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Being a University of Arkansas football fan can be a frustrating experience. That was certainly the case last year, despite the fact that the Razorbacks finished the 2024 season with a winning record at 7-6.
That record is a bit deceiving, in my opinion — propped up by victories over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Alabama-Birmingham and Louisiana Tech.
An unlikely victory over Tennessee meant the difference between a winning season and a losing one, and — combined with the Razorbacks’ Liberty Bowl win over Texas Tech and the potential of quarterback Taylen Green — might also have been enough to keep Sam Pittman on the sideline as the Razorbacks’ head coach.
But that doesn’t mean it was a great season. The Hogs lost a game they could have and maybe should have won on the road at Oklahoma State, lost a onescore game (again) to Texas A&M and lost to Missouri for the eighth time in the past nine seasons.
It’s those last two that are infuriating for longtime Hog watchers. No matter what happens against Texas A&M, the Razorbacks always seem to come up just short of victory. The Aggies have beaten Arkansas 12 times in the past 13 meetings. Seven of those Texas A&M victories have been by seven points or less — including three in overtime.
Looking at the 2025 Arkansas schedule, the Texas A&M and Missouri games could be difference-makers once again. The Razorbacks have a soft nonconference schedule, with the exception of Notre Dame’s visit to Fayetteville on Sept. 27. The Hogs’ conference schedule has some favorable matchups at home against Auburn and Mississippi State, but road games at Tennessee (think the Vols will be fired up?), LSU and Texas don’t sound like a lot of fun. Razorback fans should probably be hoping for an 11 a.m. kickoff in Baton Rouge.
I’m going to predict that the Razorbacks win one of those two, to go with nonconference wins over Alabama A&M, Arkansas State, Memphis (which worries me) and SEC victories over Auburn and Mississippi State. That adds up to 6-6 and a lower-level bowl game.
Would 6-6 be good enough for Pittman to keep his job as the Razorbacks’ head coach? Maybe, but 7-5 and a bowl victory would probably be a lot safer.
One thing we know for sure is, it’s almost football season. And that’s a win.
••• Scott Loftis is editor and publisher of the Carroll-County News and the Eureka Springs Times-Echo. His email address is SLoftis@CarrollCoNews.com.
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