Texas State Championship Not as Far Fetched for Hogs as Fans Think

Recent events open possibility Pittman, Razorbacks can sweep Aggies, Longhorns

Arkansas running back AJ Green runs for a touchdown in a blowout of Texas at Razorbacks Stadium in 2021. / Nelson Chenault – USA Today Sports

DALLAS – The last time head coach Sam Pittman had Arkansas fans truly excited, he won the Texas state championship by knocking off RIce, Texas and Texas A&M over the span of 21 days.

While he only has Texas and Texas A&M on the schedule this year with the games are spread out over a month and a half, notching wins over both the Longhorns and Aggies would go a long way toward bringing good vibes back among the Hogs' fan base. Doing so would be unexpected, but it's not nearly as far out of the realm of possibility as most Razorbacks fans like to believe.

Let's start with the Aggies who are, quite frankly, an emotional mess right now. It seems no amount of therapy can help Texas A&M process that it's been the big brother in the state of Texas for more than a decade now.

However, the second it was announced the Longhorns would be joining the SEC, all the confidence and bravado infused down in College Station got sucked up by a gulf wind and just blew away. The Aggies immediately reverted to their old little brother selves even though they weren't.

With their positive self visualization shattered, A&M fans have taken to discussing doing their best Lincoln Riley impersonation and running from the SEC as quickly as possible. On one hand it's sad to see the Aggies suddenly devolve this way, but for Pittman, it's exactly what the doctor ordered.

Back when the Aggies previously had their inferiority complex, Arkansas was 40-24-3 against them and won the first three Southwest Classics. It was an embarrassment for the Hogs to lose.

However, once Texas A&M got into the SEC and Johnny Manziel taught them how to have that flagship team in the state of Texas swag, the Aggies began to dominate. They are 11-1 in the past dozen Southwest Classics.

But if A&M has curled up in the fetal position and made itself submissive to Texas, this is the perfect time for Pittman to strike. The old school Aggies are back if that's the case, once again bringing that doormat mentality Arkansas used to love exploiting.

So, with the idea firmly in place that Texas A&M may belittle itself into manufacturing a loss to the Razorbacks, Pittman is left with the daunting task of taking down the Longhorns in Razorback Stadium in mid-November. It may seem to be a tall order in the eyes of Hogs fans, but it's the November part of the equation that's the most difficult to reason away.

Injuries and mental state within the locker room might be an issue at that point in time as they have been the past two seasons. However, if Pittman can do enough to hold his team together, there's a decent shot.

People look at the Texas run to the playoffs last season and automatically determine the Longhorns must be this borderline unstoppable force. That's not necessarily the case.

If a few breaks don't go in favor of Texas, then last season produces the same Longhorns everyone has come to know and expect over the past 10+ years. Texas was 13 points from losing three-of-four from late October to mid-November.

That would have made the Steve Sarikisan's bunch a five-loss team. Really good by Texas standards, but not the wave of overconfidence currently bubbling out of Austin.

Roughly the same time the Longhorns play the Razorbacks on the schedule this year, they came off a 33-30 overtime win over Kansas State, then traveled to TCU where Texas white-knuckled a 29-26 win. There's a chance the Longhorns fall back a bit, much in the way the Horned Frogs did after their national championship game run.

However, even if that doesn't happen, the evidence is there that, even at its best, Texas is vulnerable in mid-November after the wear and tear of a long season begins to settle in. If Pittman can hold his team together, the magic of a game between the Horns and Hogs in Razorback Stadium, even if it isn't at night, might be enough to get Arkansas over the edge.

It would be enough to set up a potential strong end to the season, which is something Razorbacks fans haven't seen since the last time the Hogs beat Texas. Arkansas closed by winning five of its last six games that year with the lone loss being by a touchdown to Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

If Pittman can get on that kind of roll, he will once again establish his legacy as an overachiever. It just takes being Texas state champions at least one more time.

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