Hogs' Bowl Destination? Memphis (Again) or Houston Good Bets

Being a .500 team probably won't land Florida trip, but game not primary objective for Razorbacks now

Arkansas Razorbacks running back Ja'Quinden Jackson (22) celebrates after scoring against the Missouri Tigers during the second half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Considering we don't even know who will be on Arkansas' team for a bowl game, getting hopes up for any projected outcome might be a little premature right now. It won't be everybody that made the trip for a 28-21 loss to Missouri on Saturday.

There are bowl projections all over the place, although it's pretty close to a guarantee the projection from Sports Illustrated won't be happening anytime soon. Somehow I don't see athletics director Hunter Yurachek or SEC boss Greg Sankey sending the Razorbacks to Mobile, Ala., for something called the 68 Ventures Bowl.

Playing Arkansas State wouldn't be that big of a deal (the Hogs will meet them in Little Rock in September), but the SEC would rather have them in a more high profile bowl game. The SEC has enough tie-ins with bigger bowls.

The prevailing destination that could happen would be the Liberty Bowl, where the Razorbacks have played several times since facing Tennessee in the first night game in that bowl's history in 1971. After that miserable weather for the Missouri game, fans probably wouldn't care for Memphis where everybody nearly froze solid in an overtime win over East Carolina after the 2009 season.

Arkansas has played there a couple of years ago, beating Kansas and they downed Kansas State after the 2015 season. The Liberty Bowl likes having the Hogs because all of the fans in eastern Arkansas can make a day trip out of it.

Others that get mentioned are the Texas Bowl in Houston and the Music City Bowl in Nashville. The Razorbacks have played in both (a win over Texas in 2014 and a loss to Minnesota in 2002). Ole Miss is the frontrunner right now to be the SEC team there if they don't end up in one of the bigger Florida bowls.

It appears most folks are putting Oklahoma in the Birmingham game, which is usually where the lowest-ranked SEC team ends up. That should give the Sooners faithfuly a little motivation — win more games or you end up in Birmingham over the holidays.

The game really is secondary to a 6-6 Arkansas team at this point. The first item on the agenda for Sam Pittman is his hip surgery this week. It's gotten worse over the course of the season, but he gutted it out until the weather conditions at Missouri forced him to the press box.

He wants those 15 extra practices to evaluate the younger players going forward. The reality is he wants a final look before "suggesting" some of them would probably get more playing time somewhere else. Others will be developed. It helps their plans for spring practice.

The bowl game pairings won't be announced until after the league championship games next weekend. Basically, ESPN and the SEC office put their heads together and come up with matchups that can get the most viewership. The bowls simply want some teams playing that will drive local ticket sales.

HOGS FEED:

• Razorbacks' offensive lineman to enter transfer portal

• Hire Missouri's Drinkwitz to coach Hogs – when Sam's done

• Hogs squander win against Tigers with countless turnovers

• Mizzou senior plays hero, sends Hogs home with more heartbreak

• Razorback defensive player leaves first half In ambulance

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