Ranking Every Arkansas Football Game From Most to Least Winnable

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas Razorbacks have one of the toughest schedules in the country, but so does the rest of the SEC.

For first-year coach Ryan Silverfield, there are plenty of opportunities for him to solidify his program in Year One with at least bowl eligibility being the goal.

Here is how each game ranks on a winability scale.

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jackson (7) rolls out to pass during the spring game at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

1. North Alabama

First of all, there are going to be some serious issues if all the talk about effort, energy, enthusiasm and culture doesn't lead to at least two victories over teams Arkansas should overwhelm this season.

Since North Alabama moved up from DII to the FCS, it's annually been among the worst teams in the country.

Former Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield meets with Tulsa coach Tre Lamb — Memphis' head coach Ryan Silverfield shakes hands with Tulsa’s head coach Tre Lamb after Memphis defeated Tulsa 45-7 at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tenn., on October 4, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

2. Tulsa, Sept. 26

For Tre Lamb and Tulsa, there is some familiarity for Silverfield since he's 2-1 against the Golden Hurricane during his time at Memphis. Lamb is a young up-and-comer across the way with two FCS Playoff appearances with Gardner-Webb in 2022 and 2023 and is a known program builder at just 36-years-old.

Arkansas should win both games comfortably, and anything less would raise legitimate questions about the Razorbacks' progress going into October.

Coint Toss Games

Utah, Auburn, Vanderbilt, and South Carolina are all games that could be coin flips for the Razorbacks. There's also an argument to be had that Arkansas could enter each of these games (except for Utah) as betting favorites instead of upset picks.

Utah Utes running back Wayshawn Parker (1) runs the ball during the second half against the Kansas Jayhawks at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

3. Utah, Sept. 12

Starting with week two in Salt Lake City, the Utes are basically starting over again with first-year coach Morgan Scalley, quarterback Devon Dampier and running back Wayshawn Parker.

Utah was voted No. 5 in the Big 12 media poll, which is a modest assessment for a team replacing its entire offensive line and wide receiver room.

The Razorbacks, at least on paper, are superior in talent, according to 247Sports Team Composite Rankings.

That's why this game should be much closer with Arkansas having a strong chance to add an early signature win to Silverfield's resume.

Vanderbilt Coach Clark Lea works with his team on kick return coverage during practice at Vanderbilt University Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

4. Vanderbilt, Oct. 17

This Vanderbilt program ain't the one your daddy grew up watching. The Commodores and coach Clark Lea will field a competent defense with just enough offense to keep things interesting this fall.

If quarterback Blaze Berlowitz doesn't pan out and they have to depend on true freshman 5-star Jared Curis to get things done, then it could end up being a long season in Nashville.

5. Auburn, Nov. 7

Auburn has plenty of talent, but SIlverfield does hold a 3-0 head-to-head record against coach Alex Golesh. That's enough of a sample size to believe Arkansas and Silverfield can pick up their second SEC road victory of the season.

South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Lanorris Sellers (16) looks to pass against the Clemson Tigers in the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

6. South Carolina, Nov. 14

No coach in the SEC enters with a hotter seat than South Carolina's Shane Beamer. He went out and hired former Arkansas offensive coordinator Kendal Briles to work with an offense full of individual talents capable of becoming a competent unit if the offensive line issues are resolved.

If South Carolina and Arkansas are still fighting for eligibility at this point, playing in the confines of Razorback Stadium should give the Hogs a slight edge in this one. At least three SEC wins in Silverfield's first year plus a victory over Utah would be huge for the sake of perception.

7. Tennessee, Oct. 10

The Volunteers haven't won a game in Fayetteville since 2001, and will be starting a true freshman in Fazion Brandon at quarterback. That's one of the same circumstances that led to a 19-14 upset just two seasons ago.

Coach Josh Heupel remembers that night well, and this time Arkansas is already requesting every fan in attendance to wear red. This could be the night that Silverfield picks up his first big SEC victory unless he leads the Razorbacks to an unforgettable upset of either Georgia or Texas A&M.

Missouri Tigers running back Jamal Roberts (20) celebrates with offensive lineman Dominick Giudice (56) after rushing for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

8. Missouri, Oct. 31

The Razorbacks haven't fared well against Missouri historically and there's still a major talent disadvantage since the institution of NIL and revenue sharing.

The Tigers are breaking in another new starting quarterback in Austin Simmons, who was replaced by Ole Miss star Trinidad Chambliss and was never able to regain his status as starter.

There are still questions about the availability of preseason Heisman favorite Ahmad Hardy, which certainly impacts the Tigers' overall ceiling this fall.

His running mate Jamal Roberts is capable of being a 1,000 yard rusher himself if Hardy is out of action for an extended period of the regular season.

Missouri always has a good defense and will be exactly the tool that keeps games within striking distance for an offense that has potential to be the best of the Eli Drinkwitz era in Columbia.

9. at Texas A&M, Oct. 3

Coach Mike Elko is 15-1 in months not named November over the past two seasons, which means he'll probably have the Aggies ready to roll when the Razorbacks come to Kyle Field for the first time since 2020.

Texas A&M has its sights set on a second consecutive College Football Playoff appearance, but will be coming off a high stakes game at LSU the week prior. This could end up being a trap game for Elko's group given they have a road trip to Missouri the very next week.

LSU Tigers head football coach Lane Kiffin talking with Quarterback Husan Longstreet 8 at LSU Football practice. August 18, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

10. LSU, Nov. 28

Coach Lane Kiffin was 16-5 in November during his time at Ole Miss, but this game being moved back to its old Thanksgiving weekend date brings excitement to a rivalry that has been decided by single digits 14 times since 2005.

LSU will have one of the most talented offenses Arkansas faces with Arizona State transfer Sam Leavitt at quarterback, a deep receiving corps and one of the nation's best tight ends in Trey'Dez Green.

Defensively, Kiffin walked into a much better situation than he inherited on the other side of the ball. Coordinator Blake Baker stayed in Baton Rouge after helping LSU finish among the nation's top 25 in scoring and total defense last season.

The return of linebacker Whit Weeks and insertion of Ole Miss transfer Princewill Umanmielen gives the Tigers a proven pass rusher off the edge. Likely the biggest question is how the Tigers look along the interior of the defensive line.

If the Razorbacks can exploit LSU's depth concerns at defensive tackle with a rushing attack expected to be one of their strengths, Arkansas could have a legitimate path to pulling off a home upset in the season finale.

11. at Texas, Nov. 21

With the addition of an extra conference game, this one was kept in Austin for a second consecutive year. This is going to take everything that Arkansas has to keep it close and even upset the Longhorns in Austin.

This is the deepest roster Sarkisian has assembled during his time on the 40 Acres with Arch Manning leading the way at quarterback and so many weapons at his disposal coming out of the transfer portal.

Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) passes the ball during the Georgia Spring football game at Sanford Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

12. Georgia Bulldogs, Sept. 19

There's only one part of this game that the Razorbacks will have an edge in here and that's an age advantage. Georgia comes in with the youngest roster in the country at just over 19.75 years old while the Razorbacks are nearly 21 on average.

The Bulldogs have experience in starting quarterback Gunner Stockton, who isn't spectacular but gets the job done. There's Nate Frazier at running back and a collective group of receivers capable of getting the job done.

However, it's all about defense this season in Athens. There are 21 players who played meaningful roles last season with Xzavier McLeod and Elijah Griffin leading the way up front. And if you thought the defensive line was deep, just look at how many bodies the Bulldogs can rotate at the linebacker spots with Raylen Wilson, Chris Cole, Justin Williams and Quintavius Johnson at the JACK.

Georgia gave up just 17.6 points (No. 10, FBS) and just 296 yards per game (No. 14, FBS) last season. Those are numbers that coach Kirby Smart's group can only improve upon this fall.

The Razorbacks' season will likely be determined by the six games in the middle of this list. Win North Alabama and Tulsa, split Utah and the three toss-up SEC games, then steal one somewhere else, and Arkansas is playing postseason football.

However, should the Razorbacks slip up and finish 3-9 or even 4-8 makes the program a bit harder to sell unless Arkansas shows fight to the bitter end.

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