Applying 12-Team Playoff to Pittman Era Reveals Interesting Nuggets

From strength of schedule to vital information about coordinators, seeing Arkansas Razorbacks against elite informative

Arkansas Razorbacks running back Rashod Dubinion (7) pulls down a touchdown pass against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half at Bryant-Denny Stadium. / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – While making the college football playoffs isn't a dream Arkansas fans seriously think about these days, it's worth it to take a look back over the past several seasons to see how the new 12-team format would have shaken out, and how the Hogs did against the teams that would have made it.

Here are the 12-team playoff brackets had the format existed during the previous years of the Sam Pittman era. Take note of how Arkansas did against playoff teams before reading the conclusions that can be drawn when looking at the Razorbacks' past four years from this perspective.

2020

FIRST ROUND BYES:
1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Ohio St.
4. Notre Dame

FIRST ROUND
No. 5 Texas A&M vs. No. 12 Coastal Carolina
No. 6 Oklahoma vs. No. 11 Indiana
No. 7 Florida vs. No. 10 Iowa St.
No. 8 Cincinnati vs. No. 9 Georgia

ARKANSAS vs. PLAYOFF TEAMS: 0-4
Outscored 194-66
Georgia 37, Arkansas 10
Alabama 52, Arkansas 3
Florida 63, Arkansas 35
Texas A&M 42, Arkansas 31

2021

FIRST ROUND BYES:
1. Alabama
2. Michigan
3. Georgia
4. Cincinnati

FIRST ROUND
No. 5 Notre Dame vs. No. 12 Pitt
No. 6 Ohio St. vs. No. 11 Utah
No. 7 Baylor vs. No. 10 Michigan St.
No. 8 Ole Miss vs. No. 9 Oklahoma St.

ARKANSAS vs. PLAYOFF TEAMS: 0-3
Outscored 131-86
Georgia 37, Arkansas 0
Ole Miss 52, Arkansas 51
Alabama 42, Arkansas 35

2022

FIRST ROUND BYES:
1. Georgia
2. Michigan
3. TCU
4. Ohio St.

FIRST ROUND
No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 12 Tulane
No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 11 Penn St.
No. 7 Clemson vs. No. 10 USC
No. 8 Utah vs. No. 9 Kansas St.

ARKANSAS vs. PLAYOFF TEAMS: 0-1
Outscored 49-26
Alabama 49, Arkansas 26

2023

FIRST ROUND BYES:
1. Michigan
2. Washington
3. Texas
4. Alabama

FIRST ROUND
No. 5 Florida St. vs. No. 12 Liberty
No. 6 Georgia vs. No. 11 Ole Miss
No. 7 Ohio St. vs. No. 10 Penn St.
No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 9 Missouri

ARKANSAS vs. PLAYOFF TEAMS: 0-3
Outscored 99-55
Alabama 24, Arkansas 21
Ole Miss 27, Arkansas 20
Missouri 48, Arkansas 14

OVERALL

ARKANSAS vs. PLAYOFF TEAMS: 0-11
Outscored 473-233
Average score: 43-21

CONCLUSIONS

There are a few conclusions that can be drawn from looking back on the Sam Pittman era this way.
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• Arkansas has averaged facing three playoff teams per year, so no one can say the Hogs have had a soft schedule, nor Pittman an easy draw as a first-time head coach
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• Barry Odom never got better at defending top level SEC offenses. In eight games, the best he ever did was give up 37 points twice. The rest of the time he gave up at least 42 and half his games ranged from 49-63 points against playoff teams.
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• Travis Williams is a better defensive coordinator than Arkansas fans give him credit. Twice his defenses held playoff teams to fewer than 25 points, keeping the Hogs within a total of 10 points of knocking off two-thirds of the playoff teams the Razorbacks faced last year. The only time it got out of hand was against Missouri when the whole team was in disarray and everyone basically quit.
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• Arkansas was two defensive stops from being a playoff team itself in 2021. Technically, the Hogs were only one defensive stop away. That Ole Miss loss came down to a failed two-point conversion attempt to win it.

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