Arkansas Razorbacks:
It feels like yesterday that people were talking about how good of a job Sam Pittman was doing in Fayetteville. The hire was originally met with a lot of skepticism, but Arkansas went 9-4 and won the Outback Bowl in his second season as head coach. However, that year brought expectations for the Razorbacks, who followed it up with a 7-6 season. Then, things spiraled in a 4-8 season in 2023. Pittman now enters the new season on the hot seat.
A struggling offense was one of the things that tore the Razorbacks down last year, so Pittman shocked the world by hiring Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator. Petrino is a remarkable offensive mind and had a lot of success as Arkansas’ head coach from 2008 to 2011. But he also came with a ton of off-field baggage, and it was that notable motorcycle incident that cost him his job. It’ll be interesting to see if he can rewrite his narrative. If he can fix the Arkansas offense, this team will be competitive in 2024.
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Offense
Which version of Taylen Green is Arkansas getting? As a freshman, the 6-foot-6 specimen threw for 2,042 yards with 14 touchdowns and six picks and also rushed for 586 yards and 10 touchdowns for Boise State. He then struggled mightily in his second year under center for the Broncos. But Green did light up UNLV in the Mountain West Championship, and he’s a player who can impact games with both his arm and his legs. So, it’s not hard to figure out why Pittman prioritized adding him in the portal.
The problem is that Arkansas had a miserable offensive line in 2023, and there’s no guarantee that a slew of portal additions will change things. If the Razorbacks can’t block, Green will struggle to beat SEC defenses with his arm, and Arkansas won’t be able to fix its disaster of a running game from a year ago.
Defense
Arkansas was better than expected defensively last season. The Razorbacks gave up 27.9 points per game, which is better than you might think, considering how often the unit was on the field. Arkansas should be solid again defensively in Year 2 under defensive coordinator Travis Williams, but it’ll be up to the offense for that to matter.
Arkansas brings back eight starters from last year’s group, including defensive end Landon Jackson. He had 6.5 sacks last year and should be in for a big 2024 season. Returners Cameron Ball and Eric Gregory are trustworthy defensive linemen, and the Razorbacks added some talent to the linebacker and defensive back rooms — in addition to having some guys who are developing.
Outlook
Arkansas will beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff and should win home games against UAB and Louisiana Tech. But finding two more wins on the Razorbacks schedule is rather tough. They have road games against Oklahoma State, Auburn, Mississippi State and Missouri, and they also play a neutral-field game against Texas A&M. I don’t see it happening with a shaky offense.
Pick: Under 4.5 Wins
