Sam Pittman is embracing what many would cry and pout about when it comes to key detail 2025 season
It feels like every single season, the Arkansas Razorbacks have the hardest schedule in the country when it comes to the football season. And, you can say that about the rest of the bottom feeders in the SEC, too. Mississippi State, Kentucky, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, and others that are always near the bottom, always have the […]
It feels like every single season, the Arkansas Razorbacks have the hardest schedule in the country when it comes to the football season. And, you can say that about the rest of the bottom feeders in the SEC, too.
Mississippi State, Kentucky, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, and others that are always near the bottom, always have the hardest schedule, because they are not the good teams that others are having to play. And, it's the SEC; the worst team in the SEC would be a middle-of-the-pack team in the ACC with an ACC schedule. That's just the truth.
This year, by several different outlets that all calculate the strength of schedule, the Razorbacks have the top-five hardest schedule in every single one. And, so do the Florida Gators and Oklahoma Sooners. That's no coincidence — those teams play in the SEC, against other great SEC teams. And, as of late, the Razorbacks have really scheduled some good non-conference teams, too.
Sam Pittman embracing Hogs' tough schedule
Sam Pittman, the Hogs' head coach, isn't going to keep stressing over the schedule. It's like this every year, so he's used to it. Instead, he's embracing it and looking at the plus side of things.
"Excited about our non-conference opponent schedule. It never is easy. I don't think you could have an easy schedule in the SEC. I just don't think it would happen. You could have easier, but the word 'easy' and nothing left on the back end of it never happens in the SEC (smiling)… On the road, we play four top 15, top 10, top five, wherever you look at them, teams on the road: at Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU, and Texas. Six or eight, depending on what polls you look at, ranked in the top 25," Pittman said at SEC Media Days.
"Nine of them went to the season, and three of them went to the College Playoffs. Could it be easier? I just said that. I don't think so. I think it's an outstanding schedule. With that, everybody, that gives the University of Arkansas one hell of an opportunity. That's what it does. We got a good football team, too. They have to play Arkansas, too, now. We know who we're playing, they know who they're playing, too. We're proud of our football team… Go Hogs. No matter what you write, you're writing about it."
With how this team is constructed — the amount of new players they have from the transfer portal, paired with how many left– they could really struggle in 2025. Retention is king in this new era of college football. And, they don't have much of that on either side of the ball. No SEC team had more players transfer out than the Hogs did, with 27.
Now, that doesn't mean they will be bad; in fact, they could still be a pretty good football team. It could take a few games for them to get going, but they could still be a good team, because some of the players they got in return in the portal are pretty good.
But you love to see Pittman embracing this. I mean, what else is he supposed to say? He scheduled some of these non-conference games, knowing that the Hogs will also have to play an SEC schedule. So, yes, he should embrace it, because if he didn't have faith in his team, he wouldn't have done it.
Most coaches, and certainly fans and media, would cry about the issue the Hogs have. Pittman? Well, he's ready for the challenge. If they end up with a pretty good record at the end of the year, the resume will speak for itself.
