Razorbacks Have Shot to Dramatically Impact Playoff Race

Texas angling for bye, top seed, but also starting to play better and Pittman probably knows it

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman on the sidelines against the Ole Miss Rebels at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. / Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Whether he'll admit it Monday at noon in his press conference or not, Arkansas coach Sam Pittman knows how important Saturday's game against No. 3 Texas is. It'sa chance for the Razorbacks to put themselves into the College Football Playoff conversation without having a shot to get there.

The Longhorns will roll into town as 13.5-point favorites with a swagger the Hogs haven't seen in awhile. It's a game fans initially thought would be one the Razorbacks could win because they did it in 2021 and now Texas is in the SEC. You'd think fans would have learned their lesson by now.

In 2012 when Texas A&M and Missouri came into the league, there were talking heads on sports radio saying it would be a decade for them to be competitive in the SEC. The Aggies won 10 games their first year with Johnny Manziel and the Tigers won the East the next two seasons.

Now the Longhorns are sitting at No. 3 in the country after having their hiccup game in league play against Georgia a couple of weeks ago. Considering everybody in the league has had one, that's not the negative it should be.

Especially after considering after the Bulldogs stomped Texas in Austin, they were physically manhandled by Ole Miss a week after the Rebels obliterated Arkansas in Razorback Stadium. Throw away those old handicapping models to predict this week's game.

Texas has a backup quarterback that would start nearly everywhere else in the SEC. That includes Your Heroes. If you don't think offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino wouldn't take Arch Manning over Taylen Green, you really are drinking some spiked Kool Aid.

By this morning's press conference, Pittman will have looked at every bit of film he can find on the Longhorns and see a different team from the one that he kicked out of Razorback Stadium in 2021, 40-21.

They have bought into Steve Sarkisian's system, the culture appears to be different than anything seen in Austin maybe since the Darrell Royal days in ancient days. Those of us old enough can remember what that was like.

About all the Razorbacks can accomplish in this game is position themselves for a better bowl game closer to New Year's Day. The Longhorns are playing for a national championship and can't really afford a faceplant in Fayetteville.

We'll know more after we hear from Pittman, but expect a lot of cliches and the standard answers. He may even say they think they can win the game.

The Hogs will have some big plays. They have some talent on this team, but it's not deep enough to stay with Texas unless they just aren't feeling great Saturday morning or something else we can't predict. It may be an interesting week for a lot of reasons.

HOGS FEED:

• Razorback fans shouldn't melt down over loss | Locked on Razorbacks

• Arkansas hoping early season test pays dividends down road

• Razorbacks facing motivated Texas team for first time in long time

• Arkansas still learning on the fly against Baylor

• Longhorns' Talent Level in Win Over Florida Problem for Hogs

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