Arkansas is slowly becoming as relevant as these programs on a consistent, year-by-year basis:
California
Oregon State
Colorado
Arizona
Arizona State
Iowa
Iowa State
Indiana
Air Force
Northwestern
Kentucky
Vanderbilt
Mississippi State
Kansas State
Nebraska
Minnesota
Purdue
Illinois
Maryland
Rutgers
Duke
Georgia Tech
NC State
North Carolina
Syracuse
Virginia
… and several more. Teams that have winning seasons, but mostly exist to be schedule fodder for better programs. I don’t know if UofA can get out of this rut over time. It might take a few years of recruiting miracles. Or, a coaching staff that can mold 3-star players into incredible super athletes. A lot to ask.
I don’t think Arkansas is as relevant as a cpl schools on that list. No one gets more with less than Miss St, part of that is a great home field advantage… GA Tech would own us right now. Kentucky would beat us right now, and Vandy would be a close game, which we would probably win…
I believe you’re reaching a bit, I doubt that we could currently beat 25% of the teams on your list.
I’m thinking of programs like Rice, Kansas, Illinois, Wake Forrest, Syracuse, Iowa St, SMU, Minnesota, Purdue.
This is where we rate currently and the past 6 seasons are among the worst we’ve had consecutively that I can remember in my 52 years. It’s just so sad.
As a matter of fact I’m not sure we could win more than 50% against those programs on the list I just gave you.
We are the laughing stock of this league…Astate would run this defense ragged…LaTech was a fluke last year, bad ref calls in our favor…Trevor Knight exposed the defense last year, so the D.C. takes the blunt running a Wisconsin defensive scheme…if you have the players but we all know we didn’t and still don’t…no we are a below par team and bad as it is I will still watch them this Saturday.
I think we are now equivalent to what Texas Tech was in 1980’s. They were not so bad that if they upset us that it was a national news story, but any good team in the league expected to beat them in any given year.
Nationally, no one even thought of them. They weren’t a laughing stock, but they just never entered into anyone mind.
That is us. No one even thinks of us. Ask someone from the Big Ten to name SEC teams and they won’t think to name us. Tell them we are in the SEC, they will go “Oh, that’s right” but we just don’t register on anyone’s mind.
This is good list to demonstrate point about irrelevancy in CFB. But MHO if the stars aligned and these current Hogs were facing those 26 teams hypothetically, we would be talking back to back undefeated 13-0 seasons. Obvoously none of those teams likely have any 5 star talent nor as an explosive player as Christian Kirk, a future NFLer and one who put the exclamation mark on the win for the Aggies. Armani Watts probably a former 5 star recruit and who made game ending int is likely going to be drafted in the NFL as well. The Hogs essentially got beat by those two players. OK we outrecruit top 25 teams like TCU and Miss State but look at the QBs both teams have. They are dual threats QBs (TCU also had wildcat package) and we employ that type of threat on every offensive snap then we could average well over 45 points a game as our receivers and TEs gain more experience which don’t seem too far away anymore. I hope the aTm game serves as a springboard for a consistently explosive as well as ball control offense moving forward especially utilizing Cole Kelly now in short yardage situations and on the goal line (bet OL gets amped up w C Kelly behind them now getting that extra yard or two). If this becomes the case, I can realistically see the Hogs not losing another game unless it is to Alabama. We would have to outscore Auburn at home but I don’t forsee the Hogs having any problems on offense against them and also against S Carolina, Miss State, Ole Miss, LSU (by that point in the season) and Missouri based on this season thus far… So that makes at the most 2 more losses this season if the Hogs take care of Auburn at home. “IF” OL improves and one or two possession WR and TE emerge, AA will be back to shredding every SEC defense including Alabama’s like he did last season.
I need to know what you’re smoking while drinking gallons of koolaide?
Seriously, we’ll be fortunate to get to six wins, do you actually think this team can win SEC road games?
Have you seen the Auburn defense, Clemson just barely scored enough to beat them, we have no chance with our offensive line playing like it has. AA will be lucky if he isn’t sacked by double digit numbers against Auburn, Alabama, LSU and Miss St.
Florida A&M sacked him several times and pressured him much of that game.
I like your optimism, but unless more personnel changes to the O-Line are made we will be lucky to reach 6-7 wins.