Pittman Manages to Do Unthinkable for Razorbacks

Not even John Calipari probably saw this coming

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman during Tuesday morning's practice on the outdoor field in Fayetteville, Ark. /

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas coach Sam Pittman has already defied expectations for this season.

Back when the season began, it was borderline impossible to get fans to talk about the Razorbacks football team, much less actually care. Look back at this line from a story that ran before the season.

"A story saying John Calipari sneezed and then wiped his nose with a high quality Kleenex has the potential to draw record-breaking numbers as Razorback fans have fallen over themselves to read anything basketball.

However, it takes 10 football stories to draw the numbers of a single basketball story even in the stifling heat of August. It hasn't mattered what Sam Pittman has done or how much optimism has slowly built."

- Kent Smith, Aug. 24, 2024

However, on a two-day trip zipping from South Arkansas to North Central Arkansas and across Northwest Arkansas, with Calipari's basketball team set to tip next week, not once did a caller to either of the three biggest sports radio stations in the state mention the basketball team and the hosts barely mentioned it. Had it not been for the passing of the highly respected Rose Richardson, wife of national championship winning coach Nolan Richardson, basketball wouldn't have taken up more than five minutes of air time.

That's despite the basketball team doing an unprecedented practice tour complete with meet and greet in Hot Springs and Pine Bluff. All anyone wanted to talk about was how not only did they think Arkansas has a chance to knock off back-to-back Top 10 teams, but most said they expect the Razorbacks to take down LSU if quarterback Taylen Green isn't too affected by his bone bruise.

Arkansas was supposed to only win four games all season, but, instead, the Hogs won four of their first six and are two plays from being undefeated and in the Top 5 in all of college football. While it's probably not reasonable to expect Arkansas will make it into the playoffs, it's impossible to write off fans who want to talk about a path to one of the 12 spots because the Razorbacks are still in it.

Early in the season, it was easy to look at the remaining schedule and imagine how Pittman's team could lose every game left. And while that's still possible, it's also not hard to come up with a way the Hogs pull off a win in every instance.

It's going to fall somewhere in between most likely, but not even the most insane Arkansas fans were willing to envision such back in August. It will be a packed house and it will be insane Saturday night.

The Hogs might have disadvantages in a few position groups, but they will certainly hold the edge on intimidating atmosphere. That wasn't a given when the season started.

Pittman was staring down potential torches and pitchforks in mid-October if his bold move to bring in Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator didn't pan out. That is if fans cared enough with a monumental basketball season looming in the coming days.

People care about Razorbacks football more than halfway through the season. It may be more impressive than when Pittman broke the SEC losing streak or reeled off a 9-win season with all of his trophies.

As much flack as he gets, the head Hog deserves his flowers. They may die in a run of teams that either started or earned their ways into the Top 10 to close the season, but everyone has to remember, even if Arkansas beats Mississippi State or Louisiana Tech along the way, it's better than things were supposed to be.

If Pittman can somehow lead the Razorbacks to those two wins and find a way to put an end to all this Eli Drinkwitz nonsense in Columbia to end the season, he will not only have far exceeded expectations, but checked boxes that were impossible eight weeks ago.

• Win more than four games.
• Don't lose to an inferior non-conference opponent.
• Beat a Mississippi school.
• Beat one team the Hogs shouldn't.
• Stop losing to Missouri.
• Win a one-score game.
• Make fans care about Arkansas football again.
• Flip one major recruit.

There are still things left to accomplish on that list, but to be so far into it this early in the season is impressive. It's only a first half report card, but well done so far Sam PIttman. Well done.

HOGS FEED:

• Hogs must slow down these two Tigers if they want chance to win Saturday

• John Calipari's trust spans generations with four Razorbacks

• National analyst on Calipari making move to Arkansas | SEC Media Day

• Razorbacks must contend with elite offensive lineman from LSU on Saturday

• Time to re-evaluate SEC's place in college football hierarchy

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