ARLINGTON, TX — Thanks to back-to-back wins over Texas and a statement 20-10 upset win over then-No.7 Texas A&M, No.16 Arkansas is quickly emerging into a SEC dark horse.
Ranked No.16 before their win over the Aggies in the Southwest Classic down at AT&T Stadium, with fellow ‘Backs alum in Dallas Cowboys owner, president and CEO, Jerry Jones watching from his suite, Arkansas staked their claim deep in the heart of the Lone Star State—and the SEC West—as second-year head coach Sam Pittman and his squad playing that jukebox loud and proud in Fayetteville.
Playing arguably in the toughest division in all of college football, which includes defending national champion Alabama, Auburn, LSU, the forementioned Aggies, Ole Miss, Mizzou and Mississippi State, not many had Arkansas at 4-0 in the SEC West, and ranked eighth in the country either.
As in all things in the SEC, there are no gimmes or cupcake games, and while Arkansas has their one statement win over Texas A&M, the proverbial meat of their schedule promises to either make or break their season.
With road games vs. No.2 Georgia and No.12 Ole Miss coming up in the next two weeks, with key home games vs. No.22 Auburn, Mississippi State, a trip to Death Valley vs. LSU before their biggest challenge in travelling to Tuscaloosa vs. No.1 Alabama, the path for the Hogs is going to be anything but easy, and a true test of their mettle.
If Arkansas can somehow survive such a death gauntlet of a schedule, then they can very well find themselves in the middle of College Football Playoff contention conversations from coast to coast.
Don’t sleep on Pittman’s squad, as they are set to take both the SEC and the country by storm.