Halfway Through Season, Razorbacks Better or Others Worse?

Some get better, others not as good as preseason projections but how Hogs got to good spot

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman during the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Razorback Stadium. / Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Before the season started, my preseason projection was for Arkansas to be exactly opposite where they are now. Maybe you had them beating Oklahoma State, Auburn or Texas A&M.

But you didn't have a win over Tennessee on your list unless you were drinking at the time. Nobody saw that coming last week.

Whether anybody wants to admit it or not, the Vols helped the Razorbacks to a 19-14 win. For whatever reason, the guys with uniforms looking like an upside-down pushup thought they could just cakewalk through things.

When they scored a couple of quick touchdowns in the second half, they assumed it would keep happening that easily and backed off the throttle. It blew up in their face because the Arkansas defense performed above expectations.

Arkansas Razorbacks defensive lineman Landon Jackson (40) celebrates after a play in the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Razorback Stadium. / Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

A lot of that was a scheme they've shown now and everybody else will know they can play it. Ole Miss' analytics guys have probably already drawn up the outline of a plan against it. That's just what teams do these days.

Now they have a week off and an LSU team that is already playing for their lives. With an earlier loss, they don't feel like another one is affordable to still have a shot at the playoffs. The playoff committee will probably put three SEC teams in, but they won't put five and others are going to have to get cannabilized for four to make it.

The rub in there is we know this year it's almost impossible to accurately handicap college football. It's trule become a different week and different team that Lou Holtz used to talk about back in 1977. Vanderbilt beat No. 1 Alabama, Northern Illinois beat Notre Dame. It can happen.

Coaches, who have never been able to make one play, can only hope the players are ready to perform at their highest level each week. Pittman has gotten that most of the time this year. There will be that one game, though, that just has people scratching their heads.

It happens to everybody. You just hope they can somehow pull out a win and escape. It's doubtful this Razorback team can win every game left on a schedule that includes Texas and Ole Miss. Either LSU or the Rebels will be in the Top 10 when they face the Hogs and nobody has a clue about Missouri.

Ole Miss Rebels coach Lane Kiffin calls timeout against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. / Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Everybody on the schedule is capable of putting together that one game. The Hogs got to 4-2 primarily because they caught Tennessee on a down night. It could have been 5-1 except for that Oklahoma State game.

That's a what-if, though and that's not worth time daydreaming about. What they've got remaining is a big enough challenge.

LSU is going to roll into town either beat up and feeling good or downright mad about a home loss to a Rebels' team that had a stinker against Kentucky. When those two teams play Saturday night, the loser is going to have a big hill to climb for th eplayoffs.

The winner will have to play a Razorbacks' team that could de-rail them. After last week, the Hogs have proven that's a possibility every week.

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• Razorbacks, John Calipari closing in on major 5-star prospect

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