forget the amount of fouls Arkansas gets in the A&M game. Each year I say it’s gonna be a win because I’m optimistic. This year I’m going to continue to be optimistic and say it’s a close win.
Alabama is an automatic loss. Hey in 2014 we were a point off and six years later we are far off from winning against the crimson tide. Alabama trains and plays as if it were an NFL team.
The strategic format of their whole foundation is on a different level. That’s why the first half in a game against Bama is the half where teams have a chance to look good. Then by the 2nd half it’s Bama’s game.
However what surprised me about Arkansas is that in the 2018 season they scored 31 points against the Crimson Tide and it became the most points Bama allowed any team to score in the regular season, however, we still went 2 and 10.
I like how competitive we are against them, but that same level of fight shouldn’t only be used when going against top ranked opponents. It needs to be at that level in every single game!
Tennessee and Florida. Who misses the days when a win against Tennessee meant a flag pole was going to be paraded around Dickson Street? As a millennial I want to see a flag pole paraded around dickson because of a win against the Vols.
I say get ready to see that pole on dickson cause it’s a win. Florida? It’s a loss. Going off their 2019 season 11 and 2, it’s gonna be a loss, but a close one.
Lastly LSU and Missouri. LSU is a loss. Out of all the teams in college football, LSU has some major speed in their offensive and defensive lines. They are quick in any play and quickness is an essential part of the game.
Thinking quick on your feet is one of the best tactics a team can have. Against LSU, Arkansas needs to get set without distractions. Missouri has always been 50/50 and this year I’m going with the winning percentage.
Overall, I think this is going to be a rough season. The Hogs will be challenged, but I have no doubts they will keep a strong mindset, rely on their excellent coaches, and make us proud with their efforts on the field; and even with a tough schedule this will be a rewarding season for the fans.